Does my cat need a second cat to keep him company? He seems bored!

[maxkitteh]

Hello,

Well, my 9-month-old (today) Burmese cat Max is awesome, but he's super high energy and I work from home, so it's not like I don't interact with him during the day. I play with him during breaks and such. But, he likes to bite my hands and arms (I'm trying to get him to stop) and sometimes he just seems bored and frustrated. I even built him some cat ramps in the office so he has tons of vertical space to explore and he's got a great cat condo downstairs. But, it seems he prefers to play either with a human or I suspect he'd enjoy another cat, though he plays pretty much constantly (when he's not sleeping). He's definitely not one to sit in a lap unless he's sleeping in it. 

I think this is play-biting, because he's almost always purring and his ears are never back when doing this. The few times he's gone into attack mode, I recognized it. Sometimes, he will grab my arm, bite it...sort of lay there with my hand in his mouth and then he seems to want to sleep that way, which is adorable but I just don't want him biting me. He doesn't like me touching his belly either so I generally don't. 

I'm thinking about getting another cat, thinking two won't be much more difficult than one. He's just so high-energy that I don't think I can keep up with him even though I am here all day. Of course, he'll jump up on my desk and I give him lots of affection and pets...and he loves to lay right on my keyboard and then bite my hands (not too hard, but hard enough) if I try to pet him or move him. 

Time for a second cat maybe?

 

[txcatmom]

A second cat sounds like a great idea.  I have 3 one year old cats (not littermates) and find that they LOVE playing chase with each other and just love having other cats around.  I'd get someone just as playful and outgoing as he is.  (You probably wouldn't want a very calm, shy cat who might be intimidated by your current cat's energy.) 

Just know that, although they enjoy each other, your playtime with them will continue to be just as important.  I've found I still have an important responsibility to drag the wand toy around several times a day.  I don't want them taking ALL their energy out on each other...LOL.  Then they get a little to rough, especially for the female.

 

[maxkitteh]

HI there TxCatMom,

Yeah, a high-energy cat would be good...and that will double my problem! Just kiddin'. Yeah, I like that he's so bold and curious...when I was considering taking him home he climbed an 8-foot cat cage right in front of me! He also acclimated very quickly, but he's got boundless energy. He's also unafraid of anyone...he'll go right up and nuzzle people and well, people love him instantly. 

I think some of the biting is just frustration...perhaps with my hours working at a computer (because he sees me there, and wants me to play NOW). Granted, I am very affectionate and he never lacks for cuddles...but I would love another cat to help me tire him out just a bit hehe. 

One other cute thing he gets every day is something we call a 'Love Bomb'. Basically, I pick him up, cuddle him on his back like a baby and my girlfriend and I just nuzzle and give him tons of attention. Then he starts to purr and snore a bit...and he can fall asleep right in my arms as I gently rock back and forth (always standing). He sleeps with us every night too, so he gets lots of attention. 

We'll see...do you recommend bringing him back to the breeder in a cage so he can 'meet' other cats to see how they get along? I had to go to a breeder coz my girlfriend is definitely not allergic to this breed (Burmese).

Max
 

A second cat sounds like a great idea.  I have 3 one year old cats (not littermates) and find that they LOVE playing chase with each other and just love having other cats around.  I'd get someone just as playful and outgoing as he is.  (You probably wouldn't want a very calm, shy cat who might be intimidated by your current cat's energy.) 

Just know that, although they enjoy each other, your playtime with them will continue to be just as important.  I've found I still have an important responsibility to drag the wand toy around several times a day.  I don't want them taking ALL their energy out on each other...LOL.  Then they get a little to rough, especially for the female.

 

 

[txcatmom]

HI there TxCatMom,

Yeah, a high-energy cat would be good...and that will double my problem! Just kiddin'. Yeah, I like that he's so bold and curious...when I was considering taking him home he climbed an 8-foot cat cage right in front of me! He also acclimated very quickly, but he's got boundless energy. He's also unafraid of anyone...he'll go right up and nuzzle people and well, people love him instantly. 

I think some of the biting is just frustration...perhaps with my hours working at a computer (because he sees me there, and wants me to play NOW). Granted, I am very affectionate and he never lacks for cuddles...but I would love another cat to help me tire him out just a bit hehe. 

One other cute thing he gets every day is something we call a 'Love Bomb'. Basically, I pick him up, cuddle him on his back like a baby and my girlfriend and I just nuzzle and give him tons of attention. Then he starts to purr and snore a bit...and he can fall asleep right in my arms as I gently rock back and forth (always standing). He sleeps with us every night too, so he gets lots of attention. 

We'll see...do you recommend bringing him back to the breeder in a cage so he can 'meet' other cats to see how they get along? I had to go to a breeder coz my girlfriend is definitely not allergic to this breed (Burmese).

Max
 

That's great that your girlfriend found a breed that she isn't allergic to.  As far as the meeting goes, my experience and reading lead me to believe that cats rarely have a positive reaction when meeting a new cat.  In fact, there is usually hissing, sometimes growling.  But, we have been wildly successful in them making friends with each other after the hissing and growling die down.  (It took over a month for my second cat to stop hissing at my third cat, but they are good buddies now.)  With young cats, they might be so anxious for a buddy that the hissing passes pretty quickly (but the two I just described were both under 1 yr old.)  I guess this is my long way of saying that the "meet to see if they get along" idea doesn't sound that great to me because it takes cats so long to warm up to a new friend.  But, maybe others here will have a different opinion.

There are several good articles out there on introducing cats to each other.  A temporary isolation room for the new cat is usually recommended for a gradual intro.  If you have any questions about it when the time comes, let us know.

 

[rad65]

My advice would follow what I did in real life: get a second cat. I could tell my first cat was bored a lot of the time, so I got him a kitten friend. They are the best of friends and the best part is they wear each other out and keep each other out of trouble when I'm not around to play with them.

 

[missymotus]

We'll see...do you recommend bringing him back to the breeder in a cage so he can 'meet' other cats to see how they get along?
 

Not a good idea cats are not like dogs, and the breeder wouldn't allow it.

Burmese usually love having a playmate, another Burmese or other high energy breed would be a good match.

 

[maxkitteh]

Great replies here. I forgot to mention, I even built Max some ramps just so he could play, perch, sleep and run on them coz I know he needs an outlet (when I am not playing with him) for his boundless energy and curiosity.

In this thread here: 

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/242900/built-some-wall-walking-cat-ramps-for-max

But yeah, a second cat is in the cards I think. For sure it will be a purebred Burmese since my girlfriend is most-assuredly not allergic to this breed. I've been with her 14 years and it took 13 to realize this, somewhat by accident! For most of those years I thought I could never have a cat while we lived together and I always told her, 'I gotta cat-shaped hole in my heart' jokingly (but kinda not).

One of her friends got a Burmese from a breeder here in SoCal, and when my girlfriend noted she didn't seem too allergic, I took her to the breeder later on to 'test' this. Not one cough, sneeze or sniffle and at the time the breeder had a large collection of cats (I know the number waxes and wanes based on breeding cycles, adoptions, the economy, etc.). 

So, now we've had Max for four months and she has no allergic reaction to him at all...except a whole lotta kitty-love! He adores her too and sleeps on her head every night (as one of his many favorite spots) until he eventually cycles back to between my legs or his heated cat bed.

I guess there's always the concern about how the second cat will fit-in, but I think it'll be good for Max and I would love a second cat, with its own personality and cute quirks that all cats seem to have.

Could we get away with one open, large litterbox you think? Might get two at first and try to get them to use one later on, to avoid any territorial issues.

Do you think it's easier for an 8-month-old to acclimate to a young adult (about a year or more) or a kitten?  

 

[txcatmom]

I would use two litterboxes at first to be on the safe side.  MAYBE someday you could get away with taking away the second.  But it is easier to prevent a soiling problem than fix one.  (And the recommended amount for two cats is 2-3 boxes.....one per cat...and some say plus one extra.) 

That said, we have 3 cats and had 3 boxes for a while.  Then we did reduce it to two when I noticed one was barely getting used and they didn't seem like they would miss it.  But those two boxes are scooped twice a day, spot cleaned with each scooping, and kept up well for the kitties.  Even so, I feel like I am tempting fate by having less than the rec. amt.  We'll see...

As far as kitten or young adult....you'd probably be fine either way.  Kittens are sometimes accepted (by the existing cat) a little faster because they are so nonthreatening.  But a young adult has the advantage of a fully formed personality...you can see what you are getting personality wise.  A kitten who is playful and snuggly at 8 weeks might change their mind about those things later.  Good luck with the decision.