I'm torn, I really want to get a kitten for myself and also for a playmate for Cooper. But I'm also afraid that it will turn out to be another situation of when I first got Bailey.
Background:
I bought Avery from a breeder, felt bad for buying a cat verse adopting so adopted Cooper soon after. Age wise Avery was about 12-15 weeks old and Cooper around 6ish months give or take. These two guys got along great and played with each other, napped together, everything you'd want from two cats.
Fast forward 3-4 years, enter Bailey.
Bailey was a cat that I took in because he wasn't in the greatest of situations. After reading articles here and posting here Bailey and Cooper were able to co-exist, Avery and Bailey never could. Avery would always go chasing after Bailey and Bailey would freak the heck out (important note - In the Cooper/Avery play they would often chase each other so I can't say for certain it was 100% aggressive on Avery's part).
Avery passed away but it did bring peace to the household as Bailey and Cooper can coexist in the same room without all heck breaking out. However every time Cooper tries to initiate play with Bailey it doesn't go so well. Basically Cooper wants to run and chase Bailey and I think from the traumatic experience of Avery doing this to him Bailey hisses and swats at Cooper (Bailey was raised in a single cat household).
Cooper from time to time manages to get out of the house. There are other neighborhood outside cats and I will often see him hanging around another cat - so I'm getting the impression that he is a rather social guy. My fear is that Bailey and any other cat I get will not get along to the point where Avery and him didn't get along which was just a horrible situation all around. But then I think if I get a kitten the chances of them all at least accepting and coexisting would be better? That and hopefully Cooper could once again have a playmate.
Thoughts?
Background:
I bought Avery from a breeder, felt bad for buying a cat verse adopting so adopted Cooper soon after. Age wise Avery was about 12-15 weeks old and Cooper around 6ish months give or take. These two guys got along great and played with each other, napped together, everything you'd want from two cats.
Fast forward 3-4 years, enter Bailey.
Bailey was a cat that I took in because he wasn't in the greatest of situations. After reading articles here and posting here Bailey and Cooper were able to co-exist, Avery and Bailey never could. Avery would always go chasing after Bailey and Bailey would freak the heck out (important note - In the Cooper/Avery play they would often chase each other so I can't say for certain it was 100% aggressive on Avery's part).
Avery passed away but it did bring peace to the household as Bailey and Cooper can coexist in the same room without all heck breaking out. However every time Cooper tries to initiate play with Bailey it doesn't go so well. Basically Cooper wants to run and chase Bailey and I think from the traumatic experience of Avery doing this to him Bailey hisses and swats at Cooper (Bailey was raised in a single cat household).
Cooper from time to time manages to get out of the house. There are other neighborhood outside cats and I will often see him hanging around another cat - so I'm getting the impression that he is a rather social guy. My fear is that Bailey and any other cat I get will not get along to the point where Avery and him didn't get along which was just a horrible situation all around. But then I think if I get a kitten the chances of them all at least accepting and coexisting would be better? That and hopefully Cooper could once again have a playmate.
Thoughts?