Hi everyone, I have a question I have been wrestling with for at least a year and I would like to get input that may help me make a decision.
I have had cats all my life and presently have just one cat (Buck) who came from the local Humane Society as a kitten. Buck will be 17 at the end of February. While Buck is amazingly healthy right now, I know that he isn’t going to be around forever. So I have been debating about getting a kitten.
I hesitate because I don’t have a clue how Buck would react to a new kitten. In the past I have only ever had one cat at a time, so I don’t know what to expect. I know that all cats are different (Buck is very laid back), but is there such a thing as a normal reaction? While I have had cats all my life, I have never introduced a new cat/kitten to an older cat.
My other hesitation is that we also show and breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and we have several of the Cavaliers. While Buck has always been beyond good with the dogs and the puppies that we have here, I am fearful that we may never get another cat as good and as tolerant as Buck. We normally have two (occasionally three) litters per year and, as you can imagine, puppies can be really exuberant. Our adult dogs have no issues with a puppy chewing on a tail or ears, but a kitten is not a puppy. We would never want a kitten hurt or vice versa.
Because we show and breed purebred dogs, I might tend to lean toward getting a kitten from a reputable breeder. But I wonder if a reputable breeder would want to place a kitten in a house full of dogs; I would sure understand if a breeder was hesitant. We are also the rescue contact for MN for the national Cavalier club, so I am also open to going through a rescue or the local Humane Society. Although I again wonder if a Rescue would be interested in placing a kitten here. What I am NOT interested in is buying from a BYB, pet store or broker for a kitten mill; hopefully with my experience in dogs, I can spot a BYB or kitten mill broker.
I know how to introduce a new dog or puppy to our clan, but I have never introduced a new kitten/cat. When Buck came here as a kitten, we had just two Cavaliers. So what do you think about adding a kitten to the chaos that is our household? Would I be smarter to wait until Buck is at the Bridge? Has anyone had the experience of adding a kitten to a house with older cats or a lot of dogs? Any input is greatly appreciated.
I have had cats all my life and presently have just one cat (Buck) who came from the local Humane Society as a kitten. Buck will be 17 at the end of February. While Buck is amazingly healthy right now, I know that he isn’t going to be around forever. So I have been debating about getting a kitten.
I hesitate because I don’t have a clue how Buck would react to a new kitten. In the past I have only ever had one cat at a time, so I don’t know what to expect. I know that all cats are different (Buck is very laid back), but is there such a thing as a normal reaction? While I have had cats all my life, I have never introduced a new cat/kitten to an older cat.
My other hesitation is that we also show and breed Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and we have several of the Cavaliers. While Buck has always been beyond good with the dogs and the puppies that we have here, I am fearful that we may never get another cat as good and as tolerant as Buck. We normally have two (occasionally three) litters per year and, as you can imagine, puppies can be really exuberant. Our adult dogs have no issues with a puppy chewing on a tail or ears, but a kitten is not a puppy. We would never want a kitten hurt or vice versa.
Because we show and breed purebred dogs, I might tend to lean toward getting a kitten from a reputable breeder. But I wonder if a reputable breeder would want to place a kitten in a house full of dogs; I would sure understand if a breeder was hesitant. We are also the rescue contact for MN for the national Cavalier club, so I am also open to going through a rescue or the local Humane Society. Although I again wonder if a Rescue would be interested in placing a kitten here. What I am NOT interested in is buying from a BYB, pet store or broker for a kitten mill; hopefully with my experience in dogs, I can spot a BYB or kitten mill broker.
I know how to introduce a new dog or puppy to our clan, but I have never introduced a new kitten/cat. When Buck came here as a kitten, we had just two Cavaliers. So what do you think about adding a kitten to the chaos that is our household? Would I be smarter to wait until Buck is at the Bridge? Has anyone had the experience of adding a kitten to a house with older cats or a lot of dogs? Any input is greatly appreciated.