kitty friend

[brycross33]

I don't really know if this goes under cat health but I think it should be talked about for a cats general well being. Should every cat or animal for that matter have another animal friend? Does it help with the general well being of your furry friends? Does the if you have one you should get another always apply? I want to get a friend for my Kitty but my boyfriend doesn't want another one I say why not? It might help our cat feel not so couped up in our apartment. Our apartment is only 560 square feet but I feel like 2 cats is not as hard to keep up with its 3 when it gets hard. What do you guys think?

 

[mrsmcfadden]

I struggled with getting 2. Now I have 3! I could tell my Livie wanted a playmate. But they weren't instant friends. It took a few days. It also depends on your cats personality. My cat also always wanted to play with the puppies and neighborhood cats! I had to make sure that I introduced slowly, but we too were in a little house so it's harder. Only you know your cats personality. My Livie still is treated like the queen she is and I had to pay extra attention to her so she wouldn't feel left out or abandoned.

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• mrsmcfadden
• May 3, 2013

 

[mrsmcfadden]

And to answer your 3 questions no, no and no. Some cats don't want another cat in the house.

 

[brycross33]

Ah so two is sort of hard how do you know if your cat is good around other animals? He has never been around any others that I know of. Is there a place that will let you bring in your cat to see if they are a good fit?

 

[mrsmcfadden]

Well it isn't hard at all.. It's just because cats are so finicky! How old is your cat? Usually the younger the better. I don't know of a place that will let you see if they r a good fit. But with cats they will hiss and growl at first. Some even swat. But usually they warm up within a couple of days... Sometimes weeks.... Sometimes never. It just depends. Is your cat independent? Or does he prefer to have u around? My cats aren't independent. They follow me and Livie would get sad when we would leave for a few hours. And if we were in the yard she would sit in the window yowling. That's how I knew.

 

[mrsmcfadden]

And her temperament. She was very tolerant of my small kids, loving and patient. Her disposition wasn't aggressive at all. She still is a sweetie. My heart... Well all 3 are!

 

[brycross33]

my Ginger is about 8 months-1 year so he is still pretty young and I've had him around my friend's kid who is 3 and he just sniffed her and didn't want to be around her. He is in between independent and not he does what he wants most of the time but he will follow me around and sit next to me and greets me at the door when i get home from work or school...it's pretty funny he will just be sitting there so i imagine he gets lonely with no one around

 

[sivyaleah]

First, it's good for cats to have a companion in a lot of instances.  Kittens especially (and, I'd consider your 8 month old still one) appreciate the company of another cat to play with and burn off excess energy.  Older cats, who are set in their ways, well maybe not so much but you never know.  Some acclimate fine.  

We had a nearly 12 year old male ginger boy ourselves, who as far as we were aware had never been around other cats.  We knew he had dog companions in the past, and was around children.  He is easy going and has great behavior, but had exhibited some aggression to a neighbor cat that comes around our back door now and then.  However, we felt that he might benefit from some company, as we were out of the house for long periods of time due to work.  

After a lot (and I do mean a lot) of thought and research, we adopted a much younger cat this past December.  She is somewhere around 3-5 years old.  One of the reasons we chose her, was she exhibited a very submissive, calm demeanor initially.  We made sure to do all the proper introductions, NOT rushing anything between them.  Casper, the male, did not see her face to face for 3 weeks.  He slowly got accustomed to her scent through a door.  And, was not exactly thrilled, but not aggressive about it either.  When we finally let her out, because it was obvious she was ready, it took another 2 weeks before I was certain they were able to be left alone completely together (we would put her in her "safe room" overnight in that time period, just in case things got out of hand while we were asleep).  

In that time period, Casper did growl and show his displeasure and had some behavioral changes temporarily with us, but nothing dramatic. It took about 2 full months before they began to play with each other and now, 5 months later, they are really good friends, to the point of sleeping curled up together.  Cocoa tends to initiate interactions more, being younger and inventive with her play, and Casper, we think, puts up with a lot of her antics, but he clearly enjoys her company.  And she, isn't the shy little one we adopted by any means - she is now a confident diva who rules the roost here!  So,you sometimes don't really know the real personality of the cat you adopt until he/she has spent time in your home, and has gotten comfortable.  She had been a rescue, was living on the street for some unknown amount of time and had a background of some abuse, which was why she was exhibiting such trepidation when we met her.  But, once she settled into our home, which is calm, quiet, and accepting of her, she came around quickly.  Some need time to blossom into their real self.  

Most likely, your boy will enjoy the company of another cat.  But, it is something to seriously consider not only from the standpoint of your space issues, but also financially.  If you aren't able to provide good care for 2 cats, meaning annual vet visits for both, have enough money for emergency situations, food, litter, toys, etc. And time of course too.  While they will play with each other, you still need to be able to pay attention to them also.  And even more so, if your boyfriend is really against it right now, don't push it.  Wait until he comes around on his own.  You want to be sure that whatever new kitty arrives in your home, is well loved by both of you.  Arguing over a pet, isn't any fun at all.