Should I Get Another Cat?

[nwfn]

I have a cat, five year old girl, who I adore. She's very attached to me, we snuggle together every night, etc.

There's a cat nearby whose owner is giving him up due to a move to a place that doesn't allow pets (I really think that's a lame excuse by the way). He's two years old, sounds like he's good-natured, but neither him nor my kitty has lived with another cat before. The current owner giving him up has also asked about visiting him once in a while, which I don't think is really fair to the cat: either keep him or don't...

Anyway, do you think this is a good idea? I don't know if it's fair to my kitty girl to get another cat, but this kitty sounds pretty nice and will be homeless otherwise. I'm feeling really anxious about what to do here. Any advice and/or personal experiences appreciated.

 

[orange&white]

I've had two to three cats at a time for most of the years since 1989, so I'm biased. The cats all adjust to each other, sometimes as best buddies and sometimes just co-existing without much interaction. I've never had issues with blood-and-fur-flying fights with any "arrangement" of cats (and dogs).

The biggest decision is whether you want to own more than one cat. Sounds like you're hesitant. Give it some thought and follow your instincts. You might want to offer to temporarily take the cat until the owner or you could find it a permanent home...maybe it would work that your home becomes the permanent home...or maybe not.

Also, I don't think it's appropriate for the current owner to request visits unless you are close friends with the person and would generally have them over to visit.

 

[danteshuman]

I'm always voting for another cat BUT I also am all about bringing in a young wee baby kitten. That way the resident cat is less threatened. Your situation leaves me with some warning flags.

Why are they leaving the cat?
How much of a friend are they? If not, no to the visitation.
Does the cat have any behavioral or health problems?
Do you have a back up plan if your resident cat & this cat can not co-exist?

 

[ArtNJ]

If it goes poorly, it can be so much harder than your anticipating. Picture your girl so fearful that she doesn't snuggle with you, is always looking over her shoulder, doesn't use the litterbox, and the cats rolling around fighting, pulling out hair and screaming. If you do a proper slow introduction and have patience, usually it will be ok in the end. But it can be HARD.

 

[BelSognare]

I think the above posts left some great advice, but I just wanted to bring up a different aspect that wasn't touched....Please, make sure if you bring this cat into your house that it is healthy. Make sure he is up to date on his vaccines, and the cat doesn't have FIV/FeLV. If the cat is sickly, it will create a whole host of stress for you and emotional strain. Some diseases in cats are contagious and can even infect your other cat. So please make sure the cat is healthy. Many diseases can appear asymptotic. Blood work is paramount.

Please also consider if you can afford another cat. Cats can be costly. One other cat, isn't going to create much more of an expense. However, if it's sickly vet costs can be extremely expensive.

In my experience with owning multiple cats, I never had bad luck with them getting along. They either actually enjoyed each other or kept to themselves for the most part. But I have seen and heard cases when they did not get along....Thoroughly researching cat introductions will be key for you. Let us know if you have more questions or concerns.

 

[rubysmama]

All good replies so far. I don't have any experience with more than one cat, so I'll just post the links to some TCS articles which might help with making your decision.

Your Second Cat: How To Choose The Best Friend For Kitty
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
The Multi-cat Household