Will he be fine?

[merecat]

When I adopted my now 5 month old kitten, I was advised to adopt one of his littermates so they'd keep each other company, but I was worried about the costs involved. Not just in terms of food, vet bills, litter, etc, but also relocating costs when it's finally time to leave the country. 

But now I'm starting to worry that he's getting lonely when I'm not around, even though he has lots of cat toys, and I spend no less than an hour per day playing with him. 

I still have my reservations about getting another cat, but I worry about him. Would he be alright?

 

[amcm74]

Kitty should be fine. Some cats prefer to be alone, and raise a fit if you bring in another cat. As long as you are there to play, snuggle, feed at his demands. That has been my experience. I would not get a second cat if my heart was not all in and I was sure I could care for it

 

[Draco]

Sure, he will be fine as an only cat.

I am curious.. You said you will be moving out of the country? You can't take the kitty with you?

 

[merecat]

Definitely plan on taking kitty home with me, but relocating one cat seems to be expensive enough, let alone two!

 

[Draco]

That's great! Thanks for clarifying that for me!

 

[mrblanche]

I don't see any reason not to keep him as an only cat.  Adding cats increases your risks of behavior problems, especially in adult cats.
 

 

[merecat]

Thanks for your responses!

After giving it some thought, I've decided to foster a cat and see how it goes. If both settle in well, I'll be adopting it. 

Any recommendations on gender, age, etc? 

 

[physicsgal981]

How old is your other kitty?  It sounds like he is still a baby so I'd look for someone similar in age (5-7 months) and someone with a similar activity level.  Activity level in my mind is much more important than age.  I have had older cats who have done really well with kittens because they had a lot of energy. 

If everyone is spayed/neutered, sex really should not matter.  A lot of people will say you should do a male and a female but in my experience as long as everyone is altered this makes little difference and again has more to do with personality - particularly when they are younger.