This may not be something I should put extensive thought into just because the cat I do have is a pretty considerable source of stress due to being ill, but hear me out. I'm convinced, despite the vet saying it's his teeth, that my Kippy quit eating and subsequently developed liver problems because he could not handle the loss of his two roommate kitties. For those who don't know, I had to put my other two cats Caspurr and Rolly to sleep in December of last year and February of this year, not even two full months between the two of them. When I got Kip, I had not only my other two kitties, but a third one that passed away a few months later from old age. Granted, Kip, Caspurr and Rolly were not friends. In fact, they would usually smack one another and hiss and spit and growl when they crossed paths, and Kip would regularly beat the crap out of Rolly, complete with gobs of fur everywhere and screeching. Caspurr, not so much. She was queen of the house and only had to put Kip in his place once.
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Anyway, what I'm saying is even though these three fought, I don't think Kip could adjust to being the only cat in the house. They had their spats, but the kitties would often cry for one another when they thought they were all alone. I think it was after Caspurr was put down that Kip went on his little hunger strike, and between mourning over Caspurr and proceeding to accept poor Rolly's fate and eventual passing, I just did not notice his weight loss at first. So this is why I'm wondering if maybe it would help to get Kip a companion. Of course, I would weigh the pros and cons of doing so:
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PROS
- Could possibly help Kip to not be alone
- Wouldn't just be there to help Kippy, as I would love another cat
- Am used to a multi-cat household, so nothing I could not handle in terms of numbers
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CONS
- Might NOT help Kip; might, instead, stress him out more and lead to further food aversion (though he ate just fine when I brought him in the house 9 years ago)
- Fighting; Kip's a moody little thing and despite his age, health and having no teeth, I think he could whoop another cat's arse. Can cats be bipolar? I swear Kip is. He flip flops constantly in terms of mood.
- My mother, with whom I unfortunately still live, would almost certainly object to another cat. Her words a few years ago were something like, "We ain't gettin' no more f***in' cats once these ones croak!" Of course, it's perfectly fine for her to bring home a loud, destructive dog that has caused more damage to the house than all the cats and the other dog combined.
- Mother's dog is a sh*t and while his behavior is generally just chasing after and barking at the cats, he sometimes gets aggressive and attacks them
- My mother has no patience with animals and would smack the cat if she caught them scratching the rug or peeing outside the box
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Seems like the downsides outnumber the upsides, but I still wonder if it would be beneficial to Kip to have a companion again. I drove past the local humane society on the way to an interview last week and it took all my strength to not go in and buy a cat.
.
Anyway, what I'm saying is even though these three fought, I don't think Kip could adjust to being the only cat in the house. They had their spats, but the kitties would often cry for one another when they thought they were all alone. I think it was after Caspurr was put down that Kip went on his little hunger strike, and between mourning over Caspurr and proceeding to accept poor Rolly's fate and eventual passing, I just did not notice his weight loss at first. So this is why I'm wondering if maybe it would help to get Kip a companion. Of course, I would weigh the pros and cons of doing so:
.
PROS
- Could possibly help Kip to not be alone
- Wouldn't just be there to help Kippy, as I would love another cat
- Am used to a multi-cat household, so nothing I could not handle in terms of numbers
.
CONS
- Might NOT help Kip; might, instead, stress him out more and lead to further food aversion (though he ate just fine when I brought him in the house 9 years ago)
- Fighting; Kip's a moody little thing and despite his age, health and having no teeth, I think he could whoop another cat's arse. Can cats be bipolar? I swear Kip is. He flip flops constantly in terms of mood.
- My mother, with whom I unfortunately still live, would almost certainly object to another cat. Her words a few years ago were something like, "We ain't gettin' no more f***in' cats once these ones croak!" Of course, it's perfectly fine for her to bring home a loud, destructive dog that has caused more damage to the house than all the cats and the other dog combined.
- Mother's dog is a sh*t and while his behavior is generally just chasing after and barking at the cats, he sometimes gets aggressive and attacks them
- My mother has no patience with animals and would smack the cat if she caught them scratching the rug or peeing outside the box
.
Seems like the downsides outnumber the upsides, but I still wonder if it would be beneficial to Kip to have a companion again. I drove past the local humane society on the way to an interview last week and it took all my strength to not go in and buy a cat.