Would getting another cat help?

[tymarie2012]

A couple months ago I got a cat named Owl from my local shelter. He is constantly getting into things he's not supposed to and my mom and I are wondering if maybe getting another cat for him to play with would be a good idea. When he was at the shelter they had him with 3 other cats around his age and at my house he's with 3 dogs who don't want to play with him. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[kissthisangel]

HI and welcome to TCS.

Good for you adpting a kitty from a shelter. Did they say how old he is?

I don't know what kind of things he's getting into, but if he's getting in to things that he shouldn't you can try and focus in on things he should be getting into!

give him some high areas and some places to hide and play away from the chaos of the dogs, but still in the living area.  if you can clear off a shelf, make a bird feeder outside a window, these things might help to draw attention away from your stuff.

Make sure he has toys he can call his own, make a cat mobile, or a treat feeder he has to work at. When he begins destructive behaviour present it to him or move him to an area he can get his playtime, keeps away from your stuff and isn't in the way of the dogs.

Regular active play with wand toys or ball chaser toys, such as a ball with lights that is touch activated can stimulate the natural hunting instinct, play until the cat doesn't want to play anymore or shows signs of wanting to rest, like panting, eating or drinking. Sharing this task with others in your household will ease the demand on you, and also bond your cat to all the family. Laser toys can be really good as well but some cats prefer to physically catch their prey, so you could just use it to lead him away from places he shouldn't be.

If you did get another cat, it might work to draw attention away from the things you don't want him in, but it sounds like you have a fairly full house with three dogs already, and cats especially young males will assert territorial dominance. This might mean you end up with two cats who are getting themselves in to trouble competing for the things they're not supposed to.

 

[tymarie2012]

I got him when he was 4 months old. He mostly spends his time in my room and all 3 dogs are older and aren't into playing which is why my mom and I thought about getting another cat for him to play with. He has a lot of different toys that he loves to play with

 

[kissthisangel]

Ok so he's a bit like a teenager at the moment, just seeing what he can get up to. How is your room set up, do you spend alot of time in there?

It's great that he has lots of toys, if you can see which one is his favourite, then use it to get him away from stuff he shouldn't be messing with. If he messes with it when you're not around then you'll have to make it inaccessible which can be a pain in the butt. 

Again I'd try to get him socialising and comfortable in the main area of the house that you and your mum spend time in so he feels confident and part of the family. It will make sure that he has areas to roam and can feel like king cat, and that a constant eye can be kept on what he has access to.

 

[tymarie2012]

What do you mean by how is my room set up? Like is all of his things in my room? And yes I spend the majority of my time in my room as does he because he likes to be near me. So far he doesn't really have a favorite toy. I leave my bedroom door open during the day so he can go around to the other areas of the house but like I said, he mostly stays near me.

 

[margd]

Lots of cats do benefit from having a buddy so getting another kitten might be a good idea. Try to pick one around the same age with a compatible personality - an older cat might not do well with a rambunctious kitten. You've been given lots of good advice by Kissthisangel too - would go double if you got a second cat. Just be sure you introduce them slowly and carefully with scent swapping and controlled meetings.

 

[kissthisangel]

 
What do you mean by how is my room set up? Like is all of his things in my room? And yes I spend the majority of my time in my room as does he because he likes to be near me. So far he doesn't really have a favorite toy. I leave my bedroom door open during the day so he can go around to the other areas of the house but like I said, he mostly stays near me.

Yeah like does he have places to sit up off the floor and just watch you go about your business?  I see he's on the windowsill in your profile pic, that's great you could try putting a nice blanket up there and make it a little snoozing area. As he gets a bit older his sleeping patterns will change and he'll start to adapt to what you're doing as well if you are the main care giver for him.

As to him not having a favourite toy yet, that's ok, maybe he's just not sure on which type of prey he likes. Mojo prefers ground prey and will rarely go for a hanging toy unless that's all that's on offer. Mostly she likes this bug eyed frog which is missing a limb due to an unfortunate cat related injury. It used to be on a wand but she snapped it off.

A side note I don't know who is designing these toys maybe they've never owned a kitten.

If you really want another kitten to be a pal for him, then I would, as Margd said, introduce them really slowly, adjacent rooms, swap some bedding (not all at the same time ) screen feed them so they associate eachother with food, then let them play for a short time each day and build a relationship almost like a new couple dating.

 

[tymarie2012]

 
Yeah like does he have places to sit up off the floor and just watch you go about your business?  I see he's on the windowsill in your profile pic, that's great you could try putting a nice blanket up there and make it a little snoozing area. As he gets a bit older his sleeping patterns will change and he'll start to adapt to what you're doing as well if you are the main care giver for him.

As to him not having a favourite toy yet, that's ok, maybe he's just not sure on which type of prey he likes. Mojo prefers ground prey and will rarely go for a hanging toy unless that's all that's on offer. Mostly she likes this bug eyed frog which is missing a limb due to an unfortunate cat related injury. It used to be on a wand but she snapped it off.

A side note I don't know who is designing these toys maybe they've never owned a kitten.

If you really want another kitten to be a pal for him, then I would, as Margd said, introduce them really slowly, adjacent rooms, swap some bedding (not all at the same time ) screen feed them so they associate eachother with food, then let them play for a short time each day and build a relationship almost like a new couple dating.

Yeah I have an end table next to my desk that he uses to look out the window.  And he also sits on the back of my chair to watch me on the computer.  But usually he's either on my bed or on top of my computer tower. I know he does actually like things that can be swatted around but it seems like he'll play with it for a couple minutes before stopping.  Come to think of it I think he almost prefers paper balls.