Would like a new kitten - boy or girl??

[brandy rowe]

I've been thinking about getting a little friend for my 12 year old girl Mario.  She's sweet and even tempered...a pretty mellow girl.  3 years ago she used to live with her sister cat and a female German Shepard, but now she's a solo girl with just me.  (Her sister was the alpha cat) Mario is not terribly affectionate, but she sleeps next to me every night and I spoil her.

I would like to get a Manx kitten since I've heard they have a very social personality.  But my question is...would it be better to get a female kitten or a male kitten?  I don't want my girl to feel threatened and go all alpha cat.  I don't think she would, but it's always a concern...I've heard stories.  I could not bear to bring in a new kitten and then have to give it away.  I wouldn't even want to consider that option.

One extra tidbit...I plan on buying a condo soon, so I would probably bring in the kitten right after my move, before my Mario got totally comfortable in her new territory so she's not feeling like the kitten is coming into her space.

Thoughts? Anecdotes? Advice?

 

[lorie d.]

IMO, a young kitten might have too much energy and be too overwhelming for Mario.  I'd like to suggest that you consider adopting a younger adult cat as a companion for her.  And since you're interested in the Manx breed maybe you could try to find a rescue organization that could help you find the perfect new addition to your household.

 

[momofmany]

For an older female that is probably set in her ways, if it were me, I'd look at an adult male cat. A kitten will be high energy and I never recommend bringing in a sole kitten to a household with a senior adult. The kitten will unintentionally torment the senior. If you really want a kitten, adopt a pair of them so that they play with each other and leave your senior alone. I say male because if there is going to be problems between cats, it is usually within the same sex.

I've had Manx's in the past and love, love, love the breed. However, they have a tendency to have STRONG personalities, which is another thing that might conflict with your senior. My male Manx was the alpha cat in our house his entire life, and my female foster Manx had to go to another foster because she came in and tried her best to squash everyone in the house (she was a torbie to boot). I have never seen a cat with such strong personality before.

There are Manx specific rescue groups out there. I had to place a number of them from a hoarder when I volunteered at a humane society, and the Manx Rescue group helped us.

 

[brandy rowe]

I think you're right.  I read some things saying I should get two kittens instead of one if I'm insistent on getting a kitten.  I really would love to get a kitten because I want to socialize it the way I want to, giving it as much attention and taking it outside on walks, etc which I can't do with my Mario.  She was raised with my ex husband's familiy and is a bit of a fraidy cat....which is fine, but she is terrified of visits outside to the vet or travel, and it traumatizes her for weeks, poor thing!

I also don't want kibble addicts in my house.  My poor Mario has IBD caused to by too much kibble and the transition to raw is proving to be quite difficult...I don't know if I could do it again unless this proves to be successful.

Two kittens though.....I think my dog loving boyfriend would have a heart attack since I already told him that when I get older I'm going to be a crazy cat lady and his face turned very very white...

 

[mr muffins]

I added a kitten to an older female, and while everything turned out fine in the end, I too had the typical problem that the kitten was indeed a little too high energy. Though they did always get along fine for the most part. A lot of people recommend two kittens, though I wonder how many people know first-hand whether that actually works. It sounds logical, but when my girlfriends sister introduced 2 new kittens, the older cat seemed to have even more to deal with then when I added just the one. 

About the pairing of genders, I heard it all. Dont put female cats with female kittens. Dont put male kittens with female cats. Dont put two males together. Do put two males together... etc. What I gather from this is that it differs wildly and its probably just a total crapshoot. Though I may be wrong

 

[sugarcatmom]

I vote (if the polls are still open) for an adult cat from a rescue/foster home situation. That way you can find out more about the cat's personality, like if s/he gets along with other cats and possibly unique character traits like being leash-trained etc. Foster homes can be a wealth of info and insight into a cat's personality. 

Having integrated kittens into my household with a resident old guy, I can say that it is indeed very challenging. It can be done, but it's not something I'd be eager to do again. I'm ecstatic that we're at a stage where Aztec (the old guy) pretty much ignores the youngsters. And this is almost 2 years after they were born in my house. 

A good article on introducing new cats to each other: http://www.wvcats.com/integrating_kittens_with_cats.htm

 

[brandy rowe]

I've actually been thinking I may get an adult cat from a shelter or a foster home.  She's a sweet girl, but she's become so lazy lately....she's only 12 but I feel like she should be more energetic.  I think having a slightly younger cat might help her find her inner kitten again.  But when it comes down to it, my main reason for getting another kitty would be so she has company during the day when I work and when I'm gone on vacation.  The pet sitter will visit her, but it's just not the same as having another presence.  And kittens, as much as I would love to have them, would probably stress her out

 

[mani]

That sounds like a really good choice. 

I just introduced a kitten to my two year old girl and he is driving her mad!  I keep sitting down with her and telling her he'll grow out of it, but she just gives me 'the look'.

(I took the little boy in as he was in desperate need.) 

A younger adult rescue male (or even female) would be my choice too.

 

[claraadele]

I think you're right.  I read some things saying I should get two kittens instead of one if I'm insistent on getting a kitten.  I really would love to get a kitten because I want to socialize it the way I want to, giving it as much attention and taking it outside on walks, etc which I can't do with my Mario.  She was raised with my ex husband's familiy and is a bit of a fraidy cat....which is fine, but she is terrified of visits outside to the vet or travel, and it traumatizes her for weeks, poor thing!

I also don't want kibble addicts in my house.  My poor Mario has IBD caused to by too much kibble and the transition to raw is proving to be quite difficult...I don't know if I could do it again unless this proves to be successful.

Two kittens though.....I think my dog loving boyfriend would have a heart attack since I already told him that when I get older I'm going to be a crazy cat lady and his face turned very very white...

I have worked with a rescue for the past 2-3 years and fostered over 100 kittens and cats. What I've found is that two cats getting along really doesn't have much to do with the gender, especially when the new cat is a young kitten. It really depends more on their personalities. If your cat is very playful and active, a young kitten may be ok. But if the cat is a little shy, I would go with either two young kittens (who can keep each other busy and not terrorize the older cat) or a cat with a calmer personality. (6mos+) Always talk to the foster. Ask if the kitten has been socialized with other animals and how this new kitten interacts with the other animals. Sometimes it works out. I adopted a 10 week old kitten to a family with a 16 year old cat and the two just adore each other. But usually for older cats, you want an older, more mellow cat. Also, ask if it is possible to foster the new cat for a little while- some rescues do allow this.