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We recently got our first pet (adult male cat from a shelter) about a month ago. We love him so much! He is very social and friendly. He's been such a joy that I have started thinking about getting another cat. My husband doesnt think we should do anything to compormise everything good we have going with our current cat. What if our cat doesn't like the new cat or if it changes his personality.
Any advice about whether or not to get another cat. I've heard that it is better to get a cat from the opposite sex, so I was thinking about getting an adult female (dont want a kitten).
It's a gamble. He might accept another cat, he might not, and there are degrees of acceptance. There are going to be stories from both sides because cats are so individual. For what it's worth, I vote with your husband. Enjoy the cat you've got. Let him continue to be the center of your attention, don't make him share the spotlight. Don't needlessly complicate a good situation.
I have to agree. I know that many here could not live without the joys of the many cats and the interaction and diversity they provide. And, they are a lot more experienced cat people than I am. but I have to say that 30 plus years of being a one cat person has me convinced that bonding with one cat is a unique experience.
We adopted a 2nd cat 2 weeks after we got the first one - he was lonely, crying at night etc, plus his foster mum said he really likes being with the other cats at her house. Since we got the 2nd cat, he hasn't cried since. They get along fine (we did the proper introduction - google and read articles on how to introduce cats to each other). They aren't best buddies yet, but typically have no problems co-existing.
But when we adopted the 2nd cat, we make sure it has a personality that'd go well with the first one. Both are pretty easy going and laid back, though I'm thinking the 1st cat would like the 2nd one to be more playful (1st cat likes to chase and wrestle, the 2nd cat not so much). 1st cat is 1.5yo (boy) and 2nd cat is 2-3yo (female).
Read that generally male+female or male+male is better than female+female, though it also depends on the age and personalities of the cats.
If you just adopted an adult cat a month ago, I'd say give him more time to get confidence in his situation. You can expect some ill feelings between two cats who don't know each other for a while in any case. But it might be that they become fast friends. Most cats in my experience eventually get along fairly well.
I think a newly adopted adult cat may be just fine and dandy with no other cat to share you with, may even prefer it that way. BUT...if I was starting from scratch with cats I would adopt them in pairs.
I agree that it's a gamble. 9 years ago we adopted a second cat. The first one we had since he was a kitten and he was about 12. We adopted a female. They learned to tolerate each other. That's it. Eventually the first cat died of old age.
We tried to bring in another cat a couple of years later. We adopted a 1 year old female. I wish the humane society had said something about female/female. It was a disaster. The new cat completely dominated and would not give our older cat peace. She became confined to our room and cried and cried. It wasn't fair to her. So after weeks of trying, we had to take the other cat back - which is when they informed us about the female/female thing
Our original cat has never been terribly friendly and always skidish. That's just her.
Yesterday we decided to try again, but two male 3 month old kittens. She's not happy, but I have no bad feeling that it won't eventually get to where she tolerates them. They have each other and are completely uninterested in her. She has her safe place on our armoir - where she spends every day anyway!
I kinda of think that if you're going to do it, you might as well do it now before the first cat gets too set in it's ways.
I wish the humane society had said something about female/female. It was a disaster. The new cat completely dominated and would not give our older cat peace. She became confined to our room and cried and cried. It wasn't fair to her. So after weeks of trying, we had to take the other cat back - which is when they informed us about the female/female thing .
The term "cat fight" came about for a reason.
It's always a gamble, but I've heard that the female/female is the worst possible combination...(of course, there are exceptions).
I got my second cat when my first was about 5 years old. Actually, my second cat "found me"... I think that my first cat would have liked to have been an only cat, but he did learn to tolerate the younger one. Now that he's gone, I'm waiting for my younger one to come into his own, but I honestly think that he would like to have a feline playmate. (Not that he would get one, since we now have the pup...)
Until you get to know the cat, and how they deal with others, you never really know.
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