We have a cat-he is three years old, never had another pet with him. I was at the shelter and there were tons of kittens that needed homes and I would really like to adopt one but am afraid they will not get along. Any suggestions?
2006-12-28 02:05:23 · 20 answers · asked by Willow 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
cats can be very territorial. Get some advice from the shelter about introducing your new cat to your old one. They will let you make sure your cats are compatable. If there are problems they will help you areound them or take the new cat back if they just wont get along. just be sure to introduce them slowly.
IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER ANSWER:
NEVER!!! bring your cat to the shelter. There are so many possible diseases in a place where a number of the animals have been pulled off the streets or have been taken from an uncaring home. Your cat will most likely get sick if you do.
another thing:
KL's answer is the way to go to introduce them...slowly
2006-12-28 02:10:59 · answer #1 · answered by .. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say it depends on your cats temperment. Most cats do well in twos--they keep each other company while you're gone. But naturally, cats are solitary creatures and some cats just don't get along well with others. If your cat tends to be pretty laid back he will accept a friend much more readily, though probably almost all cats would adjust eventually. A three year old cat is not likely to appreciate a kitten being brought into the house because it will be too hyper, so it's probably best to aim for a cat that's about 1.5-2 years old.
If you bring in another cat, first place the cats in separate rooms that share a door so they can smell each other under the door and get used to each other. Expect some spatting, that is totally normal when cats first meet. When they seem to have calmed down, open the door and let them meet and again, expect them to chase each other around spatting until they decide who's boss. It's also a good idea with two cats to maintain separate litter boxes until you know for certain if they're OK with sharing (some cats won't).
2006-12-28 10:14:26 · answer #2 · answered by CRF 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eventually they will "get along" and it may take some time. Two kittens might be a better choice though your cat is young enough that he will either adopt a protective position with a kitten or simply have to establish that he is top cat in the household.
It is good he is a male, female cats usually have a harder time accepting a new kitten or cat. Either a male or female kitten should fit in well eventually.
You might go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article titled "Cat to Cat Introductions" for some tips on how to go about making introductions and what to expect as far as adjustment to one another will be.
2006-12-28 11:28:22 · answer #3 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hm...well do you have a friend with a younger cat than yours? Instead of just going "Well, I'll adopt and see what happens" introduce him to some other cats in the house. See how he treats them, and then make your decision.
I only know that when we introduced our cats, they were both kittens. They fought at first, but after a couple weeks, they got along great. They play all the time now, and they keep each other occupied, so getting your cat another one to play with might be a good idea.
2006-12-28 10:10:23 · answer #4 · answered by youdontneedtoknow 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats travel in colonies and usually love having a friend. If you introduce the new cat correctly, it should be fine.
Make sure you adopt one that is smaller and younger. Your cat is the king and you don't want a cat that is going to bully him. When you bring the new cat home, keep it enclosed in your bed for the first day or two. Put kitty treats on both sides of the door by the crack so the two cats will both sniff around the door. This is how they will meet. After you let the new cat have free reign of the home, your cat should put it in it's place and everything should be fine!
2006-12-28 10:10:57 · answer #5 · answered by KL 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can get another cat, but it is all in how you introduce them. Cats are territorial, so your older cat may get a bit upset if you just plop junior down in front of him and tell him to deal with it. Put the kitten in a room with all the essentials. This will also help junior calm down and learn about his new house. Allow the two kitties to sniff and play paws under the door. If there is hissing that is normal. Do not allow aggression though. Keep a water bottle handy and if any aggression starts at the door, squirt the main aggressor. Keep this up for about a week, and occassionally put the kitten in a carrier and allow the older cat to sniff the room. Put the older cat in the room as well, and let junior out to roam the house...getting his scent on things. If you are patient, this will work well. After about a week or so of this, then allow only supervised encounters with the cats. Any aggression and they get a squirt. It took only about 2 hours for our male cat to understand that if he goes near our one female he will get doused with water. If you are patient and calm, this will work. Do not allow any fights and if they do fight, you must start at square one. Positive encounters are what is needed. I never thought our new male and our older female would get along, but now they sleep together on the bed. Good luck!
2006-12-28 10:21:06 · answer #6 · answered by Lilah 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There might be some 'dominance' issues until the 3-year-old and the newcomer get them sorted out. But sure, if you can handle it get a second cat!
Have someone your old cat does not recognize as family bring the new one in. That way, he won't think you're throwing him over for an intruder. Try closing the new cat in a separate room for a couple of weeks so they can sniff at eachother through the door.
There will be some hissing and spatting, but they will most likely become the best of friends.
2006-12-28 10:47:20 · answer #7 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Introduce them slowly. Keep the new cat in a separate room with the door closed for about a week or so, they will be curious and start to sniff each other out under the door. After awhile they will start to play with each others paws, after that you can let them play together supervised and if they seem to be ok they should be good.
I have a 3 year old male that absolutely hated any other cats that came up to our door, but roommate bought home to siamese kittens and he didn't like them at first, but we did what I said above and within 2 weeks they were all playing and sleeping and grooming together like they had all grown up together.
2006-12-28 10:15:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok...first thing THANK YOU for adopting from a shelter! they will probably not get along real well for the first few days but they will grow used to each other. im glad that you ae deciding to get another cat now when there is less age difference! ok put perfume on the back of their heads they will smell the same to each other. also maybe keep the cat in another room and gradually get it out and about. if you dont know which shelter to get one from...try petfinder.com
2006-12-28 10:30:36 · answer #9 · answered by Lyra Silvertongue 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok here's what i think. I have 3 cats and one of my cats is a boy. The other two are girls. The boy, Cookie, is afraid of people, so he is just a family cat.(we only have three people in our house.) He is also not to fond of our cats. We have had about 3 or 4 other kittens, all about 6 to 7 weeks old. We had to give them away because Cookie almost ate them. My cat Piggy, a girl, is 14 pounds! That is the cat Cookie does not like. But he stays away from her. So our cats get along pretty good. If your cats are declawed i'd say you should just try it. ( I'd declaw them just so they do not get into a fight)
2006-12-28 11:14:55 · answer #10 · answered by charissa s 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋