Cat question.

[Pithlet]

We're going to go and hopefully get a cat or kitten tomorrow from a shelter.

We have a male cat that we've had for almost 4 years. Is it better to get another male, a female, or does it matter? My husband is worried about how our cat will adjust to another cat. He doesn't know if it is even a good idea to get another cat. I'm trying to ease his concern, but would like some help from my fellow cat crazy DUers.

Thanks!

[Dookus]

1. Personally...

I'd get a female. I've good luck with male/female combos.

[Eroshan]

10. Get a female

Its a crap shoot otherwise. We have been lucky with our four cats all getting along. But we have had males come around that cause our males to spray. And you definitely do not want that going on the house. Good luck and you should feel good about saving one from a shelter. Cats do not have good luck making it out of shelters alive. Especially in the days when Bill Frist was in med school.

[Pithlet]

12. Have you found that to be true

Even when the cat is neutered? The spray issue has me concerned, but our cat is very good about using the box. He's never gone outside of it before, even when the babies arrived.

[Eroshan]

13. yep all our cats are neutered

but the males will still spray to mark their territory. You might get lucky and your present male may not feel impinged upon and may not try to mark territory.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. What is the male's personality?

Frankly, I'd introduce a female but I brought a male kitten home with an adult male and three females in the house and he has run herd over them all just fine.

[Pithlet]

5. Well

He's not very comfortable around our almost 3 year old son. They will play occasionally, but not often. He's very comfortable around the baby, though. I have to post the pictures of the two of them together.

Anyway, he's an affectionate cat, but very active. He's not above giving us the occasional nip to keep us in line (never the kids, though. He seems to know they're different). He plays a lot, as if he's forgotten he's no longer a kitten. He always has to be in the same room with us, and sleeps with us every night.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Then it sounds like he's REAL territorial

get a female rather than a male. If you get a female and they don't like each other, they will mostly stake out their turf. IF you get a male and they don't like each other it MAY become a domination game and may lead to spraying to mark their spots.

You might also want to bring the little guy in a cat carrier and see which cat he "talks" to...kinda like letting him choose.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Ha! Now that's a picture...NSMA--slave to her kitties.

:hi:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. Slave to the cats

sparring partner to the dog!

[Whitacre D_WI]

3. Well, the obvious question is...

...is your current cat neutered?

[Pithlet]

6. Yes.

And this one will be also, if it isn't already. That is an absolute must.

[allalone]

4. cat ???

I've found male cats to be more snuggly. Which ever you choose please do the right thing and have it spayed or neutered. Thanks

[Pithlet]

8. I have, also.

But, one of my all time favorite cats was a female, Harriet. I left her with the ex when I left him, and I've regretted it deeply ever since. I'll be happy with either, really.

Agreed on the spay/neuter issue.

[hyphenate]

9. I think it depends on the current cat

In the household. If he's neutered, and a layabout, he won't be amused to have a nasty little ball of energy around him at any rate. If he's still intact, he would likely get pissed off at a male kitten. I would suggest either a helpless "damsel in distress" if he's intact, and if he's neutered, perhaps a 9 or 10 month old of either gender, so he doesn't have to deal with someone who is going to frazzle his nerves. :D

Edit: Seeing as you answered those questions while I was ansering your original post, all I can add, then, is that a slightly older kitten (as I mention, about 9-10 months) is a good choice, of either gender.

[BigDaddyLove]

11. In my (limited) experience, I would suggest a male.........

they seem to become closer friends in the long run.

We 'adopted' a stray male this summer and at first our other male had a real problem with him, but now they're really, really good friends.

See....


<img src=>

[grasswire]

14. I don't think it's predictable

We took an 12-year-old male cat into our three-cat household. The other cats were a senior female, a senior male, and a four-year-old male. All neutered.

For eighteen long months we had to keep the new cat and the four-year-old separated, because Keiko would have killed the new one, he hated him so much. It wasn't just hissing or paw fighting. It was a regular jihad against this new infidel.

Keeping them separated was a horrible hassle. And more than once I got bitten pretty badly trying to separate them.

Also, you may have a pee problem. Piles of laundry seem particularly attractive to competitive males.

OR...it could go really well. Very hard to predict.

[BigDaddyLove]

16. No question it's hard to predict........

I only spoke up because I recently went through this situation myself and and found out that two adult males who at first didn't get along, now do, while the female didn't (and doesn't) get along well with the new male.

The individual personalities matter much more than male/male or female/male.


<img src=>

[Lorien]

18. Awww..fits of cuteness!

too adorable!

[camero]

15. another male

They won't wake you up in the middle of the night. They'll be territorial at first but they get used to each other easier.

Don't ask me why, it's just been my experience with cats.

[Lorien]

17. ALL boys here

My cats are 15 years old, 9 months, and 4 months. I used techiniques like these:http://www.stanford.edu/group/CATNET/articles/introducing_cats.html to achieve these happy results:



Be sure to try and make every interaction with the newcomer as positive as possible. NEVER yell at them for hissing or scratching-just remove the newcomer from the situation and try again later. Having a door with a good gap under it helps-it allows them to play with each other while feeling safe behind a barrier.

Use a product called Feliway, too. It will help calm everyone's nerves and ease the transition. Good luck!

[nini]

19. I had two males and brought one home when the other was 6

they got along great and were best friends until ol Fluffy went to see his maker. :-(

[Lostmessage]

20. Get a female

I have three boys and all three of them are hair dressers if you know what I mean. They rip each others hair out on a daily basis.

[Corgigal]

23. I have a male and a female

then I brought a new kitten home. I got a female but I put her in a dog crate, with a little litter box and a small box in back so she could watch us and everyone could investigate everyone. She was slowly released out but the crate door was open if she ever felt the need to go back to her safe place.

Worked well, everyone gets along now.

[allalone]

24. cat friends

I had a cat a year old named Freddie for Freddie Kreuger cuz he was always biting and scratching me. Well one night on the way home I found a tiny kitten in a parking lot. It was filthy, ridden with fleas, the whole thing. Well I took him home wondering what freddie would do. Named him Ginger. washed him, flea dip you know. I set him up with a blanket in the dining room. Freddie came over and lay down next to him and didn't leave him except to eat or potty for 2 days. they ended up best friends. Me he still bit!

[davsand]

25. Welcome to DU, allalone! Pithlet--I've had mixed luck with adding cats.

I dunno what to tell you--I know other people do it, but I've never had consistent success adding cats later. Seems like they ALWAYS were bitching at each other...

To be fair, when I moved in with a man who had two cats, all our kitties were advanced in years, and my cat was just a first class bitch kitty--so that probably was her problem. Plus, I think available window sill space and the size of the place you live in has a lot to do with it. Once we moved to a bigger place the fights did lessen.

I know a lot of the behavior advice is to introduce gradually--but I also know that cat behavior is mostly solitary except for family units in natural settings--so I've never been able to predict with any real confidence how a pairing will turn out.

Oddly enough, I found that huge amounts of cat nip worked well in the whole process. If I kept them all stoned for a few days they did better getting used to each other!

Good luck, and enjoy the new kitty! We screened for temperment with ours this last time and he and our daughter are best buddies. He meets her at the door when she comes home and they literally play with each other. I've never seen him scratch her except by accident, nor has he ever used his teeth. I've even pilled him and not been scratched!

Laura

[Shanty Oilish]

26. One is more agreeable than two

I was happier when I had one cat. One stays out of your way, two don't give a damn.

[Esurientes]

27. My experience

btw--cutest photos I've ever seen:loveya:

I got a 3 month old male Siamese kitten after my vet told me my 10-yr-old male orange tabby cat didn't have long to live (kidney disease). For seven years after that, the little one pushed the old one off the retaining wall and down a 12-foot drop, stole his food unless I stood right over them while they were eating, etc.

Before that, when the old cat was about 5, someone gave me a female orange tabby kitten, 8 weeks, and my old cat hated her, too. They fought over food but they always curled up and slept together.

Good luck to you...I admire anyone with the energy for multiple pets. One is all I can manage from now on!