So, we're getting a second cat - advice please

[sniffa]

and sorry for my spamming of DU today/tonight.

Our precious kitten that we were adopting died (if you haven't seen Bi-Baby's threads about her), and so we've decided to go to one of the local shelters to adopt (since we got permission from our landlord for a second cat) another cat.

I'm worried about the 2 cats getting along. Should we aim for a certain age range? Our kitteh is roughly, 16 months old, and I think, aside from a kitten, we shouldn't adopt one older than our cat. I worry that our first cat may not adjust to not being the only, spoiled cat. Then again, I don't know how our cat will react to a baby, even though I "think" he'll be a surrogate mom/dad cat, based on how lovable he is.

Do any of you have any advice for introducing a new cat to your household?

Also... even though I'd love to get a kitten, I'm not sure I can go through another altering, as it broke my heart watching PB go through it; he was soooooo depressed and angry, and he hated the E-collar so much. I don't know how different aged cats will react when one is wearing the collar-of-shame. :(

[undeterred]

1. post in Pets Group

lots of good advice there

[Solon]

2. He's a male, and I'm assuming he's been, well, fixed...

But that matters little, getting another male cat may be a very big mistake, and if you decided to get a female, make sure she is spayed either soon after you adopt her or is already spayed. The age difference isn't really the biggest issue, unless you plan on getting a small kitten, which I don't think are adoptable anyways, before they are weaned.

Another problem is, how big is your place? That's an issue of being territorial, whether male or female, both cats are going to mark their territory and may attack the other if either stray into each others' territory.

The only thing about age that may make a difference is if it is obvious, or one of the cats are smaller than the other, this will make the biggest cat the alpha, and you better treat him or her really well, otherwise they may take out their frustration on the other cat. I would advise against getting a kitten who is practically defenseless against your current cat, they may learn to live together, but get used to late night fights first, they have to establish their own pecking order, and you will have to live with it as well.

[Shakespeare]

3. That's about how old my first cat was when I got a new kitten.

They're approx. 13 and 11 years old now, and have been best buds since forever (special friends, in fact--they're both neutered, but routinely hump each other. :eyes: ).



I didn't do anything special when I brought in Brutus as a kitten--I did pick him up on a weekend, though, so I could monitor how they got along. Theo ignored him a little at first, and then accepted him.

[DeepBlueC]

16. I've had exactly the same experience, including the humping

[Arugula Latte]

19. I have two boy cats (and a female), and one male is the other one's, um, *insert prison term*

"Neutered Kitties On the Down Low -- on the next Morrie"

[DeepBlueC]

22. It's Marcus and Felix here

Marcus has it bad for Felix. And Felix is bonded to him, permits himself to be mounted, always a bottom. But maybe not so committed to "the life". Those two paired before I added more cats. There were three neutered black males in the house when I rescued a young female tortie. She was sequestered until she had viral screening, and when I let her out into the population, she promptly went into heat which left these guys thunderstruck or dumbfounded, I wasn't sure which. But they were interested in the spectacle (considerable, shameless)though they did nothing but observe, stunned, from a distance. In time she picked Felix (good choice, big panther-like, handsome, usually scaredy though). Even though he was neutered and had never done it, he still knew what to do. He would cover her and eventually every time she started wailing he'd dutifully climb out of his basket and mount her (no humping though). In one really sweet moment they were face to face, hugging, as it were, paws wrapped around each other. Nigel made some approaches but she walked right past him to Felix. Nigel was interested and there was some flirtation there too. But when she gave Marcus some exploratory sniffing, he didn't even lift up his head to acknowledge her. Sorry, not interested, you're not my type.

[PeaceNikki]

4. OK... keep new kitty sequestered in a room alone for about a week

Obviously with food, water and box. Your current kitty will be VERY curious, and will try to get at it through the door. Leave them be. This will give new kitty time to relax and get acclimated and establish a "safe zone" of his/her own. Start by letting new cat out for a few hours at a time while you're home. They WILL have issues at first establishing dominance and getting to know one another. After a few days of this, they should get along swimmingly. It works, I swear.

These 2 are best pals... but it wasn't that way on day 1.

[mentalsolstice]

5. My aunt just went through this.

She got a male kitten, and then 3 weeks later a female kitten. Fast forward six years, and the female unfortunately passed away (bad kidney). These 2 cats were like an old married couple, they cuddled, spooned, and spat every now and then. So when the female died, the male wandered the house for several days like he was lost. Then my aunt adopted a six-week-old female. She really had no problems with the kitties. The male hissed at my aunt and uncle a couple of days, but he was fine with the kitten. For a couple of weeks they would lock them in separate rooms when neither of them were home to supervise things. That was a couple of months ago, everything is great now.

Since PB is male, and still somewhat a kitten, I think you'd be fine getting a baby female. Good luck!

[DeepBlueC]

6. my vet tells it's best to get a kitten for an older cat

as they will not feel challenged by a kitten and will probably take on surrogacy. That was my experience; her advice worked well for me twice. In both cases neutered male in the house, male kitten. Two males wasn't by design, it just happened that way. Vet says to pick a kitten under six months old. The next time I brought a cat into the house he was older(but less than a year), actually about the age as my younger male had become and he and the oldest male did NOT take to each other. Rivalry ever since. What I should have done was to sequester the new cat in a separate room for a week, let them get to familiarize themselves with each other's scent through the door. Actually it is like an introduction without any risk of confrontation. Course I only asked how to do it after I had screwed up. There is detente of a sort now, but cat #3 still likes to annoy cat #1. Collar-of-shame does not really affect other cats. They take notice, have a sniff, then go about their business. I don't recall that either my male or female cats came home with a collar although my memory may be failing. Not the boys, of that I am sure. The only time one cat wore a collar was for the first five days or so after ACL repair. The female might have worn a collar briefly although I don't remember one. Kind of thing we both like to forget, no doubt.

[emilyg]

13. Good post.

Mine never wore a collar.

[flvegan]

7. Get a pit bull instead.

Rescue Casa flvegan is having a sale...

Seriously, though, I'd go with a kitten. 16 months is still a toddler in the cat world.

[MichiganVote]

8. Cats are terrotorial so watch the space each has, incl. the food dish

Oh and...if your current cat is a female, get another younger female.

[applegrove]

9. I've only ever introduced a kitten to an older cat. If you put the two

of them on either side of a closed door for a few days they will get along famously. The kitten will have her paws sticking under the door as she/he tries to lure the older cat into play. After three days they are dying to see each other. I've also separated them for like an afternoon and once I saw they were playing (kitten will insist on play afterall what is an older cat for except to be a plaything for a kitten) I let them together. They all seemed to get along fine. Though there is sometimes the odd mild fight or chasing or something...they enjoy each other's company.

[jonnyblitz]

10. one can never predict what will happen, it depends on the

personalities of the cat's involved. I have experienced a wide range of things (or family or friends have and told me about it) from not much happening to pissed off cats shitting and pissing everywhere including in the sink and on the kitchen table in defiance to outdoor cats never returning home after new cats were introduced. some cats bond and some cats hate each other forever or they could not like each other at first then eventually get along. it's a crap shoot but i would just go for it. I hesitated about telling you all of this because i like to see kitties get homes. I would take the chance.

[LeftyMom]

11. Drive out and get Vader- she's the perfect kitten.

[ThomCat]

12. If you're adopting from a shelter

perhaps they'll let you bring a prospective kitty hope to see how well they seem to get along. If there seems to be a strong conflict you know to try another kitty.

Hopefully your kitty is young enough and social enough to not have a problem though. I've only ever had one cat that wouldn't tolerate any other cats.

Good luck

[grasswire]

14. feliway

Helps a great deal in getting cats adjusted. You can get it in spray form or in a plug-in.

[DeepBlueC]

15. what is it?

[Rhiannon12866]

21. Feliway is a synthetic cat pheromone which is used to calm cats.

It's mainly used as a remedy for cats who have urination issues, spray or go outside the litter box, but the specific pheromone is the one they have on their cheeks, comes out when they rub on you, and makes them feel calm and safe, or that's the idea.:shrug:

It's also used to calm cats when there's upset in the household, like visitors or the addition of another pet. I got it when I brought my rescued cat in from outside since she was still very frightened and skittish. I was given a book, "The Stray Cat Handbook," which had many helpful suggestions about making life indoors less stressful for my kitty, and Feliway was one of them. :-)

Feliway is available in both spray and a plug-in diffuser, think the diffuser is a great idea and wish that it was available when I needed it... :-)

http://catfaeries.com/feliway.html

[DeepBlueC]

23. Is it a prescription or sold in pet stores?

It sounds incredibly useful. I had a problem around here with one cat bullying another so I thought I'd shun the bully, and, boy, did it backfire! Chair that had survived intact from shredding for several years ... becomes urinal...new leather couch... excellent place to pee!!! I got a new couch because the last one got the pee treatment while I was away for Christmas. I guess they didn't like the care they got.I understand that. But apparently what I did was to make someone feel insecure. Either that or the couch has become a territory to battle over. Dunno. Have used enzymatic cleaner, have loved up the miscreant extravagantly, andI think we've got detente, but good to know about this stuff. It could save mega-bucks.

[grasswire]

24. some pet stores have it

and you can get it at any vet. One bottle or plug-in goes a long way. The last one I bought several years ago was about $35 I think. You spray or plug it where they might be in competition and might rub their faces to leave their own territorial scent -- on doorways, etc. It's sure worth a try at the beginning!

[DeepBlueC]

32. thanks

:hi: Might take me a while to report back. I'm betting I'll have to have Mom send this from the USA. But I will call my vet to see if she has some. She's coming by in the not-too-distant future, though you'd think she might have mentioned it when she was here last. But she just told me how to use the cleaner. Oh, I'm an expert at that now, although I don't think it is 100% effective. Other people tell me they smell nothing but I do.

[Rhiannon12866]

27. It's sold in pet stores or you can order it on-line.

I got mine at PetsMart, called to make sure they had it, but I think most pet stores carry it.:-)

And it sounds as if Feliway might also help with your problem, since it sounds as if your cat also needs to chill out. I also called their help line and the woman there was incredibly helpful, answered all my questions and gave advice. It's supposed to eliminate 90-some percent of inappropriate urinating, which should help you, as well as calming your cats.:-)

Let us know how you do. Good luck!:hi:

[DeepBlueC]

33. thank you

:hi: bless your hip-to-felines heart!

[Rhiannon12866]

45. You're more than welcome. I hope so much that this works for you.

Since I learned about Feliway, I recommend it, since this is often the most pressing concern that people with cats have... :-(

I have a puppy who still persists in having accidents in the house, but I think he's just being obstinate...:eyes:

If he wasn't so cute, he wouldn't get away with half as much... :loveya:

[Forkboy]

25. If my two cats calm down any further they'll slip into a coma.

:)

[Rhiannon12866]

28. Well, sounds like you don't need Feliway, LOL.

Do your cats rub their cheeks on you and on things a lot? That produces the cat-calming pheromone. Did you do anything special or are you just fortunate?:hi:

[Forkboy]

29. Oh yeah, they do that all the time.

But they're both just the most relaxed and at ease cats you'll ever see. There can be people around, music cranked, nothing fazes them at all. They don't really even play, they just hang out. And both cats, two fixed males, get along great.

I make sure that no one who would be mean to them even gets close to harshing their mellow. :)

[Rhiannon12866]

30. Well, you're very fortunate, but also know cats.

You should hire out, LOL, considering the number of cat advice threads that we see on DU...:D

And I'm the same with my pets, make sure that they're always safe and don't trust them with just anyone. I adopt older pets from rescue, and though I've never had a serious problem with them getting along, they tend to have their issues...*sigh* :-(

Here are Tom and Huck, neutered male littermates from a rescued mother cat, just turned a year old. They get along extremely well, but that doesn't mean that they don't get into trouble...x(

:loveya:

[Forkboy]

31. Orange cats...say no more.

They're always weird. You'll have fun. :)

Here's Cheesie.

[DeepBlueC]

40. I LOVE orange cats

People also say torties are weird, but mine is the sanest and most unflappable of the bunch.

[Rhiannon12866]

42. His predecessor was orange, too, and they do manage to claw their way into your heart...

And the sweetest cat that I ever knew was a tortoiseshell, grew up with that kitty, and she was such a good cat, even friendlier than the orange ones...:-)

Here's Amos::loveya:

[DeepBlueC]

43. awwwwww

:loveya:

[Rhiannon12866]

46. Amos was a very pretty cat, reminded me a little of a creamsicle,

But he could get prickly sometimes, LOL. He was rescued by a co-worker of mine, as a tiny kitten, on the way to work in a rainstorm. He lived a good life, but it never gets any easier to lose a pet and he left a large empty spot. We lost him a year ago, May, just a month before his 17th birthday... ;(

[DeepBlueC]

48. what to say...

:hug:

[yellowcanine]

17. Get another litter box. We were told, "one litter box per cat plus one"

So it you have two cats that is three litter boxes.

Some cats don't like to be disturbed when they are in the litter box. Plenty of litter boxes makes that less likely in a multi cat household. Not enough litter boxes and "accidents" happen. I speak from experience.

[Corgigal]

18. If you are adopting a kitten

I would purchase/borrow a large metal dog crate. Then put in the litter box and maybe a regular box so the kitten can curl in there to sleep. This way the kitten can get the sights/sounds and smells but has a buffer to the other cat. Take it slow and within a few days the kitten can be allowed to join you in the real world. I've done this when we added a new cat and it has always worked without any fighting. We have 5 cats now all livng together in our home for the past few years.

Good luck.

[ailsagirl]

20. Sorry for your loss... but these may help answer your question

http://www.ecatalina.com/journal_detail.cfm/id/149/img/0
http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanagement101/a/introducecats.htm
http://www.petpsych.com/article_detail.php?id=59
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cats-1606/introducing-new-cat-other.htm

Good luck!!

P.S. I have four... :)

[huskerlaw]

26. I think you should definitely look for a kitten.

Perhaps one that's already fixed, if you really can't deal with that again, but I wouldn't get one older than Kitteh.

I have 3 cats...Riley (4), Spencer (3), and Kyra (1). Riley is definitely a "daddy cat", so I didn't have any problems introducing him to Spencer or Kyra. I just brought them home, plunked them down in the living room and said, "come meet the new kitty!". He would hiss and back away for a day or so, but here's a picture of Ri and Kyra about a week after I adopted her:



Spencer had a little more trouble when I got Kyra, but I only separated them for a couple days and they were buddies within the week.

The Feliway is a good idea...it will help calm both kittehs, and hopefully ease the transition. Good luck!

[DeepBlueC]

41. that is sweet picture

:loveya:

[Lorien]

34. Male cats generally get along better with other male cats

They love to hang together. Sometimes females will bond with males, sometimes not. More often than not, in my experience, females prefer to be only kitties or live with a sibling (I've been a rescue foster and have had countless mixes of cats here). Age doesn't matter as much as temperament. My Maine Coon Oberon will bond quickly to some new fosters and not at all to others. It just depends on personality.

My advice would be to go to www.Petfinder.com and look for cats that have been fostered. The foster "parent(s)" will be able to tell you if they get along well with other cats or prefer to be "only kitties". Some SPCA shelters also use fosters and might have this info.

As far as introducing your existing cat to the new kitty, this is some of the best info out there: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/cat_behavior_tip_sheets/introducing_pets_to_a_new_cat.html

Good luck!

:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

35. It died?? Was this the little one at her bro's house or something?? :^(

[bicentennial_baby]

36. Yes...

We rushed her to the hospital Sunday night, they thought she'd make it, as of 10 am on Monday, and about an hour later she went into arrest and we decided to let her go. :(

[GreenPartyVoter]

38. Oh nooooooooo!!!!! It was such a sweet little bebbeh kitteh. I am so sorry *hugs*

[Celeborn Skywalker]

37. What we did

to introduce our cat to a third was keep the new one primarily in one room away from the cats. Periodically lock the other cat up and let the new one run free. That allows the new cat's smell to permeate the house and acclimate the other cat to its scent. It usually takes a couple of weeks and then you can introduce the cats to one another.

[ceile]

39. Ok. Officially bummed.

That little fluff ball was so cute....
My fiance and I are kind of having the same dilemma. We just took on a 16 month old female who is terrorizing the other cats (12 and 10 years old). Do we go same age or younger in getting her a playmate? We plan on going same age (the older a cat is in the shelter, the less chance of adoption) if we even decide to get another one. 4 cats?! Don't know if we can handle them all.....
Good luck and sorry about the wee one.

[cwydro]

44. They may not get along at first.

I have several cats and each was introduced to the household the same way.

Give both cats lots and lots of love and do not interfere in their squabbles.
They will work it out. The original cat will feel he is the boss; let them deal with each other on their own terms. Trying to referee will not work. Sometimes a little extra loving for both, secretly, will help.

Pet and love on both of them at the same time in front of each other as well. Give them some nice food treat together.

There may be some spitting and hissing. Just ignore it.

They will end up being good buddies. No worries.

The day you find them curled up together, you'll know you succeeded.

[Lil Missy]

47. I had the opposite situation. I had an older cat and brought in a much younger rescue.

Boy, was she ever pissed about me bringing that unkempt little kitten beast into HER home. He didn't even know how to clean himself, for crissakes. And I had to teach him how to eat with a dropper.

Her maternal instincts finally took over, and she cleaned him up, thereby teaching him to do it himself. After that, I found them curling up together and snuggling all over the house. :)

Good luck with your new kitty.

:hi: