Adopting a second cat...

[huskerlaw]

I'm seriously considering adopting a second cat as a companion for my 2-year-old cat, Riley. I'm usually gone 8-10 hours a day during the week and he's really bored. My question is this: what age should I be shooting for? Do I go for a kitten? Same age? Older?

I'm worried that Riley will be really scared of it. He's a very loving cat, but he's a complete chicken. And as far as I know, he's never been around other cats. I adopted him when he was about 6 months old.

Also, generally, what traits should I be looking for in the new cat? I went to the animal shelter today and it's just so hard to get a sense for their personalities when they're so scared. (The place I went was very busy and there were lots of large dogs barking just outside the room where the keep the cats) Does the sex of the cat matter? Riley's neutered and the other cat would be fixed as well, but would he be more likely to get along with another male?

Any advice is appreciated...thanks!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I just adopted a second cat today!

My incumbent cat, Milo, is about the same age as yours, and since his old buddy Teddy died last month, he's been gaining weight because he doesn't have anything to do but sleep during the day. He's starting to look like a fuzzy ottoman with a head.

So anyhow, this morning I went to a shelter and adopted an 8-month-old neutered gray male tabby. Right now they are cautiously sniffing each other, with some hissing but nothing that looks like intense hostility. The new one is a bit skittish (he's doing most of the hissing), while Milo is mostly curious. I think they should have things sorted out in a day or two.

Based on my previous experiences with introducing cats, and the advice I've gotten, I'd suggest you get a younger cat, probably male, since it seems like males (if neutered) tend to be a little mellower and less territorial. Since your cat is a little timid, maybe you could find one who also isn't especially aggressive. There will inevitably be hissing and snarling at first. Sometimes it helps to keep them separated at first until they get comfortable with each other's scents. My guys seem to be doing OK with an in-person introduction, but it just depends on how they react.

Your cat will adjust and probably be a lot happier to have somebody to play with during the day.

[NV Whino]

2. I try to go for the male/female balance

Best option is a female of the same age or younger. But by introducing a female you can cheat on the age and go a bit older. But whatever sex, try to get them close in age. Simple reason is they will bond and when one departs for kitty heaven, the other suffers--as, of course, do you.

[IndyOp]

3. If you want a good sense of the cat's personality -

Contact a local rescue that has foster people who have kept the cat in their home for a few weeks (or more) and can describe that cat in detail - a good example:

DUer AuburnGrad's Heaven and Earth Rescue
<http://www.heavenandearthrescue.org/cats.html>

If your guy is shy, I would suggest keeping the cats separate for a few days or more until they get used to each other's smells and sounds - unless they look really curious and relaxed.

I would suggest a younger cat. I have no idea whether you would do better with male or female.

[japple]

4. When I adopted Oscar, he was about 2 or 3 years old and had been

living at the animal shelter for a year. He was very friendly with the other cats and especially loved the kittens, but he wasn't very sure about people since he had been abused and abandoned. It didn't take him long to realize that Tiny was the one he would have to accommodate. They never did come to blows, but there was quite a bit of hissing. It helped that I was the lap available for Tiny, and my husband provided one for Oscar.

I think that whatever age/sex you decide on, everything will be much easier if you keep reassuring Riley that he is the senior cat and telling him that the newcomer is "Riley's kitty." I read that method in a Cat Fancy years ago and I think the author also recommended talking to your cat about your plans to adopt a kitty companion for him, while visualizing him interacting with another cat. Keep us posted and good luck.

[demnan]

5. It's a real crap shoot

Why not try for a similar sex, age, and color cat? When I adopted Pad Thai (the Siamese) Lily hated him! I think mixing different breeds (she's half-Abyssinian) and sexes is not necessarily a good idea.

Charley however has very neatly fit in, being just a regular guy kind of orange tabby. Lily grew up with an orange tabby so she sort of tolerates him. Pad Thai is just happy to have a buddy to tussle with.

[Lorien]

6. As a general rule, a younger male cat will be your safest bet

and a kitten will be safer yet. Skittish cats can take up to two weeks or more to warm up to a new friend, and the younger the new one is, the less of a threat it will seem to Riley. The exception would be a cat that comes from a foster home that is already known as "the cat that gets along with everyone".

Female cats tend to be more independent than males, but, as always, there are exceptions out there.

You might start your search on a site like Petfinder where you can look for cats that have been living in foster homes. The foster "parent" will be able to give you a better sense of the pet's personality. I've fostered quite a bit in the past year and I really do try to fit the prospective new parent with the right cat or kitten. I recently talked a woman out of an adorable red and white tabby kitten and got her to adopt a sweet year old tuxedo manx for her kids instead. She's very happy with the manx, and the manx is extremely patient with the children. The kitten would have been a basket case in her home, and went on to be placed with a single older woman whose quiet home suited the kitten's nervous disposition.