Bringing a new cat into the house

[Tom Dunlap]

My cat Scourge is about eight. When I got her I had an older cat, Tolkien, who died a few years ago. I'm thinking about getting another cat but I'm at a crossroad.

Having two littermate kittens seems to work really well. But...would an older cat put up with the invastion? Would it be easier to get another adult cat?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Blinky]

No experience adding an adult cat but have added kittens to existing one cat households. The older cats never fully accepted the younger ones but it still wasn't a bad arrangement... they took the high energy of the young ones in stride. Each one kept their individuality and the older cat generally stayed dominant.

 

[easyphloem]

Cats are adaptable, and after a week of spitting and hissing at the new cat, the older one will eventually accept it, and maybe even become friends.

That being said, I have four cats indoors (when Carmen moved in, she brought with her two enormous cats we affectionately call "the walruses"), and about 4-6 outdoor cats.


Once the cats sense your weakness, they will rule your life.



I hope to outlive all of my cats by many years and dance on their graves, God willing.


SZ

 

[jerseygirl]

Kitty (aka Scourge) and Zelda got along ok, as you know, kitty was in the houses first, Z hid and Kitty took the high perch (you can have Z) pleading here.


Just keep them separate for a few days so they learn the other scent.

Kitty will be find or her fissy self.

get with a pet rescue group to see if you can foster to adopt this is an alternate to the Humane Shelter.

Enjoy what ever you get

jz -

 

[treehumper]

We added 2 adult cats to the 2 we already had (against my better judgment). They were coming to some sort of acceptance, grudging that is. Then my stepson had a stray 6 mth old kitten follow him home. That really did bother one of the originals. It's been trying at times with the hissing, fighting and marking of territory (they are all fixed and we've discussed this ad nauseam with the vet) but they generally get along. It's a crapshoot in the end.

Good luck with it Tom.

 

[BarnHouse]

Hello all. Years ago my wife and I adopted 2 adult cats, both females, from a local shelter. They were in separate cages there so I don't know how much contact they actually had with each other before we got them.
They were stand offish with each other when they first met but after a few days they settled in and I guess reached an understanding. Then shortly after that, they apparently conspired with each other to take over the place and now pretty much "own" everything including my wife and me.

 

[Chum]

So Tom, how's it going with the addition, if there was one?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

All that I have to do is sit down for thirty seconds and Scourge is in my lap. She is a good thermometer because when I', warm enough she is too. When I'm chilled I put on a fleece shirt. She will curl up on a fleece shirt rather than anything else even if the space is small.

While I was unpacking my shop stuff from my move I realized that I didn't have a stack of extra square buckets from kitty litter. That got me thinking and what I realized is that with only one cat less litteris used...with one cat less food is eaten...that fact didn't burble to the top of my thoughts.

So, what I'm going to do is to not actively look for a cat/kittens. If someone has cats that need a home we'll cross paths when the time is right.

 

[Chum]

Good economics for now.

Anytime you feel your furnace or Fluffy or fleece isn't enough to comfort you from the blue northers coming this Winter, I've got some many extra feline lapwarmers to fit the bill.