Cat owners - question about 2nd kitty

MILFdoesabodyGd

good ideas but before you bring ANY new cat into your home, please have it vet checked. You may need to keep it seperate for 7 days if you cant get to the vet right away so that they dont contaminate each other. If they are co-eating, and co-pooping, a worms infestation can be spread through every animal. Plus, ear mites and other, more serious illnesses may be spread.

Vet check, THEN a few days apart, OR 7 days apart or until you can get to the vet.

I agree with this 100%

I lost a cat to feline leukemia last year, it was heart wrenching. He was my only cat at the time, but that can be spread to other cats especially if they share a litter box.

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

I had a very similar situation! We got a kitten and as he grew we noticed he had a "wild side" and the vet said he was a Maine Coon. He NEEDED a playmate. So, when he was about 7-8 months we adopted a Russian Blue kitten who was10 weeks at the time (i think) and we followed the adoption company advice, which was to keep them separate and VERY slowly introduce them. First, we rubbed a towel on each of their cheeks and let the other kitten smell that for a while. Then used toys and let one kitten play with it then the other to get used to their scents. Then we had them sniff each other through the door. A show on animal planet also suggested having them see each other without contact using a sliding glass door, we just didn't have a place to do that. Then after about a week we slowly introduced them for a few minutes, then an hour, and extended it each time over the next few weeks. We kept this up for about 3 weeks total until it was SO hard to keep them apart as one would dash where the other one was.

This is the way my vet suggested it if I had to introduce another cat into my household. I would recommend talking to your vet about your cat for any health issues that could cause a problem. When a friend of mine asked if I would foster her sister's cat, I checked with my vet because my cats are both over 10. He said in normal circumstances, he would have me do what the response I quoted says, but because one of my cats has strokes which can cause him to attack unprovoked (I'm thankful that it hasn't happened in a while) and while I can get him in a safe spot until the stroke is over, I couldn't leave him alone with a new cat, because the stress of a new cat could trigger him, especially since I live in a small condo so I really don't have the space to separate them.

Good luck with your new kitty and future new kitty!

A few side notes, the new kitten and "old" kitten were both neutered (both male) before all this and even though they are now together all the time, we still have two litter boxes and two food bowls, two water bowls, etc. They became the best of friends and play together all the time and we have never had a issue with hissing or clawing/biting meant to hurt the other kitten, even though the "old" kitten was significantly larger and has more powerful claws that the younger kitten. The more you ease them into the each other the less likely you will have issues with spraying and marking territory. Worked for our kittens!!

Avandel

Has your cat seen other cats out the window? if yes, what was the reaction? If he acts aggresive through a window, then it's not a good idea to get another kitty. If there's no reaction then get a female kitten not a male & keep her in a seperate area for a few days. Switch them around to let them get the scent of the other without visual contact. Put the new one back in her own area again. After a couple of days you can introduce them under supervision by letting them mingle in the same areas. my kitties

An adult male is more accepting of female kitten, while an adult female will accept either gender.

marz42

I got a second cat a few months ago. My existing cat was small female black cat and quite old and becoming an anti social basement dweller. She'd gotten into the habit of mrrrrowwling around the house for no real reason and wasn't very cuddly (I did take her to the vet and she was fine). She'd been the only cat for quite a while but used to be very bonded with a big grey male tabby. So, when I decided to get another cat I got another male tabby, this time a big orange one. He seemed pretty mellow and very friendly a lot like my old cat.

When I first brought new cat home I put him and litter and food in my office and kept the door shut for a bit. After a while he started scratching at the door all the time, so I put a barricade in the basement stairwell (no door) so they could see each other and sniff each other but no contact. I fed them wet food (which old cat loves but had rarely been getting) on either side of the baricade.

The first time I let them both out, old cat was wary and not at all happy about it and playing aggresor, and new cat flopped on the floor and mewed like a kitten heh. It was pretty adorable. For a long time they were pretty wary of each other and it seemed to me old cat was much more aggresive toward new cat than the other way around. This kind of worked out well because new cat is about twice her size. She's a tiny little thing.

Anyway I think I got him in about March or early April, and now they are both free range in the house again. They only rarely hiss at each other and nothing serious. There are two litter boxes where they can both get to them,and one water and dry food dish. They don't curl up together or groom each other like old cat used to with the grey tabby, but they sniff each other, and they'll happily sit on the same couch together or eat out of the same dish of wet food without problem. I feed them together partly because one of the books suggested this will help them associate being in proximity with good things. Luckily they both get a share. And now the old cat stays upstairs all the time, and is much friendlier too. I think she enjoys the mental stimulation of another cat around.

Also they are both fixed.

WarriorCupcakeBlydnsr

I had a very similar situation! We got a kitten and as he grew we noticed he had a "wild side" and the vet said he was a Maine Coon. He NEEDED a playmate. So, when he was about 7-8 months we adopted a Russian Blue kitten who was10 weeks at the time (i think) and we followed the adoption company advice, which was to keep them separate and VERY slowly introduce them. First, we rubbed a towel on each of their cheeks and let the other kitten smell that for a while. Then used toys and let one kitten play with it then the other to get used to their scents. Then we had them sniff each other through the door. A show on animal planet also suggested having them see each other without contact using a sliding glass door, we just didn't have a place to do that. Then after about a week we slowly introduced them for a few minutes, then an hour, and extended it each time over the next few weeks. We kept this up for about 3 weeks total until it was SO hard to keep them apart as one would dash where the other one was.

This is the way my vet suggested it if I had to introduce another cat into my household. I would recommend talking to your vet about your cat for any health issues that could cause a problem. When a friend of mine asked if I would foster her sister's cat, I checked with my vet because my cats are both over 10. He said in normal circumstances, he would have me do what the response I quoted says, but because one of my cats has strokes which can cause him to attack unprovoked (I'm thankful that it hasn't happened in a while) and while I can get him in a safe spot until the stroke is over, I couldn't leave him alone with a new cat, because the stress of a new cat could trigger him, especially since I live in a small condo so I really don't have the space to separate them.

Good luck with your new kitty and future new kitty!

A few side notes, the new kitten and "old" kitten were both neutered (both male) before all this and even though they are now together all the time, we still have two litter boxes and two food bowls, two water bowls, etc. They became the best of friends and play together all the time and we have never had a issue with hissing or clawing/biting meant to hurt the other kitten, even though the "old" kitten was significantly larger and has more powerful claws that the younger kitten. The more you ease them into the each other the less likely you will have issues with spraying and marking territory. Worked for our kittens!!

Don't know how my comment ended up in the middle of the one I was quoting...

giselle9938

I only have one cat but my mother have two... the first cat zeus came as a adult cat because his owner couldn't take care of him. Second cat Mia came to my mother's house when she was like 2 months. They had been together since the first day. Mia is always Jumping and trying to play with Zeus and all the Zeus do is sleep all day... lol

This is my cat

Chonguito




And this are my Mom's cats

Zeus



Mia

happypath101

I've always had cats and what I've found has worked best is to bring in a kitten when you have an older cat. That way, the dominance is clearly established. There will probably be the ocassional power struggle throughout their lives (especially if you move or get another pet). But, if you start out with an established older cat (like yours - who is lovely by the way!) and then bring in a kitten, it should set the stage for a parent/child type relationship. Don't be surprised if they totally ignore each other or totally fight it out at the beginning. Both are ways to deal with it. I've found it's best to let them do so without intervention. The only thing you might want to control is giving them separate food and water dishes and making sure they each use their own. Or you might want to have a secret kitten stash that the adult can't get at. Otherwise, someone might get weird about food and starve the other one out. (Imagine if someone gave us separate food bowls and controlled our portions. Hmm........ :O)

(It's too late now, but another great way to do it is to get siblings as kittens. They will always be the best of friends.)

stepherzzzzz

I've had seven cats in total over the years (currently have five) and I've found that males tend to get used to their new home, including other pets, pretty quickly while females will often hide for the first day or two.