CurIOus

Hey All!

I have question...since many of you have more than one cat and they all seem to get alog just fine I am curious if you could tell that they were going to get along.

I want to get Stewart a friend. Since he gets beat up by the neighbors cat I think I need to get him a kitten that way he can feel supirior to the intruder(as Stewart would see the kitten) and allow the new cat to make our apartment his new home.

I am also wondering if another boy would be better or if a girl, I feel like the girl would automatically dominate. Not really sure

I am curious to know how you can tell if a cat will be like my cat where he is really sumissive or if you can tell if a cat is going to come right in and be dominant? Or is it conditioning...like maybe my boyfriend and I baby'd Stewart too much and turned him into a softy...

:qm3:

I really want to get him a friend any suggestions on picking out a friend would be greatly apreciated.

 

lols...about making your kitty a "softy". hmmm....i think i babied max...like....ALOT. and he isnt submissive, nor is he a dominant cat. he just sort of goes with the flow.

i think you can probably tell temperment by how the kitten behaves. is it aggressive or very playful with the other kittens? or is it more mellow. maybe getting a more mellow kitten. one that likes to be held, and doesnt want to play constantly. some like to be held. max...never wanted to be held, but he was a very social and loving kitten. i could tell he would turn out to be loving.

ask the owners the temperment. maybe get an older kitten, 12-20 wks...so the temperment is already established and visible to others.

just some thoughts.

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one of the most important things when adding another cat/kitten to a household with an existing cat is the integration. Take it slow....there is lots of info in the link I'm attaching. You should keep them separated (new one in a room of its own) for up to 2 weeks. Switch their bedding now and then so they can get used to each other's scent.

Many people will get that 2nd cat and immediately "toss" them together expecting everything to be okay and it probably won't be. It really needs to be done slowly and with lots of patience on your part.

I have 3 cats and even though there is no great love between any of them they do coexist okay...but it certainly didn't happen overnight. It took a long time - even with Zeus who was a kitten when I got him. It took a long time for my girls to accept him.

With males you can usually add either a female or another male. Female to female are the ones that generally don't hit it off well.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Poin ... wners.html

 

Slow integration is best. I did the throw them together for all my kitties. Pumpkin always took it the hardest but all my cats got along well after a couple of weeks. Pumpkin and Venus just never got along. :roll: They are just like people, some will attract and some will repel. Personally, the boys are easier going, and the girls always more needy and emotional and I love them all. :mrgreen:

 

A slow intro is probably the best way to go about it because it seems to cause the least amount of stress to either cat.
Generally, it is recommended to get a cat of the opposite sex when getting a second cat but I have 2 females and 5 males that all get along with each other wonderfully so as long as both cats will be fixed (when the time comes) and gradually introduced I don't think sex will matter much.

Let us know what you decide!

 

You've already gotten some great comments so far. I just wanted to add that when you are looking for a new kitten, go to a shelter and ask to hold several different kittens and spend several minutes with each one. And don't feel rushed to get one the same day if none of them really grab you as having a good personality match for your kitty at home. One clue I got from Vianne that i knew she would be an awesome mellow kitty, is that whenever i took her out of her cage, i'd pick her up and hold her on her back like a baby and she would just hug me back and not want to be put down. She never whined and cried if i held her too long and you could tell she just had a sweet innocent nature about her. Then sometimes i'd throw her over my shoulder and pat her back and she would just bury her face in my neck. It was so cute. Of course it was that very sweetness that saved her life. She's the reason I decided to foster. I signed up for it the very day she was scheduled to be put to sleep. I knew she was special and wasn't leaving without her. She got jealous for about a week when i brought home another kitten, then they got along great. Now any cat i put her around she has no issues with. Just another playmate. She even adores my German Shepard. Just take it slow when you first bring home a new baby and don't get too disappointed if they don't hit it off the first week or so. and make sure you pay extra special attention to your other kitty and give him treats when he behaves around the kitten so he doesn't get so jealous. Good luck!

 

Thanks you guys!

I kind of figured with the keeping them apart thing for a while. I wasnt too sure on how long though. I think it will raise thier curiosity and GREAT idea about switching the bedding that way they will be used to each others scent.

I am afraid that I am to eager for them to be best friends right away and that they wouldnt work out and hate each other. I want them to be friends, the whole point to this is that I feel my little one has no one to kick it with when I am at work.

I will keep you posted.

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:qm3: