Advice on getting a second cat

[Anonymous]

I have 3 cats, all brought home at different times. It took my first two cats about two weeks to settle down together; they aren't super friendly but they like each other okay. When we added our third cat (the only cat we brought home as a kitten), it took about a month, and my oldest cat was worse with her than he'd been with #2. But after that first month, he decided that the kitten was the one he really liked, and now (3 years later), they spend most of the day together).

[Anonymous]

Before you commit to getting another cat, bring your cat around another cat and see how she reacts.

My cat can be like yours and I considered getting another one to give her more entertainment, but then I brought her around another cat once and she was having none of it. She got uncharacteristically aggressive, and she is never like that at home with us.

I decided it wasn't worth the risk. She was 2 when we considered this.

I upped her toy rotation instead and that has worked. Also, play with your cat more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before you commit to getting another cat, bring your cat around another cat and see how she reacts.

My cat can be like yours and I considered getting another one to give her more entertainment, but then I brought her around another cat once and she was having none of it. She got uncharacteristically aggressive, and she is never like that at home with us.

I decided it wasn't worth the risk. She was 2 when we considered this.

I upped her toy rotation instead and that has worked. Also, play with your cat more.

This would be a normal response. You can’t just introduce a cat to another cat and expect them to get along. That initial reaction isn’t predictive of anything. There’s lots of great advice above for properly introducing cats. We have never regretted doing it. Each time our cats ended up with healthy bonds to one another. But if you have adopted from a rescue and you find the cats don’t acclimate to one another, they will take the cat and rehome it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Before you commit to getting another cat, bring your cat around another cat and see how she reacts.

My cat can be like yours and I considered getting another one to give her more entertainment, but then I brought her around another cat once and she was having none of it. She got uncharacteristically aggressive, and she is never like that at home with us.

I decided it wasn't worth the risk. She was 2 when we considered this.

I upped her toy rotation instead and that has worked. Also, play with your cat more.

This would be a normal response. You can’t just introduce a cat to another cat and expect them to get along. That initial reaction isn’t predictive of anything. There’s lots of great advice above for properly introducing cats. We have never regretted doing it. Each time our cats ended up with healthy bonds to one another. But if you have adopted from a rescue and you find the cats don’t acclimate to one another, they will take the cat and rehome it.

DP here: It wasn't a 'normal' response.

I've introduced adult cats to each other and adult cats to a kitten before. There is a difference between normal weariness and what I am describing.

It is true that some cats do not do well with other cats. Ask any shelter staff about this. It happens.

You want to know your cat before you commit. Don't waste the rescue's time. Plus, serially adopting and rehoming cats is traumatic for the cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before you commit to getting another cat, bring your cat around another cat and see how she reacts.

My cat can be like yours and I considered getting another one to give her more entertainment, but then I brought her around another cat once and she was having none of it. She got uncharacteristically aggressive, and she is never like that at home with us.

I decided it wasn't worth the risk. She was 2 when we considered this.

I upped her toy rotation instead and that has worked. Also, play with your cat more.

That's a terrible idea. Almost every cat is going to hiss and run away. They'll be pissed you brought another cat into their space.