Should we get a 2nd cat?

[PurpleStar]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on catsey :)

OH and I took on a cat last November from one of OH's work colleagues who was moving to a house that didn't allow pets. He is an outdoor cat, we were told is 2 years old last November, so if that was correct, he will be coming up 3, but we actually think he wasn't much more than a year when we got him. He is really small in stature and very vocal, we hear him outside from inside our flat regularly! He seems to get on well with the other neighborhood cats and has made friends, so we were thinking of getting a second cat to keep him company and to play with while in the house.

At the moment he is un-neutered (due to book him in, don't worry), but he does seem to get on really well with the other cats in the area, including other un-neutered toms, and has never come back with war wounds as far as we can tell.

We just wondered what 'kind' of cat would be best to take on. It would need to also be an outdoor/indoor cat, but we are unsure if we should go male/female (if it matters once he is neutered, although he does seem to get on with both when outside anyway), if we should go older/younger or ideally a similar age, if it matters if the second cat we add is smaller or bigger than he is. We would of course like both cats to accept each other straight away and live in harmony with us, so my assumption would be to take on a smaller, neutered female so she is not seen as a threat. We are happy to take on almost any kind of cat except a young kitten, but are worried if we get a cat that is 'too old' s/he won't be able to play with a younger cat?

We have seen lots of 'free to good home' cats where people's circumstances have changed that we could offer a new permanent home to, we just need advice on which would be the best route to go down :)

As another note, we anticipate also buying a chihuahua (puppy) around December time, so would be looking at cats that are dog friendly. How reliable is a cat being 'dog friendly' that they are happy to live with another dog in a new home (one that is 'added' after their arrival and once they are settled). Obviously the cats can come and go as they please, and be out of the house if they wish, but I wouldn't like to 'drive' them away, so to speak. Has anyone had experience with this? Or would it be a better idea to add cat number two after the dog is settled?

[lisa01uk87]

in my experience dog confidant cats will tell the puppy off (i have 4 cats and 2 gsd's)

for what its worth though, just because he gets on well with other cats outside doesn't garuntee that he will inside his own home ( my eldest loved the cats outdoors, but would not accept an adult cat in the house) so i went down the route of bringing in kittens each time i added all of which where rescue, the oldest was 4 months and took her a few months to accept him, all are fine now though x

i dont think its going to make too much of a difference wether you bring in a male or female after he has been neutered i have 2 males and 2 females all live together quite happily.

if you are looking to rescue though can you spare a thought for all the cats in rescue, especially the sspca and the cat protection league (the cpl are no longer able to take in cats due to lack of space)

i hope this helps you xx

[dandysmom]

Some good advice from Lisa. It really doesn't matter that much but I'd go for a young female. Also, try a Feliway to help relax your boy when the new cat comes; and yes, Rescue is the way to go, IMO.

I know nothing about interactions with dogs; many members have both with apparently no or only minimal problems.

Good luck! :D

[Phoenix]

I'd go down the rescue route, they will be able to pair you off with the right cat for your circumstances :)

[Elaine]

My biggest concern is that this cat is not neutered, I know you have said that he will be one day, but you have had him almost a year now and he is still entire...
I know you have also said that he gets on well with the other cats but you are putting him and other cats at considerable risk of becoming FIV. Does he get yearly innoculations? If not you are also putting him at considerable risk of other life threatening illness' too.
Trying not to offend you but neutering and spaying are of fundimental importance when owning cats and it is the only responsible thing to do to keep him safe from serious disease.
http://www.catsey.com/showthread.php?t=38077

[pamela81]

the way we decided on how to pick the right type of cat to introduce to harris was helped by the CP, they advised us to get a cat of similar size and age to Harris although as it turns out, Harris is alot smaller than Skye now though but he is definately still the boss!!! We also got Skye as she too, had had cat flu as a youngster so it meant that harris was alot less likely to pass it on to her as well.

Hope that helps

[Shelley123]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I assume your cat can come into the house if he wants to.
I ask this because we have a cat who lives near to us and she is not allowed into the house at all, we have had to provide shelter for her.
it would be great if you could offer a home to a rescue cat, just be aware that they might not get on which ever sex you choose. Cats are basicaly loners (i think) Untill recently we had two brothers who lived together but i couldn't say they were over fond of each other. However other people may say that their cats do enjoy the company of other cats.
I second what Elaine says about neutering though, it will help prevent him adding to all the other unwanted kittens. Also i think neutered animals will get on better.
Good luck with getting your dog in december, we have had two cats and dogs living together successfuly with a little work

[Velvet]

My concern would be the choice of dog. Chihuahuas are exceptionally tiny dogs & even when grown he or she will still be much smaller than most cats. Your cats may see this tiny intruder as "prey"& deal with it accordingly

We have (large) dogs & cats that co-exist happily

If it were me i would get my boy neutered & give his hormones a few months to settle down & then think about adding to your household

[PurpleStar]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, Elaine, we are aware of the benefits of neutering. We originally took on this cat temporarily as a favour for my OH's work colleague and as such it was not our decision whether to neuter or not. The 'owner' has now decided that he will not be in a position to take the cat back any time soon, and therefore we are happy to keep him as our own. He has been back and forward to the vets treating an eye problem, and as such the vet has been unwilling to perform a neuter until this is cleared. He is due back for a check up on Monday, and like I said, if we get the all clear, he is due in to be booked for a neuter. He has had his vaccinations etc and is regularly treated for fleas/tics... I did add in my post 'due to book him in, dont worry' so I did not get such a lecture, but never mind...

To those advocating rescue, we are not 'homeowners' so find that many rescues, particularly the big ones, eg the sspca etc are unwilling to rehome to us. By still taking on a cat that does need to be rehomed (although not through a conventional rescue) we consider that we are still contributing to the cause, we are 'cutting out the middle man' as it were and helping in that these cats will not end up in a conventional rescue in the first place. Animal charities and rescues are close to my heart and we regularly donate and help by fundraising in other ways, but adopting through them just now isn't such a viable option.

I think it might be wise to bring a friends cat into the house hold to accept if ours will accept another in his house, as some people are saying if he gets on well with other cats outside he may still not inside, before deciding on a second cat.

[Phoenix]

Where about do you live PurpleStar?

[Elaine]

I'm sorry you felt my lecture was unwarranted but hey ho.

Have you thought about contacting an independant rescue rather than one of the bigger ones. They may be less stringent with their rules.

[Phoenix]

The charity I used to volunteer at were not strict for example, they would talk to you about your circumstances and if they knew you were in rented and the landlord was happy you taking a cat, they would pair you up with the right cat for your circumstances (you do need to be honest with charities because unless you are they can't adopt the right cat for you out to you obviously)