Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
  • Multiple cat owners question
  • geoffj
    Full Member

    We had 2 cats that were brother and sister. The girl got hit by a car and we now have the boy left (18 months old). Mrs Bendy bus wants another girl cat. Will the boy cat get on better (less bad) with a youg kitten or older cat?

    Whaddya think?

    4ndyB
    Free Member

    depends on the temperament of both cats, your current one & the new one, rather than age.

    lord
    Free Member

    we lost our old female cat recently leaving the 2 boys , we got a female kitten , thought there would be skin and hair flying when we brought her home but the 2 boys sniffed her ass and that was it , they have both been de-balled but i think there would have been more trouble if we had got another male.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Orangista – trouble is, I don't know how he will react to other cats.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    lord – how old was the kitten?

    lord
    Free Member

    we got her from the rspca there was the mother and 3 kittens , think she was 7 weeks , i would have taken the older female cat but i was over rulled by her in doors , but i do think a female will fit in better with you lad . less of a threat , but just my thinking

    ewawoowa
    Free Member

    a kitten would be prefferable. an older rescue cat may have baggage and could have difficulty getting on with your cat. but still a hit or a miss.

    MulletusMaximus
    Free Member

    We've introduced our male cat to two new cats. On both occasions they have been female kittens. We didn't seek advice but we thought that way our male older cat wouldn't feel threatened and that there would be no fight for domination. He was a bit spooked at first but after a few days they were fine. Both get on really well now.
    This is them after a few weeks together.

    lord
    Free Member

    seems to have settled in.

    loddrik
    Free Member

    I have 3 siamese, 2 female and 1 male (all neutered!!!!!), if they are all neutered, and unless you are breeding them they should be, eventually they will accept each other, though the initial stages will be eventful to say the least. But I can guarantee you one thing, in a couple of months, on a cold day with no heating on, they will put aside their diffrences if it means keeping warm and will be relatively plain sailing thereafter.

    4ndyB
    Free Member

    Lord love the slightly disgruntled look on the older cats face compared to the look on the kittens face

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Thanks folks – sounds like a proper little kitten is the best option.

    Capt.Kronos
    Free Member

    He is still a young un so should deal with it pretty well IMO. If he is like our Maine Coon then he will definately get on with any other cat you introduce. Or dog. Or anything else (unless it runs away, then he eats it), he even made friends with a hedge hog once!

    Age wise – don't worry too much, but a kitten or young cat will be easier from the introducee perspective too I would imagine. Just let them get to know each other through closed doors/in carry cage thingies and whatnot.

    superlurch
    Free Member

    When our cat Foggy was about a year old we looked after our mates cat when they went traveling and they got on fine…

    …but then we had another kitten shortly after and we had to re-home him after about 5 weeks as foggy wouldn't stop kicking the shit out of him at every given opportunity.

    We got ours from a really great breeder who took the kitten back and re-homed him as it didn't work out.

    ernie_lynch
    Free Member

    Definitely a young kitten is better.

    Or even better, two young kittens.

    I had two brothers (several years old) one got run over and killed, within two weeks I got two young kittens. I didn't want the one who was left to get used to being on his own – that's why I acted so quickly. I got two kittens because I know how much kittens like to play, just one kitten would have pestered the older cat but with two, they had each other.

    At first the two kittens were very aggressive towards the older cat which worried me as they were tiny compared to him. The vet said not to worry as he would not harm them on account that they were so small. Sure enough, although he would occasionally give them a slap, it was never in a nasty way and with the claws retracted. Within a few days he was grooming them, and after a week it was as if they had always been together – they're all inseparable now.

    An older cat will be seen as a threat, and cause all sorts of problems – and the fights will be nasty. First impressions are very important, and if the experience is very unpleasant, it could have lasting implications. So do the first introduction gradually – start with scent, which is all important, before a visual introduction. Don't worry if young kittens seem very aggressive – a large cat can be frightening for them until they realise that it won't harm them. Good luck.

    DrRSwank
    Free Member

    Opposite sex (done!) and at least two years younger has always been my advice.

    I've had a lot of cats and they will argue – but with one being lots younger an easy pecking order is soon arrived at.

    samuri
    Free Member

    As long as they're the same colour, you'll have no problems. Most cats are racist.

    dave_rudabar
    Free Member

    Ours have a couple of years between them but only tolerate each other. Right now they're asleep on opposite sides of the same room but do have sparring sessions a few times a day.
    I think this is because the youngest (female) naturally tries to be dominant as she was removed from the litter too young, but is half the size of the older one (male) – unfortunately i don't think they'll ever settle down together like the ones in the photos above. We don't mind, we get plenty of friendship from them both in different ways.

    mushrooms
    Free Member

    if u live near a busy road don't let them out?

    ski
    Free Member

    We had two female cats from a rspca centre & they were very close. Sadly lost one at two years old.

    We got a second female kitten, but they hated each other, never got on, would not go near each other.

    Two years latter a neighbour who found out she was allergic to cats gave us a beautiful pedigree British Blue tom kitten.

    This transformed the other two & after about 6 weeks, they all get on very well. Play and sleep together in one big ball on our bed!

    Cats are weird 😉

    ski
    Free Member

    Missy & Puddle

    big-chief-96
    Free Member

    if he was newtered when he was a kitten get a kitten and newter it. they will both behave like kittens and play with each other

    Jenga
    Free Member

    We had two unrelated female cats who got on famously. One died suddenly and the survivor was pining for her.. We went and got another young cat from the recue centre, but the original cat just never liked the newcomer. Nothing wrong with the new cat who has a lovely temperament, just the old cat wouldn't accept her.

    A bit like people – if the chemistry isn't right then they won't get on.

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