Getting a new cat? What to look for? Continue reading, and you’ll find out!
Opposite Gender
Hiro in the shelter between his brothers and sisters.
When you’re looking for a new cat, maybe for a playmate for your current cat, try to find a cat that has lived with cats before. It’s also the best to introduce a cat that is different in age and gender to your current cat. So if you have a female cat at home, get a male cat. Fighting happens between cats of the same age and the same sex — especially tomcats!
While cats of the opposite gender get along best, it would a good idea that they are already neutered and spayed. On the other hand, if you are planning to get a kitten, older (not seniors) cats accept kittens much easier! If your cat is a senior cat a kitten might be a nuisance and too hyper. Then you might want to go for a more mellow and adult buddy.
Matching Personalities
Try to match personalities. If your cat is very active, he’d probably love another active cat, and not a lazy cat that hangs around.
Suki has her (crazy) moments.
This is mostly where we make the mistake with Suki and Hiro. Suki is very mellow, while Hiro loves to play a lot. We told the girl at the shelter that our current cat, Suki, was more of a leader, curious, a bit held back and shy. She told us that this little kitty Hiro was shy as well and mellow too. But it’s hard to see what kind of personality a kitten is going to have when they grow older. While they are being a shelter, surrounded by strangers and feeling uncomfortable. As soon as Hiro got comfortable in our home, he wasn’t so shy and mellow anymore! So be careful when choosing a new cat!
Where did you get your cats from?
Was there anything you paid attention at when looking for a new cat?
Resource
perfectpaws.com
Little Binky had problems when she came to live with us. Angel was still alive then and Big Binky was introduced by Angel, so they were friends. Big Binky was friends with everybody, but Angel was very selective, so when Little Binky came to live with us she had to deal with Angel and that was hard to see. Angel was jealous and LB was frightenend, because she already had a very bad experience with cats, but with a lot of love and therapy and patience I managed that they could live with each other, without fear or fight. You must always think in the positive way, that it will become good one day and it will, never think that the problem will linger on, because then it’s doomed to be.
I think all cats in the shelter show their sweetest side, they all have to deal with the circumstances and want to be rescued, but when they’re feeling save and warm, they show you who they really are. They’re like kids (and some grown ups
I love your comment!
Ik wil zooo graag een kat maar ik heb een Beagle thuis dus zit het er echt niet in.
Awe.
Katten en honden kunnen ook prima samen.
I didn’t really get to choose. it was my Yadi or no second cat at all. Someone on our street where we used to live was giving away kittens for free. First I secretly went to check it out, then told my mom, bugged her about it for about three days and when she finally caved she told me if there was a male kitten left I could bring him home. Yadi was the only one.
At that time we already had Oliver (female, don’t let the name fool you, it wasn’t given by us) and in that we didn’t have a choice either. She lived like three door down from us and back then I had Spinner (he was already old then) and Oliver used to show up to hang with him and eventually started coming in to the kitchen and ate with him and one day refused to go back home xp the neighbours told us it was fine to keep her and so we did.
So when Spinner and our dod died over the years Oliver was left all alone and she was just too quiet for us. That’s probably why my mom agreed to the new kitten. (Yadi is now seven and on his own again but he manages though he still misses his buddy Oliver, and it’s been two years.)
We never got to choose cats xp they chose us
That’s right! They choose us.
My first cat was a stray…found him in bitter cold temps……
Cody was adopted from an adoption event at Petco. I actually had my eyes on his 2 litter mates before him. They didn’t like me. Then I picked up Cody and he snuggled from the second I first held him…….that was it…it was LOVE
Sounds like true love!
Calpurrnia chose husband at the shelter. (I just re-read that and it sounds like we got husband at the shelter! hahahahahaah!) He picked her up out of her metal cage and she snuggled into his fuzzy fleece coat and that was that.
When we took the tag from her cage up front to bail her out, the clerk looked at her computer and then said: Oh I’m so sorry. She has already been euthanized.
Husband said: Well, she looks pretty good to us, so we’ll take her.
It turns out that she had somehow missed the deadline, by two weeks, for being euthanized!
BuddyBoop adopted us through Calpurrnia’s cat door. He was skinny, so very skinny, and was badly injured–all the fur on both sides of his body had been scraped off–just terrible to see.
He wouldn’t let us touch him for three months, then one day while husband was on the back deck with him (where the kitty door is), BB stood up on his hind legs and “told” husband to skritch his head.
I agree that we often don’t get to choose–we just show up and do what we’re told!
Methos used to chase Neeners and sort of bully her. It was actually helpful when Chloe came along, because then he had someone who actually wanted to play with him (most of the time.) He even “lets” her win sometimes.
Hahaha, let her ‘win’? Aawe.
Yeah, she’s like a little kid. She only plays til she gets pissed off and then takes her ball and go home.
Whaaat! Here they just stop playing as soon as the other kitty gets involved.
Nellie grieved so much when her companion Licorice died, we deceided to get a new kitten (as she is an older and very small cat) and one that was as playful as her. Kozmo picked us and when we saw him with the other cats at the rescue, we thought he would be perfect for Nellie. Nellie has thought otherwise. She very seldom plays with him, or even acknowledges his existance. 6 months after we got Kozmo, we got a new puppy! Kozmo and Cinnamon have been inseperable. They get along so well and play all the time, so I don’t feel quite so badly.
I’d like to get another cat, but I worry about the dynamics.
Ciao
Nellie’s Mom
Think about it carefully when you plan on getting another cat! Maybe a playmate for Kozmo?
I never actually thought about the “opposite gender” part. Actually, I thought it was the other way around, that same gender cats would go along better. All of my three cats are female. We learn new things everyday.
Catou, my first cat, is a quiet cat and always been. When my GF left, along with her cat, Catou was desperately alone. She spent day looking for her friend in the apartment. So I considered getting a new cat for her. I knew it wasn’t a good a idea to replace a lost cat immediately, so I waited a few months. But just when the time was right, my sister called and begged me to take her cat.
I went to see the cat, and immediately fell in love for Tigra. Not only did she have physical characteristics I loved, she was literally glued to me all the time even if she didn’t know me. Then, she was a crazy cat, very active, just what I wanted since Catou was such a lazy cat. That last part is what I had not considered when I brought Tigra home.
Catou is a very social cat, both for humans and cats, which I already knew because several cats had been introduced to her before and it was never a problem. When Tigra entered the apartment, Catou initially hissed at her, but it was more because of the surprise. You must imagine the kitten running in, after getting out of the box she had just spent two hours in. But within hours, Catou was already taking care of her as it was her own kitten. It was very cute. No, I did not follow the proper procedure for introducing a new cat, but it went fine.
BUT… Problems began as soon as Tigra wanted to play with Catou. Playing with Catou was not a possibility. Catou would hiss and push her with her paws. Worst, Tigra didn’t mind being hissed at, she really wanted to play. But Catou would not hurt her, if nothing else worked she would just run away and reach for the top of the fridge, where Tigra couldn’t get, at least for a while. Eventually they learned to know each other and Tigra gave up trying to play with Catou.
When my brother got an unexpected surprise and called me to see if I wanted three Siamese kittens, I didn’t want to make the same mistake again. But how could I pick a cat which would work with both the playful Tigra and the lazy Catou? I picked the only female, mainly because they told me she was the most crazy of the litter. I figured Catou might want to play the mother once again, while Tigra would enjoy to play with her. Turned out I was very lucky.
I used the safe procedure this time, and it went very smooth. After the initial meeting, Juliette tried both cats, but only got hissed once by Catou before she understood you couldn’t play with her. Within days, Juliette showed signs of intelligence. By now, she was sleeping with Catou (who always sleeps anyway), and then go and wake Tigra up to play with her. Catou never assumed the role of mother for Juliette as she did for Tigra, but never mind her since she didn’t disturb her.
I learned from that experience that other cats must be taken into consideration. I like to think that I am really good at reading cat personalities. But actually, I’m pretty sure I was just plain lucky.
Sounds like you’re lucky!