I think I'm going to adopt another cat

[LynneSin]

I really think Abbie wants a friend to play with when I'm not at home (mainly at work) and I really think I want another cat.

Any ideas on how to find another pal for Abbie? He's a big neutered boy with his claws and I'm fearful of finding someone who might cower around him.

Advice please!!!

[benburch]

1. You can have one of our cats!

:-)

[LynneSin]

2. Is your cat anywhere in the delaware area?

or were you planning of fed-exing the feline to me?

:shrug:

[benburch]

4. Duct tape...

I figure we could duct tape pyewackett (our alpha male) up real well so he won't wiggle, and then send him book rate.

;-)

(We're in Illinois, if you will recall.)

[CrownPrinceBandar]

8. We had a siamese...

named "Piwachett" when I was a kid. My mom named her after the siamese in "Bell, Book and Candle." I just called her "Bitch Kitty." I loved that cat, though.

[SoCalDem]

3. Visit the animal shelter.. They have lots of "turn ins"

Sadly, people do turn in their adult ctas, and these are the ones who get euthanized first.. Their only "crime"..being an adult cat.. Everyone wants the kittens..

Ask a shelter worker which one might have a personality similar to Abbie's.

They will do fine.. make sure it's already altered.. a grown female would be ok too :)

[LynneSin]

5. Let me add more details

First, I don't want no kittens. I volunteer for a cat rescue group and I would adopt one of their cats.

But what if I take the cat home and he/she doesn't get along with Abbie? I live in a 1 bedroom apt, so there aren't many hiding spaces.

Will they share food and litter box? (I do clean the box out religiously everyday).

And if they don't get along then what? I have 2 cats terrorizing each other and I'm not getting any sleep or happiness?

I kinda would like to "test-drive" a cat - take it home for the night and see how he/she interacts with Abbie. And if they fight - I return it with no harm done.

I really want to do this, but I'm worried I'll make what is a happy situation for 2, hell on earth for 3

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Bring Abbie in a cat carrier with you when you go to choose

[Southsideirish]

13. Be very careful how you introduce them & that they like each other.

I thought my cat was lonely, too, and then I got her a "friend." This tuned into a lifelong hatred, "going" outside the litter box (got territorial on me) - a total nightmare! Think twice - your present cat MIGHT resent the hell out of the new one.

[Bertha Venation]

23. Yes, introduce them slowly if you see a problem right off.

Keep them in separate rooms for a couple of days. Keep an article of your clothing with each of them -- something with your scent on it -- and trade them between cats a 2-3 times a day. That way they have your scent (meaning "safe") and their own scent, and then they get to smell the other cat's scent for a while.

After a few days let them play w/ each other under the door for a day or two while still keeping them separate. By then you'll have a good idea of when gradually to introduce them into the same space -- for limited amounts of time.

Also, you may wish to keep them separated for a couple of weeks or more while you are not home.

Just the two cents of a woman with six cats. Been through this a few times. :)

[CrownPrinceBandar]

6. I say get a kitten...

I've always had good luck introducing kittens, as opposed to adult cats, to homes with pre-existing feline occupants. There's still the territory thing, but it seems kittens haven't had time to be all territorial yet. If a male, wait to find a kitten who is of "snip-snip" age. Just my opinion, hope it helps.

[RebelOne]

7. Go to petfinder.com

http://www.petfinder.com.

[Faygo Kid]

9. The shelter!

Please adopt a cat from the shelter that desperately needs a home, and good for you.

[LynneSin]

12. I am adopting from a shelter

I'm a volunteer for a cat rescue group and I'll be adopting from them

[Faygo Kid]

19. Good for you! Go for two.

You probably already know this, but adopting two, especially from the same family, isn't much more work, is far more entertaining, and gives them company. I don't think cats are the solitude animals they are made out to be. All the cats I know want companionship. Who doesn't?

[Zomby Woof]

10. hehehe

Too cute! The Saga of Abbie has been exciting! :D Lynne with TWO cats? Could be fun. :-)

[GOPisEvil]

14. Oh Lynne...it's over...you're on your way to becoming "the cat lady".

:P

[benburch]

15. Kitty Litter

can be had in 55 gallon drums...

[cally]

16. I'm thinking about adopting another cat

and I have the same worries. I'm about to volunteer to foster abandoned cats. I figure I can live with a territorial cat for awhile but I will figure out if my cat and dog can accept a new cat.

Also, our animal shelters allow you to take the cat for a few days to see if it works out. The volunteers seem to understand the cats and can advise you on which cat would work well in your home. Of course, I adopted a cat that they said would not be good with a dog and kids. She has done fabulously here.

I keep falling in love with the dogs. Who knows if I will end up with another cat or a dog. The 100 pound huskie and german shepherd mix almost came home with me last week. :shrug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. i think you should get another declawed cat

just so that your first cat does not feel insecure

[flamingyouth]

18. Uh oh, she's hooked on cats!

:evilgrin:

At one point we had FIVE, which was a bit much.

I'm sure Abbie would love a friend, but it will take time for them both to adapt. I'd recommend another adult cat, but that's just me.

(Please note: There will be hissing involved, but it will pass.)

[SheilaT]

20. You will need two litter boxes.

Sometimes cats won't share, and it's just easier to keep two clean if you have two cats than one for the two.

While you do want to get plenty of input from the source of the new cat -- and vets are also good sources -- sometimes the conventional wisdom is wrong.

For instance, it's supposedly not a good idea to have two unrelated females, even if both neutered, in the same house. I acquired two female cats, nearly a year apart, and after the initial few weeks of adjustment, they've gotten along fine and it's been about four years now.

And if you're gone all day it's a kindness to have two cats so they can keep each other company. Even though there are several people in my household, we take off for vacations several times a year, and when we only had the one cat she'd get crazed with loneliness. (A neighbor would give her food and water and scoop the litter box as needed.) Once we got the second cat, they both hardly noticed when we were gone.

[LynneSin]

21. Can I have both litter boxes in the same room?

I mean, I hate litter boxes - I like them hidden away in my utility closet

:shrug:

And I have a boy, so I was thinking of getting a girlfriend for him (although they'll both be fixed and can't do anything - it'll be like a boyfriend/girlfriend thing from 3rd grade)

[Bertha Venation]

24. Yes, you can. Check out this product.

How big is the utility closet? Do you have a spare room, or a large bathroom? You live in an apartment, right?

Hmm... check out this nifty thing. It's a tad expensive, but it may solve your dilemna. Maybe you can keep the one box in the utitlity closet, and another in another room -- bedroom or office, or even tucked away in the living room.

Litter Bench http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2962&Ne=40000&R=4433&ref=3117&Nao=18&subref=AK&N=2002+2010

[SheilaT]

25. Yes!

Both of my litter boxes are in the downstairs bathroom. We didn't have a cat when we bought this house, so I never thought about suitable litter box places, and there really isn't one. So the downstairs bathroom is it.

Every so often my two cats will exchange blows in complete silence. It's a little strange, but it seems to be a matter of cat #1 making sure cat #2 still knows who's boss. They also play chase with each other, and sleep near each other on my bed much of the time.

[Bertha Venation]

22. First: trim his claws regularly. Second: find a 1-3 yr old pound cat.

Third: trim that cat's claws regularly too.

After all that, my best advice is to question the folks at the shelter carefully to see if any of their charges come from homes where they got along with other cats.

Other folks say, get a kitten. Abbie won't hurt a kitten. Sometimes if an adult cat has a kitten to take under its, uh, paw, it turns into a parent. We had an adult who did that with a kitten. It worked beautifully.

I can't overemphasise keeping their claws trimmed regularly. If they ever get into a disagreement & have a slap fight, they won't cut each other if their claws are kept trimmed.

Good luck!