Advice on getting a 2nd cat.?

Yes, she is young enough to accept another young cat; she is actually still very much a kitten.

Just remember, in a two cat household, there can only be one alpha cat, and kittens play rough; very rough. So it can be easy to over think something that is perfectly normal.

Some cats like another cat to play and pal around with, and some would rather not have any rival. It cannot be predicted. I say, give it a try. See what method of introduction would work best for you.

Cats often ignore the toys we get, but can usually love the boxes they come in. I have boxes around the house, and can often find at least one occupied most of the time by one of my cats.

But cuddly is a hard thing to define. My youngest cat is very affectionate, wants to be near me, sleeps on the bed with me, often against me, allows me to pick her up, rub her belly, etc. Just don't try to get her to sit on my lap, as that simply isn't going to happen.

Dear Cat,

It really is a tough call since it all depends on the cat. I have had cats in my life for over 60 years and at times have had only one to having 4, right now it's down to 2 geriatric girls 16 and 18 (house cat's only). Some cats don't mind being the only one since felines are a bit on the solitary side (except lions). You will have a period of time that there will be hissy, spitty fits when you bring a new cat into the picture until they figure out who will be the alpha cat, believe me the cat who is there first won't be the least bit happy and a few of mine went so far as to do a bit of a "pay back". Sometimes it is best to slowly introduce them however in all my new adoptees I never felt the need to keep them separated except when I hand raised 3 abandoned newborns (one of which is still with me). My cats have all done the "I was here first " and usually the oldest remained queen of the catdom.

So Cat, the best advice I can give is TIME is what it takes and at the end of the day one of two things will happen, they will figure out who is top cat and TOLERATE each other or they may actually become best friends. I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck.

This can be a tricky question as some cats dont like other cats. With her being only a year old though, it might not be a bad idea. She is still young and I'm sure she would love to play with other cats. From what I read, it is best to introduce a kitten to an older cat than it is to introduce a cat of the same age. This would be great in this case, as kittens love to play. As for the lack of interest in toys, did you by any chance try one of those laser pointers? They love them!

Also, when introducing the new kitten, you shouldn't force it upon the current cat, as this usually ends very badly. What you need to do is put the kitten in 1 room and your cat now in the other, when they are ready to meet, they will on their own time.

Maybe before you decide, you should let your cat meet another cat you know (like a friend's or neighbor's) and see how she gets along. Some cats like to have the company of other cats, while some get jealous and want the house to themselves. It all depends on the cat, but it sounds like your cat wouldn't mind some company, especially since younger cats tend to adjust more to things like that. If you do decide to get another cat, may I suggest a shadow cat? They are cats that were born stray, but have been adopted by some humaine societies and are in desperate need of homes! They don't like to interact with people much at the beggining, and you may not see them much at all, but they enjoy the company of other cats. You just need to give them food, water and a warm place to sleep and they will be happy. Please research it!

It couldnt hurt your first cat to have a companion. I have a 5+ year old male cat that I adopted. I was given a 5-6 month old female kitten not too long ago. for about the first week and a half she couldnt be in the same room as my older cat with out hissing at him. But gradually I just kept trying to introduce her to him. and eventually she became friends with him. she tries to annoy him every once in awhile but they get along. so my best advice if you do decide to get a companion for your first cat, is to introduce them slowly and at their own pace. If you get another cat make sure its spayed or neutered as that can reduce the chance of the cats fighting. hope this helps

It really depends on your cat. Some get along great with other cats, and some don't. It seems like it wouldn't be that bad of an idea to get another cat. The more the merrier, right? :) However, before you get your new cat just ask the breeder or shelter you get it from if they think it would get along with another female cat