should i get a 2nd cat...

[jinduy]

my kitten that i've had for about 4 months seems to be enjoying herself but i'm thinking about getting her another playmate...

what i'm worried about is that everyone here at home has a 9-5 job, so would two kittens cause more destruction and be significantly harder to care for?

 

[Aimster]

2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

 

[Chompman]

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

Not true.

If they are young enough they can get along quite well.

They tend to get really attention sick if it's just the 1 and your not home much. Get another 1 to get them both something to do.

Might fight a bit the first few days but will be running causing trouble in no time and blaming it on the dog...

 

[Nebor]

You can butter a cat so that other cats will like them. However, take note that buttering a solo cat does not cause him to like himself any more, but does cause him to like YOU less. So don't think you can boost their self esteem with butter.

I'm sure someone else will post the link, unfortunately I had to take all those high res pics off my webspace to make room.

 

[Chompman]

Originally posted by: Nebor
You can butter a cat so that other cats will like them. However, take note that buttering a solo cat does not cause him to like himself any more, but does cause him to like YOU less. So don't think you can boost their self esteem with butter.

I'm sure someone else will post the link, unfortunately I had to take all those high res pics off my webspace to make room.

Does that come with a recipe for a side order of cooked dog?

 

[gooseman]

Go for it. My wife and I have 5.

 

[Gooberlx2]

2 cats really aren't any harder or time consuming to care for than one....with the exception of certain added costs (food, vet visits, litter/boxes, etc...).

 

[CaptnKirk]

Single cats are much more overall terrotorial than a pair.
A pair of cats makes each individual cat more accommodating to accepting other animals around.

 

[zimu]

get a dog. a big, mean doberman or something. that'd make a good play pal.

 

[vegetation]

Nope, it's not much harder.

Make sure each cat gets its own litter box.

 

[Carbo]

Two cats........a wife and a girlfriend.........same difference. They fight for your attention, and have a tendency to be territorial. In the end, some well placed caresses and all works out.

 

[dabuddha]

It's actually recommended that a person get 2 kittens so they can keep each other company. The humane society up here won't even allow someone to adopt a single kitten. Has to be in pairs or you have to already have at least 1 cat.

 

[imported_Sasha]

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

This is complete BS! If you don't know (i.e. have had two cats living in the same household for an extended period of time) then just say so.

I have had two cats living in the same household for several years, and they get along great. They were gotten about a year apart, both rescues and both indoor-only. They were both kittens when I acquired them. I have a friend in Florida, she's a vet, and has several cats and they get along just fine.

Now, this is not to say that some inter-cat relations will not happen, but I know many people with multi-cat households that do not seem to have any problems.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

Spoken by someone who has no idea what they're talking about.

I've got 3 cats at home who get along just fine. The two younger cats love playing with each other all the time, as a matter of fact. My parents have had multiple cats for years and never had problems either.

The fact of the matter is that you can put two cats together and they'll get along for the most part. However, it is better if at least one of them is a kitten at first, so the older cat has a chance to get used to the kitten before it becomes a full-grown cat.

In the OP's case, I imagine the two kittens will probably be playing with each other within a week.

 

[Rustynuts]

Depends on the cats. I got a female first and about 6 mos later got a male. Both were "fixed" early, but the female is territorial and fights with the male constantly. This is after 5-yrs! I've been told to either get both from the same litter AND of the same sex if possible. At least get them at the same time and when they're VERY young. DO NOT adopt two grown cats (over 6-mos or so) unless they have been reared togethor. Chances are they won't like each other like mine.

P.S. Males are supposed to be more friendly and females more aloof, which my two certainly display. YMMV

 

[Scarpozzi]

Why stop at 2? Why don't get you get 29 more to make it an even thirty?

 

[torpid]

It's never a good idea to get a 2nd cat solely because you want to give the 1st cat some company. You can do a bit of googling or try the catforum at catforum.com to see lots of experts note this. The problem is that it may not work out, because cats are territorial and some cats are REALLY territorial. Also, some cats have varying levels of energy.

There is pretty much no way to predict how two cats who have never lived together will react to each other. Especially if there is a big age difference. Generally cats will become acclimated to each other, but sometimes they will never actually like each other or play together.

It is noticeably more work to have 2 cats in some circumstances. It just depends on how healthy they are and what their nutrition, grooming, etc. needs are.

 

[Shelly21]

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

Since when did you change your job from a car expert to a cat expert?


Two young kittens are easier to get along with than 2 adults or 1 adult and 1 kitten (which took about 2 weeks for mine to start grooming each other).

 

[TwiceOver]

My 3 cats all love eachother. There were some big fights when I first brought the new one home, after a while they realized that they are stuck together and got along. There are still a few fights every now and again. Biggest thing you'll notice is that you'll have to change the litterbox a little more often.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Rustynuts
Depends on the cats. I got a female first and about 6 mos later got a male. Both were "fixed" early, but the female is territorial and fights with the male constantly. This is after 5-yrs! I've been told to either get both from the same litter AND of the same sex if possible. At least get them at the same time and when they're VERY young. DO NOT adopt two grown cats (over 6-mos or so) unless they have been reared togethor. Chances are they won't like each other like mine.

P.S. Males are supposed to be more friendly and females more aloof, which my two certainly display. YMMV

I am kind of in a similar situation. i have 2 cats now, and the younger one is a male by probably a year or maybe 2. However the male seems to be the one who starts more little scuffles with the female. But in general, to humans, the male cat is more friendly than the female one is. They do get along also, but there are sometimes where the male cat will just flat out jump on the female one for no reason and start something.

and also these cats were fixed very early on in their ages.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

That a bunch of bogus information. Two adult cats brought into one house might have issues but not when ou are talking about kittens.

I'd highly recommend getting another cat so the two can keep each other company. My wife and I have 3 cats and a dog. Prior to that, my wife and her old roommate had 4 cats. Other than cleaning the litter box more often, there's no downside to the cats. But they can chace each other around, snuggle with each other, and have a great time. Cats are pack animals and like being in groups.

I'd say go for it and you won't regret it at all. But I'd get one from the local humane society or some place like that. Never go to a pet store to buy an animal.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: Chompman

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

Not true.

If they are young enough they can get along quite well.

They tend to get really attention sick if it's just the 1 and your not home much. Get another 1 to get them both something to do.

Might fight a bit the first few days but will be running causing trouble in no time and blaming it on the dog...

Doesn't even matter always if they are young, just over time they will get used to each other.

I had a cat for a good 8 years then we got another kitten and over time they played and slept next to each other all the time.

Heck even with a dog and cat if they are around each other enough they can become friendly with each other.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

That a bunch of bogus information. Two adult cats brought into one house might have issues but not when ou are talking about kittens.

I'd highly recommend getting another cat so the two can keep each other company. My wife and I have 3 cats and a dog. Prior to that, my wife and her old roommate had 4 cats. Other than cleaning the litter box more often, there's no downside to the cats. But they can chace each other around, snuggle with each other, and have a great time. Cats are pack animals and like being in groups.

I'd say go for it and you won't regret it at all. But I'd get one from the local humane society or some place like that. Never go to a pet store to buy an animal.

I'd go to some pet stores before my local humane society. Many humane society shelters are kill shelters.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: blazert40

Originally posted by: Chompman

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

Not true.

If they are young enough they can get along quite well.

They tend to get really attention sick if it's just the 1 and your not home much. Get another 1 to get them both something to do.

Might fight a bit the first few days but will be running causing trouble in no time and blaming it on the dog...

Doesn't even matter always if they are young, just over time they will get used to each other.

I had a cat for a good 8 years then we got another kitten and over time they played and slept next to each other all the time.

Heck even with a dog and cat if they are around each other enough they can become friendly with each other.

This is not true of all cats just because it is true of YOUR cats. My cats have been together for a while and they still don't get along. It just depends on the cats. Kittens are more likely to get along because they are still learning how to behave.

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior

Originally posted by: Aimster
2 cats will fight for territory and will most likely not be friends.

That a bunch of bogus information. Two adult cats brought into one house might have issues but not when ou are talking about kittens.

I'd highly recommend getting another cat so the two can keep each other company. My wife and I have 3 cats and a dog. Prior to that, my wife and her old roommate had 4 cats. Other than cleaning the litter box more often, there's no downside to the cats. But they can chace each other around, snuggle with each other, and have a great time. Cats are pack animals and like being in groups.

I'd say go for it and you won't regret it at all. But I'd get one from the local humane society or some place like that. Never go to a pet store to buy an animal.

I'd go to some pet stores before my local humane society. Many humane society shelters are kill shelters.

Well if youhave a No Kill shelter near you, then that's the place to go. If it's a Kil Shelter, you could still go there and rescue the helpless kittie from being killed.

I would never go to a pet store though. Can always check the paper or posting at work or whatever for people giving away kittens too.