Adding another cat into the mix?

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DrJazzTapDrJazzTap Frets: 2158
We have a lovely fluffy maine coon cross. She's just under a year old and we've had her since she was a kitten.
Norma has the sweetest temperament, loves early morning snuggles and is never malicious. 
In less than a month we are moving into a house together and have been considering getting another kitty in due course. What we don't want to do is upset Norma. From what I understand cats are solitary animals and I think Norma loves being the centre of attention. If we had had two cats since kittens then I think it would be a different story. 

So is it a bad move or workable?

I am guessing getting another kitten might be an idea? Although apparently I'm projecting the idea that Norma is going to become some sort of big sister.
I would love to change my username, but I fully understand the T&C's (it was an old band nickname). So please feel free to call me Dave.
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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    It totally depends on the cat's attitude to other cats, and you can't go by how it behaves with humans.

    Our cat is a gentle, friendly house cat when he's with humans, but let him see another cat and he becomes the neighbourhood thug from hell. (He is neutered, so that's not it.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • DrJazzTapDrJazzTap Frets: 2158
    ICBM said:
    It totally depends on the cat's attitude to other cats, and you can't go by how it behaves with humans.

    Our cat is a gentle, friendly house cat when he's with humans, but let him see another cat and he becomes the neighbourhood thug from hell. (He is neutered, so that's not it.)
    Well Norma is a house cat atm. She doesn't see that many cats so its hard to gauge. 

    When we found out our old cat was the neighbourhood bully my heart sank. I saw him bopping another cat on the head and telling him to foxtrot Oscar. 
    I would love to change my username, but I fully understand the T&C's (it was an old band nickname). So please feel free to call me Dave.
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    We've had some experience of introducing new cats to an incumbent, done it three times.

    The main thing is to take it slowly - a sudden change for the cat you already have, a stressful or traumatic experience, can make the whole thing much harder so everything you do needs to be designed to avoid that, and let your current cat get used to the idea of sharing her humans and territory.

    First thing's first - give Norma time to adjust after you move. For cats, moving house is a bit like being abducted by aliens and dumped on a strange planet where nothing is as it seems, and she's going to need time to adjust to her new home - at least a couple of months.

    Now, for bringing the new cat home;

    Dedicate a room to the new cat. A spare bedroom, utility room, study... Close it off to Norma a week or so before you bring the new cat home, so that Norma gets used to the idea that the room in question isn't part of her territory any more. She might scratch at the door for a couple of days but she'll change her perception of what is hers and needs defending.

    When you bring the new cat home, don't let Norma see it. Put it straight into the room you've closed off to her. This actually works for the new cat too - the advice is to start them off in one room, something they can get their heads round and get familiar with - so it's not as cruel as it seems to shut the newb in there. Give it food, water, litter tray in that room, and spend time in there getting to know each other, playing etc.

    Now for the introduction.

    After a couple of days, start off with smells. They'll already have smelled each other's scents on you, but swap their toys between them. This can be amusing; the first time we gave our cat Nina a toy that our new cat had been playing with, she sniffed it and hissed at it like it was evil. But after a few days, they were each playing with the other's toys without hesitation. Once it gets to that stage, you're ready for the fun and scary bit. By now your new cat will probably be getting bored of its one room and wondering what's on the other side of the door you keep going through.

    At this stage, *get Feliway spray*. It's absolute magic. A couple of squirts in the air before any interaction takes the edge off things.

    Crack open the door just enough that the cats can press a nose up to the opening or get a paw through, and let them see each other. Then shut the door when they're curious but before either has a chance to fuck things up by hissing or getting arsey. Cats can't help themselves - they've got terrible social skills and they might accidentally start a fight even if they didn't really want to. The idea here is to avoid giving them a chance to associate the other cat with aggression.

    After another couple of days of that, it'll be crunch time and you should open the door. Again, make sure there's Feliway in the air and make sure that you're relaxed and present and making both cats feel that they have your attention.

    The theory by this point is that Norma won't see the room she's been kept from as her territory any more, it'll be firmly scent marked by the new cat. So they'll both have home ground to retreat to if things get stressful, and when in each other's space they'll show some deference/ respect out of an understanding that they are trespassing.

    The times we've done it, those initial interactions have been different. It just depends on the cat. The first time, our incumbent cat whined like a jet engine spooling up and hissed at the new cat until she made herself sick, then sheepishly wondered off. The second time, the new cat was the one hissing in the face of the incumbant, who in turn did a massive yawn and sleepy eyes, turned her back on the hissing lunatic and lay down to diffuse things.

    At this point, you've kinda got to let them sort it out between themselves. Gradually increase the length of time the new cat's allowed out of its room, try to be present to mediate if things go south, and let them get on with getting to know each other. Expect them to hiss a bit at times, and have fights to establish schedules and daily routines that allow them to co-exist in the house. Chasing and tumbling about a bit is normal - as long as there's not screaming, biting, fur flying and blood, it's just the way cats work things out and kinda normal.

    Through it all, make sure they both have their needs met so they don't have to fight for resources, and make sure you interact with them both because they will get jealous if they think the other cat is taking you away from them.

    Long term, how well they get on will be influenced by how the above goes, make no mistake, but equally it's kinda down to chance. They might become best friends or they might always have a bit of antipathy to each other, there's no way to tell. The first time we did this, the two cats became *best* friends - they'd sleep with their backs pressed together, go exploring in the garden as a team, hunt bugs, chill out etc. The second time, they got used to each other, the incumbent did everything to make friends, then after 6 weeks the new cat started bullying really badly. There was nothing we could do, that new cat was just a jerk and we had to return it. The third time, they got used to each other's presence really quickly but it took a year or so before they started acting like friends. They still sleep in different rooms usually and often seem to do their own thing, but then every now and then you'll catch them quickly giving the other a lick on the head, or sitting on the same window ledge, or running up to each other in the garden when they meet after a few hours of being apart. Personally I think our idea that cats are natural loners is a bit overstated - in the wild they tend to form family groups or even large communities where unrelated cats co-exist, so I suspect they value being able to interact with other cats.


    Best of luck!
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  • LuttiSLuttiS Frets: 2243
    We had a singe lady house cat. We then got an additional house kitten (maine coon/bengal/ninja cross) - they were fine at the start when lady cat could just use 1 paw to remove kitten from vicinity. 

    Then kitten got bigger, 2 paws required. Then kitten turned into a playful cat with lots of energy and single lady not so happy. Starts comfort eating and gains weight (don't know if comfort eating, might just be lazy, but weight was gained).

    Basically the age gap was an issue for us as playful young cat who is growing vs 5yro cat who's idea of a wild time is rolling onto her back in front of the fire. 

    They are both fine now and happily snuggle up as they both a bit older now. I was if your going to get another cat and you have a female, its easier to introduce a male kitten rather than another female.

    As yours is just a year old and i imagine still quite playful i don't think it would be an issue, so go for it, then post picture.

    This is the internet, it has rules. Pics or it didn't happen and if you get a new cat, you must post it. 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26754
    Wis for @Cirrus ;

    We started with 1 rescue (arabian mau, super-affectionate but highly strung and often jealous..). We got a second rescue in by doing exactly what @Cirrus says, and we also started feeding them on opposite sides of the cracked-open door so that both had to come close to each other if they didn't want to go hungry.

    The second cat is a big softy and now they're best mates. The still play fight every day (4 years later..!) but also groom each other and sleep on top of each other most days too, so all good. 

    We have other fosters that we've brought in (including one that we've now had 3 times, third time starting this week) and our first cat won't have any of it whatever we do. He'll even hiss and growl at me without provocation at the moment, and i'm his favourite..!). 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    ICBM said:
    It totally depends on the cat's attitude to other cats, and you can't go by how it behaves with humans.

    Our cat is a gentle, friendly house cat when he's with humans, but let him see another cat and he becomes the neighbourhood thug from hell. (He is neutered, so that's not it.)
    Gibson was like that. He had a reputation, which included duffing up the medium-sized dog who lived in the flat above. However, he was neutered AFTER he became old enough to know what his bits were for, Had this been done earlier he might not have been such a thug.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  • rocktronrocktron Frets: 806
    @Cirrus: I enjoyed reading your expert guide!!!   :)

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  • ewalewal Frets: 2558
    We had two cats (sisters), lost one, then got another kitten a wee while later. It took a while but they largely get on, mostly ignoring each other, very occasionally showing affection, and more frequently having wee tiffs. My daughter was recently helping out at cat rescue home in Spain. It was amazing to see all these cats (about 25 or so) largely getting on together. She would often have to share her bed with 5 cats! So I don't think it's 100% true that cats are solitary animals.
    The Scrambler-EE Walk soundcloud experience
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  • DrJazzTapDrJazzTap Frets: 2158
    Thanks guys it's something that is achievable by the sounds of it. We just need to get Norma settled first.
    I would love to change my username, but I fully understand the T&C's (it was an old band nickname). So please feel free to call me Dave.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    I really don't think the 'carefully introducing a new cat' approach would work with ours. He's totally psychotic - yesterday he launched an unprovoked attack on the timid cat next door and even me throwing a glass of water over him didn't completely stop him, although it did give the other cat a chance to escape into its house. Mine then sat outside the catflap growling at the other one inside... but five minutes later, he was back in our house looking pleased with himself, purring and marking his humans as if he was the most placid house cat and nothing had happened.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • thumpingrugthumpingrug Frets: 2890
    Firstly and for the sake openness and honestly I hate cats.

    Secondly.  Mrs T, loves the bloody things.  Ive known her nearly 27 years and the bastards have always been around.  She had 6 when we met.  i should have known then it was a bad idea.  6 years ago we were down to 1 19 years old moggy and I began to contemplate a cat free life for once.   We currently have 5 of the fuckers, only 2 (Maine Coons, related & the same age) came into the house together.  The others have arrives at different times are are of varying ages, this includes 3 years ago my daughter moved hers in with ours.   As others have said.  Take it slowly.  Allow the cats there own space and expect their to be a settling in period with a few territory and pecking order squabbles.  TBH its always been a bit easier with kittens as the older cats have been more protective of them.  They all eat and sleep together and get on fine.   We even had a couple fo dogs in the mix for 14 years and the cats would sleep on them without problem.

    Good luck - though your mad to do it.  Bloody horrid things.

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  • IamnobodyIamnobody Frets: 6887
    Interesting. I’ve never really had it suggested to me that cats are solitary animals. We got our second one when the first was still a kitten (about three months between them).

    The eldest one mothered the youngest and made the first move to be friends.

    My advice is don’t have any cats as they are evil...

    But as you’ve already got one then getting the second one is a good idea especially if the cat is left alone for long periods - our two were good mates.
    Previously known as stevebrum
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