Separation anxiety with my cat

[RedCheckedTablecloth]

He is eleven and we lost his brother earlier this year to a virus. Now he clings to us, yowls (he is neutered), follows us around etc.

He and his brother were inseparable, ate together, slept curled up together and groomed each other.

This sounds stupid but he only plays with the toys his brother played with. We have a lovely garden, cat flap and I work part time so he is only left for a few hours each day at most.

Getting another cat is not the obvious solution. What if they do not get on?

Any advice?

[RandomMess]

You'd have to get a kitten I guess...

[RedCheckedTablecloth]

A kitten would grow into a cat. My last cat was rehomed by me via a friend.

The cat was six years old when my friend got her two kittens for company. They grew up and started attacking her.

We took her and had six wonderful years with her until she died from renal failure.

My boy has had his brother around him for eleven years. Now for the first time he is a solo cat.

[RedCheckedTablecloth]

Back story, they were both in an animal shelter after being given up for adoption and been there for six months and were on the point of being separated when we got them. No one wanted two old boys, one being long haired.

His brother only lived with us for six months before dying but they both settled in well.

[cozietoesie]

Do you think he is happy when he is with you? And where does he sleep now?

[RedCheckedTablecloth]

Yep he is happy and loves his food, sleeps between our feet, sleeps on our laps whilst watching tv, loves cuddles and being brushed and totally loves his food and playing games.

But if we go out of the room or leave him for a few minutes he yowls to be picked up. He even follows me to the loo and sits between my feet trying to climb up onto my lap and has even tried to get into the bath with me.

He has a cat flap and a large garden and adores DH.

We can't replace his brother but getting another cat is not an easy solution.

[cozietoesie]

Difficult one because I've alway had Siamese as my personal boys and that's what they're like - so it's what I'm used to. Just an intense bonding which makes their people pretty well the centre of their world. (And they don't react well to 'interlopers'.)

Do you ever try disciplining him - including telling him to go away?

[RedCheckedTablecloth]

Cozie

We have shut him out of the bedroom at 5am and he has clocked onto that. He will not be fed, cuddled and the cat flap is open so GO OUT at that time and he comes back two hours later. He loves guests coming round and adores children. A total attention seeker.

His brother was very gentle and quiet and never meowed. Just took life as it was, apart from the times chicken was on offer!

But they were inseparable. He misses him.

BTW
One of my old cats was half Siamese and boy was he intelligent. He could open doors, work the stereo and talk back to you!

The stories I have about that cat are surreal.

[cozietoesie]

If I tell Seniorboy to go away for some reason, he does - although it doesn't happen often because I'm inured to over-attention. (Bright cat.) Myself, I'd try telling him to go away and see if he retreats to a favourite spot such as the bed to wait out his sentence/have a snooze.

I'd be edgy about introducing a new cat (a dog would be fine in my experience) but that's just me and my experiences with older cats. Other people have been wildly successful.