Should we..? Angry Tortie and new cat

[Lepetitpiggy]

We have a completely gorgeous tortie, who we rescued three years ago, but who has never been keen to be nice to us. She will sometimes snuggle up with me at night time but seems to prefer hissing and running away. There is a 6 month old beautiful black and white male that needs a home and I am wondering whether it could work? The b & w is also quite timid (although I've not spent a lot of time with him) and has been moved around a lot in his little life so rather angry at the moment. Would putting the two of them together be a huge mistake?

It might, it mighn't. If he's prepared to accept her as top cat they might do well together. If she has somewhere to escape to when he's around and you can handle two separate living arrangements you could be fine.

Thanks. Its such a hard decision! She hates one other cat who comes into our garden to taunt her and there have been...fights, but I kind of feel she may be ok with a littler one who actually lives with us. Maybe I'm being too Pollyanna

Some Torties are absolute terrors who will not accept anyone else existing in their world, that includes humans.

Sometimes it's recommended to adopt a cat of the opposite sex, the black and white boy sounds ideal. My previous black and white cats have either been super smart or as thick as two short planks and utterly soppy.

We had a stray cat recently that we would have kept if it wasn't for our tortie/calico. Life was miserable and stressful for all of us until we found the stray boy a home. He was half her size and very gentle and timid and she still hated him.

She was exactly like your cat until she went missing a few years ago and returned home with a much higher level of tolerance for us, and possibly some affection? She likes to be stroked now but only if she initiates it, and there's always a risk she'll turn, though it's very rare now. She either hates or is afraid of other cats, other people and dogs, though she tolerates people after a few years of visits in that she doesn't seem to think they are a threat so she doesn't hide.

While the stray was here she hissed, spat and clawed us regularly (drawing blood). It was just like old times.

I wouldn't do it. We were so upset saying good bye to the stray - he was such a lovely affectionate little fellow - but it was putting our cat under so much stress it was intolerable.

I should have said - we didn't even have the stray in the house. We kept him outside, kept him away from our clothes as much as possible (he'd try to rub off our legs) pushed up our sleeves to stroke him and washed hands thoroughly. It was still a nightmare.

I think you may be right. She is really really unpleasant unless it's on her terms or she wants food!
I was thinking that another little boy who may be a bit nervous would hep her, but I guess taking that risk could be really stressful for them both. So torn!!

Tortoiseshells are very strange aren't they!!?

Odd as anything. We got ours from a family home where cats were kings and queens and she behaves as if she was a traumatised rescue.

That being said, she can be quite affectionate at times. She's very vocal and she miaows back to us as if it's a conversation when we talk to her, and she miaows like crazy when we come home if we've all been out. If DS and I go to my DMs or something overnight, she looks all around the house for us, if DH is away and I'm here she goes around looking for him. So she's clearly attached to us. In fact, that time she went missing, DS and I were away and she was possibly unsettled because of it. She's a funny little thing. I wish she liked sitting on laps and cuddling though.

Please don't. Cats are territorial and won't willingly accept another cat. You're more likely to end up with 2 stressed cats

Veterinari You're right. Our psycho (as we affectionately call her) would be really furious.

She is so odd when it comes to food. It has to be me and she will sit at the end of the bed, for example, just looking at me until I go down and feed her. No one else will do. When I'm away apparently, she has a good look for me until she'll allow anyone else near her bowl!

Our tortie was our second cat and knocked our tabby off her perch from day one. She was a right cow bag! Very affectionate with people but had an edge when she wanted.
She used to creep round the back of the footstool that the tabby would sleep on and suddenly spring up a whack her with her claws out for no reason other than she could.
When she died our 15 year old tabby practically turned back into a kitten through sheer joy

Tortoiseshells are very strange aren't they!!? They prefer the term assertive.

They love you but their damned if their going to show it in the traditional ways.

Watch my cat from hell. The problems usually start when a second pet is introduced.

this is she..

Waiting for food....oddly

Omg I love her. My nan had a Tortoiseshell called missy when I was little. Missy by name missy by nature!

Thank you!! she is just so pretty but such a nightmare

We call ours psycho too. She popped up on the arm of the chair beside me for a stroke last night, started biting my hand and when I withdrew stroking privileges, clawed my arm so I have a little scratch this morning. We call it "love me or I'll hurt you". She sat staring at me for about 5 minutes and then jumped down and stalked off in disgust. I never give in if she swipes at me for a stroke so she normally doesn't do it to me, but DH does give in sometimes. He had been saying earlier on that she had really settled down again (stray is gone about 6 or 7 weeks now) so I'm blaming him for tempting fate.

The weird thing is I really love her.

Oh I adore our psycho too. I thought she was poorly a few weeks ago and insisted we go to the vet and I didnt CARE about the cost. She was fine of course, and spent the rest of that evening sitting on the floor just starting at me in fury!

Another white tortie owner here. We are owned by her and her B&W kitten. They had a seriously scrappy period after he stopped being a proper kitten and grew up, hissing and swiping most of the time. I think she'd expected him to have left - "why are YOU still here?"

Roll on 7 years and we have a couple of hisses a week but the rest of the time they're fine and coexist well. He's a massive bruiser who catches rats regularly, she could do a good job as a foghorn as long as it was near mealtimes.

Always hoped they'd curl into a ball together to sleep but you can't win 'em all. I'm not sure I'd risk another cat even though DS is desperate for a ginger.

Psycho is a terrible hisser! she an be walking through the house just like a normal cat and will suddenly miaw-grumble and hiss for no reason at all. It's exhausting being owned by her to be honest!

I have a Tortie too. She rules the roost here. Introduce another cat at your peril lol.

From what you say about her, I definately wouldn't risk it.
We have had 3 torties over the years.
One was a pain very bitey and scratchy.We adopted a gorgeous black kitten ,he had such a lovely nature, andshe hated him from day 1
Was very nasty to him , and she ended up living outside until we rehomed him back to his original family.I was heartbroken and loved him already.
Our other two were sisters and were the nicest most affectionate cats I have ever met.

Yep, we've definitely thought better of it!