Getting a rescue alongside current cat

[teaandtoastwithmarmite]

Hi there I've been thinking of getting a rescue cat. I've seen one advertised on the rspca website and he looks lovely. 5 years old and it says he would get along with a female.
We have an 8 year old spayed female but we've had her since she was a kitten and she's never lived with another cat since she was 10 weeks old.
Is this a bad idea? DH said she might not like it and I'm worried it will drive her away. On the other hand it would be good to give a nice home to another cat. Appreciate any thoughts x

I wouldn’t do it. It’s too risky and you could easily end up with two miserable cats with various behavioural issues.

Does it seem like she could use a pal? Some cats are very independent. I think as long as you spend time making sure you introduce them properly then it's not a bad idea. Just be prepared that they will probably scrap quite a bit in the beginning and you might end up having to rehome Tom cat if things don't go to plan.

@AverageJoan I'm not sure. One cat comes in our garden and she doesn't seem to like it but maybe if it lived here and she got used to it she would be ok. Other cats that come in the garden she is ok with. I don't want to drive her away

@BlueKaftan you have a point there

We tried and it didn't work. Even though both cats had previously lived contentedly with other cats, they hated each other for three months; then we reluctantly returned Cat 2 to her previous foster carer (for a very touching reunion on both sides), and Cat 1 agreed to come back out of the shoe cupboard.

Incidentally, Cat 1 was perfectly happy to take on a rescue kitten the following year.

@GuppytheCat aww bless. I could imagine our cat going into the shoe cupboard . It's hard isn't it as it could be lovely if they get on and Emmy (dcat) seems to spend lots of her time asleep these days so then I worry she's bored and with us going back to the office a couple of days a week it might be nice.