Want another (cat) but not sure - experiences please!

[Peanut9904]

DH and I have discussed getting a second cat, mainly because the rescues around here are so full atm and we have no DC, plenty of space, quiet garden, money to do so etc and we feel as though we should. However we have to consider our current cat and we are not sure how he would react.

We rescued him a few years ago and he was exceptionally nervous, having been rehomed previously because his last owner had two cats and they didn’t get on. He is quite a needy boy and we are unsure if it would be fair to him as he’s had quite a bit of time ruling the roost!

What are the general opinions on this? Can anyone share a similar experience?

Why not get another 2? Then he can give them a wide berth if he wants...
When we had 1 ddog we got 2 dpuppies! She opted in /out of play time when it suited her. Soon all became good friends...

I do wonder if the perfect family unit for cats is one. We've rehomed two "bonded pairs" from rescues. The first pair were disastrous. Fighting (to the point of needing frequent vet trips) and territorial marking, neither of which resolved, so we ended up having to find a new home for one of them. They were both lovely when separated.

Our current "bonded pair" spend 90% of the time ignoring each other, and the rest of the time engaging in mild fisticuffs. Although this gets noisy they mostly don't injure each other, unlike the first two, so it's fine, but they certainly do not appear to get any joy whatsoever from each other's company.

This is an impossible question to answer because cats are all individual. The same cat can have great chemistry with one cat and hate another. I see this with my cat. He’ll go nuts growling at one whilst another is allowed to come in the house and eat all his food.

Questions I’d be asking:

How is my cat currently and generally with other cats? (If he hates them all, it’s not a good sign)
Would I be happy if my two cats just tolerated each other?
Have I got enough room for two ‘just tolerating’ cats to live together? You need three litter trays, enough scratchers to go round, potentially one living upstairs, one downstairs
Is there any possibility of fostering or trialling a cat from a rescue rather than going all in?
If you have no DC and love cats, have you made your cat the centre of your home?This can be tricky when a new one arrives as the ‘family’ dynamics need to change and cat number 1 might be put out if used to being the only child. This can get complicated because normally one cat establishes themselves as the Alpha, and it might not be cat 1.

A cat surrendered from a home and used to living in a family environment, perhaps with other cats, is imo a better bet than a ‘true stray’ who would be used to fighting for resources. I’d also be looking for a cat smaller in size than Cat 1. It is normally easier to integrate a kitten as they are seen as less of a threat.

There is loads of advice online for introducing cats but I’ve read a lot on this and personally feel cats will either take to each other or they won’t. Most cats seem very very happy alone and there are many stories of a surviving sibling pair being happier, but I do think some cats are more sociable than we give them credit for.

I tried getting a second cat and it didn’t work out (cat had to be returned which was very sad) but I’ve learned a lot if ever I tried again

This is a really useful thread if not exactly what I wanted to read🤣

I am in a similar position, OP in wanting another cat. Dcat has been with us a year and came from a multi cat house (she was a breeding queen).

If I am honest with myself I think Dcat loves being an only cat, she rules the roost and enjoys a very peaceful life. It won’t be for her that we get another and I think this thread has made me realize it probably isn’t fair.

I have an incredibly nervous and shy 13 year old who was a nervous wreck when she came to me. She's never played with toys or anything.
I was then given a rescue kitten and was really worried they wouldn't get on but 6 months later they are fantastic together, they chase each other all over the house, old cat has a new lease of life and kitten looks up to her. Its worked really well.

My dcat was a grieving dcat. His db had died and he wasn't eating. Purrfect solution was dkitten. He is so happy now.. Been 2 years in November since dkitten came along. He hated being alone.