Any chance of me getting a second?

[givemeallthekitties]

I've had my girl since she was a kitten and she's now 7. She's indoor only and I got her from a friend. I want to get a second but don't think a rescue will consider me a suitable home.

I live in a one bed flat - limited space to do a slow, phased introduction
no outside space
not sure how my cat will react to another one

Has anyone successfully introduced a second after the first being an only for so long? Any experience of rescues in London willing to consider indoor only homes??

I think rescues would mainly want to know what you’d do if your cat didn’t like the newcomer.

I foster in a one-bed flat & I only get given pairs if they’re already friends.

Them not getting along is my major concern. I have read up a lot on how to introduce. I could keep the new one in the bedroom for a bit but my girl has free rein of the whole flat. I don't know how she'll react. At vets she's never interested in the other cats and if I come home from a friends smelling of other cats I'll have to undergo a good 20 mins of inspection and sniffing before she walks away. She's never been face to face with others except for her siblings.

I’m sorry but to me it really sounds like too much of a risk.

It could be pretty traumatic for both cats & then the rescue might end up having to go back.

I've found introducing my new cat incredibly stressful and that's in a house! The layout isn't great for separation, but I've made it work. In a small flat it would be even worse.

Unless you have plenty of space or the ability to give them outdoor access, I wouldn't.

We have three unrelated cats so I'm not against the idea by any means, but you do need lots of space and resources, plus the ability for them to get out and escape if needed.

We often have two inside and one out, or vice versa - the only time they're really all home is for meals and overnights.

It's not always a good idea to bring a new cat in , cats r territorial and don't always like to share . You can try but be prepared for your original cat to be serious cheesed off for potentially a long time . If you let your original cat out , it may never come back because of the new one . Get your new cat from somewhere that you can return it to if things don't go well .