Will my cat accept another cat?

[ToKittyornottoKitty]

I have a lovely, slightly aggressive, insane 1 year old cat. We did also have an older cat but unfortunately lost him fairly recently, so Dcat has lived with another cat. They didn’t really match each others energy, older cat wanted to relax and sleep, younger cat wanted to play, this resulted in one cat annoying the other.

Dcat has noticed older cat has gone and has been looking around and whining for him, but I no cats are generally happy alone. In personality he is loving and playful but also pretty aggressive in his play, typical young ginger male. I sleep with one eye open (lighthearted). Does anyone have experience of introducing a cat to a 1 year old male? I think one younger than Dcat would be best if we did it and I would really like another cat, but not at the detriment of either cat of course. I’m hoping they would eventually play with appropriate introductions. Obviously my cat is neutered etc and we would be looking at a rescue.

It might work, it might not. In my experience there's no real way to know for certain. Slow introduction with separate rooms & Feliway can help make it more likely to succeed though

Thank you. All introductions would be done appropriately and carefully and I’d be clear with the rescue about Dcats insanity energy levels. I worry about it not working so much as that would be hard to live with for 15+ years, but also I can’t imagine life with just one cat who wants to eat me for 15+ years either!

(to be clear he is also affectionate and I love him,
maybe he will calm one day)

I dont know if cats are happier alone, I have 4 and they all love each other ( now ) intact, everyone I know with cats has at least & all the cats seem happy 😅

I have 2 ginger males, their so friendly!

My 4 are 11, 9 and around 18 months ( 2 brothers )

The 11 and 9 year olds are my gingers, their bith rescues and got on with each other immediately

When I got my kittens the 11 year old loved them straight away, let them try to feed off him 😅 cleaned them, played with them ect

My 9 year old hated them. With a vengeance. He used to slap them if they came near him. Now theyve grown up and dont harrass him he loves them too

I didnt bother with a slow introduction as my cats are outdoor cats and are very friendly with other cats who come into the garden/try coming in the house, they have lots of friends 😅 I did get some feliway for my 9 year old cat though and it definetly helped him feel relaxed,

Dcat is currently an indoor cat (due to long term injury) so I’m not sure if that would make him more territorial? Older cat was more outdoors so had an escape. So I guess he encounters less cats on a day to day basis

I'm not 100% on this just going off what my boys are like but I think their less territorial if theyve been neautured?

Quick Google says yes their less territorial when neautured 😅

Thanks, glad to hear yours get on now! As a kid I don’t remember my parents ever hesitating to add a cat and I don’t remember any big cat fall outs either so maybe I’m over thinking it

I thought my cat would be fine with another cat. As she had been ok with my cat who died. But she wasn't. I tried with two different before reluctantly accepting she's destined to be an only cat. I had previously introduced new cats with no issues.

Did you rehome the other 2 cats or did the manage to just avoid eachother? I wouldn’t be able to rehome but if they could just coexist and ignore each other, eat in separate areas etc that would be ok

I had to rehome them. It broke my heart. Had they both left Penelope alone, they would have co existed in peace, but they both wanted to play with her. Despite absolutely no aggressive behaviour, from
Either of the new cats. Penelope was absolutely terrified of them. And it wasn't fair to her.

I had a bonded sibling pair of rescues, indoor only. When Boycat had to be PTS with kidney disease, his sister was bereft & wouldn't leave me alone, she was so needy. But I work in office rather than at home, so decided she would need a companion.

Went to the rescue I'd got the first pair from, and was introduced only to male cats who got on with females, who could live as indoor only. I wasn't really interested in whether they would be friendly with people beyond being OK to live with one, my no. 1 reason was for Girlcat.

I brought home a young (3yo) ex street cat with near enough zero trust in people but was living with a bunch of girls in the rescue. Slow gradual introduction, a few incidents of Girlcat putting him in his place, and now Tobias does what he's told and clearly adores her while she is happy to have her toy boy around to groom her or play when she wants. Taking much longer with me however - nearly 2 years in & he's still rather untrusting, but we're getting there!

That’s a lovely outcome for your cats though! Even if he doesn’t quite trust yet he is save and loved and that’s more than many get.

Very much loved @ToKittyornottoKitty . I do get strokes in most days which he does enjoy when in the mood, and he's very much more comfortable when I'm around. Yes he still has to be drugged out of his tiny mind on Gabapentin when he needs to go to the vet, and he's recently been diagnosed with FIV so had to have a few visits lately, but even getting the meds in him (crushed, on bits of cooked chicken) is getting easier each time.

Given that he's lived with cats before, is young and active, and neutered, I'd say the odds are in your favour that it will work. But it would have to be the right cat, and its not always easy to tell at the shelter. My youngster that I rescued this year is both younger and madder than she appeared in the shelter, and also quite pushy and dominant. My senior cat doesn't care about being dominant so its fine - if the little one postures at her and makes 'I'm boss' body language she just ignores her. Senior girl is still very fit and healthy and I hope she will make a great age, but when she does go, I do think the youngster would enjoy a young, active playmate to zoom and wrestle with. But I need a cat that enjoys active, roughish play, but isn't dead-set on being dominant, because Winnie will not back down. I've seen her face off with a tom literally twice her size before.

We have B/G apparently littermates. B cat loves other cats will happily loaf around outside with other cats, will try to bring his mates home with him. G cat despises all other cats including her brother. They have an uneasy truce most of the time and have their own timed territories in the house. They were fine with each other until they were about 2. To be fair to her he is not opposed to trying for a bit of incest.

When she goes outside (rarely) B cat will join her in defending the territory but you can see he is not really too bothered. I like to imagine that he tells all his mates that his sister is crazy and although he will hiss for appearances it is nothing personal and he will see them at the back of the shed, 2pm for the usual loafing. She is very friendly to humans and would be fine being an only cat.

I think all you can do is approach a rescue and see if they can suggest a cat who likes other cats.