Boy or a girl??

If you are wondering what is the right cat for you, this is the place to be. In this introductory forum we talk about topics such as breed vs. mix, size, age, grooming, breeders, shelters, rescues as well as requirements for exercise, space and care. No question is too silly here. This particular forum is for getting and giving helpful, nice advice. It is definitely not a forum for criticizing someone else's opinion, knowledge or advice. This forum is all about purring and learning.

Dude, In- loving- memory

I'm not fat! - I'm big boned!

Purred: Mon Apr 2, '07 9:09am PST


	Hi all! Here is my dilemna: I"ve been reading all the responses to other peoples question about getting a 3rd cat or not. I have the same question. My 12 yr old "Dude" died 4 mos ago. I now only have my brother and sister 8 yr olds. They get along fine, although the boy tends to want to play ALL the time and he gets on his sisters nerves. She will play (let him chase her) once in a while (once a week maybe) and meanwhile he is bored. It breaks my heart... i would love to see him have a kitten friend to play with all day while I am at work. I jokingly call him my high maintenance kitty. I try to play with him but I clearly can't keep up in a chase game and frankly, I am tired after work and would prefer to just give him love and cuddles and hugs. At night he perks up BIG time and crys and taps my head to get me up. I know cats are typically nocturnal but he used to sleep 6-8 hours a night at my head for years and I thought myself so lucky!! Well, that luck has ended, ha ha! My fear is the obvious: Not getting along with a kitten. But, additionally, should I decide to proceed and take a chance on introducing another kitty to the family, what is typically best? Do adult male cats get along with another male kitten? I suspect that he wouldn't with another ADULT male, but perhaps the kitten wouldn't be a problem? He is generally a pretty laid back cat who never gets upset at the site of other kittys in the neighborhood (unlike Dude did...wow! That was horrific!). I prefer male cats mainly because my in my experiences, they tend to be more affectionate and less skittish. (I know that that is a generalization and there are always exceptions to that, but again...it just has been my experiences and feel I should follow my gut). Thanks in advance to all that offer their opinion/advice and knowledge. MEOW!

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Nico

Come here, let- me love you

Purred: Mon Apr 2, '07 11:51am PST


	Wow. I'm so sorry for your loss. We were in the same boat in February. We have a 9 yo male, Blue who was the only cat until last September, when we got Mew. She was 5 weeks and luckily, was more interested in us humans rather than Bluey. He is a somewhat aloof kitty. In October, we got Stella, a 7 month old. She and Mew were inseparable. Mew was ill with neurological FIP and passed away February2nd. Stella was a wreck. She wouldn't play with the toys they played with, she wouldn't go into the cat cottage where they slept. She cried/talked more so than usual and became quite clingy with me. We didn't know if we were ready for another addition but then a manager of our local shelter called me to tell me they had gotten in a kitten that they were holding for me. We met him 2 days later. There were 3 issues we faced: bringing home a kitten when we were still raw from the loss of Mew; how Bluey and Stella would handle it and lastly, what would be the dynamics of bringing another male into the house. I should not have worried so much! Nico is such a sweetheart! While it took a little while for Stella to adjust to him, she's a great big sister! Sometimes he gets on her nerves, but she lets him know and that's cool. Even Bluey plays with him (not to the degree that Nico would like though!) I think as long as you give them their own space and let them come to terms with each other on their own terms, you should be fine. We didn't rush anything. We kept any new kitty in a private room and introduced them slowly. We expected some hissing and possibly 'arguments'. We have since added Tocca Dolce, who is 1 week younger than Nico, and they are joined at the hip! They wear each other out. And we've fostered a tiny kitten, Licorice who ended up living with us. And as recent as 2 weeks ago, we took in 2 kitties who are in need of rehab (possible abuse cases) and are socializing them.

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Diesel

PURRRRRRRRRR....

Purred: Mon Apr 2, '07 12:12pm PST


	We went through kinda the same thing several months ago I adopted Diesel and thought that he could use some company. About a month later I went with my best instinct and brought home another boy kitten. Diesel was not happy about sharing his space at first but they have both adjusted beautifully. They are now the best of friends I think the key is not wether you pick a male or female but to pick a cat/kitten with the type of temperment that your cat would appeciate most. Someone that complements them Good luck in your search

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Dude, In- loving- memory

I'm not fat! - I'm big boned!

Purred: Wed Apr 4, '07 5:17am PST


	Wow....Nico, what a large loving family you have!! That is amazing. I know that so many people have multiple cats and that harmony takes time and patience. I hope that I have the right temperment to deal with the transition period and can handle the expected initial stress that should ensue. Mom (me) is a wimp, lol! I like peace and harmony at all times....but, I guess with animals you can't expect to change what will be, right? Thanks to the both of you who wrote...you both gave me some things to think about/consider. I think I am going to wait until my gut fear stops scaring off my minor concern that Buddy would enjoy more play friends. For now, I give them both (that I currently have) an abundance of love and for the most part they are both very happy kitties!!

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