Hello! I was thinking about getting another cat(end of sept.). From a shelter of course. However the bigger shelter around here has an AOGO. And my sister would like to get one too. My dad wants to get two at one time since it is AOGO. We have one cat already and I don't want there to be a lot of more stress with TWO new cats instead of just one new cat. What do you guys think? One cat or two? Would getting two at one time be a lot more stress instead of one? I'd get adults too...
(08-21-2015, 01:51 PM)mabatbai Wrote: Hello! I was thinking about getting another cat(end of sept.). From a shelter of course. However the bigger shelter around here has an AOGO. And my sister would like to get one too. My dad wants to get two at one time since it is AOGO. We have one cat already and I don't want there to be a lot of more stress with TWO new cats instead of just one new cat. What do you guys think? One cat or two? Would getting two at one time be a lot more stress instead of one? I'd get adults too...
I don't know what AOGO is, so I can't respond to that, but I know that adding a new cat is stressful to the one being added, as well as to the ones you already have.
Adding two at a time could be a problem, I'm afraid, not so much for the ones you're adding since, if they are shelter cats, they are pretty much used to new faces. It could be a problem for your current cats, though.
Of course that depends on a lot of things. If your current cats also came from a shelter, it won't be the first time they've experienced a new cat.
I added a new cat, which had formerly been a feral that I had been feeding for years. I was moving, so we decided to take her with us. I had two cats who about twelve at the time, and who were sisters. That new cat lived to be more than twenty-two, and the sisters still treated her like an outsider. They did call a truce, however; I didn't have to deal with actual fights, but they were awfully rude to her. When I took her in, I didn't know she was pregnant, though. She had four beautiful kittens, one of which I kept, and the regular cats accepted her daughter as if she was their own. Much to the mom's discomfort, they helped raise that cat.
The two sisters are twenty-five now. About a year ago, we took in a kitten. The sisters were furious. They didn't try to harm her but they went out of their way to make sure that kitten couldn't be anywhere that they could reach without being hissed at. Fortunately for her, the old ones don't do a lot of high climbing anymore so the kitten claimed the upper grounds.
After a few months, the older ones accepted her, by degrees, and now they love her. One of the twenty-five year-olds has rediscovered play, as she plays with that younger cat all the time. They fight sometimes, but no more than the sisters fight with one another, and they mostly get along great.
It all depends if the cat you have now is use to being around other cats. There would be an adjustment period. Cats aren't like dogs. Most dogs will get along but cats are very territorial and can be mean to each other. I would think adding two cats at once would be a bit stressful. I have two cats and it took them a while to get use to each other. They still have the occasional fight but for the most part they get along. I have two males.
It depends very much on your personal situation. Some cats are loners and will not take kindly to an interloper be it one or two. In this situation if you are determined to get another cat, I would get two so that the new comers have each other since the original cat is unlikely to befriend either of them. If you only get one in these circumstances, the territorial first cat will shun the other and it will likely never feel at home, but if it comes in with another can that it already knows from shelter life, it is likely to manage OK. First kitty will have to have lots of extra attention so that he/she doesn't feel replaced.
If the first cat is social like my cat Hank, I think he would do better with jusone cat at time. Does the shelter allow for you to adopt one and wait two weeks before you pick up the other? I can't say for sure, but I would think introducing them one at a time to a social cat so that it doesn't have to feel like its choosing one buddy over another lide I think my cat would feel. When he has friends over in the yard, it is only ever one cat at a time although there are two different ones that visit regularly.
Every cat is different and every pet home is different. It sounds like the cats will have two different owners, you and your sister. In that case I think it is OK to have the two cats right away because there is more than one person to give attention to all the cats. None will feel left out. Good luck. I would like to hear how it turns out.
I would suggest introducing one cat at a time. If you are set on adopting two cats, then I would make sure to separate the three and slowly incorporate the cats into each other's lives. I am sure that you're well aware that cats can be very picky about the animals they befriend. You don't want to have two cats joined into your current's life and the two end up hurting your baby.
In regards to getting one or two cats..... Personally I would go with one to start with and wait until they have settled and are friends before introducing a third. If you try and introduce two new cats, the cat you have now may get a bit irritated and even territorially which could cause major issues. It's best to introduce cats slowly if you can. When you pick up the new cat, take a piece of bedding that belongs to your current cat to put in the carrier, that way it gets used to that smell before arriving in a home that only smells of it. I would leave the new cat in the cat carrier while letting your current cat smell them through the cage and see how they get on before introducing them.
Another good way to do it, would be to lock up your current cat in a separate room and let the new one get used to the main areas by themselves. They will sniff that another cat lives there but have freedom to discover the place first and become more comfortable.
Whether to keep one or two cats depends on your choice. Cats are generally tolerant of each other and there should be no problem adopting two cats. You should ensure that they have separate feeding places so that unnecessary friction is avoided. It is also fine that they be of different ages.
