When to add a 2nd cat? and what type?

[Professor Chaos]

Hello All.

I introduced myself about a week ago. I recently adopted a stray male cat, approximately 6-8 months old. A few days ago, I had him neutered, and given all his shots. He tested negative for FIV/FeLV, so all is good.

So far, he is adjusting well to my house. He is becoming less wild, and more affectionate.

I'm considering adding a 2nd cat, maybe even a 2nd and a 3rd at once.


Questions:

1) When should you introduce additional cats to a household? (My cat has only lived here about a month. Some people say I should do it right away, others say wait a year or more!)
2) What is a better number of overall cats to own... 1, 2, or 3? (I do not want to own more than 3.)
3) What is the best gender mix of cats? (My existing cat is a neutered male, about 8 months old... so I have to include at least 1 male.)
--1 male, 2 females?
--2 males, 1 female?
--3 males?

[Color point]

My mom has three, one mail and to females, the females came together as kittens and get along famously, the mail was old when they came and though he used to live with cats before he still haven't wormed up to them....So i don't think the sex is the problem more the age when they meet.

[tigre86]

The younger the better, in my opinion. Kittens are very active so it's good for them to have another kitten to play with. Tigerlilly was a year old when we adopted Tucker (he was 6 months). Before he joined the household, she calmed down since she had someone to play with while we were at work during the day. Just ask the rescue you go to which cat would fit your cat and household the best. That's what I did and it has worked for us (and the cats!).

I've always had two cats but I know people who have 3 and 4. So it's really a personal preference I think. And it always depends on the cats you do have. Some are more aggressive/dominate than others. For example, I used to have a Siamese mix who was very dominate and unfriendly. We adopted a Himalyan because they're very laid back and passive. It took her a few months to get used to him but they got along famously. But she hated any other cats that came into the house.

[Nell]

There isn't really a formula like you're thinking. Cats of any gender in whichever ratio can get along just fine. I think what matters more is the personality of the cats, and then age.
I'd say litter mates, or kittens that have been together from a young age have the best chance of getting along well and would probably end up enjoying each other's company. If you're sure you want three cats, You'd probably have the best chance of getting a group that gets along with the addition of two young cats who have already been raised together. Of course, doing so would mean going through the crazy kitten stage with three cats all at once. One kitten can be a lot to manage, but three together can be much more than 3x more naughty.

Cat's of other ages can get along great as well, though. I've had cats young and old that have been good buddies. My cat Trixie (RIP) was always at odds with the first 2 cats she lived with, but she was good buddies with a kitten and several other cat's, young and old, that she lived with after that, and this was when she was in her teens. She never did like Cheddar, though because Cheddar was way too rambunctious for her. It just goes to show that cats get along better with some cats more than others depending on their personality, and age doesn't always have anything to do with it. You should consider temperament and activity level as well.

Are you sure you want to go from one new cat to three all at once though? Have you had two or three cats at the same time before? How much space do you have? I have had 3 cats at once, and several times I have lived with 4, but I find that 2 at once just works out best for me. With more than two, the dynamics are more complicated, food and vet bills cost more, more scooping the litter box, more housekeeping, etc. Three cats can be great in the right situation, but if you haven't had a multiple cat household before, maybe you want to start out with just two?

[Zilla]

If I were you I would start with just two. I think the litterboxs are enough to handle with 2 let alone 3...... I have two neutered males and they are two peas in a pod. However another female would be just fine too. With your cat being young now is the time to get another one. Young cats are a lot easier to introduce.... When you bring your new one in i would separate them for at least a day just to let your new cat to settle in a bit then you could try letting them see each other. Don't force any interaction though. Let them be near each other on their own time and eventually they will spat out their differences and then be friends


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[catloverami]

When I bred Manx for 18 years, I mostly had 4-5 females living in the house along with two neuters. I don't remember any bad fights among the girls. One neuter got along with everyone, but the other neuter hated his half-sister and would often attack her. Over the years a few of the girls I kept as pets and had spayed. Generally speaking, I think females get along better females in a feral colony stick together in a matriarchal group and generally there are a couple of males that hang out on the fringes waiting for the girls to come into heat. I would be more inclined to get two girls, but a lot depends on their personality. I would wait a little while before introducing him to new cats to make sure all the hormones are out of his system, and opt for girl cats that are near him in age or slightly older.

[Arianwen]

I have six cats - two fully mature and four youngsters. They are a total group - in fact one of the older ladies has convinced herself that the four younger ones are hers!! The youngsters aren't all the same age and only two are siblings (the ones who look least like it) but they behave totally like litter mates.

[LakotaWolf]

I have heard that it is better to get same-gender cats (even though they'll be spayed/neutered) when attempting to add a new cat to a household.

I have only one personal experience - I had a neutered male cat when I was younger, and he was a laidback sweetheart. Then my cousins gave me a female kitten, and they hated each other from day one. They never did learn to get along, and the male started to wander the neighborhood more often and come home less often. Not too long after that, my neighbors stole the male when they moved across the country.

That's just one individual experience though, take it with a grain of salt ;}

[Professor Chaos]

I have decided on just 2 cats for now.

I have a male, so I can either add another male, or a female.


Help me decide!

[Nell]

Don't worry about gender! Check out some adoption events or your local shelter and let your heart decide!