I work a lot (I have to) and am home only about an hour a day (at most) when I am not asleep. In that hour I get ready for work. My roommate commented that my cat is starting to look unhealthy. She hasn't lost any wieght (I keep track... she is always 7.5 lbs) and always has food and water, but when I am home she follows me around and sits by me. her coat isn't as shiny. could this be a lonely cat syndrome? should I get her another cat to keep her company (I don't know if she would like that). I really want to keep her but she has to be happy. she has lots of toys, but won't play with them unless I play with her, which I do whenever i get a chance. Any ideas/suggestions?

Yes please get her another cat. She sounds very lonely! How old is she? I would get a cat around her same age, this way they can be good freinds. Also it gives you an excuse to adopt a cat in need from your local shelter.

I don't know if another cat is the best of ideas.. Are you going to be able to be around to introduce them correctly, are you going to have the time to play with 2 of them? Not to be mean.. but if you don't have time for your first cat, do you really think you should have another one?

If you get another cat, are you able to be home on weekends? If so this would be a good time to introduce them to each other, when you can spend some time with both of them to show your kitty that the new cat is okay. Good luck.

i was hoping that by having another cat, that would kind of help the fact that i am not home often and that they could play and interact with eachother rather than my cat being over energized when i am home. i wouldn't do it unless i thought it would be a good idea for my current cat. if i did do this, i am thinking that i would need to get a kitten (my cat is almost 3) that is a male (current cat is female) let me know what you guys think and yes, i would make time to be home with them to introduce them

I might have to agree with TA... maybe another cat is not a good idea? Maybe you need to think about if an animal is right for your circomstances? If you're only home an our a day, maybe for now a life without animals is what's best? Do you have somebody you can give the cat to? good luck

First off, are you sure nothing's wrong with your kitty? If you haven't been around much, you may have missed some other signs she may really not be well. If you're pretty sure, just ignore, I just wanted to throw that question in there just to be safe.

Please reconsider. With your schedule, you will not be able to supervise a kitten, who can be a mini-tasmanian devil, destroying much property/toilet paper . An adult cat would definitely be a better choice. Is your roommate home more than you? Is he/she willing to take on another addition? Maybe you can enlist the roomie to help your kitty with companionship.

Bottom line, though, is even if you get another cat, your current kitty still needs your company. We have 4 cats, and they ALL demand one-on-one attention from us still, and Pixie refuses to play unless a human is playing with her.

Good luck with whatever choice you make, it's very wonderful of you to be concerned about your kitty.

I am home about an hour a day and 1 full day per week. It is doubtful that she is getting into anything, as I don't leave much around. on the day that I am home, she grooms herself up as if to say 'since you are home I will look good for you'. if I got a kitten I would do it when I have a few days at home to look after it. I would prefer a kitten over another adult cat so that my current cat can be dominant. I am not getting rid of my current cat, as I do love her verry much. I was just wondering if anyone else ever went through the same situation or if anyone with 2 cats noticed that the cats could keep each other company and play together and not be lonely.

From the sounds of it, I'm home a lot more than you, but in part got Jazz for the same reasons you mention. When i was home, Otis was ALWAYS under my feet, asking to play, crying constantly for my attention, and making me feel guilty that I couldn't be a stay-at-home mom to my kitty. I had a feeling Otis was social (he liked strangers and new things, never showed any signs of being timid, and never demonstrated any signs of aggression when i can home smelling of a strange cat - which happened a lot since my parents have one...) and getting Jasmine was the best thing I ever did. Otis still wants his mom, but is not nearly as vocal, and is often playing with his sister when he used to be sitting at my feet crying. I'm not saying it will work in all circumstances, but in mine it was definately the right thing to do - I would say Otis is happier.

As for male/female and kitten/older - how active is your cat? If he is docile/sedentary, he may not have the patience for a rambuncious kitten and could just get frustrated. On the other hand, if he likes to play, a kitten may help the matter (or make it worse as there would be two of them running around...) I guess bottom line is you know your cat and his activity level/personality, so that's a call you have to make. If your cat is dominant, i would recomend a female, however - adding a second male may make your cat feel even more threatened.

If you do decide to do it, I would seriously recommend making sure you're home more than one a hour a day during the introduction period - I know I found it too kconsiderably more time than i had thought to give both Jazz enough attention that she felt comfortable with me and Otis enough that he did not feel neglected/second best....

Getting the second cat was the best thing I ever did - it gave Otis a friend, Jazz a second chance in a loving home, and me a second being who loves me unconditionally... But it may not be the right choice for everyone.

Good luck

I have always preferred to keep cats in pairs, for all of the reasons that have already been mentioned. I have 2 cats, Gaylord and Ashley, that were introduced when Ashley was an adult,because Ashley was lonely, and within about a week, they were inseperable.....if I were you , I would go for it, just make sure you find a cat that gets along with others


The best of friends........