[Maleke]

Ok guys, my boyfriend has FINALLY not only agreed to another cat but said he WANTS another cat! So I'm looking for advice. Our Humane Society is having a major crisis right now, they have 400 cats there and 350 in foster homes! I really want to adopt an adult cat...but my boyfriend REALLY wants another kitten. Ours now is only 5 months old so he's still nutty, I don't know if I could handle another baby just yet!

Kittens are only $25 and cats are only $15!!!! All are spayed or neutered, microchipped etc so it's a fabulous deal. How can I convince him an adult cat is a great idea? What are some positive things to adopting an adult cat? What are some things to look out for? By adult I'm talking anywhere from 1-10 years old. I think younger is better only because I have a kitten who LOVES other cats and will be very playful with the new addition. Plus, most of the cats at the shelter are between 1-5 years old.

Any ideas or suggestions about anything and everything pertaining to getting a new cat? Thanks!!!

 

[faile]

can you play the 'older cats are less likely to be adopted and wind up getting euthanized' card?

 

[cmaijer]

Not to be negative and take his side, but a lot of older cats will not necessarily be comfortable with another cat. If you are looking for someone to play with your cat, a kitten will be a better alternative. We have two older cats that never learned to play together. They are now 10 & 16, but were 1 & 7 when they moved in together. We recently added a kitten to the mix. She tried playing with them and then when they weren't interested, she now has decided to torture them. She picks fights and chases them constantly. It's funny to watch, but I think she's probably hastening our 16 year old's demise.

 

[BlueAnimal]

I think there are pro's and con's to getting either one. If you get an adult cat, either the cat you own now, or the new cat might not get along too well. Even a kitten would be a tough one, it's really hard to say. You take your chances either way I suppose. I admire that you want an older cat as they tend to be harder to adopt out compared to kittens.

I own two kittens, Kali and Tevy. I got Kali at the end of may and last month, when I recued Tevy, Kali had just turned 5 months old and I figured Tevy was only about 3-4 weeks old. (she was dumped with her littermates at my neighbors and I took one in) I tried slowly introducing them and it took around 5 weeks before they finally grew to accept eachother enough to get along 24/7. They've been roaming the house together now for the last two days with small, occasional tiffs.

Either way, I'd suggest trying to find a cat/kitten that seems to match your current kitten's personality pretty well. I have no idea how to get your boyfriend to agree on getting an adult cat, but I do know a few things. Typically adult cats aren't as hyper and wild although there are always exceptions. You might want to ask him if he could handle two kittens like the one you have now. I honestly don't know how to help but good luck and I hope that everything works out! I think it's great you want to look to save a cat from the humane society. I'm glad there are still people willing to save a pet's life that way.

- Randy

 

[Ioana]

I think that if you have some spare time, for we know you have the patience and experience, you can work it out with a kitty or an adult cat. Randy's suggestion sounds good to me : getting a cat or kitty that matches yours' personality. I hope everything will turn out well for you. It is all fun and exciting but also a lot of work ...but you will have a great big family around you in the end~!

 

[Jeanie]

I would like to encourage the adoption of a grown cat, because you might be safing a life. However, two kittens would be less trouble-to you and each other. You'll find that they will play with each other and actually make things easier for you. Kittens will make friends with almost any animal. Cats take more time, and sometimes just won't make friends, but barely tolerate other animals.

 

[Cooie]

With all due respect to some of the previous posters, the cats will not necessarily get along just because they are both kittens. I had a pair of littermates that hated each other from birth and never did get along - they couldn't even be in the same crate when being transported, or in the same cage when being boarded at the vet's. I think BlueAnimal is correct - you take your chances either way. Alot of cats are loners and will never take to a companion, but it is impossible to predict if an adoptee will be one of those cats unless it is an adult and you are fortunate enough to be able to learn about its personality from a previous owner.

That being said, all cats eventually learn to at least co-exist, even if they never become "friends". And it is my belief that two cats who live together and merely "co-exist" are still happier than one cat living alone, unless you happen to have a true loner-cat.

 

[Jeanie]

Of course nothing is "always." All we can offer is the majority of cases we know of. It would be wonderful to save an older cat. Maleke, when you go, one of the cats or kittens will speak to your heart. Try to find out the history of the adult cat. Find out if it was an only cat, if you can. Get as much information as possible.

In my personal experience my adult cats accepted kittens better than another adult cat, and the littermates I've raised together were a lot closer than my sister and I ever were!

When I had only a single adult, my son's cat, for a year, he never accepted the two kittens (they're grown up now.) I now have. He hissed at them, and chased them, but never hurt them. When the kittens grew up they ganged up on him. He started to run out the door and not come back for a week at a time. Although he had bullied the kittens, I felt sorry for him, and when he came home, I would protect him and give him canned food and lots of attention. Nevertheless, he finally left for good. That's the only time I've had that much trouble. He had been an only cat too long, I guess. Just before that I had four cats, and each was an adult when the next kitten was rescued.

 

[Veda]

Is the shelter accepting anymore foster families? Perhaps you could offer to foster an adult and that way you could see if it would get along with your kitten, and perhaps your boyfriend will fall in love with the foster and want to adopt it.

 

[Jeanie]

Good idea!