It’s Time
Posted By Russ Emerson on March 31, 2008 at 9:50 am
Mycah is at the V-E-T, having not-entirely-random acts of feline dentistry committed upon her. She did not want to get into the PTU this morning, but at least I didn’t have to chase her around like last time.
I’ll be picking her up later today, after the anaesthesia wears off. What, you think they could do anything to her mouth without knocking her out? Dream on. She emphatically does not like having things put in her mouth. Other than food, of course.
It’s time, I think, for there to be another cat in the household. For most of her life, Mycah has has one or two other cats with which to interact. I’ve had her for four years now, and she’s been alone with me for about three years; I think she could use more company.
Mainly because I suck as a playmate.
(I’d have done this a while ago, but my own health issues have prevented it.)
But first, I need to solicit some advice from cat owners, along the lines of “how do I introduce a new cat into the house?” I think there are some factors that need to be taken into account:
- Mycah is going to be thirteen years old this year. She’s not as spry as she used to be.
- Mycah needs to be the alpha-cat around here — her status can’t be threatened.
- I don’t think I can handle a very young kitten, and I’m not sure Mycah would look at a kitten as anything other than a mobile meal. So I’m thinking a juvenile, a “teen” cat – perhaps six to nine months old. Young enough to be the beta-cat, yet big enough to not be completely bullied.
- Mycah will eat any and all food that she can get to, so a second cat needs a secure food source that Mycah won’t be able to get near. How best to accomplish this?
I’m sure other questions will come up, but this is a start.
Thoughts, anyone?
http://ddfl.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=training_cat
If you go to the above site, they have the best written articles that address all of the questions you are asking.
I think you are right, a youngish cat, male, neutered may be your best bet!
I’m sure you’ll adopt from a shelter, right???
Yes, I’ll be looking for a rescued cat.
Sounds like yur lookin fur me, cept 2.5 years ago when I dopted Mom! Bonnie’d nefur had anofur cat round, so the firstest hurdle was makin sure she wouldn’t simply *kill* me! I was 8 monfs old, neutered, an simply rolled ofur, belly up, when Bonnie so much as looked at me.
So I fink yur on the rite track. If you describe Mycah to shelter folks, they mite haf suggestions.
As fur food, my vet said I could switch to Bonnie’s reglar adult cat food as soon as I was outa quarantine, cuz ders’ no way to keep Bonnie outta the kitten food.
Good luck an keep the cat blogosphere posted!
Good luck to Mycah and I hope she recovers from her dental well.
This page from Messybeast has some very good information on introducing a new cat to your existing cat :-
http://messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm
I have great respect for the author, she worked for many years in cat rescue and her articles are very well informed. Good luck!
Hmm, sounds about right, read dem articles. When mom and dad brawt me home (I was a “cat in need”) dey hadn’t really planned on adding another cat but I needed a home quick. Dey say I was da best addition dey coulda hoped for, 8 months old and not alpha at all. My sisfurs use to fight alla time and now I, as da only mancat, will step between them when they hiss and they stoped wif all da fighting. I defer to them, I will drop and roll when dey raise a paw. Yup, a young neutered male. Purrfect.
can’t remember where I saw it, but someone makes a magnet or rfid cat door that will fit in a carrier so only one cat can get in for whatever. If I got another cat, that would be the way to keep the other two pigs from eating his food.
It looks like you’ve been offered some pretty good advice already, so I am not sure if I can be of to much further assistance. Perhaps try looking for a shelter cat who comes from a multi-cat household, that way the new cats is already accustomed to being around other cats…
My human also thinks I need a “friend,” but I’m quite happy being an only cat, thank you. I’d like to tell you that I’ve written a scathingly funny book, The World Is Your Litter Box, which will be out May 6th. The book is cleverly disguised as a cute cat book so humans will buy it, but is, in fact, a how-to manual FOR cats. Check it out on my website, http://www.theworldisyourlitterbox.com.