Thread: Newly solo cat
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Old June 17th 04, 02:29 PM
DG511
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dgk

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On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 19:55:34 GMT, Laura R.
wrote:

circa 16 Jun 2004 12:40:34 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
kamasue ) said,
Hi all,

I have just recently lost one of my kitties (12 years) to a sudden
pulmonary embolism, and the other cat (Jane) doesn't really seem to
care that much. She is an exclusively indoor cat and reacts very
strongly when other cats are lurking around the house. Additionally,
when my other cat was alive, she would chase the now-deceased one a
lot -- I joked with my boyfriend that Jane thinks she's lost one of
her toy mice, not another cat.

However, Jane is definitely prone to boredom. She's quite the talker
and demands a lot of attention when we're home. I am wondering if I
should bring a new friend into the house or if Jane would just act
hostile toward him/her, as she does toward stranger cats outside the
house. Additionally, I favor adopting adult cats from the shelter
since they tend to get overlooked with all the cute kittens around.
But of course, if a kitten is warranted in these circumstances, I
would be happy to adopt one.

Some more background - now-deceased kitty was the reigning queen of
the household when Jane was adopted -- as a young adult -- but quickly
established dominance. So she's used to being "top cat," as it were.

Any suggestions would be welcomed!

I'd get her a companion, myself. Go to a shelter that has the time
and takes the time to get to know the personalities of the cats they
have. Look for one that is described as being good with other cats
and do the whole gradual introduction thing. You don't say how old
Jane is, but you'd probably be best getting her a cat near her own
age, particularly if she is an older cat. And you'll get to feel
really good for saving the life of an adult cat. :-)

Laura


I'll second the notion of getting an older cat if Jane is fairly old.
I made the mistake of getting a kitten in the same situation, after a
long time buddy died. It turns out that the last thing the surviving
cat needed was a baby. All he wanted to do was lie around and relax
and the 6 month old drove him nuts.


ITA. I got Hilary, a 16-year-old cat, a 5-year-old companion cat, Priss, from
the local shelter, where they have volunteers who get to know the cats. It was
a great match in all ways. Priss had some difficulties adapting to the new
environment after having spent her entire life with another family (which moved
overseas and couldn't take her). And she and Hilary never became the best of
friends. But they were companions. When Hilary died two years later, I
adopted another shelter kitty, this time a 1-year-old male, Eddie, for Priss.
And that's worked out, too. Eddie was going through feline adolescence, but
Priss could handle it, and now they're buddies. Had I gotten a 1-year-old for
Hilary, though, it would have been a disaster and a half. Hilary was strongly
dominant, but she didn't have the energy of a younger cat and mostly wanted to
sleep. I think a cat like Eddie would have stressed her out too much.

If you have the option of multiple shelters and/or rescue leagues, talk to them
about older cats. They're harder to place, usually, but for some households
they're the best choice.

It might take a while but Jane will eventually appreciate the company
of a peer. Sometimes cats never really get along and just tolerate
each other but it seems that they usually warm up to each other. And
since Jane was already in a two cat household, it shouldn't be too
much of a shock.


This has been my experience, too. Plan on instant hatred growing into
something much more palatable. It won't take that long, and it's worth a
chaotic week or two. Keep them separated for a while, give them each their own
space and their own time with you, and it will work out fine.

I think that two cat households don't seem to have the dominant cat
thing going on. None of my pairs had a really obvious dominant cat.


I always have an extremely dominant cat. What was cool about Priss was that she
*let* Hilary be the dominant cat, but now she's the dominant cat over Eddie.

Daria
Timing is everything.