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Newly solo cat



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 16th 04, 08:40 PM
kamasue
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Default Newly solo cat

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!

Thanks,
kss
  #2  
Old June 17th 04, 07:03 PM
Tracy
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If your cat is prone to boredom and is used to having a companion,
then yes, by all means, get her a new partner in crime. But most
twelve year old cats would find a kitten a little tiresome. The advice
to get a somewhat younger cat makes sense - but there's lots of room
between kitten and 12. I'd look for a 5-10 year old cat and that is a
great range for a shelter cat. There are so many at that age and they
have a tough time finding new guardians. Try to chat up the volunteers
at the shelter about the cats social skills with other cats. They
usually have a good idea which cats have a positive point of view
about others :

A slightly shy cat might be advantageous for Jane and give her the
opportunity to get the new cat well-trained in living with her :

Just be patient during the introduction process. It's never a walk in
the park, but it will probably work out fine in a few months.
  #3  
Old June 17th 04, 08:13 PM
kamasue
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Default

Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses. I really appreciate
them.

Jane is, as far as we can tell, middle-aged (7 or so). She was a
"young adult" (according to the shelter) when we got her 5 years ago
so that's our best guess. I guess that getting her a similarly-aged
cat (do you think that gender would matter?) sounds like the best
thing for her.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

-kss
  #4  
Old June 17th 04, 07:03 PM
Tracy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If your cat is prone to boredom and is used to having a companion,
then yes, by all means, get her a new partner in crime. But most
twelve year old cats would find a kitten a little tiresome. The advice
to get a somewhat younger cat makes sense - but there's lots of room
between kitten and 12. I'd look for a 5-10 year old cat and that is a
great range for a shelter cat. There are so many at that age and they
have a tough time finding new guardians. Try to chat up the volunteers
at the shelter about the cats social skills with other cats. They
usually have a good idea which cats have a positive point of view
about others :

A slightly shy cat might be advantageous for Jane and give her the
opportunity to get the new cat well-trained in living with her :

Just be patient during the introduction process. It's never a walk in
the park, but it will probably work out fine in a few months.
  #5  
Old June 17th 04, 07:03 PM
Tracy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If your cat is prone to boredom and is used to having a companion,
then yes, by all means, get her a new partner in crime. But most
twelve year old cats would find a kitten a little tiresome. The advice
to get a somewhat younger cat makes sense - but there's lots of room
between kitten and 12. I'd look for a 5-10 year old cat and that is a
great range for a shelter cat. There are so many at that age and they
have a tough time finding new guardians. Try to chat up the volunteers
at the shelter about the cats social skills with other cats. They
usually have a good idea which cats have a positive point of view
about others :

A slightly shy cat might be advantageous for Jane and give her the
opportunity to get the new cat well-trained in living with her :

Just be patient during the introduction process. It's never a walk in
the park, but it will probably work out fine in a few months.
  #6  
Old June 17th 04, 08:13 PM
kamasue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses. I really appreciate
them.

Jane is, as far as we can tell, middle-aged (7 or so). She was a
"young adult" (according to the shelter) when we got her 5 years ago
so that's our best guess. I guess that getting her a similarly-aged
cat (do you think that gender would matter?) sounds like the best
thing for her.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

-kss
  #7  
Old June 17th 04, 08:13 PM
kamasue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses. I really appreciate
them.

Jane is, as far as we can tell, middle-aged (7 or so). She was a
"young adult" (according to the shelter) when we got her 5 years ago
so that's our best guess. I guess that getting her a similarly-aged
cat (do you think that gender would matter?) sounds like the best
thing for her.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

-kss
 




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