Thinking about adding another cat....need advise

[oreosmom]

Hello,

Our cat Oreo has GI lymphoma and diabetes. He is in remission and is feeling well at present. He is still playful and seems in good spirits. We have another cat, Debbie, who is a calico and well...a bit moody. These two cats have been buddies for nine years. We are thinking of getting a new cat since Oreo will only have a few years remaining and we don't want Debbie to be alone. Oreo is a tuxedo cat with the most gentle and sweet personality. He was originally "raised" by our dog before we got Debbie.

I would like to ask you from the FDMB what your experiences are regarding intoducing a new cat. What age of cat would be best to introduce to our two twelve year olds? We would like to get another tuxedo since we had such good luck with Oreo. (plus they are so darned cute!) Another question is health related: If the new cat is vacinated first and has been checked out by a vet, with labs all done first... is it safe to bring a new cat in to the house? We were concerned about diseases since Oreo might have a weaked immune system.

I look forward to hearing back about your experiences and opinions on this topic.

Best wishes,

Oreo's Mom

 

[Larry and Kitties]

My experience is that it is like a pip in a poke. That is there is no way to really know what will happen. I have brought in many new cats. And they are all different. I only had one that picked fights and he still does. That is Smokey. Most tend to stay by themselves. I even had one that my dog was scared of but he got along well with my other cats.
Most say a younger cat is better.

 

[Lisa & Mary]

Since both your current cats are happy living with another cat they would probably accept a third one as long as you take the intros slowly and thd new cat is also ok with other cats. You should check out the cats that Diabetic Cats in Need (DCIN) have in foster. They are all looking for good homes and you'd be a good for another diabetic cat since you know what's involved. You could even sign up as a foster for DCIN and potentially adopt once the right cat comes along.

 

[Lisa & Mary]

Oh and re the age. Probably another adult/senior would be best as a young cat would probably want to play more than your guys. As long as they are fully vaccinated and had a health check they shouldn't cause any issues. The safest is to keep them separated for a week just to make sure they don't have a cold or anything.

 

[Lisa and Merlyn (GA)]

Generally speaking, I think older is better. New kitty doesnt need to be 12, but I wouldnt go under 2yrs. That said, its best to try to match energy levels---so if your kitties are very mellow and you find a quiet mellow 2 yr old, ok (but they are hard to find!) Remember that a MELLOW 2 yr old is not the same thing as a MELLOW 12 yr old.

Do a slow introduction, keep new cat separated at least a week to 10 days both so they learn each others smells but also to have any Upper respiratory or other illnesses happen if they are going to. If there are any smaller rescues in your area that use foster homes, sometimes they will have more than one foster and can tell you how they integrated. (not 100% guarantee tho! ECID! Every cat is different!)

A cage free shelter that has the cats free roaming together may also have insight about cat to cat issues with their cats, but that type of shelter situation also increases the likelihood of illnesses (unless the shelter is VERY diligent)

Of course, many DCIN kitties are in fosters with other cats too