Getting a feline friend for Shreddy

[taxlady]

I have a 16 year old tom cat, Shreddy.

Tonight he was desperate because he couldn't interact properly with a very pretty cat who came to the patio door.

I think he really misses having feline company. It's been almost five years since his previous roommate, Sucha, died.

I would like to get a rescue cat as a companion for him. A kitty companion would have to stay here on a trial basis, to make sure they get along. We are concerned about possibly traumatizing some poor rescue cat that has already been traumatized.

What should I ask about when I go to a shelter to look for a kitty?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Shreddy is a beautiful cat!

Just be very up front that you have a 16 year old cat, the other cat must be other kitty friendly. Do you want a kitten or a more mature cat?

 

[Dawgluver]

I know at our shelter you can bring your pet in, and they have a meet and greet with the whole fam damily in a separate room. They encourage you to bring whatever pets and kids you have, and will bring in whoever you've selected.

What a sweet thing to do for Shreddy, Taxy!

 

[CWS4322]

TaxLady--the rescue group that took my stray kitty has lots of cats/kitties looking for homes. A rescue group will have a better sense of the cat's personality than the shelter (I hate to say that). Why don't you contact a local cat rescue group and offer to foster a cat? That way, if the cat isn't Shreddy's "soul mate" you are not committed to keeping it but you can do a good thing in the meantime? With your setup, you could always confine the foster cat to your lower level where your office is, give it cuddles, etc., but if Shreddy doesn't like it, the two would not have to interact while you are fostering it. And, fostering cats is ALWAYS something that is needed. Too many cats, not enough foster or fur-ever homes.

 

[buckytom]

with a 16 year old male, i'd go with a kitten.

another adult cat would cause territory problems for both of them, but he (hopefully) will treat the little one as one of his own.

 

[CWS4322]

I don't know if cats are like dogs, but bringing a puppy in when you have a sr. dog can be the WORST thing ever to do. The sr. can't take the antics of a puppy....and a puppy has puppy license until it is about 5 months old.

 

[buckytom]

I don't know if cats are like dogs, .

nope!

cats rule, dogs drool.

dogs have masters. cats have staff.

 

[Kylie1969]

with a 16 year old male, i'd go with a kitten.

another adult cat would cause territory problems for both of them, but he (hopefully) will treat the little one as one of his own.

I agree with this Tom...I am thinking the older cat would take the little one in and care for he/she

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Tax Lady, Buon Giorno, Bon Jour,

I would suggest a Female, and a young kitten ... As he is accustomed to dominating his turf as he is 16.

I am inclined to agree with Tom.

Beautiful fellow,

Lots of luck in your endeavor.
Margaux.

 

[CWS4322]

I disagree with you. I have had puppy foster dogs with older dogs. The older dogs were tormented by the puppies. Mind you, my sr. dogs were mostly females. And, as I have said, dogs might be different, but being able to tolerate the younger animal's antics may tax the sr. pet. It depends on both animals. Some are more tolerant of the young than others. I can tell you that Myrtle has absolutely zero maternal instinct when it comes to the chicks. She beelines and pecks them relentlessly.

I have discouraged friends from getting puppies when their dogs have been in their twilight years. The friends have wanted the sr. to teach the puppy things--whereas the sr. dog has had enough trouble living day-to-day.

 

[buckytom]

I am inclined to agree with Tom.

Beautiful fellow,

Lots of luck in your endeavor.
Margaux.

i'm stunned, but yes, i'm inclined to agree. thanks...

 

[taxlady]

Shreddy is a beautiful cat!

Just be very up front that you have a 16 year old cat, the other cat must be other kitty friendly. Do you want a kitten or a more mature cat?

Thank you. I don't know if I want a kitten or a more mature cat. Kittens are cute and fun and you have to keep an eye on them. Older cats are calmer, but might already have bad habits.

I don't know if cats are like dogs, but bringing a puppy in when you have a sr. dog can be the WORST thing ever to do. The sr. can't take the antics of a puppy....and a puppy has puppy license until it is about 5 months old.

I don't think it is the same with cats. I have heard of older cats getting energized by having a kitten bouncing around. Shreddy still zooms around the house on occasion.

Thanks for pointing out that I want a cat rescue place rather than a shelter. I was kind of using the terms interchangeably, but I think you are right.

with a 16 year old male, i'd go with a kitten.

another adult cat would cause territory problems for both of them, but he (hopefully) will treat the little one as one of his own.

There is that. I don't want a repeat of the peeing contests he used to have with the previous cat.

On the other hand, he seems to like female cats.

I guess I'll take him to the vet, which is overdue anyway, and ask the vet.

Thanks for all the responses.

 

[Zhizara]

I got a sweet female kitten as a companion for my adult male cat, Boo. He was NOT happy. He chased her under the neighbor's house and killed her.

I like the idea of fostering or a meet and greet as a way of being sure the female will be welcome.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

First of all, do not get a kitten. Kittens are too rambuncous for a mature cat like yours. When I bring foster kittens into my house, Tyson, my 10 year old, hisses at them to keep them away, Mandu, my Himilayan, totally ignores them, and Orange Julius bops them on the head. But they're fosters and they're not staying, so it doesn't matter. When I had my son's cats while he was moving to Florida, I kept them in the bathroom for about two weeks, then let them wander. When Mandu felt Bailey was infringing on her territory, she would would chase Bailey into the bathroom, then sit outside the door to make sure she stayed there!

Get an adult cat. Two to three years old would be sufficient, perhaps older if you find one you like. The older a cat is, the better the chances that you're saving it's life. Then they have to be introduced properly. You can't just throw them in together. Put your new cat in a separate room, the bathroom works well or a spare bedroom, with food, water, and a littler box. Let them meet under the door. Your old cat will sniff under the door and so will the new cat. They will most likely put their paws under the door too. Your old cat will also smell the new cat on you from when you go into the room to play with it. Give them about two weeks to adjust, then open the door and let the new cat introduce him/herself to the rest of the house and your old cat. Best of luck to you.

 

[Dawgluver]

First of all, do not get a kitten. Kittens are too rambuncous for a mature cat like yours. When I bring foster kittens into my house, Tyson, my 10 year old, hisses at them to keep them away, Mandu, my Himilayan, totally ignores them, and Orange Julius bops them on the head. But they're fosters and they're not staying, so it doesn't matter. When I had my son's cats while he was moving to Florida, I kept them in the bathroom for about two weeks, then let them wander. When Mandu felt Bailey was infringing on her territory, she would would chase Bailey into the bathroom, then sit outside the door to make sure she stayed there!

Get an adult cat. Two to three years old would be sufficient, perhaps older if you find one you like. The older a cat is, the better the chances that you're saving it's life. Then they have to be introduced properly. You can't just throw them in together. Put your new cat in a separate room, the bathroom works well or a spare bedroom, with food, water, and a littler box. Let them meet under the door. Your old cat will sniff under the door and so will the new cat. They will most likely put their paws under the door too. Your old cat will also smell the new cat on you from when you go into the room to play with it. Give them about two weeks to adjust, then open the door and let the new cat introduce him/herself to the rest of the house and your old cat. Best of luck to you.

+1

 

[Alix]

Lots of different opinions here and really taxlady, anything CAN work. We have a 19 year old male who was VERY dominant in his heyday. He's still very active and spry and people often think he is closer to 7 or 8. We just adopted a kitten from friends who had to give her up. She is VERY playful (read insane) and is testing the limits of what Louie will let her get away with. No issues behaviourally from either of them, and I do agree that there might have been some territorial issues if she'd been male.

Shreddy has proven he wants company, how did he do with a female companion before? If he did well, he will again. If he struggled with boys before, he will again. I don't think age is necessarily that big an issue, its more about who's the boss. If you get a submissive cat, it won't matter what age they are. Good luck and I hope you find a good buddy for Shreddy.

 

[taxlady]

...

Get an adult cat. Two to three years old would be sufficient, perhaps older if you find one you like. The older a cat is, the better the chances that you're saving it's life. Then they have to be introduced properly. You can't just throw them in together. Put your new cat in a separate room, the bathroom works well or a spare bedroom, with food, water, and a littler box. Let them meet under the door. Your old cat will sniff under the door and so will the new cat. They will most likely put their paws under the door too. Your old cat will also smell the new cat on you from when you go into the room to play with it. Give them about two weeks to adjust, then open the door and let the new cat introduce him/herself to the rest of the house and your old cat. Best of luck to you.

Good point about the older the cat is.

You described the classic way to bring a new cat into the house. But, if I am getting some poor old cat who may have been traumatized, I wouldn't want her to have to go back to the rescue place after two weeks, if they hate each other.

A friend of mine has an older dog who loves cats. So, she wanted a rescue cat who liked dogs as a companion for the dog. The rescue people gave her an older cat named Dennis. He had had several homes.

Turns out that Dennis tolerates dogs, he doesn't much like them. But in the couple of days it took to figure that out, Dennis had settled in. She didn't have the heart to take him back and she isn't even attached to Dennis. He's a nice enough cat, but somehow never worked his way into her heart. She couldn't see herself putting that poor old boy through the trauma. He was figuring that she was his forever home, and she is.

BTW, thanks for letting me know how your cats react to kittens.

 

[taxlady]

Lots of different opinions here and really taxlady, anything CAN work. We have a 19 year old male who was VERY dominant in his heyday. He's still very active and spry and people often think he is closer to 7 or 8. We just adopted a kitten from friends who had to give her up. She is VERY playful (read insane) and is testing the limits of what Louie will let her get away with. No issues behaviourally from either of them, and I do agree that there might have been some territorial issues if she'd been male.

Shreddy has proven he wants company, how did he do with a female companion before? If he did well, he will again. If he struggled with boys before, he will again. I don't think age is necessarily that big an issue, its more about who's the boss. If you get a submissive cat, it won't matter what age they are. Good luck and I hope you find a good buddy for Shreddy.

Shreddy had no issues with his "sister" Sucha. He kept trying to be friends. She, however, never liked him. She didn't talk to me for about 4 months after I brought him home. She was the one who instigated the peeing contests.

When we had a screen on our patio door, he made friends with lots of female cats, through the screen. He had loud, snarling, hissing fights with male cats through that screen door. In fact, that's how the screen got destroyed.

I'm not a hundred percent certain of the gender of all the cats that came to visit. But, his worst enemy, Buzz, was definitely a neutered tom. And some of his friends were definitely female.

 

[Dawgluver]

I guess I come back to letting Shreddy pick his companion, again through a meet and greet. Sounds like he has his preferences.

 

[taxlady]

I guess I come back to letting Shreddy pick his companion, again through a meet and greet. Sounds like he has his preferences.

I'll have to find out if they do that.