🚀 go-pugleaf

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***

Yes, I believe that one cat needs a playmate. Especially if you work all day.
They get lonely. From my experience you will avoid behavioral problems if
they have a playmate. My experience was, when our kitten was old enough to
leave outside when we were at work, she discovered the neighbors cat. She
would leave at 6 a.m. and not return until 11 p.m. when the neighbor brought
her cat in. Regardless of whether we were home or not. We got another kitten 
to keep her at home and she took it hook
line and sinker. Two cats really are not much more work than one. Then you
can leave the cats home together when you go away for the weekend and not
feel guilty. When you see the two playing, sleeping, and bathing together
you will know you did the right thing. They both come to the both of us
humans for our affection and they both seek out each for feline affection.

We have a unique situation in that our neighbor has three cats of her own. 
Both of our cats go over to her house to play with her cats. Our cats have
a box at our neighbors house that they can sleep in. She even lets them in her
house. If we are at home that stay around our house, but when we are not home
she seeks out attention at the neighbors. They must need it. Sometimes 
if we come home late at night and the cats are not around, we call the
neighbor and say we're home now, you can let the cats out, and they come
bounding across the yard.

Just think if you were locked in a house all day with no one to talk 
to, and no choice in the matter.

My experience in introducing a new kitten is, it works best if both are still
kittens. Sex and litter mates do not make any difference. It is the individual
cats. Some older cats will not accept another kitten even if they are used to
having other cats around.
Mary Flood-Klein
tektronix!orca!maryf

>Anyone WITH EXPERIENCE in this matter, PLEASE send me mail and let me know
>if two kitties are better than one.

PLEASE post a summary of responses! I have the same question! My cat, Addie,
was raised with another (more adventuresome) cat, and as a result is now
alone. Addie was really depressed for three months after Chessa's death.

What I'm worried about is whether Addie will be terribly jealous or not. (She
certainly is whenever guests stay over).

andy
hplsla!andyc

> Now we have a new
> problem.  I feel terribly guilty that he doesn't have a playmate.
> 
> ANYWAY, am I just being silly?  Does Isaac need a playmate?  (I work
> and he is alone all day.)

I might point out that many of the local animal shelters will not allow
someone to take just 1 cat if there's not going to be anyone at home all
day.  It's their position that cats get miserably bored with no one
around.

This seemed to be true of our first kitten.  After we'd had him a while,
he would get really upset when we were both leaving for work.  He'd get
a really panicked look on his face, then he'd jump on us and cling to us
and cry.  It was so heart-rendering that we got another cat even though
we hadn't planned on having more than one.  This seemed to work; they
don't get upset now when we leave.

As for introducing the two cats, you might try this.  Bring in the new
cat and immediately put him in a closed room with his own food, water,
and litter box.  leave him in there for a couple of days (with frequent
visits, of course).  This seems to work well for the new cat since it
gives him a chance to get acclimated before having to deal with other
animals.  The present cat, of course, knows something is in there and is
so curious that by the time you introduce them that he may not mind
having a new resident.

It is likely that they'll get along, especially if they are the only
playmates available for each other during the day.  Despite some initial
hissing and growling, our cats are now the best of buddies.


Good luck

Bob Stewart
ihnp4!ihlpf!stewart

I've had one cat. I've had two cats. I now have two cats.
Two cats are better than one cat. They're happy. I'm happy.
We're all happy.

Two cats are better than one cat.

Trust me.
-- 

 rod williams | {ihnp4,dual}!ptsfa!ptsfc!rjw
 -------------------------------------------
 pacific bell |  san ramon  |  california

Tha only thing I've discovered that must be avoided in multiple cat
families is more than one dominant cat.  Dominant cats come in both
male and female flavors, and make it very difficult to sleep at night.
Also, there is competitive territory marking, which makes everything
difficult. (Ever invite people to dinner and, halfway through, have a
guest point out that your cat is using the window sill instead of the
kitty litter?  Or worse, your teenage daughter has a new acquaintance
of the opposite sex come to call, and when he gets ready to leave his
jacket has been used for kitty litter.)  After a few such experiences,
our extra cat was sent to live elsewhere, and our basic three - one
foreman and two worker cats - live quite peacefully together.  The
offending cat now lives with a dog, and she is sufficiently dominant
that there is no longer a need for marking territory.  She's a great
cat, but she can't be with some other cats.