VirginPotty
Posts: 11624
Joined: 7/16/2008 From: Virginville Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: moonvine Yes, you can put two cats together and have them get along, usually (it depends on the individual cat). I do cat rescue and have successfully introduced many cats, however I do have one who is always going to be picked on by the other cats (I don't know why - she just allows them to bully her). We had another cat that could never be with any other cats or she would pee everywhere and on everything. Finally got her placed with a couple who understand they can never have another cat with her (she is beautifully behaved as long as there are no other cats around - she's fine with dogs, kids, people, everything but other cats). This is pretty unusual and I think something bad may have happened to her at some point. We recommend a slow introduction - put the new cat in the bathroom for the first couple of weeks, and let them get used to each other from a distance, play footsie under the door, all that. Whoever you adopt your new cat from should have a good idea of whether they will get along with other cats or not from having observed them. If Ricky has been an only cat for a long period of time, it may be hard for him to get used to being around another cat. Two is usually better than one where cats are concerned, as they really are in general social creatures. We have one right now that is VERY cat oriented and I would never place him in a house with no other cats, he wouldn't do well at all. Younger cats do have a tendency to adapt better than older cats, but cats in general do not like change. Older cats in rescue often grieve themselves to death, it is horribly sad. Feel free to cmail me on the other side with cat-related questions... Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm fostering a 3 month old kitten right now & my 2 cats, male & female are giving her a hard time, HISSING & growling...I emphasize hissing because the male hisses so hard it seems like he's spitting :( But I know from experience they'll eventually accept her. They did the same thing w/another foster I brought home just a few months ago. Kittens are definitely easier to introduce than adult cats, but if you find an adult cat you want to adopt, like Monnvine said, ask the rescue group if the cat in question gets along well w/other cats and will accept being in the "submissive" role. (Quite the irony, eh)??
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