[lowlight]

Our cat is going on 9 years now. She has been an indoor cat for most of her life, except for a few years where we had a yard where she could roam around freely.

During those years, she did NOT get along with the neighbour's cat, and constantly got into fights. Even as an indoor cat, when she would see a cat outside, she would pace back and forth by the window, looking like she wanted to tear its eyeballs out.

However our cat is getting pretty bored... She pretty much lays around sleeping for most of the day, except when we have time to play with her (usually using a laser pen) and give her some catnip once in a while.

I thought it might be a good idea to get a second cat - that is usually recommended for a bored cat, isn't it? It should give her something to do.

My only concern is, will my cat want to kill new cat if we were to bring one home? Would it help if the new cat is a brand new kitten? I wonder if our current cat's motherly instincts would kick in, and she would want to take care of it?

If this is a bad idea, what are some other ways to keep our cat's mind occupied? She doesn't like noisy toys at all.. she is not that interested in other toys we've bought for her.. Her scratching post/playset is pretty much used as a bed and that's it...

Any advice/shared experience would be appreciated.

[Sunfire]

One thing I've read is that you need to keep them in separate spaces when introducing the new cat. You can't just get a new cat and let it loose in your house. They need to get used to each others' smells. After a while you can start with brief exposures and work your way towards integrating the new cat into the household. There are a lot of articles online that can offer a lot more advice, just google it.

[mandalay]

Hi,

We have 5 cats at home & often rescue & rehome cats.

Since your cat is female, there is a greater chance that she would get along more easily with a male cat. Yes, she will be mightily annoyed by the arrival of a new cat, especially a kitten that would be playful, bouncy and all over the place. You could try an older male cat (say, 2 - 3 years old) from the various rescue organisations, eg SPCA, HK Alleycats, Ding Dong Foundation, etc. They will be able to direct you to a mellow, cat-friendly male.

The general rule is that it will take time. As a single pet ruling the roost for all this time, your cat will not be keen to relinquish her position readily. Short supervised introductions over a period of time will help. It is all just a question of time and personalities. Once they accept each other, they will be likely to enjoy each other's company over time, cuddling together to sleep, etc.

The other reason your cat may seem bored to you is that as cats age they spend more and more time sleeping. Having said that, a new companion could give her a new leash on life.

Good luck!

[lowlight]

Thanks mandalay. Sounds like I would have to get a young kitten if possible, and keep it segregated for the first few days, with its own food dish, litter box, etc. Sounds like it may be manageable. I really think it would be a bad idea to bring in an older cat, because my cat literally tries to kill other cats that are on her territory.. My thought (and original question) was whether getting a kitten would make a difference.

I have done some googling, and found some good advice, like introducing the kitten's towel to the older cat first, giving them each their own confined space, etc. I am going to do some more research first.

Thanks again

[nina_70]

All good advice from Mandalay...I've had quite a few cats in my time (with two now), and agree with everything posted. A kitten should work very well and will generally be the easiest solution, but a mellow (submissive-type) older cat might also work. Most cat groups will naturally form a type of hierarchy and it sounds like your old girl needs to be the "top" cat for peace to reign.

Definitely take the time to introduce your two cats slowly. Since your cat has some history of agression around other cats, I'd suggest you keep your newcomer completely separate for a while (seprate rooms and no eye-contact between the 2 cats) until they get used to each other's smell. Then, allow them to see each other, but don't interact. Then, gradually introduce them and let them spend time together. You'll probably also want to keep separate litter and feeding areas for a while. It can take a few months for all this to work, but usually you'll end up with a harmonious environment. Good luck to you!

[takamine]

You can also do a search on this forum for more advice.

http://www.understandinganimals.com/...hp?board=2.780