should i get another cat?

ive got this 7 year old bengal cat , i rescued her from the cat protection people, shes a house cat and when she first arrived she was very very timid, she still is although she has made great progress over the past 5 months.
she does , however seem to be really bored. she will play with me but very rearly playes with herself and she does sleep a lot , i mean quite a lot , all the time really.
i know cats do sleep a lot but im thinking if i got another cat she might brighten up a bit, at the very least it will give her something to put her mind on.
so , if there are any cat people here id like to hear your views, ie , is it a good idea, are cats very terrortorial and will she simply reject the new commer on her turf or will she welcome the company , and if so do i get an adult , kitten , male , female etc.

 

Why, what were they doing to her?! I thought the cat protection people were nice to cats!

 

A lot of cats do need company.

I'm currently considering getting a cat when I move in to my own house, and the company aspect is important in my choice because I am at work during the day. A siamese would not only get very lonely in this time, but would also destroy the stair carpet, the furniture and probably the hifi and light fittings. I'm currently looking at getting a russian blue.

My experience has been that cats prefer company. Has your cat had kittens in the past? If so, she will probably accept a kitten, and be motherly toward it. On the other hand, when we got our current cat (siamese chocolate point), one of the cats we had at that time (male havana brown) did not take kindly to her presence, which persisted for several years.

It sounds as if your cat is not of a desperately territorial or dominant disposition, so she is more likely to accept a newcomer. If you get an adult cat, you can discuss its temperament with the shelter or owners or whoever, and identify a cat that won't mind sharing too much.

 

It can all depend on the cat,male or female,if they've been done etc.At first your cat more than likely wont accept another cat,but give it a few days,they'll be fighting /playing on the floor together.I have 4,they all followed the same pattern.

 

We have two cats and they are company for each other. When we got Rodney last year my older cat Thomas was depressed for about a year afterwards but he has finaly got used to it and Thomas is really happy again now, Thomas is 12 years old though so it may have affected him a little more.

 

We got two cats for our flat precisely so they could keep each other company when neither of us is around (which is quite often). On their own I think they would get quite bored as they're confined to our flat. It's a large flat but it's still a flat.

We got both of ours as kittens, within a week of each other so they've grown up together and got completely used to each other. They have play "fights" from time to time but they also help each other with grooming in the parts they can't reach with their own tongue (ie their head and face). Despite having completely different personalities they get on well.

Both are male cats but have been neutered so there are no territorial issues. However, we've occasionally had other cats in the flat (usually strays that we took pity on before finding a new home for them) and our two don't like the idea of a 3rd cat at all

Here are a couple of pics:







AFAIK neither of them is pedigree but I like to think the brown one is a burmese and the white one is a norwegian forest cat

Michael.

 

We must get Rodney neutered our last cat Jerry died from Feeline aids so its not worth the risk. Our cats don't quite get on as well as yours do by the look of it.

 

We have got two moggies at the moment. One of them is a miserable bugger of about 6 years old, the other one we've had since a small kitten. They just kind of do their own thing. I would imagine that if you just dump a new cat into you current cats turf an un-holy row will erupt, fur will fly, but should soon settle down afer a week or two. Your existing cat will find a kitten lesss of a threat and so will probably take to it better. We have had 4 cats now since we inherited our first off a neighbour who was moving abroad a few years ago. When the cats go or are gone they will not be getting replaced. I have had Cats and Had dogs and i know where my allegience lies now. Sure the cats come to sit on your lap for a stroke and purr but they are only doing it to suck the heat out of your legs. Somebody once sent me a Dog v Cat e-mail it went something like this:

Dog;
Dinner time ! , woof, woof , oh boy !
a pat on the head ! woof , woof Oh boy !
A wee in the garden ! woof , woof, Oh boy !
Another Pat on the head ! woof, Woof, Oh boy !
More food ! woof, woof, Oh Boy !
He's getting his coat ! woof, woof, Oh boy !
Walkies ! woof , woof, Oh boy !
A pat on the head, woof, woof, oh boy !
He's got my stick ! woof, woof, oh boy !
and so on......

The Cat;
Purrrrr. My captors continue to torment me.........

 

Since we're doing the pics....

She is pedigree siamese chocolate point

 

rob, i know exactly what u mean about getting a 2nd cat.
same situation here.
though 50/50 whether they accept each other.
i would suggest another female, and a kitten i would think would appear less threatening.

 

Just a little warning about kittens, make sure all alarm wires are well hiden otherwise the alarm may go off in the night. Also slightly off topic you can buy pet PIRS, I have installed them in our house, it means the cats don't trigger the alarm, only humans do.

They are expensive at around £17 quid each compared to £7 for a standard PIR though.

 

Sid was it this one:

The Dog and Cat Diaries.

The Dog
Day number 180
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!

Day number 181
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!

Day number 182
8:00 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
9:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
9:40 am - OH BOY! A WALK! MY FAVORITE!
10:30 am - OH BOY! A CAR RIDE! MY FAVORITE!
11:30 am - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
12:00 noon - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
1:00 pm OH BOY! THE YARD! MY FAVORITE!
1:30 pm - ooooooo. bath. bummer.
4:00 pm - OH BOY! THE KIDS! MY FAVORITE!
5:00 PM - OH BOY! DOG FOOD! MY FAVORITE!
5:30 PM - OH BOY! MOM! MY FAVORITE!

The Cat
DAY 752 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little
dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 - Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed.

DAY 765 - Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan.

DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such
a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer.." More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time..

 

That's the one I remember - absolutely hilarious :lol: . Another one I like is: "dogs have owners, cats have staff". I've always been a cat person myself.

AT, if you think that's cats getting on well, have a look at this:



Michael.

 

lordsummit,

Yeah thats the one. Pretty much sums it up for me.

Although I may sound a little anti-Feline. If ever one of them gets ill or injured it is always me who is first to take them down to the vets ( and pay for it - every time !) , but I'm also the magoo wandering around the local area with a torch late at night calling out the missing cats name or wandering along the local roadside looking for their dead carcass. They always manage to pitch up though after a few days, usually looking a little thinner for whatever ordeal they've gotten themselves into. Perhaps it's just their annual summer holidays though as it always happens in the summer. One of our cats was a stray for a couple for a long time before we got her. She is a prolific hunter, we've had all sorts brought through the cat flap, Pigeons, baby Rabbits, Mice, Bats, Song birds. The modern shiny silver foil Crisp packets seem to be the norm for some bizzare reason these days, my back door step and garden is littered with them some mornings !

 

I don't thnk my cats do get one well, its kind of what I saying, that picture is about the only one I could find with them both sleeping next to each other. THey don't hate each other though.

Your cats seem to really like each other though.

 

thanks guys for the advise , its defo gonna be a kitten i recon but im gonna go to the cat protection people and ask there , they know my cats history and should be able to advise.
she's been used for breeding in the past so shes had a fair few kittens and she could be missing having them around.
cant wait to see my furniture getting ripped apart and oooh the smell of an untrained kitten peeing everywhare just warmes me up inside but if its gotta be a kitten its gotta be a kitten.

 

Cats, even kittens generally don't need house training IME. If you have a litter tray they will use it. The most I've ever had to do is show it where the litter tray is.

Michael.

 

phew , thats good news.
the cat i have at the mo dident need trained but i had that down to her being an adult. do you think a litter tray each might be a good idea?

 

I have with me a 4 week old kitten,straight away it uses a litter,when it gets older it will use the same one as the other cats or just let her in my garden,they are not like dogs,thank god.

 

I reckon 2 litter trays is always a good idea for 2 cats. We have 2, to start with, they each used a different one, now they both use one for a while, and then the other for no apparent reason!