Lonely Cat?

[blackcat]

cats definitely go through a grieving process when a member of the household goes to the bridge. They will do this even if there was no clear affection between them and the missing animal. Did Paws have a chance to see Kuching after he had passed? I find that if they have this opportunity the grieving process is shorter as they seem to understand the concept of death and so do not go looking for their missing pal. But if he didn't then be assured he will get past this phase soon enough. When he stops wandering around the house looking aimless and wanting unusually high levels of affection, you will know it is the time to think of getting him a new pal. In the mean time, use this time to develop your relationship with him. Sorry for your loss .....

[wharfevalley catsprotection]

Hey Paws!

When a cat loses a sibling or a buddy, they will have a period of mourning but they are very specifically mourning for THAT particular cat, and we sometimes see that people are too quick to replace a lost pet, as they assume one will be welcomed with open paws by the resident cat!

I would ask how old is Paws now? If he's elderly, and set in a routine which you feel would be easily upset, then I would hang fire and see how he goes. Having said that, most good rescue centres get to know their cats very well, and it is often just finding the right cat, for the right situation.

If he has shown in the past, aggression to other cats it might not be a wise move, but most cats settle with time, (although of course there are the inevitable cases that don't work out). I would perhaps ring the rescue where he came from and find out a little more about his past and what his experiences have been, and also maybe see if you can foster a cat you might like to take on for a trial period (this isn't always possible as pen space is so precious!)

Also, does he have a catflap so that he can come and go when you're not there? If he has access freely to the outside world, it's unlikely he'll get bored, especially with the summer months coming up where he can lounge and play in the garden.

Hope that helps!

[Paws]

Three weeks ago we lost our beloved cat (aged 18). We had had him for just over two years. When we had had him for about two months, we got another Cat- Paws from the same rescue but they didn't know each other. Paws and Kuching immediately took too each other and Kuching was very welcoming even though he was there first and they always got on well. They slept together, chased each other and were always to be found in the same place.

In the time that we had them both, we had two female foster cats and Paws was always extremely hostile towards them- spraying, hissing and generally being really upset by them (even though we were very sensitive in keeping them apart/ introductions). He also met the neighbours female cat and was the same with her (Paws is a house cat).

So now, we have only one cat and he is alone, he likes people a lot and I think if I was at home all day he wouldn't mind not having a friend but I'm not there all day. Sooooo, is it possible that he only accepted Kuching because Kuching was there first, or maybe he doesn't like girl cats? I don't want to risk upsetting him but I don't want him to be lonely and if I can I would like to give another rescue cat a home.

Any help or advice would be gratefully recieved.