potential re-homing advice please

[sheryl]

Once we had decided to offer Harry (our 4th Bengal along with 2 moggies) I had some misgivings as to whether it would upset the balance of my fuf family and worried that we were doing the wrong thing but it has all ended up brilliantly and Harry is now the biggest cuddlebum and gets of great with all the others

When we introduced Mellika and Raffiki at 3 months old we had Roxy and Amber (RIP my babies) who were both over 15 years old and again we had no problems - the new lease of life definately happened and it was lovely to see my "oldies" having lots of fun and games

I would say that if you have got your heart set on the little one then go for it

[caledonia]

Yep your right - I have e-mailed them to let them know.

It's not so much that I don't know what I want - I just don't know what will be the least unsettling to my current pair. Maybe I am putting too much thought into lol!!

I  want a young (younger than them anyway!)  cat in good health who is indoors only and happy to live with other cats - I would prefer semi long haired or long haired as my brother who is at mine a long is badly allergic to short haired more so. I also would have loved the little lady because of her coat, breed temprament and gender (having had boys latelly)

Thats what I want lol however what would suit my pair and the cat in question is a whole different question then my oh always brings the finance question in (his only and consistent objection) as he is convinced the country including us is about to go bankrupt (we both are comfortable so he is being silly!) !

Anyway decision made as e-mail now sent so thanks again for all the advice everyone and when and if I do get a new kitty you will all be the first to know 

[madkittyrescue]

I think if you have doubts hun you should perhaps defer your decision until you are more sure of exactly what it is you want.

[caledonia]

Sorry Ela didn't see your response there - yes my friend had the same experiance with the kitten giving her old boy a new lease of life too.

I know I am being too indecisive which probably means I shouldnt go for it. OH is def fine with it now - it has been something we have discussed for a while but maybe I need to give him more time too!

THanks for the replies everyone - will go e-mail the guys now- I am sure they will find her a lovely home elsewhere!!

[caledonia]

My two are very laid back and not fazed by anything including my 3 year old sister who sometimes visits. I also just spoke to my friend who has four persians who range in age from 4 to 10. She had a lovely old boy Ben who lived to the ripe old age of 18 and had kittens introduced to him at various points from 12 through to when he was 16 and my friend said it actually gave him a new lease of life and he became more active - however I realise not all cats are the same!!

I think I am in too much of a quandry and should maybe just e-mail these guys and explain there are too many doubts - I think if I went to see the little lady I would find it too hard to say no!!!

[Ela]

I don't think age is a problem, although there is no way I personally would have a kitten , In akmost 20 years of fostering and dealing with over 1000 cats a year and as a group taking about 1000 phone calls a month (me alone perhaps over 700). It depends on your own cats temperament and of course that of the incoming kitten/cat and also the way in which they are introduced. Time and patience is the order of the day. I would say though that you need to make sure that the kitten is not forever taunting an older cat and making its life a misery. When  mum was alive I once bought from a pet shop a kitten that was alone in a cage and no water in it. (I had 22 at the time) Mum said she would care for it until I found it a home although she had an 18 year old at the time, the kitten gave Tuta a new lease of life and they got on fine and the kitten stayed with mum. 

I have to say though that if all in the family do not want another cat/kitten then we would not home.

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

We've got a 12 year old and a 10 month old.

(as well as a 4 and 2 year olds) In our house and they do get along fine, but our eldest Penguin is very laid back and doesn't flinch at anything. Even when Gizmo is hanging off of him.

So fostering might be the way to go unless you can get a good idea of how the kitten is at first!

[caledonia]

So you think the age gap would be too much?

OH was dead set against a third cat - however I have been talking about it with a lot and he had started to change his mind to the point that yesterday he agreed that maybe thats a good idea for Edgar. 95% of the time he loves the cats as much as me but he works night shift and I think sometimes Edgar's insistance he wakes up and Oscar's sneezing fits drive him up the wall!! Edgar really is a handful and whilst it is very enderaing and what I expected from a ragdoll I didn't really think it would be this much bearing in mind Bertie was Balinese!

Your probbably right about the fostering route. I was looking at Edgar on the radiator bed today thinking hmmm is it such a good idea and wondering whether fostering might be better because if they do work out - then I can keep the cat - if the don't work out then the cat can go on to be re-homed!

Its just such a quandry because I don't want to upset the apple cart and with two 12 year olds I really don't know what would suit them.

Siberians according to what I read on the net and an article I had read in the cat mag are quite laid back and similar in some respect to ragdolls although they don't meow and are meant to chirrup and are also similar to Maine coons and NFC (Oscar being a Maine Coon). Although yes you are prob right about the age gap! Thats probbably ignorance on my part as the last time  had a cat under the age of 7 I was about 14!!!!

[Desley (booktigger)]

I personally wouldn't have a 6mo with 12yo's, but I know from experience of fostering that mine dont tolerate anything of that age group - and while Edgar is like an overgrown kitten, he might not be able to keep up with a young kitten, although I dont know enough about Siberian's to know their energy levels. I thought OH was dead against a third cat? Might be an idea to foster one through a rescue first, to see if a 3 cat household will work.

[caledonia]

oops just realised how long this post is! Sorry! Also should have said this is a home to
Home regime and not through a rescue unlike my last two and bertie

[caledonia]

hello all- I'm not sure if this is the best sub group to post in or not but given your all the experts on rehoming I thought I would give it a try ( happy for it to be moved if I have missed a more approprate place).

So I have been thinking about getting a third cat for some time (aren't we all!) and whilst I have been keeping an eye on local rescues I also know that finding an indoor cat that can live with other cats is not easy- especially as having two 12 year olds I thought younger may be better for once. The main reason I thought a third cat may be good is because whilst Edgar is like an overgrown kitten oscar is showing his age and then some and is really doing his own thing. I think Edgar misses playing with oscar and having someone to hang with since oscar decided to retire to his igloo bed! Obviously it's for myself too- why have two furballs when you can three! LOL! In their foster home the boys lived with a house full of cats and two litter o puppies so hopefully with the right intros they will be ok.

However now a potential cat has came up (6 month old Siberian kitten- and I said I would never consider a kitten) I'm swinging from great idea to panic. My last three cats have all been rescues and in the case of bertie it was clear with his ongoing health probs that surprise surprise the reason his previous owners gave him up were prob his health probs and it broke my heart to loose him after only two years. My current two I affectionatley call my special need cats and in the case of oscar who is now nearly if not fully blind and has re-occuring nasal infections that require meds and mean the house is usually covered in snotters from him sneezing LOL! - however none of this was clear before I rehomed him.  I have loved and love them dearly however I think if we end up with another cat with issues (Edgar is so vocal he puts a Siamese to shame and combine that with his head buts, loud snoring from the tumour in his nose...well we haven't had a full nights sleep since we got him LOL!) then I think my patient oh will move out. I'm just worried that again there may be unknown issues with this puss or she won't like living with other cats, or one more is too much!

It's such a gamble introducing a third cat and I'm just worried it will be a disaster but I also think it could be the best thing!

I apologize in advance if this is full of  errors or I sound irresposible- I'm on bus to work on my mobile LOL and just wanted some last minute advice before I decide whether to meet this little lady or not ( cos I know from pics she is adorable! )