Would a second cat be a good idea?????

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Repeatedly exposing your cats to others from poor or unknown backgrounds is never advisable but sadly people do  personally i could never forgive myself if i wiped out or infected my lot.
Please think carefully Munch before doing so

isnt this the case with, if not all non ped cats, certainly alot of rehomed rescues? i could be being thick here but you wouldnt know alot more about a cat youve adopted than the fosterer would when they agreed to foster the cat initially?

Ooh... can of worms really.  There are certain conditions and viruses which cats can carry and show no outward signs of, but during times of stress (like a new cat being introduced) they can 'shed' the virus and become sick themselves or make newcomers sick. Even with known flu carriers from different backgrounds you can never be certain two cats have been exposed to the same strain. And vaccines are not much help as if the virus is already present but dormant the damage is already done, coupled with the fact that vaccines can only cover the more common strains.

However... You are right in that so few people who adopt actually have access to the full history. In practice people end up mixing cats from different backgrounds when they adopt a new cat. It's always a bit of gamble and a leap of faith and more times than not things are fine in terms of health, but the chance is always there that they will make each other very sick or even worse. 

With rescues, the cats which come in the door have always been through some kind of 'trauma', whether they are owned cats signed over to care and suddenly transported to a new and strange place with strange carers or they may have been strays subjected to poor diets and become too weak to fight off a virus. Such cats being in a state of stress will always be more susceptible to illness and likely to shed dormant viruses. I think this is what Milly's Mum meant - the more you allow your resident cat to mix with others at close quarters, the greater the chances of them being exposed to a carrier who could infect them. 

I would say it's very unwise to mix foster cats with resident cats until a period of time has passed (to allow for virus incubation and symptoms to show) and the rescue has settled and feeling more at ease and gradual, managed introductions can be attempted just as you would with a newly adopted perminant cat. For me personally my foster kittens never come into contact with my own cats as the little ferals I take in have been mixing with all sorts of stuff!  For other more experienced fosterers, they have become well aware of the dangers and know the precautions you need to take.  And like it or lump it, I do know of long established rescues (including forum members here) who will allow the mixing of cats from different backgrounds in their cattery pens due to lack of space. I remain silent on my judgements of that. 

[snarf]

Repeatedly exposing your cats to others from poor or unknown backgrounds is never advisable but sadly people do  personally i could never forgive myself if i wiped out or infected my lot.
Please think carefully Munch before doing so

isnt this the case with, if not all non ped cats, certainly alot of rehomed rescues? i could be being thick here but you wouldnt know alot more about a cat youve adopted than the fosterer would when they agreed to foster the cat initially?

[Millys Mum]

Repeatedly exposing your cats to others from poor or unknown backgrounds is never advisable but sadly people do  personally i could never forgive myself if i wiped out or infected my lot.
Please think carefully Munch before doing so

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Guidelines are that CP cats/fosterers owned cats never mix. Practice is usually a little bit different. 

[Janeyk]

Usually isolation is recommended for a couple of weeks so that all nasties can be dealt with

CP like cats to be isolated from your own and in fact do insisit on it

Smaller rescues are greatful for the chance for for the cats to get the chance of a nice life in foster care boosting their chances of a forever home

Thanks Liz, so do you mean that CP insist they are kept separate for a few weeks or permanently?

[Liz]

Usually isolation is recommended for a couple of weeks so that all nasties can be dealt with

CP like cats to be isolated from your own and in fact do insisit on it

Smaller rescues are greatful for the chance for for the cats to get the chance of a nice life in foster care boosting their chances of a forever home

We foster for both types of organisations and tend to mix the kittens with our crew and give them exposure to the dogs - if fact one family would only take kittens/cats from us as we had dogs and they wanted dog savy cats/kittens in fact the kittens soon learnt to brow beat the dogs - one lady had 5 golden retreivers and took on 2 kittens and 2 adult ferals and all the cats had those big doggies beaten in about half an hour of being in situ in fact the ferals never made it outside either!

When fostering you also have to be able to have your heart broken when your fosters move on to their forever homes and that never gets easy

[Janeyk]

This is how I decided to adopt Willow - he, Gary and Lily were instant friends and all 3 have such fab temprements for accepting other cats. I just knew if I kept him then he would be so willing to share his home with fosters too.

I didn't know you could mix foster cats with your own - or is that just initially?

[LilyandGary]

Totally agree with the fostering idea.

If you foster, you are not only helping a cat in need until it finds a home, you are gaining insight into how your own pets will react if you do decide to get another cat of your own.

You never know, your cat may just bond with a foster cat, and bobs-your-uncle. This is how I decided to adopt Willow - he, Gary and Lily were instant friends and all 3 have such fab temprements for accepting other cats. I just knew if I kept him then he would be so willing to share his home with fosters too.

[Bazsmum]

  Excellent suggestion PB! 

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Nobody ever thinks of the third option.... fostering! 

Munch, if you have a spare room or a room you could isolate from your other animals you could easily foster rescue kittens until they are rehomed. Come the height of the kitten season rescues will be shoving kittens in every cupboard and sock drawer that they have. The offer of a spare room and a willing person to play with them and help socialise is like manna from heaven at that time of year. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I dont know MM LOL....if hating each other and total jealousy is that, then maybe. 

All I know is that the intros were done correctly but the birmans wanted to take over the house after not being able to live in their house cos of dogs and are people cats, whereas Misa and Sasa who were here first by about 6 months had horrible past lives and this was the first time for either to have their own home and one person...me LOL

They had never met before coming here but liked each other from the start and still do and they have all the normal cat language one would expect...like slow blinking and rolling on back submissively. Not the birmans however, they are litter brothers and lived together all their lives but spent a long time living in a garage cos of the dogs at their new home, a daughter took them on from her mother but apart from having dogs of her own , she ran a dog grooming business and allowed the dogs to chase the cats. They dont seem to understand normal cat language and think this has caused the problem to be honest.

The two big cats are still fairly nervous and I am the only one Misa will stay around for, any visitors he hides from and will not come out until they have gone.  Sasa just doesnt do people at all although she will eat out of my hand as long as i make no attempt to touch her and she will run away if I try to walk past me , although she will rush past me if I stand aside for her 

The birmans love people and are not bothered by them and Franta sat on my brothers knee most of the time he was here after Christmas. Neither like being picked up though.

[Millys Mum]

Gill is your case not a mismatch of personalities? I see multicat homes as essential because many more cats would be out of a home and probably pts without them 
Out of the few people with trouble introducing another cat into their homes theres thankfully many more successes.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Just to balance BBs post, introducing my two birmans to the two big cats was a total nightmare and everything was done by the book and although after 4 yrs they tolerate each other in that they dont fight, there is a lot of jealousy and Misa hates the birmans and Sasa just stays out of their way.

Back on cat chat before Purrs the situation was so bad that the great Teresa thought I should rehome the birmans but by then I loved then too much, easpecially Franta.

There is an uneasy peace here and Misa and Sasa would have been a lot happier without them here and am often having to stop Misa from flopping down on to of Franta  or pushing him to get him off the desk, Misa will stamp about all over him without me protecting Franta. He is twice Frantas size and little Franta would not be able to move if Misa lay on his head, which he tries and probabably would suffocate.

Misa isnt trying to hurt Franta but just get the desk to himself again.

I know of another case on Purrs also where the situation went very badly, and of course there are many that go purrrfectly but personally I now would be very aware of possible problems, especially with rescue cats with a bad history like Misa and Sasa and you have the dragon situation too.

[Baby British]

I just wanted to say that I recently introduced a kitten to my older cat and it was relatively pain free. Marley is almost 2 and as a house cat hadn't so much as clapped eyes on a another feline since he was 13 weeks old. Marley is a very placid boy but was used to be being the centre of our world so like you I was at odds as to whether it would work. The introduction was made gradually and I had loads of great advice from the forum. These days they get on great - grooming one another and sharing beds. Like someone else said I think it's important to find temperaments that maybe compliment one another - Marley is a proper chilled out fella whereas Layla is a live wire and a bit of a minx!

In short I have first hand experience of it being possible to introduce a second cat but have never owned a beardie let alone with a cat so really only you can make that call.

[munch]

Hi guys thanks for your replies.
Cost is not a problem I just love animals spending money on them is what I do best!
My vet love me with my cat, x2 beardies & 10 cresties go for regular check ups.
I really don't know how if she would accept another cat, be it a kitten or even a older one, I would be so worried she ran off 

About 10 months ago, a family near me moved out leaving their tom cat behind! If I could have got hold of them I tell you I would have killed them, such a crawl thing to do.
Anyway I took it on myself to feed him, & make as little bed at the end of the garden, Fu wasn't best please about this & I tried to get the tom to trust me took a few weeks but got there, however Fu wasn't having any of it!!!!!!
Which is why I thought a kitten may work as she may not see it as a threat?
The more I am reading the more I think it may not be fair on Fu she loves the quite life & loves being my boss, don't want to upset.

  Oh by the way I didn't leave the Tom to it, once I won him over I got an elderly care home to take him on, its lucky its a street away from where he lived so he knows the area. But I am told they keep him as an indoor cat now & sounds very much loved too.

[Millys Mum]

If she isnt anti cat i cant see the problem with getting another one, its about matching up suitable characters. If you can afford the extras then its hardly like your overcrowded 

[Bazsmum]

Just adding my bit....I have a cat here that I took on at almost 15, she came from a home with another cat but never got on with it but....She loves the rats! 

Your babes are lovely! 

[munch]

Hi guys & thanks. I do have to hold my hands up & say a kitten would really be for my benefit!!! Not hers.
 I think it would be a mistake Fufu really is joined to my hip lol, she is always soooo happy I dont want to upset her by getting a kitten for myself.
She really loves the dragons, it really is a very strange friendship, seems to work.
So sorry to hear your beardie & cat did not do so well, mind you I would near leave them alone!! Sometimes I sit & laugh in dis belief, they have been together for 18 months now so far so good 

[JackSpratt]

Great picture! And welcome to the forum.

Your girl looks pretty content to me, she's lovely.

[Janeyk]

Hi and  to Purrs, your pets are lovely    regarding whether to get another cat or not I would consider whether your cat would benefit from another cat, are you out alot and does she seem lonely/bored does she like other cats?  I wouldn't like to advise but I am sure you will decide what you think is best.  I am really surprised that the cat is ok with the dragons though - I'm sure someone I know lost one as a result of her cat 

[munch]

   

          

           kitten & beardies..............         

           Hi I think deep down I already know it, very sad for me anyway!

           I should not moan to much after all there is not not many cats that would put up with two beardie on the run!

            I will have a browse on the forum instead, telling myself one day!!!!!!!!!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think sahe looks very happy on her own and you may have probs with a kitten and the dragons.

I would be tempted to leave sleeping dragons alone 

  to Purrs 

[munch]

 Hi all I am new to this forum, but have had my cat nearly 3 years now.
I have been thinking to get a second cat?
My cat really is not a great on other people she loves me & me alone mainly is in an in door cat, but she does have access to the big wide world!!!
I was thinking to get a kitten, but heard its not always a good idea so I do not know what to do for the best.
She currently shares her home with two bearded dragons, I really mean she sleeps on the sofa with them, seems to enjoy their company & does not mind them at all. They did not grow up together she was here first they came second.
For this reason I thought it might be cool to get the second one, but reading some storys I just dont know.
I wondered if anyone has any advice or first hand experience. I would like to say I want a play mate for her, but if I am honet its all about ME! I want the kitten

Please get in touch let me know your thoughts.
P.S have posted a pic to prove I am not joking about the beardie & my cat!
Thanks