Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Serious question for all the human mommas and daddies out there...but I will accept any help from any and all feline friends.

I am concerned about Pita. Now he had a check up and is doing fine, no worries there. However it..atleast to me...seems that he is a bit lonely. yes he is indoor/outdoor. Most neighbors at the moment have no pets save for another male cat that Pita does not care to associate with (according to Pita he thinks he is all that and isn't). So with no real companions and fall around the corner here I was thinking of getting him a companion.
He seems to get along better with females. There is a no kill shelter I have been looking into and have even donated items and time to here. I know so many older kits need forever homes as well. My question(s) is really how to help any new adult cat and Pita get along. Pita is clawed (being indoor/outdoor that was not an option).

I know no cat will ever take Sassy's place, only her space. I intend to give any new pet as much love as I gave her and still give Pita. I just want to help Pita not ..be lonely.

Awww, Anti Andi, dat furry nice fur you to want to help Pita and anuffer kit too.

Mommy not know how old Pita is, but hur finks that ifen a nice girl kit who is close in age an similar in pursonality to Pita, wants to come home wiff you, it shud be fine. Ifn you don't how, make sure someone at da shelter shows you how to make a slow interduction. You needs to keep dems separate fur a while and let dems get used to each uffers smells fur a few days. Den let dems spend short times together.

Oh, an make sure to fuss over Pita and not just da new kitty.

Hope dis helps.

Luff,
Nico

awwwwwwww, sounds like a plan! well, I know everyone has their rituals for introducing newcomers, but I never knew about them till the last few years, so what i have always done and still do, is bring in the new guy in a carrier, let them sniff each other over and get acquainted a bit, then open the carrier and let the newcomer come out when they are ready. There is usually a bit of fussing and fuming, but the newcomer usually finds a safe spot and they take it from there...
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Franci, Oreo, Caleb, Willow and Tita

Getting Pita an older girl is a good idea. Kittens not so much, because they have a lot of energy and Pita may not feel like playing because he is an older gentlemancat. Also, he may feel threatened by another male cat, so yes, get the older girlcat and make it supervised interactions for a bit, as it does take a couple of weeks to maybe a month or so for cats to get used to a newbie in the house. SHould be fine.

Hi Andi. (The kitties are letting me speak.)

I think your idea about getting an older female cat is good. Try to find one who has a history of being friendly with other cats for best success. Good luck, and I'm sure that you are reading Pita correctly.

Norma
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The 9 Wiscats. Every life should have 9 cats.
Belle, love bunny
Henri, married to Bayli
Simba, widowerkit (RIP Sassy)
Annie-Claire, widowkit (RIP Sammy)
Sylvie-Chantal, widowkit (RIP Roni)
Simone-Mireille, girlfriend of Loki
Poucette-Noelle, married to Remi
Andre-Guillaume, married to Maria
Madeleine-Louise Munchkin, married to Bailey
In memory of precious and beloved angel kitties: Pierre (1979-1996), Louis Catorze (1984-2000), Giselle-Lizabeth (2005-2007), Monsieur Gervais le Blanc (1995-2007), Clochette-Giselle (2006-2007), The Excellent Lady Sophie-Marie (1990-2009), Beau (1992-2009), Miss Minette (Button) (1992-2010)
~~ plus varying numbers of foster kitties coming and going, right now Mom Cat JellyBelly and her 6 hissy babykits ~~

This is Andi....
Thank you all for the advice and the more the merrier.
I had the day off today and went and took a look over there (its on the other side of town, but in Anchorage that means it is not all that far). I also took them some supplies and such that thier website asked for, and a few toys that neither Pita or Sassy played with in a long time. I met several beautiful cats both male and female. Only one was a kitten (well almost a year old), she was thin, a feral, and in need of a few surgeries. I did leave them a $100 tip to help her (she needs a surgery on her spine, is cross eyed and just had surgery on her jaw to correct it). Still there was one named Magic that was sort of a diluted tuxie with long eye whiskers, Buttons who was a roly-poly calico, and Freckles who is a dark toned tortie, as well as a few others. I am thinking Freckles or Magic might be a good match. Still looking. I mean I liked them but they seemed a bit indifferent to me, still not giving up!

Andi

{{{{{{{{{{andi}}}}}}}} hi, this is sammywheesmom...
u will know the right kitty when u see her... promise...
something will just click.
i do know that many people do the slow get 2 know each other thing... i never have.... and u know i've had a houseful of all kinds of creatures living 2gether...
i find out that if one doesn't like the other, the one will hide and come out slowly... and eventually they get along... i guess i don't give them a choice....
good luck, and don't jump at first one u see....
also, i'm sure the shelter would let u do a "foster" 2 see how they would get along with Pita....
really good 2 hear from u, smoooochies 2 pita hugs 2 u
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u is whees hawrt, u is whees home, u is whees family, .... {{{{{lufs u more dan u cood knows...}}}}

I think it's a great idea to 'dopt a friend for Pita. We especially like that you be thinkin' about getting a more "mature" kitty cuz we think Pita prolly don't wanna deal with kitten shenanigans anymeow. Anmd gettin' a mature girl kitty is prolly a good thing since that would make him feel less threatened about sharin' you and his home with her. Now here is something we suggest and what mom haf done with peeples in the past....ask to "foster to adopt" a kitty. Those cats in the cages at the shelters or in the pet stores and 'doption centers don't always show their true purrsonalities. Best thing is to see if they would allow you to foster the kitty for a while and see how things go. Let her true purrsonality come out at home, see how she gets along with you and Pita and give her a break from being caged all at the same time. Mom sed there was only one time that a foster to adopt situation did not work out and that was cuz the lady was so neurotic about the cat she already had that the new one couldn't even raise a paw to play with her other cat because she thought the new kitty would hurt the other one.
That being meowed, mom has always isolated any new kitty coming into the house so that the kitty could settle down first and get used to her before having to get used to all of us. We were allowed to play footsies under the door with the new kitty and then after a few days, mom would intermix our scents by rubbing all of us with a towel and then rubbing the new cat and vice versa. Then she would put the new kitty inna carrier in the middle of the room and let us all smell each other and get our hissy fits over and done with and then the new kitty could come out of the carrier and be in the house with us. We still hissed and sometimes spitted, but after a few hours we were all fine. Other peeples just let the new cat out in the house to fend for themselves and that works for some peeples. Mom just thinks it tends to stress the new cat too much not to be able
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Luff,
The Catnip Crew....Riley, Ashley, Harley, Mushka and Nicky
In Loving Memory of our precious Bridge Angels:
Munchkin 8/95-6/09(mom's heart).....
Casey 8/93-2/11(mom's soul)......
Meadow 11/99-9/10 and Maddie 4/94-4/10

to feel safe and get used to the new house smells, sounds and human before meeting a new kitty. Good luck to you, Aunty Andi. We luff you for wanting to adopt an older kitty!
Luff,
Riley and The Catnip Crew

P.S. Sorry for the split post. It wouldn't let me type any more than 2000 characters in my message.
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Luff,
The Catnip Crew....Riley, Ashley, Harley, Mushka and Nicky
In Loving Memory of our precious Bridge Angels:
Munchkin 8/95-6/09(mom's heart).....
Casey 8/93-2/11(mom's soul)......
Meadow 11/99-9/10 and Maddie 4/94-4/10

Up until recently, I had only had two boy cats (the final one passed away a little over a year ago a almost age 20).

When I got Sparkle in December, she was my first girl cat since I was a very small child. The SPCA, Vet, and other friends strongly cautioned me about putting another cat into the mix, especially another girl cat.

From what the SPCA, my vet, and friends with girls/girls boys say, boys are much more easy going and get along with each other. Girls can be tougher, especially an older girl that has been in the home for quite a while.

The SPCA made me promise not to get another cat (girl cat) esp because she was older. My vet spoke of how much easier it is to integrate boys in with girls than girls with girls. Friends I know say the same thing -- the resident girl cat is much more tempermental with new cats than the resedent boy cats.

If the girl cat is young when she is introduced to others, not as much friction. But, Pita has been the resident cat for a while. A boy cat my work better. With a slow integration.

Just some thought after recently being cautioned by the SPCA and a Cat Specialist (my vet is the area geriatric cat specilist) to not add another cat (esp a girl) with Sparkle. She is very settled in my house (had her since Dec) and they think it will upset her greatly to have another girl added (and possibly a boy). I look at her and see an easy going cat -- they look at her and see a resident full grown female who is territorial...
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Sparkle (Princess Snow Queen)
& Tammy
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
(Pookey 8/91 - 11/10)

All cats is different and since mom haf adopted out many many cats into homes that haf had resident cats, our experience is that MOST any cat will adapt to a newcomer if introductions are done properly. Now mom is by no means an expert by an stretch of the whiskers, but experience has proven that any combination of cats will be fine becuz it all depends on THE CAT and not on the gender. Just like humans don't get along with everybuddy, neither do cats. But most humans do tend to get along and so do cats. That's why mom thinks the "foster to adopt" idea is such a good one. Of course she may just be blowin' her own horn. Afferall, she is only just a humom!
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Luff,
The Catnip Crew....Riley, Ashley, Harley, Mushka and Nicky
In Loving Memory of our precious Bridge Angels:
Munchkin 8/95-6/09(mom's heart).....
Casey 8/93-2/11(mom's soul)......
Meadow 11/99-9/10 and Maddie 4/94-4/10

Dat shur is good to heer! My mommy has only had sperience wiff boy cats before me an nebber had any problems. She had so many peoples (SPCA, vegetarians, friends) tell hers dat boys work better wiff a resident girls dat she is cautious bringing anoffer cat in wiff me... Specially anoffer girl!
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Sparkle (Princess Snow Queen)
& Tammy
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
(Pookey 8/91 - 11/10)

Oh, for doodness graciousness. Mommy furgot dat Pita was a boy and fot Pita was a girl. I set hers strait. Furget erryfing she sed. Hers thought Pita was a resident girl cat...
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Sparkle (Princess Snow Queen)
& Tammy
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)
(Pookey 8/91 - 11/10)

awwww, dood yur lookin an glow fur dat poor hurt kitty
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Franci, Oreo, Caleb, Willow and Tita

hey Andi here..
Well the little girl wasn't hurt. She was born with a few deformities. Right now she has 'die-rear and kling-ons'. They think may be from her change in diet. She was found by some one and brought there. This shelter only has 3-4 cages the rest of the cats wander as they like in thier building save for the area where the door is. they have youngsters from the schools and groups that come and feed and play and clean up the kitties. There is a seniors group I learned that have 'sitters' that come and pet any kitty that wants it.
There is an area where certain kitties (ones with communicatable diseases) are kept but they have a large area too. They are free to roam about and play and sleep as they want, where they want. The little girl who is cross eyed is allowed to wander about 2 rooms so they can keep an eye on her. She is active but has trouble leaping and sometimes stumbles. There is even an area that they are working on slowly right behind thier place that they are working on putting a large caged enclosure for some that like to be 'outside' yet be 'inside'.

It sounds like a really nice place. Hope that kitty will be okay and able to get a home soon. Are you thinking about her? She might hafta be an indoor only kitty though and not outside with Pita.
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Luff,
The Catnip Crew....Riley, Ashley, Harley, Mushka and Nicky
In Loving Memory of our precious Bridge Angels:
Munchkin 8/95-6/09(mom's heart).....
Casey 8/93-2/11(mom's soul)......
Meadow 11/99-9/10 and Maddie 4/94-4/10

awwwwwww, shounds wike a furry cool pwace! Woodnt it be wunnerful iffun awll da homeless aminals had a pwace wike dat
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Franci, Oreo, Caleb, Willow and Tita