Pets are real stress busters. Especially the company of cats is very addictive & you can’t get enough of one. They are cute, naughty, funny, and also protective by nature. Having a cat around you is always soothing. But if you are so obsessed with cats and wish to have more than one, there are several things to consider.
First of all, you should have enough time to spend with all the cats. As they are very peculiar, one may not be the same as another one. Thus, you may have to pay keen attention to every move made by both the cats. Whether you are buying a cat or adopting one, here are some of the things to keep in mind. Let’s discuss the positive side of having more than one cat.
-
Your cat will grow in a community:
We all know that cats are social animals, but just like humans, they also feel lonely at times. This fact might surprise you. Even if you spend so much time with your cat and offer it all the interactive toys, it craves real connections. That companionship can never be satisfied with the toys and other materials.
The cats become moody or instantly becomes non-active when they get bored with the company or environment. After some time, they will desert themselves from the family. During this time, you may see that some of the cats become lazy and less interactive over time. Hence, in such situations, it is recommended to get another cat. When you bring a new cat to your home, your kitty will get a new company. They both start playing and get along well. It creates a sense of family for them. Even if you are going to work, you don’t have to worry about them. You can progressively see that they are enjoying the company of each other.
-
Better health:
We all know that a healthy mind breeds a healthy body and vice-versa & Cats are not an exception for the statement either. Keeping your cat healthy is not always about what you feed but also looking after the psychological well-being. If you adopt another cat, both of them would be spending quality time with each other, which helps in boosting their mental wellness. In most cases, if your cat’s mind is happy and healthy, its physical health will also be stable and sound.
-
Save yourself a little from the destructions:
Cats are known for their mischief. Though it is very adorable, it is sometimes frustrating that they spoil your valuable things and irritate you. The leading cause of this behavior is restlessness. To prevent your cat from damaging your items and minimizing the destruction, you can get another cat and give your old cat a company to play with. This way, both of them enjoy and only concentrate on playing with each other. As a result, your valuable belongings will also get saved.
-
Admire the new motherhood:
Female felines are usually calm and composed and don’t exhibit much of a guardian nature. But if you adopt a kitten slowly, the elder cat will cultivate the habit of looking after that little cat and would start to become more responsible. Don’t you think this is one of the sweetest things that you get to experience while having more than one cat?
-
Fewer efforts:
Just like we learn habits and morals from people we admire, even your cats will observe and learn good things from another cat. So, you need not invest much of your time in training your cat to be good.
Every cat has its characteristics, and by exhibiting that, it attracts other cats to follow the same. If you have raised an obedient cat, you need not bother about the behavior of the cat you’re going to adopt; your previous pet will do the job for you.
The essential aspects of being considered before adopting a second cat:
What to consider? |
Why consider it? |
| Choose the cat that would be compatible with the existing cat | As humans, you are most likely to gel with like-minded people much quicker than the ones with the opposite character. Similarly, even cats have their own boundaries when it comes to choosing their companions.
As a first step, you should assess the characteristics of your cat and find whether it is an active one, or a naughty one, or a friendly one. For instance, if you have a less active cat, it will make your kitty feel inferior if the new cat is active; likewise, the new cat will also feel left out if it does not have anyone to play with. Therefore, there is no point in adopting the cat when both of them are going to feel lonely. |
| Space | Being a playful creature, cats usually require more place to run, play, and dwell. And when you add another pet cat all of sudden, your cat might feel suffocated and challenging to accommodate. So, it is essential to have a spacious environment once you decide to have more than one cat.
Just like having two kids, you should give both the cats the same kind of attention. Make sure to provide them with enough and comfortable place to sleep, good feeding, and water bowls separately. Encourage them to share the space equally to avoid fights. |
| Breed | There are a few cases, where certain cat breeds are not compatible with other breeds. Better consult with your vet to confirm whether your existing cat breed is cool enough to welcome a new breed of cat
By taking to the park and mingling with other pets, you can train them initially before introducing the new cat at your home. Observe their behavior and make your decisions smartly. They will eventually become friendlier and understand what it is to have another companion at home. |
Before you decide to get a second cat, the following aspects you should keep in mind.
Gender usually doesn’t matter while selecting a second cat. But the significant factor to be considered is its age and followed by temperament. Adult cats don’t accept another adult newcomer because they will feel intruding. The existing pet will start to react aggressively to save their rights. In contrast, if you have one adult cat, you can very well adopt a kitten because it will become protective of the little cat.
Even after adopting a cat, there are numerous things you may have to consider. It is your responsibility to check if your old pet and the new one could not harm each other in any way. Since certain characters of a new cat might not be pleasing for the older cat that makes them aggressive, it will cause discomfort even for you after some time. If you find that they are not good with each other, then better keep them apart for a few days and train them under your supervision until they start to like each other.
When choosing a second cat, avoid the ones that make abnormal sounds and attitudes because this might disturb your old calm cat. And finally, when you adopt a new cat, here are the quick guidelines for you to follow.
Things you need to remember after getting the new cats
What should you consider? |
Why should you consider it? |
| Don’t bring a new cat to your home on your own | Please don’t bring your new cat yourself home & don’t let any of your family members get them. It is better to ask your friend to bring the new cat home. Otherwise, your existing cat might feel broken to see suddenly carrying another cat. |
| Keep the doors closed | Being a new member of your family, the new kitty won’t socialize with you and the old cat quickly. So, there are more chances that it goes missing while wandering out of your home. Keep the doors and gates closed until you are confident that your cat is familiar with your surroundings. |
| Pay keen attention | Since it is tough for you to interpret the behavior of the new cat, observe it, and notice if there is any abnormality or not. If you find anything rusty, you may have to take it to the vet immediately because little negligence might end up in serious troubles. |
| Balance the love | This is the point where most parents get into trouble. After adopting a new pet, they mostly focus on the newcomer and end up ignoring the old one. It will frustrate your first pet & you can see them reflecting with anger and aggressiveness on the second one. So, you must show the same amount of love to both your cats. |
| Food habits | The foods that your first cat likes might not be a favorite one for your second cat. So, always try to pay attention to what your new cat-like or dislike. It is essential to feed both cats equally.
So, after knowing the priority of your second cat, offer the food accordingly. Also, for the initial few days, avoid feeding both your cat simultaneously as one may try to distract the other one while eating. You can individually observe their behavior. |
| Toileting | This is one of the crucial aspects you must consider. If you are adopting, then you must know about your new cat’s toileting habits either from the previous owner or observe yourself. Followed by which you have to train it properly and put them on a routine. |
Other than all the aspects we have mentioned above, there other vital factors that you must consider while you bring the second cat home are:
- To be more specific, as a first step, you should take your second cat to your vet for a proper checkup. You should get it proper medications, especially if there are any physiological, psychological, and pathological problems. Make sure that you are under appropriate medical assistance until the issues are resolved.
- As a newcomer, your cat might scratch and damage a few of your things initially as a gesture of saying that it likes that place. Because cats have pheromones in their paws that they would like to transmit to the objects, they scratch all the places to form a territory. It is a simple way of saying that they like that place and wish to own that for themselves. Be ready to allow this habit reluctantly so that your cat feels comfortable in their new environment. There is an Entertainment Playground setup introduced by Furhaven that can be useful in such a situation.
- Don’t ever feed your new cat in your old cat’s bowl & don’t ever give your senior cats toys to your new one as this can be harmful to both. It will aggravate the emotions, and it will make them feel jealous. There are many racks and food shelves that allow you to keep things aligned and help cats to recognize their articles.
- They might not let go of the habit of eating in that particular bowl playing in that specific play pans. Hence, there are chances that some diseases that you might not have noted get transmitted from one to the other.
Having more pets around is a fun thing to do, but it is also something that you need to pay more attention to. It is not about the toys and articles that will satisfy the pets; what more important is compatibility. Train them very carefully so that both the cats get comfortable and enjoy the company of each other.
Once they find themselves in good understanding, then your life may get merrier, seeing them playing and hustling. But even after a few weeks, if you feel there is some discomfort between your cats, then you can’t force them to be in the company of each other. However, you can train them together. Mostly this situation may not arise unless your cat is coming from a significantly different background. Spend some good quality time with your pet cats and give them the best home that they can ever have.
