Do you have one cat? That’s one cat only, for whatever reasons. Are you wondering whether you should, at this point, adopt another cat? I know several people who are asking themselves this question, so I invited experienced cat guardians on my Friends list to chime in with their answers. The topic: Add a second cat … or don’t?
This week, I’ll offer some of the answers and suggestions. Next week? More input.
“Please share your advice and suggestions for novice cat guardians who are thinking about adopting a second cat to join their currently one-cat family. What are some important issues to consider—for the humans in the household and for the cats?
“Expense? Amount of care needed? Space? Temperament and histories on both cats? Same age or age gap? What else?
“If someone you know asks if adding a second cat would be a good choice for their family (including both cats), what questions would you encourage them to ask about the second cat? What should they consider about the cat they already have?”
Cheri A. Moore (Nevada) We got a kitten when our older cat was about three. The kitten was immediately the boss, as he grew into a far bigger cat than the first one. He became a bully to his older “sister” and, try as we might, we couldn’t break the bullying behavior. We finally gifted the older kitty to our son who had formed a strong bond with her while living with us as he healed from a health issue/surgery. The younger cat has always been great with people and is king of the castle now. The older cat is happy with her new home and is fine with the second cat there, as he leaves her alone.
Jacqui Halvorson (Washington) Cats are social beings and generally enjoy being around other cats, even when they’re napping! I think it’s kinder to have more than one cat, especially if you aren’t home most of the time.
Tammy Marshall (Washington) I got a second cat. He bullies his cat sister a lot. I have to give him time-outs.
Ali Blakney (Washington) The more the merrier (generally)! I think our first cat, Buddy, would have been perfectly content being an only cat. He absolutely adores people and will greet anyone that comes into the house. But I got a second cat and, while they get along, I think Buddy mostly tolerates Winston over actually liking him. They’re a couple of years apart in age and Winston is a tiny terror, so that probably plays into it. Winston will interact with anyone and anything, but he had a rough start at life so his play style isn’t exactly typical. He’s a better playmate for the dogs.
I fostered cats when we lived in Arizona and Buddy and Winston each had their individual approaches to the cats I fostered. Buddy, the tabby, was interested and wanted to know who was in the house, but generally left the guest cats alone. Winston, the black cat, was spicier with guests and would try to provoke them through the doors. He especially disliked kittens. If we had a cat long enough that they could be introduced, then Winston absolutely loved playing with them. I fostered an orange cat once and the two of them got along great. Finally someone to match his energy and play style.
Things I wish I had thought of when adopting a second cat: How many litter boxes do I actually need? We have three for our two. If they had their way we’d probably have four or five and I’d scoop them after every time they used one.
How much space do they really need? I never thought about how much space a cat needs, but they love climbing so giving them space to go up high or places to hide would be a priority. In our apartments, we had to make things work with cat trees and they loved that. But when we moved into our houses, we didn’t think to give them as much vertical space because they had more horizontal space. They didn’t appreciate that, and we’ve learned.
Photo by Ali Blakney
Tim Beau (Oregon) Only if you have a catio. Cats may be great for [hunting] mice (and rats?), but they are not good at all for the native bird population. Here in Portland, the city coyotes also take their toll on the cat population. This reminds me of my late black cat, Panther. I thought he had caught a bird despite a loud bell on his collar. When he saw me approach, he swallowed his prey whole and alive. It turned out to be a mouse and not a bird after all. He was sick for at least a week, and the vet said he was lucky to survive.
Jewels Eilmes-Daly (Washington) I adopted two rescue brothers and they love each other so much. I originally wanted one but couldn’t separate these survivors of horrible circumstances. Best decision! They snuggle, play, and just hang out.
Christine Hale Vertucci (Tennessee) We had two cats that lived to be 24 and 19 years old. They barely tolerated each other for their entire lives with us. There was lots of posturing, but no real aggression. Fortunately, they both loved dogs and enjoyed our kitten fosters. I don’t think I would adopt multiple cats from different households again.
Rebecca Cook (Washington) It really depends on the cat and your lifestyle. I always thought cats are better in pairs, but my 15-year-old cat has had siblings most of her life and always ends up getting dominated by the other cat—no matter how timid a cat I’ve brought into the house. She really just wants to be left alone by them. She will not tolerate food aggression, so it’s good to know she can put someone being rude in their place if needed. But she really wants nothing to do with other cats. My younger one loves other cats and really takes to visiting cats, but can’t get his sister to play with him. It’s just important to note that cats are individuals. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
Jessica Theisen de González (New York) I’ve had two female cats (one tabby, one black) raised from kittens in a pair, which was delightful and hectic at once. When the pushy tabby of the pair died, the surviving sister reveled in being a single cat for a while. I added an adult male Siamese who was cowed by her, since she took over the pushy cat role she knew so well. No fights, just quiet domineering. Once she died, I added a black kitten, and the Siamese morphed into a very aloof dude. As that kitten aged into a cat, they co-existed. I was the kitten’s playmate; the Siamese assumed the cool counterpart role until he was hospitalized, then put to sleep. That black female was paired with a younger adult Siamese female who was desperate for bonding and play, continuing to the other cat’s end, much to her irritation. That Siamese gal’s buddy quest resulted in a secret bond with my dog, because the older gal was obsessed with my dog, cuddling and sleeping together like a giant black pretzel. Interestingly, when the black geriatric female passed from lymphoma at nearly 19, the grief of the dog and the Siamese was quite severe; the mourning of the Siamese brought on IBD.
During the pandemic, I was looking for a dog, but my “pandemic puppy” worked out to be an incredibly fearful, anxious adult Siamese foster. His integration into the household was slow, but the friendly Meezer followed the script and wanted nothing to do with the newcomer, until she had to be euthanized upon discovering a fast-moving brain tumor. Since he’s had so many barriers to overcome (a willingness to act on human and dog aggression at his most extreme), he’s been a solo cat living with a dog and birds. What I’ve found fascinating is how, time and again, a resident cat was cool to an additional cat, seemingly based on what they experienced. Almost like a hazing to the newest family member.
So in my decades of living with cats, it boils down to, “It depends.” You have to consider various factors, chief among them being the cat’s personality (or “purrsonality”). Some cats are really okay being alone, but that life needs considered enrichment in many forms in order to be healthy. Lots of toys, cat trees, and high spaces, food puzzles to meals, and quality time with their person. I think in my case adding a cat would stress out my current cat too much, unless it was a young kitten and not much of a threat. I think he’d accept a neutral dog faster than another of his own kind, but after all our work, I’m not willing to jeopardize his progress. So if there is a question about adding a cat or getting a pair, ask a professional for guidance to a good fit for your household.
Photo of my “pandemic puppy” Minzen, who has made so much progress.
Photo by Jessica Theisen de Gonzalez
Amy Shojai (Texas) It very much depends on the cats, their ages, and their socialization status. It’s much easier to adopt pairs together as kittens, or as adult already bonded pairs. Cats naturally act suspicious of strangers (strange cats don’t SMELL right!) and it can take not just days, but weeks for them to accept each other. Careful and slow intros based on the cats’ reactions help enormously, but please don’t just throw ’em together and expect them to “work it out.” Cats that aggress toward each other can create stress, and that hissy/growly attitude becomes habit. Instead, intro and keep cats under the hissy threshold. I have a whole book dedicated to this subject, as well as a free quick-tip program on my blog—Cat to Cat Introductions: Introducing Cats.
NEXT WEEK: More input from experienced cat guardians to address the topic: “One cat? Should I adopt a second cat?”
