Question about getting a third cat. I have Lucy, a rambunctious

[schmuls]

2 year old and Mittens, a 13 year old male. She likes to wrestle pretty rough with him and he participates, but he does have arthritis in his leg. They get along great. I would love to get another cat, but want to get one that will fit in with both. I would like to give an older cat a chance for a good home. Or I would also like to get a cat Lucy's age or possibly a cat who is an adult who still likes to play but may not have much of a chance for a home now. There is also the issue of sex (both of my cats are altered). Would a male cat be a threat to Mittens, or would a female be a threat to either one of them? I really want to make a good choice. Thanks.

[Samurai_Writer]

1. Which cat is the alpha now?

I would go with selections based on the alpha cat. If Lucy is alpha, then I would get a male. I'd probably go with a cat who is 5-8 years old. Still got plenty of play in them.

The big question, though, is do you really need another cat? If your two are getting along really well, I would be hesitant to add a third. It could change the entire dynamic of the kitty household. My limit, personally, has always been two cats, but everyone is different.

[schmuls]

2. Thanks for the info. Mittens is the alpha cat. I basically want another

cat because when Mittens passes away, Lucy will have a companion she has grown up with. Also, I have the space to give a cat a good home who otherwise wouldn't get one.

[radfringe]

3. go for it

the cats will work things out between them. The alpha cat will stay alpha because she/he was there first and "owns the territory"

We have 5 cats and Kudra (spayed female 20 years old) still rules

about 2 years ago, I brought Gato home from work, he was a stray and neutered, he merged into the group fine - vet guessed he was 2-3 years old at that time.

This summer we added Calypso, approx 8 week old feral kitten - she's one of the pack now, no problems - in fact adding her to the group has deflected some of the conflict we were having between Poohkah and Dutchess

we're crazy I know - we also have 3 dogs

[mike_c]

4. I agree with the advice to go for it....

I agree that in your shoes I'd want a companion for Lucy, but it ideally should to be either a kitten or a well socialized adult cat in order get along well with Mittens. In some ways a kitten is the best solution-- after hissing at it and being pissy for a short while, both adult cats are likely to warm to a kitten quickly. On the other hand, I really appreciate your desire to adopt an adult cat instead, but I'd recommend a kitty who's lived in multi-cat households before.

I have five cats and they all get along fine, but with definite cliques and occasional grumpiness despite the fact that all were either young adults or kittens when they joined this household. The females in particular were both only marginally socialized young adults when I acquired them, and they have never warmed to the other cats or to one another (after 5 years or so). Both are standoffish with the other cats, and one is extremely possessive of me, sometimes "guarding" me and chasing the others away if they come too close. On the other hand those two females have developed a mostly ritual avoidance of one another that allows them to co-exist-- even sleep on the bed together, albeit facing away from one another. The males on the other hand were all kittens either born here or acquired at about eight weeks and they almost run in a pack. They often sleep in a cat pile, and they share access to food in the morning when I put out the good stuff. Kittens simply integrate better than adults, especially adults who've learned that other cats are not usually friendly.

The point that I'm making is that there isn't much you can do to influence cat dynamics other than to choose cats from age and group acclimation classes that are most likely to integrate well with your other cats. But I'd definitely do it if I were in your shoes-- Lucy will almost certainly outlive Mittens by quite a bit, and the sooner she's introduced to a new cat, the better.