Any cat experts here? Does our stray need company?

[Jackeens]

We've been looking after a stray cat the last couple of years, it used to belong to neighbours who moved away and left her behind. I think it's a she - :blush: - but if she is I'm guessing she was spayed (is that the word?), the boy cats don't seem too interested, and there's never been any sign of kittens.

She's friendly and playful, not sure what age - I'd guess at least five or six. She lives in the back garden, sleeps in a small kennel.

Another cat, belonging to another neighbour, used to come to the garden every day, mainly to eat our cat's food. But he (I think!) became best mates with our cat, to the point where they actually cuddled up when he arrived. Seriously. They spent each day together, before he went home.

But he disappeared a few months ago, I'm guessing the worst.

So our cat is now on her own. Am I daft, or does that cat seem lonely?

Should I consider getting a kitten as a companion for her? Does that make any sense? Is it impossible to know if our cat would take to the new arrival?

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!

[Heidi]

1. If you'd get him/her an appointment to be spayed/neutered, you'd know for sure

the gender of your cat. :hi:

I don't think you should take in any additional cats until you've had your current kitty spayed or neutered and (if you've not already) vaccinated.

[Jackeens]

4. Thanks Heidi. I think she is spayed, no sign of kittens since she arrived in our garden!

[DeepBlueC]

25. but vaccination would be a good idea

for her and for the companion to come

[Flaxbee]

5. hey Heidi!

on another topic, did you ever get a chance to look at those Russian films? Curious to know what you think....

:hi:

[Flaxbee]

2. Sure, get your girl a companion!

Just make sure to have him or her neutered or spayed... you could perhaps adopt an older cat from a shelter, since it sounds like your girl (do you have a name for her?) is friendly and wouldn't freak out over a newcomer.

Yes, cats miss one another, and some love companionship. We had 7 cats and when the oldest cat died a few months ago the remaining six were very confused for a while. They seemed lost without Tommy (he was the elder statesman of the clan). And among the remaining six, many of them have very close friendships.

edited to add: I second what Heidi says -- make sure your girl (or maybe guy) is healthy and 'fixed' first, then go for it and get another cat.


:hi:

[Jackeens]

6. Thank you Flaxbee, great advice.

We always had dogs until our last fella died a few years ago, so I just don't know enough about cats to make this decision.

If we get our cat a companion we'll definitely get it spayed and will take one from a shelter....although if I go in there myself I'll probably bring home 36 kittens/cats.

I'm just worried that our cat won't take kindly to a new arrival, although she's not remotely aggressive - she doesn't even chase birds, they just wander up close to her and she doesn't even blink!

Do you think an older cat, rather than a kitten, would be a better choice?

Thank you again.

[Flaxbee]

9. It sounds as if your girl is very mellow and would welcome

company. All of ours have been strays; I don't think I could go into a shelter, either, and come out w/o the entire cat population. It is a hard thing to do.

The reason I suggested an older cat is because so many of them are overlooked - people go for kittens because they're cute, but many very loving, wonderful older cats never get homes because they're past the 'cute' stage.

A good shelter worker could tell you about any of the older cats, if they're friendly and would respond well to another cat in a new home. DEFINITELY talk to the folks at the shelter; they're usually very knowledgeable and could suggest a good companion for your current cat.



By the way, I love your picture threads in GD: P!

[fizzgig]

3. you're not daft

animals miss friends they've lost, too.

there is no way to tell if she will take to another cat, but if you want, and are up to, another cat, it's certainly worth considering. i would suggest getting a male rather than a female (but make sure do get the cat fixed either way). in my experience, it is much easier to introduce an opposite sex cat into another cat's life than a cat of the same sex.

[Jackeens]

7. Hey fizzgig, thank you, that's really interesting

I had kind of assumed that it would be better to choose a female 'companion', so your advice is very welcome.

I would love to rescue a cat from a shelter, we can give it a good life and look after it properly, so if I'm fairly sure our 'current' cat could cope then we'll go for it!

[LynneSin]

8. I have a stray I would love to give you

My stalker cat is now pissing on my porch.

And if I open my front windows it's a nightmare between my 2 indoor cats and stalker cat

[Jackeens]

12. ROFL....it's a generous offer, but....hmm, not sure!

[LynneSin]

20. PLEASE take my Stalker cat

my own cats hate Stalker cat

[Jackeens]

24. Well...I would, of course....except I'm in Ireland and, well......that's as good an excuse as any!!

[LynneSin]

31. I'll fedex Stalker cat to you

I figured if I put a waterbottle and a bag of friskies in the box, Stalker cat would survive for a day or 2. And at least in Ireland I'm not going to worry about Stalker cat coming back

[applegrove]

10. A kitten will melt any cat's heart. They may or may not grow up to be best buddies. Mine no longer

curl up together but they do occasionally play fight. But mostly the big one just insists the little one (now 4) get out of his way. Still I think they enjoy watching each other during the day when I am gone. I would get two. There is nothing like a kitten for creating joy in a household.

[Jackeens]

14. Thanks applegrove, that's EXACTLY what I want for our 'current' cat!

[applegrove]

29. But you have to let the outside cat inside to play with the kitten. You can't get a kitten

and then just let it outside. You have to decide if you are going to let your outdoor cat become an indoor one. That is the only way to do it.

[Inchworm]

11. Buds are important to us all

I am with Heidi though. Snatch your cat up and get it to the vet. You will be doing the area a good service, and the cat. It usually isn't very expensive to get that initial visit in where vaccinations start, and if the cat isn't spayed/neutered you'd find out then on what is needed after.

There are a few silly viruses cats get that can take 'em out. A few shots prevents it from being an issue though.

Hehe, wouldn't it be something if your buddy was really a male? That could be why he hasn't had kittens and why he has no buds at the moment. He may be the baddest mofo in teh garden and all the other cats know it ;)

Get the shots and, if need, spay(female) or neuter(male) before bringing in a new buddy.

:hi:

PS: you rock for giving this dude a place to call home.

:yourock:

[Jackeens]

15. Inchworm....this is kind of embarrassing, but...

...the cat likes me rubbing its tummy, so every time I go near it s/he rolls over on his/her back - I, em, haven't spotted any, um, equipment of note so that, allied to the fact that s/he is quite small, leaves me thinking it's a she.

(apologies for the overly scientific, vet-ish language).

Also, the neighbourhood cats seem to regard my garden as their Mating Arena, all sorts of, you know, goes on there, but our cat remains a disinterested observer.

So, that's why I'm thinking it's a she who has been spayed!

She also looks really healthy, she has a gleaming shiny coat and is a bundle of energy, so, again, I'm guessing she started out life well looked after. How any one could have left her behind I will never, ever understand.

Thanks so much Inchworm.

:hi:

[Inchworm]

17. teehee

Here are some of my "vet-ish" terms

nuggets
galivanting
longing moans
rastlin' matches
season

:rofl:

:blush:

[Jackeens]

18. Longing moans and rastlin' matches?

What is going on in your garden, Inchworm.

:rofl:

[Inchworm]

21. Well.. it is a cycle complete

:rofl:

In order to prevent babymaking rastlin' matches, one must realize that the longing moans mean she is in season.

:rofl:

:hide:

[mnhtnbb]

13. Cats definitely form attachments. Our two boys (both neutered) have been

together since birth and are nearly 14. The older they get, the more time they spend curled up together.
They also play at fighting and groom each other.

Mouse and Simba both reacted to the loss of our dog, Tanya, when we had to put her to sleep last summer.
She was part of the family when the cats arrived as kittens; they'd always known her. For several
weeks after she was gone, they would each curl up on the rug where her favorite spots had been.

So, yes, I think you should get your stray a companion. Talk to the shelter people to make sure
you choose a cat that behaves well around other cats.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

:hi:

[Jackeens]

16. That's brilliant mnhtnbb, thank you

I never even thought about asking the shelter people for a chilled out friendly cat who wouldn't eat our current resident! That's exactly what I'll do, thank you so much.

[DeepBlueC]

19. If you get a kitten you can't just release her into the backyard

Kittens don't always have the best judgment so you can't trust a new cat not to wander off or to get in some unthinkable situation. There is good reason to get the yard cat checked by a vet and vaccinated. That one may transmit illnesses to any new cat even they themselves do not appear sick. Kittens need a series of vaccinations. Apparently they carry some antibodies from the mother (they don't protect against everything)that also work against the vaccines so that it why you have to repeat them so they will be protected during kittenhood up to and after the time that mum's antibodies wear off and the kitten's own immune system matures with the help of vaccines.

It's kind of you to think of yard cat's emotional well being. It does sound as if she is a social cat and all adult cats embrace kittens. But it might be safer to have the introductions indoors

[Jackeens]

26. Thank you DeepBlueC, there's so much there I hadn't even thought about

Firstly, because our cat seems so healthy I hadn't even considered taking it to the vet, but that's clearly something I need to do.

Also, I hadn't given a thought to what I'd do if we got a kitten - I definitely can't just leave it in the garden when it's a baby! But the cat we have has never seemed to want to come in to the house, I tried to coax her in on a couple of really cold nights but she seemed nervous and even a little scared, I guessed that maybe if she tried to go in to her previous owners' home she was shouted out.

I don't really want them separated - ie kitten indoors, our cat outside - so maybe I should be going for an older cat? ie from the point of view of illnesses being transmitted to a kitten, and the living arrangements?

Not sure what to do, so much more thought is needed here than I was giving the decision - thank you for educating me on it!

[DeepBlueC]

30. you may have a problem adopting from shelters if you say the cat will be an outdoor pet

The local shelters here want you to promise that you will keep the cat indoors only, no matter what the age. They will not be likely to give you a pet that won't have an indoor home. A new kitty whatever the age in a strange setting probably will just run off. Maybe with the good weather try to start coaxing the outdoor cat indoors. The cat stray I adopted this winter took advantage of my always open back door over the summer to polish off the food remaining in my cats' dishes (I thought their appetites were remarkably good)before he presented himself face to face and started seducing me. So maybe with the warm weather do you have a door to the garden you can keep open while you are home or while you are in the adjoining room? You can put a couple of cat dishes just inside the door where she can see them. Not her dishes. You want to continue to give her a choice I think, but use your judgment. You can try to call her but don't be too persistent. If you get her attention and then back off a bit you can rely on the cat's own curiosity to help her make that step. Again, it has to be HER initiative and at the beginning if you are in the room don't come up to her. It will make her feel easier if you don't look directly at her. If you can accomplish a willingness to come and go with her you can then get her some company and start the relationship inside. The new kitten will have to stay indoors until she makes that territory fully her own. You can always go outside with the kitten if the space is enclosed, but I wouldn't let her run around unsupervised.

Yes, there's a lot to think about, more even that I had considered myself when you first set out the situation. It sounds as though your cat is really comfortable and at home, but you should know that the cold nights will be harder on her the older she gets so it might be worth it if you at least start the process of giving her an indoor option for bad weather. She doesn't have to move in. My stray came in to sleep and eat for months and took off to do his Tom thing but when the winter got bitter and feet of snow piled up just before Christmas I worried about him so much that I took him in and would not let him out until the storm let up. Then worrier that I am I decided to go the whole way and get him neutered and offer him a full time home. He's a great boy and a lover...I don't think he was born feral, probably abandoned poor guy, but he really takes to being pet. He goes out but he's very fixed on his home.

Hope this helps. You are a dear to care for this kitty's physical and emotional well being. Maybe she's ready to be friends with you? The time might be right. Get a cat toy...something on a string so you can keep distance. Worth a try.

[WCIL]

22. When our dog died last fall

our cat spent the better part of the month walking a circle looking for him. Where his dog bed used to be, where his dishes used to be, places he used to lie. When he wasn't looking for the dog he just sat. He was completely depressed. We went to the shelter and picked out a kitten in January, and Dexter is like a new cat. He played hard to get for a few days, but he has been mothering the kitten since then.

[Jackeens]

23. I'm tearing up here

Oh, what a story - I'll repeat it to the next person who tells me animals don't have feelings!

It has absolutely convinced me that I need to get our cat a companion, I just have to make sure I go about it the right way.

Thanks so much WCIL.

[graywarrior]

27. We just moved to a new place and left the 3 kitties we were taking care of

and Kamere is so unhappy without his friends. He's scratching at the door hoping he can escape to get back to his buddies who tormented him but taught him about cat life. He is definetly missing them.

[Jackeens]

28. Sweet, sad and lovely!

"He's scratching at the door hoping he can escape to get back to his buddies who tormented him but taught him about cat life."

I'm laughing and crying all at the same time!

[LisaL]

32. The cat lives outside. So no, I wouldn't get a kitten for her

if you intend for the kitten to also be outside.