A cat question!! Should I get our rescue cat a friend???

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redmone

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Hi everyone!

OK, HHO is probably not the best place for kitty questions! But as I value your opinions, I'm asking anyway!!!

In January, we adopted a rescue cat. She's black, aged 1, called Midnight. She'd not had an easy time (abandoned pregnant as soon as could be, starving and cold) and has some serious anger management issues!! They rehomed her twice, but she was returned each time due to attacking people and other cats! So when we got her, it was suggested she be kept alone.

She's much better now. Still flips occasionally and has been known to dive on your face and bite(:eek:) but generally she's much friendlier and loving than she was. A different cat to be honest.

Our plan was to keep her inside for a couple of months and then slowly introduce her to the outside world (we have a catflap). However whenever we let her out, she legs it! She does come back, but takes her sweet time and worries me sick. More importantly, she seems to be missing her self preservation chip, and thinks nothing of running into things, taking on bigger cats (and other animals!) and generally seems to be a butty short of a picnic sometimes!!!

So we're keeping her for now as an indoor cat, until perhaps she matures a little and grows a brain!

But now I feel mean because she's indoors all the time, on her own through the day. And I keep thinking of trying her with a little friend! I know she came with the "doesn't play nicely with others" tag, but she's changed so much, perhaps that's changed too, and I'm sure it'd be nicer for her (at the age of 1) to have a friend.

What's everyone's thoughts??

Am I being mean, or is it best to keep her on her own???

A BIG chunk of cheese for any advice offered (from Midnight! she likes cheese, and ham, and marshmellows - don't ask.....!!!!)
 
This is a hard one really to answer as all cats are different, I rescued two at the same time and they hated each other and fought all the time after speaking to the centre that they came from I sadly had to return one of them and I felt and still do eight years on that I let that cat down. Timone the one that I kept is a great cat but she does not like other cats. The cat you have seems to have had so many problems in her short life and this could tip her over the edge again, I would love to give another cat a good home but I can not run the risk of upseting Timone or having her run off. Perhaps speak to the place where you first got the cat from and ask their advise and take it from there good luck with it
 
Cats are solitary, territorial animals and don't always like sharing their home with others, especially new cats. We introduced a 3 month old kitten to our 7 year old cat last year and they have only just started to get on 7 months later. The older cat was the runt of the litter when she was a baby and is very gentle and humanised but she still went for the kitten to start with, after a week or so she just avoided him and growled at him if he got too close and now they do sleep on the spare bed together. I think you would have to be very careful introducing another cat to an already agressive one, it probably wouldn't be a very good idea.
 
Cats are not generally keen on other feline company so I doubt your cat would thank you. Even friendly contented cats tend to view any newcomer as very unwelcome. Its *possible* to introduce a new one but expect fireworks and no thanks for it
 
I would let her out tbh, hopefully you have her microchipped, she survived before she was rescued and she does return home so the only way she will learn to cope with the outside world is to go out into it. What will she learn shut in? Just carry on being bored, probably increase her bad behaviour. I would not get another cat to keep her company if she has been aggressive in the past, she has improved behaviour wise so must like the new life she has with you, even if she isnt the perfect pet yet she is still young and will get better with age.
 
Cats aren't herd animals although it's true they do have a loose social structure which you can see in feral cats. But your cat wouldn't be "tied" to a new cat by blood or friendship so I fear it would go t!ts up very fast! Leave her as the queen of her world and let her start feeling secure. Note also that the Cats Protection League (called something else now) gave me some sound advice when I rescued a starving cat from my previous yard. They said a rescued cat will ALWAYS stay where the food is. I've had my little rescue 6 years now (he was 2-ish when I took him home) and although he will always be very anxious with anyone except me, he comes and goes through the cat flap and has never ever wandered off.
 
My 1st cat is grumpy boy who hates anything and everyone!:o yet although he was very aggressive to neighbours cats he was a brilliant older brother to the 2 subsequent female kittens I took in.
And I recently took in a very feral,mixed up rescue cat from her foster home for a cat rescue organisation- with the She doesnt like other cats,is too timid to live with them etc etc.
All 4 of them get along great! there was the odd spat but nothing major and the resident boy has brought the new girl totally out of her shell( she follows him around rather like a lost sheep:o
And the 4 had a shock this week when I brought home a ferret:eek:
but yet theyve all got over the fact hes a bit whiffy and are getting on with things.

Not all cats are built to live in large groups, some put up with it.
But if your girl is coming home and is only a year old then you could if carefully done introduce a new cat into the home.:)
 
Thanks everyone!

I think you've definately answered my question. We'll keep her as an only cat. I've decided now.

You're quite right - she has settled and is much better, which means she must like the environment she's in now, and changing that after everything she's been through wouldn't be fair. I've just always thought that having one was a bit mean (and generally I've always had more than one, but they were siblings) but I think it might be best for this cat.

In answer to a queston above, yes she's microchipped (and vaccinated etc...had to spend a fortune on her when we first got her as she had cat flu and needed a really long dose of antibiotics, so got everything done at the same time!).

Someone else commented about a starving cat always going where the food is. Well, it's strangely not the case with Midnight (making me wonder whether the starving story was true) and getting her to eat is quite an effort. She was quite underweight when we got her, but she's not greedy at all and regularly leaves more than half her food. My elderly cat that died in December was much much more food orientated.

I do feel sorry for Midnight. She's obviously had it rough and struggles to trust anyone. She doesn't like feet at all, or carrier bags for some reason. One minute she'll let you stroke her and the next she dives on you biting and scratching! But she doesn't really do much damage, so I think it's more playful now - I just wish she'd give us some warning! Got me twice in the face which wasn't good, but she does that less now. She also has the loudest meaow in the world and likes to show her affection at 2am most nights!!!

I actually found her on the cat santuary website, and even the picture they used on there was of her biting someone! Don't know why but fell in love with her there and then, and rang them and asked for her to be reserved for me without even seeing her! When we collected her, as I've mentioned before, she dived at my OH and bit his lip, then sneezed in his face, covering him in cat snot! The rescue centre asked us to look at others, but she still came home with us. And I love her to bits :)

Thanks for your help everyone. I think my main question should have been are cats "herd" animals - do they generally like/need company. But you've answered it anyway, so thank you!!

Here's a pic of the little terror, as a thank you from Midnight!

23012011686.jpg


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:D:D:D
 
amymay said:
From her description - no I wouldn't get another cat. But I would let her out.
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Knew I'd forgotten to mention something in my reply!!

We're slowing letting her out - not every day, just when we know we'll be at home for a good few hours to give us enough time to get her back in. She hasn't got "the run of the house" yet, I just want to see her do less silly things when she is out. I'm not too worried about her coming back now, it's just the way she runs towards cars and dogs and other things!

For something mistreated, she's very brave, or silly, not sure which!!!

PS Sorry pictures are HUGE!!!! DOH!!!!!
 
Some cats just don't like company!

Mine - I've caught him beating up the neigbours cat in their own porch. He does have a little friend at the moment though a very lovely grey cat that seems to have found the soft side of Astro.

I did bring him a friend after his sister died but he would have none of it and my old cat left home when I brought home a friend for her, she cuffed it one and walked out and didn't come home for days - in fact waited until I'd found a new home for the kitten.
 
She's just lovely. And a lucky kitty to have such a caring owner.

I actually have 3 cats, two brothers and a little female. They all get on really well, but are generally placid in nature. But in the case of Midnight I definately think you're making the right decision.
 
Evelyn said:
Some cats just don't like company!

Mine - I've caught him beating up the neigbours cat in their own porch. He does have a little friend at the moment though a very lovely grey cat that seems to have found the soft side of Astro.

I did bring him a friend after his sister died but he would have none of it and my old cat left home when I brought home a friend for her, she cuffed it one and walked out and didn't come home for days - in fact waited until I'd found a new home for the kitten.
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Love the phrase "cuffed it one"!!! I have this vision of it whamming it with a great big paw round the ear!!!

:D
 
amymay said:
She's just lovely. And a lucky kitty to have such a caring owner.

I actually have 3 cats, two brothers and a little female. They all get on really well, but are generally placid in nature. But in the case of Midnight I definately think you're making the right decision.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I think you're right though - best for this one to be kept on her own I think.

If I'm being selfish about it too, Midnight is really good - a very clean cat in all ways and not (yet) too much of a destroyer (my elderley cat used to rip wallpaper, shred the bannister and rip curtains and settees!!!) - Midnight.....well actually she's started to shred the bannister, has tore a chunk of my chest of drawers (damn cheap chipboard covered in pretend wood stuff!!!) and had a little go at wallpaper. Hmmmmmmm rose tinted glasses I'm wearing I think!!!

Bought her some cat bubbles at weekend - they make a mess but she loved them!!! (peach flavoured!) Also bought her a treat ball (like ponies have!) - filled it with treats and it has a little hole for them to fall out when she plays with it. NOT GOT A CLUE!!! Just looks at it and waits for me to roll it and give her the treat :rolleyes:
 
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