Getting another cat...

Question

Right now I have a 4 month old male Bengal kitten. I want another cat to keep him company...should I get a new kitten or would I be better off getting a cat roughly his age & size? Male or female?

Any answers would be great, thanks!

Answer 1

We just brought in a new female kitten to be a friend for our 2 year old male resident cat.  From what I have been told you should be fine with a cat the same age or younger.  I was also told that it is a good idea to get the opposite s*x from your resident cat which we did.  Cats are very territorial so we have had a lot of hissing and fighting but it has been getting better since our cat has been realizing it is not being replaced.  With a 4 month old resident cat you shouldnt have as much of a problem as we did since your kitten is still very young.

Answer 2

im no expert but i have 2 male cats around the same age as each other and they are ok  together.. & i put them together when they were like 6years old so i guess doing it from kitten would be easier..  

Answer 3

I would get a female close to his age. Definitely at least 12 weeks old. Make sure they're both fixed.

If you haven't brought the kitten into your home yet, when you see him next wipe him or her down with a towel and bring it home with you.  Set it very casually on the floor, and let your cat approach it, (don't bring your cat to the towel like you're showing him, let him find it on his own).  If you have plenty of time in advance, then leave the towel around for several days, and even bring more towels with the kittens’ scent.  Place them several places in the house, in the same way you “planted” the first one.  It may also be helpful to rub your cat down with a towel also and bring it to the kitten.

When it’s time for the kitten to come home for the first time, as you are distracting your resident cat, have a friend, (someone who doesn’t live with you) bring the kitten in and place him or her in a room with the door closed.  Also ask your friend to get the food and water dishes and the litter box set up in the closed room.  Include toys and a bed, (or just a box with towels).  The litter box should be in the opposite side of the room from the food, water and bed.  DO NOT set up the kittens room before you bring him or her home.  This will only confuse your cat.  The point is to make your older cat think that the kitten suddenly, (and magically!) appeared, without your knowledge.

Your cat will approach the door and pick up on the scent of the kitten.  Don’t get discouraged or worried if you hear some hissing and growling, as this is very common.  For the first couple days, spend a limited time in the room with the kitten and make sure to give your resident cat plenty of affection, even more than usual.

Cats are very territorial animals, and this is why you don’t want him to see the kitten as an intruder that YOU brought home and shoved in his face.  Cats are very much creatures of habit and routine, so when his routine is disrupted, don’t be surprised if he becomes very angry.  You must be the judge of when they should meet face-to-face, but don’t push things too quickly, it may take a few days of sniffing each other under the door before they have settled down.  When you believe they have calmed down and are ready, casually open the door a few inches.  Remember, you are being nonchalant about this; do not force them on each other.  You should pick a time after both cats have just eaten; feed them a treat that you know they will love, (like some of their favorite cooked meat).  They will be content and their bellies will be full, so they’re less likely to want to exert a lot of energy in a cat fight.  Supervise them and don’t be surprised if the older cat swats at or fights with the kitten.  Don’t step in and separate them unless someone’s getting hurt worse than just a scratch on the nose. The kitten will probably retreat into his or her room at which time you should close the door.  Increase the time you allow them to interact each day.  Don’t leave them together unattended until you are confident that they comfortable with each other.  Be patient.  It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but if all goes well they will soon become the best of friends.

Extra tip: to ease the initial tension of introduction, rub each cat down with brewer's yeast powder. Brewer's yeast is available in natural food stores. It's all natural, full of vitamin B, and will actually go good for the cats to l**k it off. The smell of the brewers yeast helps disguise the foreign odors and each cat will basically smell the same. Don't use anything like baby powder because the talc isn't good for the cat to breathe or ingest. You should use the same grooming tools (combs, brushes, towels, mitts) on both cats to transfer their scents to one another.

Good luck!