I want to get another cat....?

Question

i have a 2 yr old female, de-clawed, fixed cat. she is VERY spoiled. my neighbors just got a kitten (7 weeks old) and i brought it over to my house for her to see it and so i could monitor how she would react. she liked it at first and was sniffing it for a min or two but then she hissed at it and pawed at it...im not sure if this is regular behavior for a cat or not...

i really want to get her a friend. she is at home while i am at work all day and i feel bad for her....granted she's been this way for 2 years now, and i've always wanted to get her a friend but i wanted to wait until after i got settled in an apartment before i got another one. the only reason why i got her (sadie ;-D) was because my uncle in law was abusing her when she was not even 3 weeks old. he would kick her against the wall and such...not a good person...

so i took her in because he was going to take her to the DOG shelter at just 5 weeks old...not even old enough to be taken away from her mom...

i absolutely LOVE her to death and i ONLY want the BEST for her.

does anyone have any ideas on how or if i should get her a buddy? if so, should it be around the same age or younger/older...i would probably get a male that was neutered just so she wouldnt feel threatened by another female...

so yea-im open for all sorts of ideas or advice to help me make my decision! :-D

i want the upmost happiness for her...if she is one who wants to be by herself, then i will sobeit...but im not sure if this is what she wants since she has not experienced being around another cat.

Answer 1

this cat of yours prob does not even need a buddy, or, you could let her roam outside like my cat

Answer 2

go to a shelter and see if the cat likes any other cats and a animal shelter because 70% of cats at animal shelters are put to sleep

Answer 3

Honestly I'd say to hold off. She had a rough start to life (good on you for saving her but a POX on your uncle in law) and bringing in a new cat may upset her and make her feel insecure. Cats aren't like dogs in that they need or want companionship from another cat. That's just my 2 cents, ultimately it's up to you.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

PS - I just reread and saw the bit about de-clawing. *sigh* That is mutilation. In the light of that, I really would suggest not getting another cat because you're going to want to do that to the new cat too.

UPDATE - (OK no, you don't still live at home)  Do NOT get another kitten if you're going to de-claw it. Do you understand that the nails can grow back in a way that is excruciating for the cat? And de-clawing is rare outside the USA, in fact in many countries it's illegal as it's considered animal cruelty. I'm sorry to be blunt but that's the way it is. Even if you don't declaw, the de-clawed cat will be at a disadvantage so you've pretty much stuffed yourself there.

Australia

In Australia, legislation concerning animal welfare is enacted at the state level and is highly inconsistent. There are ongoing efforts to develop a National Animal Welfare Act; in its current state, the bill would prohibit the declawing of cats except for medical reasons. However, some pro-wildlife campaigners advocate declawing (and possibly defanging) to protect native wildlife from pet cats.

[edit] Europe

In many European countries the practice is forbidden under the terms of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals[6] , unless there is a medical indication for the procedure, or a veterinarian considers it beneficial to the animal.

Some European countries go further, such as Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland[7], where declawing cats for non-medical reasons is always illegal under their laws against cruelty to animals.

[edit] United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, declawing was outlawed by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which explicitly prohibited "interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of the animal, otherwise than for the purposes of its medical treatment".[8]

Even before the 2006 Act, however, declawing was extremely uncommon, to the extent that most people had never seen a declawed cat. The procedure was considered cruel by almost all British vets, who refused to perform it except on medical grounds. The Guide to Professional Conduct of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons stated that declawing was "only acceptable where, in the opinion of the veterinary surgeon, injury to the animal is likely to occur during normal activity. It is not acceptable if carried out for the convenience of the owner ... the removal of claws, particularly those which are weight bearing, to preclude damage to furnishings is not acceptable."[9]

ANOTHER UPDATE - "it wasn't my fault" Hon, it's your cat and it was declawed. So as far as I'm concerned, it's on you. I'm not being hostile but if you want smoke blown up your backside go someplace else, I'm giving you information based on what you've told me. And I'm sorry, if you get another cat that you don't de-claw (as you shouldn't) didn't it occur to you that your de-clawed kitty may be at a disadvantage? Because she will want to guard her territory, cats are very territorial, like it or not. I have no doubt whatsoever that you love your cat and regret the de-clawing. My point is that what's done is done and you now have to live with the consequences. As does your cat who had no choice. (you did no matter what you say)

Again, I'm sorry if you think this is harsh but it's also reality. And BTW saying "you've stuffed yourself there" is the same as saying "you've limited your options."

Answer 4

It is a very good idea for you to get her a friend! Kittens are always better in pairs anyway. A shelter cat would be very grateful and they will always come home already spayed or neutered. Generally with kittens it doesn't matter what gender they are with regards to how they will react to each other. Your cat may be dominant towards a female or a male. Either way your best bet is to get a cat the is around her age or a little younger. Trust me, its the cutest thing to see two kitties rough and tumble around! If you adopt from a shelter you will have saved three lives: your current kitten's, the kitten's you adopt, and the kitten who will be picked up off the street and take the place of the kitten you adopt. It is always a good thing to socialize kitties too. If you don't do it while they are young they could grow up to be intolerant of other cats/animals. Cats are social creatures so don't worry about her not wanting a friend. They love to groom eachother, eat together, sleep together... I even have two kittens that used the litterbox together once! Visit http://www.Meow-Kitty.com/adopt2kittens....