Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: angeleyes on October 30, 2009, 20:23:36 PM
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Hi guys, need some advice please.
I am entertaining the idea of getting a kitten friend for Fifi mainly as she is driving me and the buns mad as we can't fulfil her constant need to play.
I have been watching her with the buns in their cage and she keeps sticking her paws through and jumping on top of the cage, i don't think she will hurt them i think she wants to play with them!
She is also crying at the bedroom door most of the night the last few nights as she just wants to play all the time, i have tried letting her sleep in our bedroom but she just paws and harrasses me, it has got to the stage where i am going into work looking like a reck after 4 hours sleep.
OH is reluctant to get another but i think this is the best solution, what do you think?
If we were to get another can they just be put together or do you introduce slowly under specific conditions (again i am comparing to rabbit bonding here). Also is it better to have male/female or female/female?
I just want everyone to be happy so hopefully if she has a friend of her own she won't need so much from us and will leave the buns alone.
What does everyone think? x
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How old is she?
I would get another cat about the same age that is known to get on with cats and would go male and female purrrrsonally.
Introductions should be slow and careful but if they are both very young you may find there are not many issues and they get on together quickly.
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How old is she?
I would get another cat about the same age that is known to get on with cats and would go male and female purrrrsonally.
Introductions should be slow and careful but if they are both very young you may find there are not many issues and they get on together quickly.
She is around 4.5 months
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As Gill says because they will both be young there may not be too many problems but this link has some info on introductions which may be of help: http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,27012.0.html
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Have you tried some new intelligence or solo play toys, maybe that you only put out at night? Something like a SlimCat feeding ball can keep a cat amused for some time, a puppy Kong or you can just hide bits of dry food around the room. Others may disagree (they have more experience!) but I can't see why you can't feed at night if it's active, as long as you don't overfeed in total. There are good ideas on keeping a cat stimulated when you are not around on the Behaviour guide for indoor cats.
Noah likes to do most of his playing at night, and has had lots of fun with a ball of tin foil - if I push the furniture back my living area works well as it's laminate so the ball moves a long way! He also enjoys the Bergan Turbo Track for which you can get a ball that lights up: this was the clip that sold it to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIgdVucDeVU :Luv2:
You can also buy toys that are battery operated such as Panic Mouse and Turbino Ball, but I don't know these are safe to be unsupervised.
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My cats eat at night especia;;y the birmans and have to give them new food suring night cos otherwise Franta hounds me for hours.
A timed feeder may be useful so he gets food at a certain time in the night?
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Do you think she will be ok on her own then maybe with some new toys?
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I honestly dont think the boy/girl thing makes any difference. I have 6 girls and 4 boys
As she is so young it would be nice to add a kitten, she is still young enough to play
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Do you think she will be ok on her own then maybe with some new toys?
It seems to depend on the cat. I adopted two cats from the RSPCA at the same time but who had never lived together. We introduced them slowly, but more by accident that anything :-[ as one hid under the bed for days and the other never left my side! Within six months they were terrorising the neighbours cats as a team! :naughty: I did tell them off, but secretly I was glad they got on so well. With Noah I have now he was tried at the foster home and didn't like dogs or other cats.
You could try different types of toy and if that wasn't enough you could get a kitten in a month or two? The only reason I suggested that was that you said your OH is reluctant, if you try a change of routine and you still feel your kitten needs company, hopefully he will have come round to the idea. :sneaky:
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I'd go for a younger kitten and agree no diff whether you get a boy or a girl, I have 7 girls and 8 boys and they mostly get on fantastic! ;)
Good luck in whatever you decide! ;) :hug:
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Id get something around the same size as her and id get a girl, young boys like to rough and tumble more than girls do.
Is she going to have outdoor access in spring? If OH really isnt keen you will find as she grows up she will calm down the constant need for playtime