Separating 2 cats
 

Hi all,

I apologize if this is the wrong forum to ask but I just wanted to get some opinions on separating 2 cats from each other. First though, a little background:

My girlfriend and I purchased our cat about 2 1/2 years ago. The three of us had lived on our own until about 8 months ago. At that time we decided to move into my parents basement to save a little extra money before buying a house. We were worried at first as my parents also have a cat of about 3-4 years old. At first the cats kept their distance, and hissed alot. After a couple of months they began chasing each other around the house, and seemed to get along very well. This process worked great until Christmas time when my parents decided to purchase a puppy. My cat has had quite a tough time getting used to the dog, and normally remains downstairs while the other cat remains upstairs. When the puppy leaves for the weekend, my cat will normally play with the other cat. Every once in a while (twice a week or so), they will play with each other at night as well when the dog sleeps in another room.

Well the time has come for my girlfriend and I to leave my parents house. We don't mind, but my biggest fear is my cat missing the other cat. So here are my questions:

1 - Is there a possibility that my cat will be really sad? They have not been together for their whole life, but seem to get along quite well.

2 - Are there any tips for helping the cat become happy again? She is a very energetic cat, so it would be painful to see her sad.

3 - A friend of ours wants to get rid of his cat. I realize that all cats are different, but should we consider getting her a new companian? This cat would not be temporary and we'd have it for the rest of its life.

Anyways thanks for any help/advice anyone can give us!!

Adam

[QUOTE]1 - Is there a possibility that my cat will be really sad? They have not been together for their whole life, but seem to get along quite well.

2 - Are there any tips for helping the cat become happy again? She is a very energetic cat, so it would be painful to see her sad.

3 - A friend of ours wants to get rid of his cat. I realize that all cats are different, but should we consider getting her a new companian? This cat would not be temporary and we'd have it for the rest of its life.[/QUOTE]

First off welcome to the forum:)

Here's my opinion on the questions three
1 - Your cat will likely be sad for a few days to a week or 2.
2 - YES YES YES. Play and interact with your cat more during this period of transition. Massages, pettings, feather on string games etc.
3 - Hmmm this is the toughest of the 3 questions and I'd love it if other members would chime in. I think if you are prepared to adopt that other cat for life, then yes you should consider it. The timing is the issue. I might wait 1-3 weeks before adopting that new cat, just so it has time to deal with the 'loss' of its current friend. :2cents:
Hope that helps
Marko

Oh yes, your kitty will miss her companion and Marko has given you some great advice for the transition to your new place.

As for number 3, well as you know with cats, there is never any guarantees that two cats will get along. How well do you know your friend's cat? Do you know if your friend's cat is social or territorial? How old is your cat and your friend's cat? I personally have found that males (indoor ones) are more social than females, however that is not always the case.

Of course there are things you can do to help increase the success of the intros with new cats and that is to be slow and patient.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks for the advice!

I kind of figured that our cat would be sad, but was worried about it being too much. I really didn't think that they would end up getting along as much, so I never really imagined that I would be worried about separtatign them! But I also can't live in my parents house for another 10+ years :). I think that we pay alot of attention to our cat, so I think that we will still be able to make her happy. It seems to only be at night that the cats play together and most other times she is playing/sleeping with us.

As for the potential new cat, I am quite sure it is female as well, and aroudn the same age (give or take 1 year younger). This cat also lives with another cat, and is quite wild like our own (the other sleeps most of the time). We both thought it might be a good idea to have our cats together since they are both quite playful. The timing point is a really good idea. I think we should settle in first, show her the new surroundings, and then bring a new cat into her life.

Thanks again, and any other adivce, please let me know.

Adam

I just thought of something else.

My cat seems to be the more dominant one, and more active. The other cat is the household is much more passive and could probably sleep most of the day.

The new cat we are brininging in seems to be very similar to our cat.

Will this cause problems? i.e. having two similar dominant playful cats in the same house?

thank you again!

In my experience, it's hard to tell which cat will be the more dominant one; this is something that the cats usually figure out by themselves.
Usually they work things out after the initial period of transition. Sometimes they become friends, sometimes not, but usually, they work it out in some way so that if they don't become great friends they at least tolerate each other.

There is no way of knowing how they will be. It really depends on first impressions. Your kitty that is more dominant may not even challenge the other kitty. They have their own body language that they are reading off each other when they first meet.

Perhaps your kitty will enjoy having a kitty that is more active.

Welcome to the forum. Hope you stick around. And ummmmm, we like pics here!!

Sooooo, my :2cents: ........ Couple of things that have not been touched on yet.

Along with taking your kitty away from her playmate (congrats btw on the new digs!) she is moving into a new house she is not familiar with. The best thing you can do for her is to start her off in her new home in one room. Then slowly over the next few days let her start to wander the other rooms. Just make sure she is comfortable in her room first before stressing her further by taking her to other rooms. This is a big step. For you guys and for her!! It is best to take baby steps at first.

Secondly, and also my opinion; others may disagree, you are moving to a new home. You could get the other kitty at the same time you move. Put the new kitty in the same situation as your kitty. Give her her own room for a few days, let her get comfy, remember she is being uprooted from what she knows too and be patient. Do not let them see each other! This way your kitty may think that the other kitty came with her new digs.

I am including a site that has been invaluble to a lot of people. It has many, many good tips and suggestions.

[url]http://www.squidoo.com/multi-cat-management[/url]

Good luck. Keep us informed!! :thumbs up

I think you are right on, 14+, with getting the cat at the same time as the move. New territory for both so they won't have any pre-territorial issues.,:thumbs up

Hi all,

Sorry to bump up an old topic. We've finally moved in and are getting settled by unpacking and stuff. Our cat is taking the move well, but I am quite sure she missed her old friend. Every once in a while she lets out a loud meow which I think means "Play with me". I used to hear the two cats chase each other after this meow would occur. But I could be wrong as well, and it may just be a cry for attention. Anyone know?

I mentioned earlier that we were thinking of adopting a friends cat. It looks like the cat is not "fixed" and it will cost us $200 to do this. We are checking to see if he will do it first, but I highly doubt it. If he doesn't, should we consider adopting a kitten, so that it may grow into playing with our current cat, or should I take my chances with an adult cat and hope they get along?

Thanks!

I have a solution for you. If you cannot get this cat that your friend is 'getting rid of' why not foster a cat from a rescue group or shelter? This way you can help save a life and also see how your cat interacts with a new cat.

If your cat happens to love your foster....then you can ask to adopt.:thumbs up