Older Cat, New Kitten

Orange cats are wonderful! All I can say it is a crap shoot....you won't
know until you try it. As I posted before, I got a male orange kitten when
I already had a 14 year old. I was told beforehand, that the older cat
would be better off as an only cat...he is very territorial. He did live
with another cat until he was about 12 but the 2 of them never really got
along. I didn't listen to the advice I got (don't get another cat) and
decided to get a kitten and give it a try. Like I said, the 2 of them
aren't best friends (I never expected them to be) but they get along well
enough.

Another thing you may want to consider is to get 2 kittens. Then the 2 will
play together and leave the older cat alone (hopefully!).

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Sue
wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyway, what is my point? It is just that I don't think you can tell
how
two cats are going to get along, and the best you can do is pick a
kitten
whose temperament you like (color should probably be less important)

Sadly, the color issue seems to be a big deal to the girlfriend. I
think its a sentimental issue because of a former cat of hers. Oh
well...

Thanks for the advice all.

Gideon

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 07:35:57 -0800, gideonf wrote:

I have a beloved older male cat, Dickson, who's about 12. He's
been on his own for about 3 years, since his mother died. [...]
My girlfriend really wants to get a new kitten.

A kitten may not be the best idea with a senior cat. Basically, the
kitten will have way too much energy for the older cat, and how both of
them cope with the rambunctiousness will be a primary determinant of
their relationship. An adult companion is probably a better idea.

From some reading on the 'net, I understood that we would have fewer
adjustment problems if the kitten were a female. Is that true?

No. Personality matters much more than gender. This is another reason to
prefer an adult companion, with known traits, when the constraints are
known (i.e. that there is already a senior cat in the house). Personality
is often a crapshoot with kittens.

I introduced a loner kitten to a loner adult cat (not old enough to be a
senior, but saddled with a serious health issue). It actually worked out
quite well, but I'd hesitate to draw lessons.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...751&uid=514878