Re: Thinking about adopting

"Stan Brown" wrote

Hi Stan!  You got lots of good advice there but I'll add the one
disclaimer 
on the second cat.  Not all cats are happy having a second cat.    My cat 
Daisy (also a rescue kitty like you are contemplating) is an 'only cat'
sort 
but she's real happy to have a dog companion.  Odd I know, but thats how
she 
is.

One way to tell a good match is if there is a second cat in his cage with 
him.  He's apt to like having a second cat around.  Good pick would be
that 
second cat in with him already.

Generic advice, if he seems to get along with other cats but there isnt
one 
in the cage with him, try a second that is female first.  More apt to get 
along.  You can test this at the facility.

Very good chance the rescue facility already has tested the cat for 
compatibility with other pets.  Ask.  Daisy for example would select the 
farthest part of her cage, from any other cats nearby (we didnt notice at 
first but they showed us).  She doesnt fight with other cats if they leave

her alone, but she will not tolerate others in her area and tends to be 
terratorial.  Conversely though, she sleeps *on* our dog and does the
mutual 
butt-sniffing with him.

No, I'm not suggesting a dog.  You can't have one indoors for all day and 
have a happy dog, nor is just leaving them out in the yard going to solve 
anything (short of a farm, this can be abusive to do).  My husband is 
retired so always has someone around to take him out, minus the short 
occasional times when we all go shopping (he's crate trained for those few

times).

Daisy would have been fine as a lone cat during the day if we had no dog. 
Her nature leads to it better than a second cat.