# Advice on second kitty, please



## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Cinderella saw another cat on our porch and I thought she was going to bust through the screen on the window! She wasn't hissing and her fur wasn't raised, she just looked very, very curious. Now, for the first time ever since I've had her, she goes to that window and meows and meows. Do you think she wants a friend? The place I rescued her from had a house full of all kinds of animals, and the reason her captor kept her in the bathroom 24/7 was that the other animals picked on her and ate her food.

But here's an ad that caught my eye this morning:

_*5 Month old Kitten For Adoption-Gray Striped with Yellow Eyes*_


_She was my sisters kitten and now my sister is very ill and can't take care of her, I need to find her a good home. Her Name is Keesh and she is a Indoor ONLY kitten. 

She comes from the Helen Woodward Center in Rancho Santa Fe, she's microchipped, has all her shots, no fleas, she's very very lovable and purrs all day. Loves older cats, and never has any poppsies anywhere but the litter box. 

If you would like to adopt Keesh, plesae email me. Thank you so much. _


Your thoughts?

Thanks! 


edited to add picture:

Here's a picture (not a great one) of Keesh:


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## carolsclan (Jun 28, 2006)

I personally think most cats prefer a friend .... of my 10 only 1 doesnt get on with the rest.

Mine sleep together, play together and its a joy to watch them.... some bonds are closer than others.

A 5 month old kitty isnt such a baby anymore , but is going to be lively , how old is cindarella?

I doubt you will have a problem. Have fun and try and stop after two :wink:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Cinderella just turned 4 years old.


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## carolsclan (Jun 28, 2006)

You will be fine ..Tucker my ginger tabby is 4 and is still a hooligan he loves the kittens 8)


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

Please don't take this the wrong way but it looks like Cinderella has managed to convert you to the multi-cat club!

:lol:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

:fust 

I knew I'd hear things like that! :lol:


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

I'm caving too - Mac is getting a friend at the end of the month! 

I have heard (anecdotally from shelter workers, vets, etc.)

1. Opposite sex pairs have an easier time settling in.
2. Female resident cats are generally more territorial than male residents.
3. Female-female pairings can be trickier than male-male, with male-female being the easiest.
4. You will need 1 litterbox for each cat + 1 = 3 for 2 cats
5. You will need a lockable room to separate the cats (initially)


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

How old is Mac and what kind of kitty are you getting?


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

Mac will be 4 (going on 3 months) in January (according to the vet.) We're getting another adult male (hopefully, if introductions go well) - about 5 years old but cat friendly according to the shelter. 

Mac did almost the same thing as Cinderella - he was introduced to our upstairs neighbours cat and kept trying to approach her but she wanted nothing to do with him! After they moved away he whimpered by the hallway door for about a month and a half!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

sefaleth said:


> 3. Female-female pairings can be trickier than male-male, with male-female being the easiest.


Well, apparently I'm doing the trickiest pairing.  

Plus, I don't have a separate room, unless I keep the kitty in the bathroom at first.


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

Figured you could share my groundbreaking, completely unverified anectdotal research!  On the kitten front, people have told me that kittens are harder to introduce to older cats because they are too rambunctious, AND, easier to introduce because of maternal instincts. Go figure.

We actually thought about putting the new kitty in the bathroom - but we're moving into a bigger place, hence the timing.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

That's so funny, because that's when* I *was going to get a new kitty, too!

The place where I live is on the market, but not ONE PERSON has asked to see it in over two months (it's very overpriced - even after they dropped the price $100,000). 

Well, perhaps I should wait.


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

If you're adopting from an individual, maybe you could work out a trial introduction, to see if they hit it off famously? Hope everything works out for you.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks! So far, I just saw the ad and thought I'd ask for advice.


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## DesnBaby (Apr 18, 2004)

Cute kitty, I hope you get her!  :wink:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Well, she currently lives with a 4-year old female cat, so that's a good sign. I'm concerned about having to kitty-proof my place. Cinderella doesn't chew on any cords, doesn't get back into small places, doesn't climb my curtains, etc. But I guess if I want her, that's just something I'll have to deal with.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I think Cinderella and you will be very happy with a new member of the family. Just do the slow introduction routine!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Well, my place is very small - no bedroom door. But a friend is bringing in two baby-gates to work tomorrow (so I can put one on top of the other) in my bedroom doorway) in case I need them. I just hate the thought of putting the kitty in the bathroom - only because that's where my baby was kept for so many months. I know lots of people do it, but I just associate it with a horrible thing. 

The woman who has the cat asked if I had a problem with the $25 fee and I told her no, because I'm sure she had to pay more than that for the kitty with being spayed and all and this is what she wrote:

_All the money I have put into Keesh's well being has been paid back to me in the amount of love she has shown me and my sister. _

She's coming from a good home.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

What a sweet kitty! I also think you'll all to just great!  
It's probably better to keep the kitten in the bathroom at first. It's recommended that they only smell eachother but not actually see eachother, at first so the baby gates wouldn't really work for that purpose. It really depends on how your resident cat reacts to the kitten so you'll need to judge that. I have just moved cats in without any of the introduction rules and it's always worked out fine but it is riskier.
When I got Nanook, he was 6 weeks (poor little thing) and Little-one was 5 years old, I did keep him in the bathroom for about 24 hours but, luckily, they hit it off right away so it was a very short introduction period. It wasn't until Nanook hit about 5 mos that there was some hissy-spitty behavior. I think he was just trying to assert himself and Little-one didn't appriciate it. That lasted a couple of weeks and now they are best buds again. Oh, and they are both boys!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks, that makes me feel better. I think I'm more concerned about hurting Cinderella's feelings, but she's seemed so needy lately, and meowing out that window, maybe this will work out. Really only one way to find out, right?


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## Domino (Dec 4, 2005)

Awesome! I'd love to have another cat, but Frida would never accept a new kitty. I regret not getting like five cats when I first got her. :roll: Good luck!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Have you tried or do you just know?


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## Domino (Dec 4, 2005)

Oh, I just know she would hate it. Just today I got some little turtles and she is so scared she doesn't want to go into the room where they are. But anyway, whenever she has seen other cats (at the vet, etc.) she hisses at them. I live under her dictatorship. :lol:


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

> Really only one way to find out, right?


Yup.
But just be perpared that it may not go so smoothely. If it doesn't, you'll need to be patient and most importantly (I think) calm. In some cases it can take several weeks or even a few months for cats to bond so don't panic if it isn't love at first sight. But I hope it is.
Good luck!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I just knew you were gonna get sucked in :lol: :lol: :lol: 

She may take to the new kitten really well. But then again she may not (at first)...being in her house is very different than being outside. But the fact that she was interested in the cat outside rather than being upset is a good sign that it will work out. So be prepared for her to be upset and not want to bother with you for a while, but I think it should be fine in a couple weeks (or sooner). 

Keesh looks very cute....


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Well, I heard from her owner today and Keesh has all her medical records, plus she has a free vet coupon and free boarding coupon. The Helen Woodward Center (where she got Keesh) is probably the best animal facility in Southern California. She doesn't have any bad "kitty" habits like chewing on cords or climbing curtains (although I know that means nothing when moving into a new place), and she's been living with a female 4-year old cat (same as Cinderella). She loves the furry mice and will play fetch with them. I'm going to meet her on Saturday and see what I think. If things *really* don't work out, HWC will gladly take her back and re-home her. In fact, that's what they prefer. But I have a good feeling about this - yes, I know it may take time. :wink:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

So you know she's coming home with you on Saturday right? Better have the house ready for her before you leave :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Red carpet? Caviar?


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

At the very least! And a spotlight to highlight the occasion, of course.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Of course! :wink:


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## carolsclan (Jun 28, 2006)

Drat ... now I get the baby kitty urge ...sigggggghhhhhhhhh....

Be strong !!!! How many times have I nearly landed up in the emergency ward ???? think of the mud!!!

8O


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Every time I think about what someone posted a few weeks ago that getting a second cat was the biggest mistake of her life, I get a little queasy. 8O But I think it's worth a try. _I hope._


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## Sunshine'sMeowmie (Jul 12, 2006)

I hope everything goes smooth. Keesh is a very pretty keety. :luv please keep us updated. long wait, huh?


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

I wouldn't worry too much. I've have had cats all my life and never had a problem with a new introduction. It can happen, of course, but more often than not, it works out just fine. Think positive thoughts! One thing I am sure of is if you are nervous about it your cat will pick up on that and it could make her nervous too. It sounds like all the signs with Cinderella are positive so I think the chances are very good that they'll get on well.
We're all pulling for ya!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks, everyone.  

My landlady called me today and said I wasn't supposed to have a cat. So she's going to raise my rent AND ask for a pet deposit. I told her I have a two-page addendum of "cat rules" and that the ad, which I still have, says cats allowed, but no dogs. It was her sister's property and she, sadly, passed away about 5 days after I moved in. So she and her husband took over all her sister's properties. I've been here 5 months and now she's pulling this stuff? It's really o.k., because it's soooo tiny (yes, I know I mention that all the time), but seriously. There's no bedroom door because once you put the bed in, you wouldn't be able to close or open it, so it was taken off the hinges years ago. No counters in the kitchen. It's a granny-flat (in-law house) (a mini-house built behind a regular house) and very over-priced, but I was deperate to get out of where I was living before. But I digress.

Yes, I'm still getting Keesha (I'm going to call her _Keesha_ - just rolls off the tongue easier) on Saturday. And all three of us can go through the move together. I'm so looking forward to getting her and I hope Cinderella just feels excitement vibes! :jump


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

What a drag. But, if it says you can have cats in your lease, even a new owner can't change the rules. She can only have a no petpolicy or take pet deposits for new tenants.
I'm glad you're getting her anyway.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Unfortunately, she thinks she can now name any amount of deposit and any increase in rent. But the guys in the main house moved out three months ago, so I'm her only income. She's an idiot if she forces the issue, because then she'll have two empty houses and NOBODY interested in buying. And the guys were paying more than twice the rent I was. 

I was really depressed at work, but on the way home, I figured, it's a new adventure. She doesn't have the power to ruin my life. Not my month, my week, my day, my HOUR! My baby was waiting at home for me, so we just started looking at rental ads. O.K., she was purring, I was reading.  

This is such a solvable problem (moving!) compared to people with *real *issues - health, family, babies, etc., even some on this Forum. I have no right to whine.

Just think - if I hadn't taken this little hole of a place, I wouldn't have been able to rescue Cinderella (or she, me), so I figure...life goes on. Good things come from change, not inertia, right. :cool 

(I'll probably wake up tomorrow thinking, oh, crap, I have to move again, then I'll re-read this and laugh at how stupidly optimistic I sounded.) :?


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

You go, girl!! :thumb


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Oh, yeah! Let's hear it for stupidly optimistic! :wink: 


(seriously, thanks for the support)


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

Heeheehee - whine away! Pet deposits/fee/rents have been my pet whine for the last month. 

Hang in there! I know it seems like a lot of hassle and risk, but it's really not that bad. 

Leases are binding for the landlord as well as the tenant- she can't just arbitrarily up the rent from what is stated in the lease. Usually, most boilerplate leases that independent landlords use have a provision where they may do that, but they must give you adequate notice (usually a month, but stated in the lease), or something like that - it'd be worth checking over your lease.

Verbal agreements are practically useless -I think Georgia is the only place where they're even allowed as far as tenant/landlord issues go- so anything she says over the phone won't hold up against your cat addendum if she wants to push the issue. 

Get her to submit everything in writing, and submit all of your requests in writing, too. Don't know how familiar you are with renting, but you will probably need to submit written notice of intention to vacate. Send it certified, because if you're going to leave on not-so-good terms, well... 
Also, have them walk through your apartment with you and sign an apartment condition checklist when you leave so there are no questions about your security deposit. If they're anti-cat, I wouldn't put it past them to arbitrarily ding your deposit for imagined damage.

If things seem particularly bad, or if she makes threats, remember this:

1. Landlords can only proceed with legal action if they have cause (she doesn't, because you have a cat addendum on your lease.)
2. She must file suit, which costs money - probably too much money to make it worth her while over pet rent. Probably even real rent, unless you're paying an unusually large amount.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice.  

Because the owner died a few days after I moved in, I'm just renting month-to-month, so technically she could up the rent. And she's saying because I didn't have the cat when I moved in, that I wasn't allowed to get one later. That's just stupid. The ad (which was on Craigslist and I still have a copy of) says cats are allowed. The rental agreement says nothing about any extra rent in case I get a cat later. The boys in the front house snuck a dog in, and when the owner found out, she didn't increase their rent or make them put down a pet deposit. But, then again, that was the woman who passed away, who was, from what the boys told me, wonderful. I'm dealing with her money-grubbing sister. :? 

But, seriously, I will gladly move. I want to live in an adult, full-size home. This Malibu-Barbie house has GOT to go! :lol:


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## sefaleth (Mar 8, 2006)

Happy house hunting! We found the greatest place where the landlord is a cat-lover too! It's kind of liberating, isn't it?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I am excited to be looking, but in San Diego, it's SOOOO expensive. I guess I'm paying for the purrfect weather. :lol:


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Don't forget to get a spare bedroom--just in case someone in a colder area--oh, let's say "Pennsylvania," just to pick a state at random...would really love to come visit for a few months....








(This is not a bribe.  )


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

You got it! 


Edited to add: Eukanuba Kitten Chicken & Rice Formula is what Keesha's eating right now - any opinions? (I posted this in Health & Nutrition, but no one has responded and I need to decide what to buy in the next day or two.) 

thanks!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I'm using Nutro Max for Nina. She likes dry food better than canned. However, you can get Nutro pouches or cans (wet food) for kittens or cats. Nutro has a great reputation, and has no ground corn or by-products. Blueberry is eating Fancy Feast, (and only*one* flavor) simply because he won't eat anything else! :roll: I would recommend Nutro products, personally. 

Of course, there are other good brands on the market. You have to check the ingredients.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Thanks, Jeanie.

Yes, Cinderella (diva!) is down to two flavors of Fancy Feast - they're the two seafood *in gravy *flavors - tuna and salmon, I think.

But she *loves* the 9 Lives Tuna with Egg Bits and Tuna with Cheese Bits - it's 95% real tuna and that's the first ingredient on the can. I'm trying to mix in the food she won't eat with the tuna, but she's too smart for that.

I looked on line at the food Keesha eats now, and the first ingredient is broth, I think, so I thought I'd ask. I think I'll start with Nutro, although her owner said she'll eat ANYTHING, she's a demon with food. I may have to stop free-feeding Cinderella if she eats her food, too. 8O


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## Azurah (Jun 29, 2006)

Momo, who initially wouldn't eat any dry food, likes Nutro Max dry in Roasted Chicken flavor and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul. Our new cat eats any dry food and doesn't seem to like wet yet. We started Momo on Innova Evo cans which she really didn't like, but we kept it up until she put on weight and now we feed cans of Nutro Natural Choice Indoor Formula in Chicken & Rice instead of the Evo. 

I heard something about picky cats liking Nutro Max dry and it was true in my experience.  

Momo was rail-thin and malnourished when we adopted her. Now she's getting kinda fat. She hardly looks like my avatar picture anymore, her face has filled out a lot since then.

Our new cat is rail-thin and malnourished and we're trying to fatten him up as well.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Marie, from what I understand, tuna is not the best food for cats, although they like it. Sometimes people will put tuna juice on a fussy cat's food to encourage it to eat.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

But it's *cat food *tuna.....9 Lives. Still bad? I mostly give her the Fancy Feast and her dry food. But I trust you, so I'll stop.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Yes, even cat food. It sometimes causes yellow fat disease. In kittens it could cause a urinary tract problem. A taste now and then is ok, but not too often or too much. Thank goodness my Precious and Blueberry did not like fish flavored cat food, because I learned this only a couple of years ago. And, as I said, Nina likes dry food--mostly.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

O.K., Jeanie, thanks. I appreciate it. I'm still learning. I was at the Humane Society today (apparently they won't _put down _ex-boyfriends!), and they said they would take all my food my cats won't eat, so I guess I'll add the tuna to that box.


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