With all the time I've been spending at the shelters in my search for Gandalf I'm thinking about adopting a new kitten. Am I crazy for wanting to do this so soon after Gandalf's disapearence? I'm not looking to replace him in anyway, I couldn't if I tried. I'd just like a kitty that is more social then the two kitties I have, one who is in your face and doesn't run from it's shadow.

Max and Sabrina are 1 year old siblings who had a rough start in life and were pretty much kept apart from other kitties at the SPCA where I got them from. While they are loving, they are not very social, are very skittish and hide whenever anyone comes over. They have a very close bond.

So, should I add a kitten? What sex would be most likely to be accepted? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hugs,
Dawn

Hi Dawn!! NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!!! I think it's a fantastic thing for you to do!!!!! Perhaps a new kitten would help Max & Sabrina come out of their shell... sex doesn't matter.

Hugs & good luck!

Pat

Dawn,

Max and Sabrina sound like my LeStat when he was a kitten. He is still skittish around company and fast movements but otherwise he grew into a wonderful, loving, social kitty (mind you, it did take him 10 years). I hope the same happens for your two.

As for a new kitten...make sure it's really what you want before you do it. I know my cats did NOT like the idea of a new kitten in the household when I first brought Riley home and we had a few brawls on our hands. LeStat started peeing around the house (something he had NEVER done before) and neither Kash nor LeStat would even look at me for weeks. They did their best to practicaly kill Riley but she's such a fearless little girl that she took it as being all in good fun and kept coming back for more. As she got older she figured out how to press their buttons and now bugs the heck out of LeStat whenever she's in the mood. (He just rolls his eyes and smacks her a good one:)

Your kitties are so young that they may, in fact, welcome a new addition...it just depends on their personalities and how territorial they are. How did they react to Gandalf? That's probably exactaly the way they will react to a new family member.

Another bit of advice I got Riley because I wanted a lap cat (my two were SO independant that they barely noticed me unless they were hungry or looking for a scratch). Well, my Riley is WONDERFUL but she is even MORE independant than the others were. She will not tolerate being picked up, very rarely wants attention and even when she does it's for two seconds then she's gone, does not care for company, and wouldn't sit on my lap to save her life. You never know what personality will surface as a kitten matures but you love them anyway! The only reason I mention that is because Riley learned most of her independant ways from Kasha and LeStat....a new kitten will learn from Max and Sabrina.

Hope everything works out well if you decide to add a new family member!

Kristie
(Please keep in mind that my experience is with two older cats...your guys are so young they might not mind a new brother or sister in the slightest!)

Hi Dawn, I'm not sure how your babies will be but when my daughter brought a kitten into the house her cats started going potty all over the place too. She had to give the new kitten away and then they got back to normal. But your kitties are real young so maybe there would be no problem. You have to search your heart and see if you really want another baby and if you do there is no reason you should not get one.
Love, Ann

Dawn,

I have a multi cat household. I have never had a problem bringing in kittens. My female cats tend to scold the babies, and their motherly instincts seem to kick in, even if they never had kittens. I have problems bringing in adult cats in to my group. If you do get a kitten take a blanket or towel that your existing cats sleep on and rub the baby with their scent. Your house maybe in turmoil for awhile because, bless their feline hearts, they have to re-establish their pecking order. New kitties always perk up my lazy cats to play......You can get either sex that won't be a problem.. Go with your heart!!

Kim

Dear Dawn,

I think your idea of adopting another kitten is great! You needn't feel that as if are trying to "replace" any other fur baby. You are simply giving a precious little life a second chance. What greater legacy could you leave for little Gandalf?

I'm with Kimberly--I don't think it's critical whether the kitten be made or female. You may want to gradually introduce them, though, rather than simply bringing in the new babe and just immediately putting them together. Allow them to smell each other between a pet gate dividing rooms.

With each new stray or foundling cat we took in (oh, how many!!) , we just went with the expectation that they would all get along and they do!! Once in a great while a couple of the boys will spar, but nothing serious. Ideally, though, it's better to do it gradually.

Who knows? Perhaps that wayward Gandalf will appear again out of the blue and you'll be saying, "Okay, Dude, you have a new brother/sister! Things happen when you're not around!

Dawn, I hope with all my heart that Gandalf returns but your contemplating rescuing a kitten is a fabulous idea.

Good luck!

Love,

--Susan
~ a voice for the voiceless ~

Dawn... the others brought me to my senses! LOL!!! Smidge and Taz weren't too happy with Solo when she got home. BUT, please note that all my remarks wer past tense. She's home 8 weeks now and we have pure harmony. She torments Smidge (he loves it, though) and Taz let's her bite his fat belly!!

It may be a bit frantic in the beginning, but it'll get better. Like Kristie, Taz is 13 and Smidge is 10, so introducing a kitten to kittens may be a joy!!

Oh GET THE KITTEN!! It'll most definitely make you smile!

Thank you all for the replies. Gandalf was at the top of the kitty heirarchy in my house since I had him a month before I brought the other two home. He knew he was the boss but he didn't push the issue with the others.

I know that bringing a new baby into the household is not going to be without problems. Potty in inappropriate places would not be new..... Had that problem with both Max and Sabrina about a month after I brought them home. I'm happy to say that it has stopped and it has been months since they've had a problem. It could be that they figured out the doggie door and prefer to go outside. I have litterboxes but they don't use them much anymore.

Sabrina is now the boss since Max is a big wuss, but Thor rules all. In my cat and dog world the 80 pound lab rules over the 5 pound cats. It would be my hope that a new baby would be accepted since the others are somewhat secure in their positions. I know that if Gandalf ever comes home he'd accept the new one with as much warmth as he accepted Max and Sabrina. Gandalf was always happy with Sabrina and Max...... Sabrina isn't always happy with everyone else.

I'll keep you updated on my decision.

Hugs,
Dawn