Since you aren't going until April, I would get the new cat right away.

I think it's only fair to warn you that the cats may take quite a while to
become adjusted to each other, so you need to allow for that. It took
weeks (seemed like months at the time!) for Mandy and Betsy to get on. I
kept one in the bathroom when I wasn't at home, and let them 'get
aquainted' when I was home. I nearly gave up because of the fights. When I
talked about it to the vet, she told me not to attempt to referee cat
battles, but just to ensure they had safe places to hide and let them
settle their own differences. It worked. I think the companionship they
have was worth the initial settling-in problems, but you need time to
allow for the problems, too.

I usually have a friend come in like you do when I have to be away, but
when I had to travel after I got Mandy but before I got Betsy, I left her
with friends rather than leave her in the house alone. Absolute saints,
they were, too, since Mandy went into heat unexpectedly, just before her
spay date which was just after I got home. They kept her in, even though
she is an extremely determined and loud and mouthy cat at the best of
times. I can just imagine what she was like in heat. I *asked* about
earlier spaying, too, but it was 'Oh, Doctor doesn't like spaying them too
young.' She was 6 months old. Oh, well, no harm done.

Thats about 6 months for a new cat to settle in - can't see a problem there.
And I'm sure Lindy will appreciate the company.

Yowie

I would get two littermates, young ones. Seriously. They will provide
company *and* keep each other occupied if Lindy wants to be left alone.

I personally would wait on getting another cat because any change for a cat
is stressful and then you'd have two major stressors going on
simultaneously.  I'd hire a petsitter/housesitter for that length of time;
you have a lot of time to get Lindy to meet this new person and interact
with him/her.
my 2 cents, hth,
Christine

I agree with others, take a new cat as soon as possible, so there is
enough time for him/her to settle in before you leave. My sister went
through that when her Panther died of cancer. Matilda was left, and she
was so lonerly, she clung to my sister all the time. My sister got her a
kitten, Linus. Matilda immediately started mothering him. Then Matilda
was PTS due to cancer, and Linus was the clingy one, until she got him
Ronja to play with. It's always gone very well to integrate the new
kitten. We'll be purring for Lindy to accept a new friend.

(big snippage)

That's a good question.  Mikey insisted on being an only cat, and was
very, very bonded with his humans.  Now, seeing Tallulah and Hubert
interacting, I can see what he missed, and I wish he'd let it be
different.  The fact is, though, that he wouldn't, and I'm thinking it
will depend entirely on Lindy's personality.  Since she's used to
having another cat around, maybe that would make it easier for her to
accept another?  I dunno, really, but we're sending purrs for the best
solution to present itself!

------
Krista

Believe it or not, I got another cat for one of my cats so he wouldn't
be alone when I go into the hospital. He absolutely requires company -
people or cat, he doesn't care, but by himself and he is just beside
himself with loneliness.  My normal trick when I went into the hospital
was to farm him off to a friend - any friend, I didn't care who.  But I
have run out of friends who will let him dominate their households (he
ends up the dominant animal within less than three days), so in August
when I was in the hospital for two weeks, I left him home alone with
someone coming in to check on him every day.  By the time I got home, he
was nuts.  He cried for three days and wouldn't let me out of his sight
or touch.  I immediately made my decision to get another cat and got
Mattie - an 8-9 month old kitten with the knowledge that Tony has never
met another cat he doesn't like.

Long story short, he really doesn't like Mattie all that much.  He
tolerates her.  And I had to go back into the hospital three weeks after
I got her.  The person who was supposed to come in every day got sick,
so there was no human touch, just Mattie and when I got back home, he
was just fine.  No crying for three days. No being attached at the hip.
 Just having her in the same apartment was enough to keep him sane.
She was fine also.  I suspect she bugged him. :)

He is to the point now where she can stand beside him and eat and he
doesn't care but he doesn't play with her or snuggle with her.  He also
doesn't thwap her anymore.  But I don't regret getting him his own cat
for when I am in the hospital and take his true buddy with me.  The
company alone made a huge difference.

Bridget