obscure_dreamer@yahoo.com  (Rebecca)
writes

apartment..

Good for you.  I just adopted a cat (making this my 3rd two cat-combo).  I have
a one bedroom apartment.  I've always had a male/female pairing. My research
led me to believe that this is the most successful choice..but, who's to say.
My first pair had a 7-8 year age difference (young girl chased older boy/they
slept together); the second pair had a 14 year age difference (young boy chased
older girl/they groomed him/sometimes slept together). New pair currently has
adjusting to do ....! <g

No, but have you considered adopting a young adult female from a
no-kill shelter? They are usually well trained to use their litter
box, calmer than kittens, they have all their shots and are already
spayed, and they are so so grateful. You can ask the shelter owner
about the different personalities of the cats, and choose one that has
been in the shelter for a few months, so that you can be sure the
owner has had time to learn about it. I say a girl because I think
girls and boys get along better than same sex cats, and because the
sweetest cat I have ever had in my life is a girl I adopted as an
adult from a shelter. The pound is fine too, but you never know what
you are getting. The cats one year and older are usually cheaper than
kittens at the shelters because most people want kittens. What I
loved: no curtain climbing, great litter box habits, and she gets
along with other cats. Cats in shelters are often just about on top of
each other, so they learn to get along.

I am sure a kitten would be great, too. No matter who you rescue, you
will be helping your lonely cat and another cat and giving yourself a
new source of delight and love. And, when your dear elder cat passes
on, the other cat will be a source of comfort. (But of course I hope
you have him for another 20 years!)

I highly recommend it!   I don't think you need to limit it to a kitten
(though they sure are fun to watch grow up), but you'll find a younger cat
will "liven up" your cat and make him act a lot younger.   Make sure you
handle the introduction well (there's lot of information out there about how
to do that), making the original cat feel like he's still your baby and
allow for some adjustment time and it should be great.
Kirsten