I've heard  both reccomendations to people in your situation (2 kittens
or one same age/temperment cat). But if you opt to get another adult
cat I'd suggest older than a year an a half...my cat that age is really
a big kitten, luckily his buddy is just a year older than he is. They
love to tear around after each other...best toy ever. Cat don't really
start to slow down until later I think.
Good Luck!

you know that's a tough call.  I don't know.
Might want to wait it out see how well your cat
adjusts.  Because if you get another cat and your
cat don't adjust your stuck with 2 cats.  But then
again, maybe it is best to get the second cat.
I'm sure somebody will have better answers then
me.  Sorry!

perhaps one or more adult cats are better than two kittens, if their
personalities are already determined (i.e. not aggressive or territorial,
with a good behavior toward other cats)

but I've no experience to share and that's only my humble opinion

Hi Clem,

My condolences on the death of your cat.  I'm sure that your surviving cat
misses his companion; it is difficult to know just how much he understands
of this loss.  First of all, give him heaps of extra fuss and some time to
get used to the idea that he's on his own.  Watch him and see if he seems
lonely.  He's probably still young enough to cope with a new inmate, if this
is handled sensitively.  As you suggest, two kittens may be too boisterous
for his peaceful retirement.  I believe it was Furfin who suggested that a
cat older than 1.5yrs would be more suitable.  I am inclined to agree with
this.  Don't be too rigid about age, but I suggest looking at cats between 5
and 8 years old.  I also think a female cat might be better.  I take my hat
off to you for bringing up two males together (so often the cause of
problems), but I think to introduce another male cat now would cause
dominance-related problems.  This would typically include inappropriate
marking and pooping.  Not what you want when you're out at work all day.
You could, of course, still have problems with introducing any new
companion.  If you go ahead, do make sure that your surviving feline friend
IS 'king of the castle'.  Always put him first so that he does not feel
usurped.

Be careful when introducing a female cat to your male (if this is what you
decide); this is a particularly sensitive issue:
In the cat world, the male would be dominant and have the larger territory
*but* he would have to enter a female's territory to socialise and mate.
You will be introducing a female into your male's territory.  To avoid
unnecessary spats, give each cat sight of the other in neutral territory,
then separate them for a while.  Then allow the male to explore and
socialise in his own time.  It is worth while providing cardboard boxes as
hiding places, so that either cat can retreat and feel safe.  You will need
to be patient if they don't hit if off at once, but I think it is manageable
and, with your male's agreement, desirable.

Good luck.  Do let us know how you get on.

Spider

We brought an 8 month old kitten in to be a companion to our 8 year old cat
thinking the older kitten would not be as active.  In retrospect it was a
mistake to get an older kitten since we are having dominance issues.  We love
them both and are committed to making it work but we might have been better
off to get a younger kitten where the older one could establish the pecking
order more easily.