Dear Critter Corner: My family and I have a wonderful 3-year-old cat who we love dearly and is very attached to us. We need to start going back to the office and we are worried she will be bored all day. Would it be a good idea to get her another cat as a companion?
This is a question that is coming up more and more frequently as society is slowly returning to normalcy; do our pets want another animal as a companion? Seeing a household with a well socialized pack of dogs or a pile of cats curled up together is inspiring and a dream for many of us. If you have a well socialized cat who enjoys the company of other animals, then adding another to your household could be an excellent idea.
However, it is important to remember not to anthropomorphize your pets. Just because you might want another person to keep you company if you had to be alone, does not mean that your cat necessarily wants to be with another cat. Cats can be very territorial, and some cats simply do not like other cats. Ask yourself if your cat has ever been around another cat before? Did they hiss and pace the entire time? Did they try to engage in play? Did they simply ignore them? If you do not know the answer to any of these questions, you may consider trying to foster a cat or kitten before adopting one. Many shelters need fosters and some even offer foster-to-adopt programs.
Cat introductions should be done gradually, with a lot of scent swapping and positive reinforcement to get the cats used to each other before they come into direct contact. The closer the energy level of the cats the higher the likelihood of success. Kittens are intensely curious and greeting machines, but their energy level can overwhelm older cats.