Question:
>Any suggestions welcome, and thanks 
>Katie
Something you might want to try, if a second cat is not possible right now, is clicker-training your cat. I just got a book on it, and have been reading about it. It says that it’s good for inside cats, because it gives them a chance to exercise both physically and mentally. Basically, it’s using operant conditioning to get your cat to do things that you want it to. Also, as the author puts it, it lets the cat train YOU to give it treats. I can’t wait until I get a clicker so I can see if it really works. Rebecca
Response:
Probably best to wait until you are more financially stable. A new cat can have any number of unknown health problems when you bring it into your home. This may require vet bills for the new cat or both cats – as whatever illness present may be passed to the cat you already have. Quite often a shelter cat will have a respiratory infection, and they are extremely contagious. Respiratory infections can lead to the cat not eating (if it can’t smell it’s food it usually won’t eat the food) and this can require lots of special care (fluid injections, forced feedings) and vet bills. If the cats don’t adjust well to each other there is always the possibility that one or both could bite each other, resulting in an abscess. Surgery to clean an abscess cost me $300 for my cat. If the new cat is well, and no injuries result from introduction, you can count on these basic costs for a new kitty: Adoption fee, additional litter box, more litter, first vet visit, vaccinations, FIV and FeLV testing, new bedding for kitty, food and water bowls, more food and possibly different food than you’re already using (kitten food, adult food, special needs food), spay/neuter costs, separate toys. New kitty will also require a lot of your attention, even though you have another cat. When I got my female cat it took her 3 months to adjust to the point of being able to be in the same room with my other cat. Until that time she had to be kept in my bedroom – litter box and all. My first cat, like yours, was a very active, aggressive cat. It’s been a year now and it’s still a battle to get him not to terrorize the cat I brought into the house with the hopes of keeping him company. (Speaking of which.. he just gave her a little bite on the back, and I’m sitting only 2 feet from them! Back to the bathroom he goes.) My first two cats have cost me at least $500 each in their first year. I rescued a kitten in September (my third cat), and I know that in the past 5 months he has cost me no less than $500. He gets neutered tomorrow, and luckily I was able to find a place that will do it for $20 – all the other places I called were around $50 and up, and one wanted $171!! Female cats are always more expensive to get spayed than male cats are to get neutered. It sounds like you have really good intentions, but now may not be the best timing. It would be better to wait until you’re more prepared to handle the financial responsibility and to invest the time commitment. Some cats adjust well to new homes and are in good health, but that hasn’t been my experience. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi, >I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my >2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several >reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both >general and practical advice for getting around the problems): >Pros: >- Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and >attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I >sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation >when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are >sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does >things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, >since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped >turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t >have more company than me). >- When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of >affection, people suggested I get him a companion. >Cons: >- I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer >starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m >concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal >with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. >- I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in >a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another >cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to >have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at >her. >- Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when >introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two >separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: >I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and >hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the >hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and >the second bedroom (which I use as a study). >Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet >(the closet doors are always open, of course). >The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon >either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the >bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. >He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. >The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t >particularly want cats in there. >The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, >jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet >yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the >study is out of the question. >Any suggestions welcome, and thanks >Katie
Response:
Hi, I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my 2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both general and practical advice for getting around the problems): Pros: – Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t have more company than me). – When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of affection, people suggested I get him a companion. Cons: – I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. – I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at her. – Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and the second bedroom (which I use as a study). Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet (the closet doors are always open, of course). The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t particularly want cats in there. The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the study is out of the question. Any suggestions welcome, and thanks Katie
Response:
>Any suggestions welcome, and thanks >Katie
Something you might want to try, if a second cat is not possible right now, is clicker-training your cat. I just got a book on it, and have been reading about it. It says that it’s good for inside cats, because it gives them a chance to exercise both physically and mentally. Basically, it’s using operant conditioning to get your cat to do things that you want it to. Also, as the author puts it, it lets the cat train YOU to give it treats. I can’t wait until I get a clicker so I can see if it really works. Rebecca
Response:
Probably best to wait until you are more financially stable. A new cat can have any number of unknown health problems when you bring it into your home. This may require vet bills for the new cat or both cats – as whatever illness present may be passed to the cat you already have. Quite often a shelter cat will have a respiratory infection, and they are extremely contagious. Respiratory infections can lead to the cat not eating (if it can’t smell it’s food it usually won’t eat the food) and this can require lots of special care (fluid injections, forced feedings) and vet bills. If the cats don’t adjust well to each other there is always the possibility that one or both could bite each other, resulting in an abscess. Surgery to clean an abscess cost me $300 for my cat. If the new cat is well, and no injuries result from introduction, you can count on these basic costs for a new kitty: Adoption fee, additional litter box, more litter, first vet visit, vaccinations, FIV and FeLV testing, new bedding for kitty, food and water bowls, more food and possibly different food than you’re already using (kitten food, adult food, special needs food), spay/neuter costs, separate toys. New kitty will also require a lot of your attention, even though you have another cat. When I got my female cat it took her 3 months to adjust to the point of being able to be in the same room with my other cat. Until that time she had to be kept in my bedroom – litter box and all. My first cat, like yours, was a very active, aggressive cat. It’s been a year now and it’s still a battle to get him not to terrorize the cat I brought into the house with the hopes of keeping him company. (Speaking of which.. he just gave her a little bite on the back, and I’m sitting only 2 feet from them! Back to the bathroom he goes.) My first two cats have cost me at least $500 each in their first year. I rescued a kitten in September (my third cat), and I know that in the past 5 months he has cost me no less than $500. He gets neutered tomorrow, and luckily I was able to find a place that will do it for $20 – all the other places I called were around $50 and up, and one wanted $171!! Female cats are always more expensive to get spayed than male cats are to get neutered. It sounds like you have really good intentions, but now may not be the best timing. It would be better to wait until you’re more prepared to handle the financial responsibility and to invest the time commitment. Some cats adjust well to new homes and are in good health, but that hasn’t been my experience. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi, >I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my >2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several >reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both >general and practical advice for getting around the problems): >Pros: >- Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and >attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I >sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation >when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are >sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does >things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, >since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped >turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t >have more company than me). >- When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of >affection, people suggested I get him a companion. >Cons: >- I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer >starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m >concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal >with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. >- I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in >a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another >cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to >have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at >her. >- Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when >introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two >separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: >I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and >hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the >hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and >the second bedroom (which I use as a study). >Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet >(the closet doors are always open, of course). >The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon >either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the >bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. >He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. >The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t >particularly want cats in there. >The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, >jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet >yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the >study is out of the question. >Any suggestions welcome, and thanks >Katie
Response:
Hi, I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my 2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both general and practical advice for getting around the problems): Pros: – Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t have more company than me). – When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of affection, people suggested I get him a companion. Cons: – I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. – I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at her. – Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and the second bedroom (which I use as a study). Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet (the closet doors are always open, of course). The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t particularly want cats in there. The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the study is out of the question. Any suggestions welcome, and thanks Katie
Response:
>Any suggestions welcome, and thanks >Katie
Something you might want to try, if a second cat is not possible right now, is clicker-training your cat. I just got a book on it, and have been reading about it. It says that it’s good for inside cats, because it gives them a chance to exercise both physically and mentally. Basically, it’s using operant conditioning to get your cat to do things that you want it to. Also, as the author puts it, it lets the cat train YOU to give it treats. I can’t wait until I get a clicker so I can see if it really works. Rebecca
Response:
Probably best to wait until you are more financially stable. A new cat can have any number of unknown health problems when you bring it into your home. This may require vet bills for the new cat or both cats – as whatever illness present may be passed to the cat you already have. Quite often a shelter cat will have a respiratory infection, and they are extremely contagious. Respiratory infections can lead to the cat not eating (if it can’t smell it’s food it usually won’t eat the food) and this can require lots of special care (fluid injections, forced feedings) and vet bills. If the cats don’t adjust well to each other there is always the possibility that one or both could bite each other, resulting in an abscess. Surgery to clean an abscess cost me $300 for my cat. If the new cat is well, and no injuries result from introduction, you can count on these basic costs for a new kitty: Adoption fee, additional litter box, more litter, first vet visit, vaccinations, FIV and FeLV testing, new bedding for kitty, food and water bowls, more food and possibly different food than you’re already using (kitten food, adult food, special needs food), spay/neuter costs, separate toys. New kitty will also require a lot of your attention, even though you have another cat. When I got my female cat it took her 3 months to adjust to the point of being able to be in the same room with my other cat. Until that time she had to be kept in my bedroom – litter box and all. My first cat, like yours, was a very active, aggressive cat. It’s been a year now and it’s still a battle to get him not to terrorize the cat I brought into the house with the hopes of keeping him company. (Speaking of which.. he just gave her a little bite on the back, and I’m sitting only 2 feet from them! Back to the bathroom he goes.) My first two cats have cost me at least $500 each in their first year. I rescued a kitten in September (my third cat), and I know that in the past 5 months he has cost me no less than $500. He gets neutered tomorrow, and luckily I was able to find a place that will do it for $20 – all the other places I called were around $50 and up, and one wanted $171!! Female cats are always more expensive to get spayed than male cats are to get neutered. It sounds like you have really good intentions, but now may not be the best timing. It would be better to wait until you’re more prepared to handle the financial responsibility and to invest the time commitment. Some cats adjust well to new homes and are in good health, but that hasn’t been my experience. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi, >I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my >2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several >reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both >general and practical advice for getting around the problems): >Pros: >- Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and >attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I >sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation >when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are >sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does >things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, >since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped >turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t >have more company than me). >- When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of >affection, people suggested I get him a companion. >Cons: >- I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer >starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m >concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal >with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. >- I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in >a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another >cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to >have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at >her. >- Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when >introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two >separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: >I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and >hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the >hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and >the second bedroom (which I use as a study). >Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet >(the closet doors are always open, of course). >The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon >either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the >bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. >He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. >The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t >particularly want cats in there. >The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, >jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet >yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the >study is out of the question. >Any suggestions welcome, and thanks >Katie
Response:
Hi, I’ve been thinking on and off of getting another cat for Dickon (my 2-year-old tabby). I can think of several reasons to do so, and several reasons *not* to do so. I was hoping for some advice either way (both general and practical advice for getting around the problems): Pros: – Dickon is an extremely active cat, and is often bored and attention-starved. I try to offer him as much attention as I can, but I sometimes wonder if he’s lonely, and if I’m offering him enough stimulation when I *am* around (I have an extremely quiet apartment. There are sometimes birds out the window for him to check out, and sometimes he does things like watch the rain, but that’s about it. I never do the TV thing, since he never seems to notice the TV when it’s on. While this has helped turn him into the laid-back cat that I love, I still wonder if he shouldn’t have more company than me). – When I posted before regarding Dickon’s sometimes aggressive brand of affection, people suggested I get him a companion. Cons: – I don’t exactly have a job. I sort of do (I’m a Microsoft programmer starting to do freelance work), but it isn’t necessarily reliable. When I’m concerned about bills and rent, I really really really don’t want to deal with vet bills.. Plus, each cat adds to my rent. – I got Dickon from the Humane Society at 4 months, at which time he was in a cage with two other kittens. Since then, I’ve seen Dickon with another cat exactly once (after a vet trip, I took him next door to a pet shop to have him fitted for a collar. There were other cats there). He hissed at her. – Everything I’ve read thus far (in books and on here) suggests that when introducing a new kitten/cat into a household, one should keep the two separate for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that: I have a two-bedroom apartment. The living room, dining area, kitchen, and hallway are all basically one room, with no doors to separate them. Off the hallway, there are three doors which lead to the bathroom, my bedroom, and the second bedroom (which I use as a study). Dickon’s food is in the kitchen, and his litter is in the kitchen closet (the closet doors are always open, of course). The bedroom door is always open, unless I need to temporarily close Dickon either *in* the bedroom (when I’m cleaning or cooking) or *out* of the bedroom (when I’m sleeping and he’s been bad). He’s used to it being open. He would be very upset if he were permanently shut out of the bedroom. The bathroom door is always closed. It’s pretty tiny. Plus, I don’t particularly want cats in there. The study door is always closed. The study is where I keep my computer, jigsaw puzzles, little tiny ornaments, poisonous plants, and bags of crochet yarn and embroidery thread. Needless to say, keeping a kitten/cat in the study is out of the question. Any suggestions welcome, and thanks Katie
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