That title certainly caught my attention!!! (see link to my April post below)

First let me tell you how sorry I am about your losing your 11 year old buddy to CRF & cancer.. I've been through that..:( This said I wish I had given more consideration to the cats I adopted. 6 MONTHS later, my older Calico cat has not yet accepted them, and we have an upstairs/ downstairs situation!!
You do not say whether your remaining cat is a female or male. That could be an element in your decision...

Some thoughts:
1. it might be easier if you took in 2 cats that came together to the shelter and already know each other, to avoid the risk of having a 3-way fight. It also would be great to keep 2 'buddy' cats together. I always wonder how stressful it might be for them to be separated... I have to admit, too, that it is wonderful to see our 2 'sisters' groom each other, snuggle against each other..etc

2. You have to realize younger cats (like the ones I adopted--2 sisters, about 18 months old) will be very, very energetic!! My 2 had been at the shelter for almost a year, and when I got them home they unleashed all the energy they had not been able to display in a crowded small area (not in a cage)... Oh boy, the running they did!!!!... They have now calmed down a little, but this drives our older cat crazy! She is the aggressive one, not the 2 sisters.

3. An older cat is set in her habits and might not accept new comers (wish I had listened more carefully to the suggestions of some wise posters... you can read them below).

All this said, each cat is different of course (and a Calico is not a very accepting cat --I see this over and over at the shelter where I volunteer. Hope your older cat is not a Calico )..

However, if I may have any suggestions, observe the cats you are thinking of carefully, and also consider 2 older cats that came together.. we always seem to get some at our shelter.. we have a wonderful duo right now..

Anyway, whomever you go for, give it a chance and just be patient... Congratulations on your decision!

Anne-Marie

Here is a link that might be useful: Adopting 2 cats.. questions

Of course it's going to be tough, but I think it's a wonderful idea...Knowing that the shelter cats get along with others is a big plus...And keeping them separated for awhile is a must..The other advice I'd give is to make sure you give your older cat, lots and lots of attention...You don't want her to feel left out and resentful...It sounds like you have a big heart and I'm sure you'll be repaid with lots of fur baby love.....Keep us updated....

Anne Marie, thank you for posting your experience with this.

For a little more background, 2 years ago I had 3 cats. In the spring of 2007, my Maine Coon who was 13 at the time, died of unknown reasons - I came home one day to find her dead on the bedroom floor. She had just been for a checkup 3 days earlier, the vet thinks she may have had a heart attack. A month later, my male who was 9, died when a tumor in the back of his jaw ruptured. My Maine Coon, who we found when she was about 6, never got along with my cats and was pretty much an upstairs cat, so I've been that route before. My female and male got along well, but I would never call them best buddies.

In July 2007, a couple of months after the 2 cats died, I adopted a 10 year old female, the one who died last month. As my older cat had gotten along with another cat previously and seemed a little lonely, I was suprised that she didn't really like the newcomer. I bonded with the new cat quickly and it was devistating to me that she got sick and died after only 15 months. While she hid her illness well, I think that because I didn't have history with her was some of the reason that I didn't catch on to the symptoms of CRF until they were advanced. As much as I like the seniors, I just can't do it again so soon.

I hadn't planned on adopting 2, but saw 2 cats that I liked. I've been to about 6 local shelters and suprisingly, all they have are either seniors or kittens or 1 year olds. I would gladly take a cat to about 7. I know whoever I bring home, my senior won't like, I'll be fine if they just tolerate each other.

I'm just not sure if I should try 2 new cats at a time who have no history together, or if I should adopt one and then wait a little bit before adopting the other. I'm sure the cat in the crowded no-kill will be there for awhile so if I wait a few weeks she won't be PTS.

Thank you for the background....
As much as I like the seniors, I just can't do it again so soon.
Oh, I do so understand! It was such a long road with the 2 males we lost within 5 months!! I certainly could have gone with older cats, but my DH did NOT!

I did not mean to push the '2 sibblings' (although a little), but you won't know whether the 2 cats from the 2 shelters will get along. At least, if they came from the same shelter you would know. This said, from volunteering at our local shelter, I am always amazed to see how these cats do co-habit.. Very few problems. Even the difficult ones always seem to find a buddy, and a quiet place.

If you have seen 2 cats you feel connected with, go ahead. Give it a try, and I would also add.. do it at the same time. My main question: will you older cat put up with their limitless energy?? My calico gets all worked up when she hears them run upstairs, occasionally turning into a fury (although less now). She runs upstairs to pick a fight. We have had a few ones, although we were always there to intervene. No one got hurt. We do not close doors, but the newer cats do NOT dare come down. It is as if there is an invisible fence in the staircase! We obviously bring them down every day when our older cat is outside (she stays right by the front door), but that's it. We are entering our 7th month! On a positive note, sometimes she just stares at them, growls and turns around...

The reason why I suggested more adult cats (not necessarily seniors, but any cat 4+), is that they would be disturbing your older cat's need for quiet less. We had NO problem introducing our Calico years back to the other two males (one at a time), but they were roughly the same age. With age, she has become more difficult, and quite nasty!

Another mistake we made (I think), was to keep the new comers too long from her.. Upstairs is their territory the same way as downstairs is our Calico's...Separation is obviously good for a few days, but maybe not much longer.

Well, please keep us posted. I'd love to hear how this goes. Your experience might help us...
Good luck, Anne-Marie

I'm all for multi-cat families. Goodness knows I live with 15 of the beasts (not by design, they just keep showing up). I know far more than I ever intended about both the successes and challenges of integration of different feline personalities into the same household. That said, the information you provided has raised a few potential red flags for me.

Your elderly cat has a history of not getting along with other female cats, so there's no reason to believe she'd get along with them now. As an older cat, she's also more susceptible to stress-related illness. Having two young, unknown, female felines invade her territory will undoubtedly be stressful for her.

One of the cats you are considering is an "omega" personality, while your existing cat is "cranky". The way those characteristics interact in my experience is victim-bully. You may very well be setting "omega" cat up for a lifetime (or at least the rest of your older cat's lifetime) of bullying and intimidation by your older cat. Unfortunately, a cat who allows herself to be bullied by one cat often ends up being bullied by any cat with a stronger personality. It's possible that the other cat you are considering may also fall into a bully role with the omega cat. Which brings me to the next concern ...

Since the two cats you are considering don't know each other, and since one is already submissive by nature, you should be prepared to keep each of the newbies in their own separate room for a while until you get them integrated into your family. I sure wouldn't plan on keeping two unfamiliar cats together unsupervised in the same room right off the bat, esp. when one has a history of being picked on.

All of that said, there's certainly a possibility that it would all work out perfectly. Cats are nothing if not unpredictable. I don't think I'd choose to do what you're contemplating, but then I haven't had occasion to "choose" a cat since I was 13 yrs old. Like I said, my feline family just keeps showing up.

Laurie

Personally, I wouldn't get another cat (or two). Why not let your senior live out her final years in peace? There's the possibility that the cats might get along, but there's the greater possibility that they won't, and why add that stress to your older cat's life? I understand that your house feels quiet, but enjoy the few years you have left with her, and when she passes on, get a couple of rambunctious youngsters.

That's just my opinion, and what I would do.

Thanks for all of your input. I read your posts and BF and I talked about it. One cat will be coming home with me tomorrow and then I'll wait a few weeks to see how it goes before committing to another one.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Bless your heart!

Cats in gen can or cannot get along, it all depends on the cat. We interduced a kitten, waited until he was grown then got another kitten, and then two more cats and a dog came, now we are down to 4 cats and a dog, the eldest to deal with all this,- an 18 years old cat. If the elder or new cats is a sourpuss, or has limited advantages like being de clawed then they are right, wait until she passes.

Also 11 years old isn't that old for a cat, CRF is a disease caused by grains, cat cannot process grain, as there natural diet is less then 5% carbs.

What food did you feed?, most of them are not regulated by the government and if they are they are on the same level as for chickens,pigs and other feed livestock.

Innova EVO, Ziwi peak, Instincts, canned are good ones.

Go to Amazon.com, they have great deals on Innova EVO.

The little girl from the town shelter is home with me and setup in the guest room for a week. She is very friendly to people which is a good start. We did have an incident when my dog sniffed at the door, I'll create another post about that. It may end up being a deal killer though.