New cat following loss of sibling

[Maudenmildred]

Hi,
I'm new here but couldn't really find a post that answered all my questions sorry. So in early summer we lost our kitten of 9 months Mildred to a traffic accident, leaving her sister Maude still with us. So we gave now started about getting a new cat, as much as company for Maude as for us. We have also just discovered that their mother has just had a new litter, male and female. So my questions are
Should we even be thinking of introducing a new cat to the house?
If we do, is as we think it better that it's a half sibling?
Is a boy or a girl going to be a better match, less of a threat? (I think we'd prefer another girl)
If we do go ahead, is it best to slowly introduce the new kitten? Either by a short visit to our house at first, or maybe keeping the kitten in 1 room, not letting them mix at first?

Thanks so much for any help you can give?

[Ruth B]

Welcome to the forum and so sorry to hear about Mildred.

If you feel you are ready to think about getting a new cat to be company for Maude as well as you and your family then there is no reason why you shouldn't.

I don't think it will make any difference whether you get a half sibling or just a kitten from a rescue centre. Either way it will be a new comer into Maude's territory and you will need to give her time to adjust to having a new kitten around, though once she accepts it I think they will become quite friendly. You might want to consider getting one close to her in age between 6 months and 1 year old. The size difference between a 12 week old kitten and a 9 - 12 month old cat is rather large and might give problems for them playing together, one that is the same age as her will at least be a comparable size and if the play is a little rough which cat play can be, might be a bit less traumatic for you and for the new kitten.

Whether it is a cat the same age as Maude or a kitten you would be best to keep the newcomer confined to one room for a few weeks so that you can do scent exchanges and slow introductions.

As to whether you are better with a male or a female, opinions seem to vary a bit. Personally I have found that females seem to settle down together better once they understand that the newcomer is allowed, they can be a bit more territorial with invaders in my experience. However males do seem to be more boisterous in their play so a male kitten might be more able to keep up with an older female without feeling overwhelmed. Other people seem to think that one male and one female are a better option, in the end I think a lot depends on the individual cats. Which is another plus to getting an older kitten their personality will already be known and you can find one that would suit Maude's personality, if she is very dominant, you want a more submissive companion, is she is very nervy then a more confident but docile cat would be better.

I will also do my bit for the kitten overpopulation problem. If you know the people who own Mildred and Maude's mother then please suggest that after the current litter she is spayed unless she is pedigree and they always intended to breed from her. The rescues are full of unwanted kittens and the more cats that are spayed and neutered the better, and of course if Maude isn't done, please consider getter spayed as well.

The other think you might want to think about is whether it would be possible to cat proof your garden. I know accidents can happen on quiet streets, but once you have lost one to traffic it might make you feel more happy about them being out if you knew they were safe from traffic. If the road you live by is busy then it would be even more of an advantage.

Whatever you decide you will find plenty of people here willing to offer any advice (and some contradictions).

[Maudenmildred]

Hi Ruth,

Thank you so much for your thorough reply. We have had rescue cats in the past, but this time went for 1/2 ragdoll kittens as we have an adopted child with specific needs so felt they might be more suited, both maude and mildred are VERY tolerant of the kids. We will give it a bit more thought over the next few weeks, I'll let you know and post a couple of pictures once we have the new addition.

Thanks

[Ruth B]

Having had a Ragdoll rescue cat I can agree that they are very laid back and tolerant, i have also heard that they are a favourite breed for assistance cats due to their relaxed nature. With your circumstances I can understand and agree with you thinking another Ragdoll or Ragdoll X might be the best option. You can strike lucky and find a similar temperament moggy in the rescues, but it is more pot luck to find the right cat. We did have one adopt us when i was a child whose attitude was almost identical to a Ragdolls, except as far as other cats were concerned and then he could be very territorial, but with humans he was a complete softy, but as I say with moggies that is more of a chance find than with a breed like a Ragdoll.

Searching a bit further you might be able to find one that does need rehoming, either through the specific breed charities or from a breeder if someone had one and unfortunately had to return it due to allergies etc. Its always worth asking around.

There has also been another thread recently about Ragdolls (Are my cats Ragdolls' I think it was called) which you might find and interesting read and please feel free to add your own experience to the thread. (I put in a rather long post about Blue our old Ragdoll on it)