Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/11/2008

Question
I have a cat who is about 9 or 10 years old. He is a male American Short Hair and is neutered. We had another kitten before when he was about 5, but he was extremely hostile towards the kitten and would hide upstairs where the kitten was not able to go. We had to move my cat's food upstairs as well so he could eat. Eventually we got rid of the kitten and my cat went back to normal.

He is also very hesitant about people and will hiss, bite, and scratch people. We thought maybe he had to just get used to them, but this is not the case.

Now, we are thinking of getting another kitten and seeing if my cat can possibly get used to it.

My questions are:

Is it a good idea to do this when he is already so old?

Is there a way to get him to stop being so mean?

And I was told that when introducing another cat into the house, it is best to get one of the opposite gender, is this true?  

Answer
Stephanie,

No, it is NOT a good idea to get a kitten for your cat. Your cat is approximately 56 years old in human years and you would be getting him a 5 year old (in human years) friend. Your cat is set in his ways and used to a routine. A kitten would disrupt all that and may cause more behavior problems such as being very aggressive to the kitten, peeing inappropriately, etc.,  and it can cause health problems also.

The older a cat gets the less he can take stress, and a kitten would be VERY stressful for him. Most male cats do not like kittens anyway. Maybe because of their energy level or their smell.

If you got a kitten you should get two. That way they can play with each other and not try to play with the older cat which he would not like at all. And that wouldn't be fair to the kitten who wants to be friends and play.

Gender doesn't matter, it's the personality and temperment of a new cat that is important for compatibility. It's best to get a cat that is similar in age and temperment.

There is an introduction process that you need to go through when you introduce any new animal. I am including some excellent links to articles on how to do the introductions properly for future reference. They should be helpful as a guide.
(copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.parmashelter.org/adoption/advice/cats/old_cat_new_cat.htm

http://www.messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=cattocatintro...

A cat that is that old will not change his personality. I would keep him in a room by himself if you have company to avoid people getting scratched. I would also warn people to leave him alone and not pay any attention to him.

Also you may want to talk to your vet about a prescription for kitty Prozac for him. It is commonly used for cats that are stressed or have emotional problems to calm them.

I hope this answered your questions.

Tabbi