Should I Get A Male Or Female Cat
The truth is that the sex of the cat really doesn’t matter when it comes to choosing the purrfect pet for you. Although there are some behavioral differences between male and female cats as they grow from kittens to adults, a cat’s genetics and environment play a bigger role in how well the two of you will bond. So take the time to meet a few cats and pick the one that you think will be your best friend. Male and female cat differences should only play a small role in choosing a cat.
My Cat Was Raised With Its Littermate From An Early Age But Has Now Been Left On Its Own Due To The Death Of Its Sibling Should I Get Another Cat As A Replacement Companion
The bond between feline littermates is very special and when one of a pair dies before the other, the surviving cat may show signs of feline grief.
Behavior changes after losing a sibling might include:
- Searching for the other cat
- Vocalizing
- Changes in eating
- Changes in grooming
- Changes in social behavior and seeking attention from owners
- or you may see no signs at all.
If you truly want to add another cat to the household as a companion for your family, waiting until your surviving cats behavior returns to baseline is a good idea. If the only reason you would be bringing home another cat would be as a companion to your existing cat, please reconsider. This may cause more stress rather than reducing it.
Why Are My Two Male Cats Suddenly Fighting
Sometimes sudden outbursts are caused by unease about territories in the home. Cats are naturally territorial, but friendly cats have learned to share their space peacefully. Your cats territorial protection instinct can also be triggered if stray cats are outside and your cats can see or smell them.
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Aggression Between Family Cats And Feline Social Behavior
Its impossible to estimate how well any particular pair or group of cats will ultimately tolerate each other. Some cats are unusually territorial, may never adjust to sharing their house, and may do best in a one-cat family.
However, many aggressive problems between cats can be successfully resolved. To do this, you may need help, both from your veterinarian and from an animal behavior specialist who is knowledgeable in cat behavior. Cats with aggression problems may never be best friends, but can often learn to mutually tolerate each other with a minimum of conflict. Working with aggression problems between family cats will take time and commitment from you. Dont give up without consulting the appropriate experts.
Is My Home And My Lifestyle Suitable For Another Cat
Cats resources are critically important to a cat and the type, number and distribution can greatly influence how a cat feels. Cats that do not consider themselves part of the same social group will find it stressful to share resources. It is important to recognise that just because cats share a household, does not necessarily mean they view themselves as part of the same social group. Therefore, when introducing new cat, it is vitally important they have their own resources. If you answer No to any of the following questions, then the likelihood of your cat coping with a new cat is diminished. The more Nos, the less likely your current cat will learn that the new cat is not a threat.
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Will A Male Cat Hurt A Male Kitten
Yes, in common with other member of the cat family as well as many other animals, an intact male will often kill kittens. The evolutionary reason for this is to make the female come back in heat so he can breed with her and his offspring will get her attention and care, and hence his genes will survive.
Introduce Your Cat To The New Kitten
When you bring your kitten home, allow your cat to sniff it while the kitten is in a carrier or your arms. Go directly to the room previously designated and set up for your new kitten and allow the kitten to explore. The litter box, food bowls, bed, and some toys should all be easily accessible. Do not let your older cat have unsupervised access to the kitten.
At night, when you are not home, and whenever you are unable to supervise the kitten and your older cat, keep the kitten in its designated room with the door closed. As your cat gets curious, it may stick its paw under the door, sniff under the door, and listen to the kitten. Do this for about a week, depending on how your cat is acting with the changes. Dont forget to provide a lot of attention to your older cat after playing with your kitten. Itll need your attention and support and the scent of the kitten on your clothing will help it get used to the newcomer.
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Number And Placement Of Resources For Your Cats
Even though cats are social animals, its their nature to hunt alone. They dont hunt in packs and the prey they pursue is very small enough for one meal. Even if your indoor cat doesnt engage in outdoor hunting, hes hardwired to be protective of his resources. Some cats are more concerned with their resources than others.
Is It Better To Have 2 Cats Or 1
Having another cat around can lessen the boredom and loneliness that a solitary cat might experience when youre not there. Sure, cats usually sleep most of the day away, but that doesnt mean they enjoy being alone when theyre awake. Another benefit to having two cats is that they teach each other social skills.
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How Old Is The Cat
Generally, the younger the cat, the more likely it may be to accept another cat into its household. However, introducing a kitten or adolescent to an elderly cat could be problematic if the young cat directs much play towards the older cat, whose desire to play will be less. In such situations, two kittens who can play with one another may be a better option than a single kitten. However, the household must have the time and resources to cope with two additional kittens rather than just one.
Save Your Senior Cats Sanity
Even if you have another cat in the house, it might be a good idea to consider bringing home two kittens. While introducing a new kitten into the family can help to get your senior pet moving, one kittens endless drive to play can harass an older cat who wants to spend his days snoozing and not babysitting.
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Twice The Love For Less Work
You only have to kitten-proof your house once regardless of how many kitties youre bringing home. Two kittens means two new lives in your house that will provide double the entertainment, snuggles and love!
Tips:
- Look for kittens from the same litter or a pair that bonded during their time in an animal shelter. That way youre guaranteed that their personalities will match!
- Its suggested that you choose two male cats or a male and female combination if bringing home two kittens who are not already bonded as they tend to get along better than two females.
- Cats generally dont like eating close together, so consider placing your kittens food bowls across the room from each other.
- Get a free quote and enroll both kittens in pet insurance to provide coverage for accidents and common kitten illnesses, as well as routine checkups, so you dont have to worry about unexpected vet bills. There are endless reasons your kittens need pet insurance, and the cost of pet insurance is significantly lower when enrolling your cats at a young age.
My Personal Experience With Female Cats Vs Male Cats
I personally have mostly had male cats around me. My sister has two male cats, my mom has a male cat and I have a male cat. So, most of my experience with female cats comes from my friends cats and our latest addition, Kalista. Oh, and lets not forget the beautiful Aramis who had babies while visiting Portugal.
That being said, Ive personally felt the same way about female cats asking for attention versus male cats. Thats not to say that male cats dont want your attention, dont like sitting in your lap or dont want to be cuddled because thats absolutely not true. Im just saying that none of the male cats in my life have begged for attention, while Kalista has shamelessly flaunted herself all over me and my partner time and time again.
That being said, while Beau loves his lap time with us he never begs for attention. Instead, he just plants himself wherever he wants to be and doesnt care if anyone has any problems with it. Beau just enjoys lying in your lap, purring and enjoying his time with you.
Avery and Bjorn, my sisters cats are similar to Beau in the way that they dont beg for attention. If they ever want to spend time with you, they make the decision to come sit with you. There never seems to be any begging involved, other than whining if youve picked them up against their will or if youre squirming around too much.
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Problem : Bjorns Feisty Attitude Bothers Avery
Bjorns a pretty chill cat most of the time, but every so often, his inner wilder beast comes out and hes a maniac. Not quite like Jekyll and Hyde, hes more like Stitch after vs Experiment 626 before in the movie Lilo and Stitch. He sort of goes all weapon-of-mass-destruction around food, toys, and anything that gets him real excitable. And the way he walks is pretty quick, he hasnt got much of an understanding of personal space basically for a very low-key cat like Avery, Bjorn can be way too energetic, and maybe a little nuts.
Solutions: Trained Bjorn to be calmer around food fed two cats snacks together.
I started to train Avery and Bjorn to sit together, and this helped a lot with calming Bjorn down and showing Avery he could improve his feisty attitude. I detailed how I did that fully here, but basically that, in combination with the use of slow feeder toys, and honestly the introduction of the timed feeder , makes Avery a happy boy since he doesnt have to deal with a wildling version of Bjorn all that often anymore.
Have a cat who often gets hyperactive, and an aggressor cat who hates it? Figure out how easy it would be to calm the hyperactive kitty down, or separate the cats for playtime and/or feeding until theyve got a more healthy relationship between them.
Can A Male Cat Mate With A Female Cat
Since cats dont mate for affection or self satisfaction there is no point in mating if the female isnt fertile and it wont produce offspring. If the males are serenading the other female she likely is still fertile and should be spayed. If the males are serenading the other female she likely is still fertile and should be spayed.
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No Breed Specific Issues
The first thing we want to make clear is that there are no particular breed specific reasons why a Bengal cat wont get along with other cat that are already in your house.
Some people like to make Bengal cats out as these terrifying, wild creatures that are basically untameable.
This couldnt be further from the truth . Although Bengal cats can sometimes act a little crazy, they are not some special breed of terrible monster!
Bengal cats can and do get along with other cats you just need to bear in mind the best practices, which we shall outline below.
Female Cats Are More Independent
Female cats tend to be more independent than males. If you put in long hours at work and your new pet will spend a lot of time home alone, a female will generally handle this better than a male. Girl cats are often perfectly content snoozing and entertaining themselves throughout the day.
Even after spaying, the maternal instinct remains strong in females. While they arent as apt to display in-your-face affection, female cats are intensely loyal and devoted to their owners. You may even notice your female feline friend trying to “mother” you by staying by your side when you are sick or feeling down.
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Are Male Cats More Aggressive Toward Other Males
There is a misconception that male cats are more territorial and therefore, may be more aggressive toward other males. However, this isnt necessarily true. Some males are territorial but some arent. It is more of a matter of personality than sex.
Unlike some wild cat species, both males and female domestic cats establish their own territory. Some cats are fine with other cats entering their territory. This isnt determined by their sex, but their temperament.
Therefore, some female pairs may fight more than some male pairs. Some males may end up being territorial and aggressive, but this isnt because they are male.
To avoid aggression, it is important to introduce your cats appropriately. This often involves plenty of build-up time to an actual meeting. You should keep your new cat in a closed-off area for at least a week. This allows the cats to establish new territory before being introduced. Otherwise, they may fight over where they each belong.
If youre adopting two cats at the same time, this is less of a problem. Neither cat will have a territory set up yet, so they wont have anything to defend.
Two Female Cats Together
At the other end of the spectrum, two female cats may also pose their own set of specific problems, although not typically physical aggression, thankfully. Adult female cats are usually not too shy about displaying “princess-like” behavior, and the presence of another competitor will only often highlight it. A pair of females might find themselves in perpetual battle with the other over your undivided love and attention — yikes. When it comes to sharing and harmony, you may want to look into something other than two fluffy divas, unfortunately.
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Is Your Current Cat Likely To Accept Another Cat
It is so difficult to be able to predict whether a cat will accept another into its household. Cats, as a species, have become more socially flexible during the process of domestication to an extent, but individuals still vary hugely in how accepting they are of other cats. Furthermore, their ability to change their sociability is limited once they reach adulthood.
Scientists have identified some of the factors that influence how sociable a cat will be to other cats, but there are likely to be many more factors that still need to be explored.
Taking these factors into consideration, there are a number of areas that should be given careful thought before making the final decision as to whether to get another cat or not. These factors are all likely to interact rather than act in isolation, and therefore the more that are answered in favour of another cat, the greater the chances of a new cat being accepted.
Adopting Two Cat Siblings
Owning multiple cats is often a tricky situation. Whether you want to adopt two cuties together or plan on introducing a newbie to your “first” resident cat, a variety of frustrating problems may arise, from jealousy to pure territorial conflict. Gender doesn’t always make matters any clearer or easier, either.
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Keep Each Other Company
If you work long hours, a single kitten can become lonely being the only one in the house. Despite the jokes that cats prefer their own company, kittens are actually very social creatures! The territorial nature of cats is a main factor in them seeking solitude, and it generally doesnt kick in until adulthood. For this reason, kittens crave the attention and fun of a playmate. Having two cats at home means you dont have to feel guilty leaving for work or vacation since you know they will keep each other company.
Home Girl Vs Gentleman Adventurer
Myth: Male cats wander far and wide but female cats will always stay close to home.
Reality: This really comes down to whether or not your cats been neutered. Both male and female cats will roam away from home looking for a mate. Sometimes they forget their way home and get lost for a few days. If you get your boy neutered, he wont get this urge to roam and will be as much of a homebody as any of the girls.
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How To Break Up A Real Cat Fight
- In a real catfight, youll see claws and teeth and hear plenty of hissing, growling, and crying.
- You will want to break up this type of fight, but dont get in the middle of it.
- The best way is to clap loudly or stomp on the floor to scare them.
- Some people suggest spraying the warring cats with a water bottle, but Ive heard mixed opinions on whether thats a good idea.
- If you try to pull one cat off the other, youll likely end up getting scratched.
- Of course, remember to never hit or strike your pet. It wont solve the problem and will only make them distrust you.