How Adopting a Second Cat Benefited Me

June 19, 2020

When mom adopted me 4 ½ years ago, I had been a foster fail. Mom says she was sure it was because no one could figure out if I was “semi-friendly or semi-feral”!

While I think I was pretty friendly, I have to say I am one of those cats who can get over-stimulated when pet too much and can strike out, scratch and even draw blood. Mom says she has several scars to prove it!

I even went as far as to rip up the ear and hand of one of our neighbors. Needless to say, it took him a long time to want to come visit again.

The truth is, as a rescue, I had either been in a cage or with a foster for approximately 6-7 months and I didn’t interact with other cats so much.

While I was friendly enough not to be returned to the streets as a feral, I wasn’t as socialized as maybe I needed to be to develop my soft side!

Over the next couple years, it was just mom and me living together. She was gentle with me and showed me a lot of patience and love until I could start to relax and realize that I finally had a fur-ever home. She wasn’t going to return me to the rescue group.

But the fact of the matter was, I was lonely and bored as mom was working 8-9 hours a day so I was alone a lot. We cats are social creatures and generally want to be with other cats. It is the rare cat that wants to be the only cat in the house. It does happen sometimes but not often.

Mom knew how I was feeling and decided it was time to adopt a friend for me! She could see that I needed another cat to interact with so that I could become a better and happier cat.

TLC Rescue called and told mom they had found the cutest, all grey male kitten 4 months old and we said yes! Mom named him Beau since he was so handsome!

Other than a little hiccup where Beau arrived with ringworm (I didn’t get it but mom did), the introduction and transition worked out very well.

Fast forward to today, Beau and I are best buds! And I am a changed cat! While we have completely different personalities, the fact that we have each other, makes all the difference in how we interact with mom and the other humans in our lives.

Let me tell you how!

First of all, I am happy! I have a playmate who I can have fun with, chase around the house, rumble and tumble in front of mom to prove who is dominant. (No contest there – it’s me!)
There is mental stimulation as when Beau and I have a stare-down or we prowl around the house looking for mischief and maybe a bug or two.
Since I am the older cat, I was 3 ½ yrs. old when Beau arrived, I could impart my cat wisdom to him on how to behave around the house. Beau is mom’s juvenile delinquent kitty so he needed lots of instruction and guidance from me! This job made me feel important and I matured along the way and became a much friendlier cat!
Beau taught me how to be more affectionate with mom as I could see that he was getting a lot of pets and hugs because he came looking for affection from mom. Beau is a tapper, meaning he will walk up to you and tap your shoulder or arm until you pet him! He sits right next to her and always sleeps with her on the bed. Well, I decided I wanted some of the same affection and learned from Beau how to behave with mom to get that affection. Mom tells everyone how I am a changed cat…sweeter and more affectionate!
Having two cats means that we will get plenty of exercise when we are not snoozing. Beau and I regularly race around the house every morning while mom is making coffee and preparing our meal. And we have fun playing with our toys so mom regularly throws small balls to us and we chase those around for a while.
Last, I lost weight and have kept it off since Beau arrived! I was 16 pounds before and now I am holding steady at 13.5 lbs.

Here is a piece of advice to consider when adopting two cats:

If they are litter mates or were fostered together and have become bonded, that is the best scenario! Otherwise 2 males cats make a great match as does a female and a male duo. Two females have been known to be difficult unless they are a bonded pair already.

And the best part about adopting two cats? You are saving two lives!!