- Jun
- 21
Adopting Senior Cats
Posted by Kerry Anderlik at 5:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Most of the people I know already have a houseful of cats and are maxed out on the number of cats they can care for. I also know people who love cats, but they only have one cat because they are afraid that their older cat "hates other cats."
If you have been considering adopting another cat to keep your cat company, now might be the perfect time. People have been hit so hard in the economic crisis that many can no longer care for their animals and are turning them in to animal shelters in record numbers. Many of these cats have been raised around other cats and dogs, so integrating them into your home may be easier than you think.
Adopting an older cat as a companion for another older cat can be challenging, but the key is to introduce them slowly. I always start my new adoptees out in my office/spare bedroom with the door shut. I make sure there are several litter boxes, plenty of food, a water bowl, toys, and climbing trees. I keep my new cat confined in the room for at least three days, and I keep all the other animals out until my new kitty gets accustomed to the litter box, food, and water and finds his or her own safe spot to venture out from. During this time, I visit often, and the rest of my animals often hover around outside the door, full of curiosity, but I don't allow any actual contact.
Once my kitty starts hovering around the door and showing interest in escaping, I crack the door with a latch that lets cats in and out but keeps dogs out. You can also try to open the door but keep a screen or other clear partition between the two rooms. I let my new cat choose his or her own timeline for coming out to join the rest of the family. Some cats choose to come out immediately. Other cats choose to stay in the room for several weeks, only occasionally coming out to explore and then running back into their safe room at the sight or sound of the other animals. Often, the actual meeting is anti-climatic. They touch noses and walk away. Other times, it can be quite vocal, with hissing and stalking until one or the other backs off. I have often been surprised to find that cats who barely tolerated each other at first eventually teamed up and took over one of the dog beds!
We baby boomers are lucky to have grown up during better economic times, and many of us have retired or are soon to retire. I can't think of a better way to enjoy this time of life than by sharing it with older animals who might otherwise not find good homes. If you have only one cat, consider if you might have room in your home and in your heart for a senior cat companion. And check out PETA.org for other great tips for raising happy, healthy cats.
Posted to Family & Friends | Posted to Tags: adopting, Cats, rescue, seniors
- Post this story to:
- Digg
- del.icio.us
- Newsvine
More:
Roxy says...
June 21st, 2011, 3:40 pm
I would adopt an older can in a minute. They all need love and homes, not just the younger ones.
kathy deleon says...
June 24th, 2011, 4:44 pm
I love older cats, my Elrick live to be 26 years old and I still miss him to this day (after 4 years of him being gone) I recently adopted a kitty that was found in a snow bak at 4 weeks old and hope to soon get an older cat for him so both cats can have company.
Margaret says...
June 24th, 2011, 5:27 pm
We have four cats now and I introduced them slowly and all seemed well for the first couple of months but now the newest arrival has decided she is top cat and is bullying the others. Not sure what to do about her as she is twice the size of the other three and has them running scared, even my two dogs give her a wide berth!
Catherine Davis says...
June 24th, 2011, 7:01 pm
My sister and I have 6 cats ranging in age from 12 to 4. They are all strays that came into our lives at different times and they all had to accept the others and they did so without incident. They even accepted a new dog (also a stray) into the household a few years ago. Rocky (the dog) thinks t hey are his kids and he runs to aid them whenever he hears a hiss or loud noise. The kitties do run and play, making such a racket at times; it's hilarious! They jump out at one another, hide and bat the other as they walk by; so cute! They are so much fun and I encourage everyone who loves cats to adopt another (or two). You won't be sorry!
Vicky Slay says...
June 24th, 2011, 10:42 pm
I have an older cat I took in as a stray several years ago. Last November, I took in a young cat who I named Herby. Herby chases Sunshine and you would think they were killing each other by all the sounds they make. I always yell for Herby to stop and he comes to me like a dog would. I wish I could have more cats but two is quite enough for now. People drop cats off rather than putting them in the Animal Protective League which is a shame because a lot of them survive down by Lake Erie, but many of them don't. Then they have litters so you get ferral cats who won't make friends with you. I happened to get lucky with the older cat and my new encounter and am happy I took them in.
Karen says...
June 25th, 2011, 3:09 am
If you have a positive attitude when bringing in a "newbie" I swear the karma will carry.
I rescued a 4-1/2 month old kitten and brought her into my house where an 18 year old and 19 year old cat currently resided. I had tried to find a home for the kitten, but had no success.
In the meantime, I acted like this little screwball had just walked into our place, put down an extra food dish away from the other girls' and "let the gates down".
My other two were not brought in together so I figured they would act like they did when they were forced to cohabitate. It worked out OK. With the 3 of them,
my old ladies lived to be be 19 and 20, with the kitten turning 1 years old.
I had to get her a new companion after the 20 year old passed, so I got her a 1 year old sister. She did pass after 15 years, but not before I brought in another alley rescue in between them who was about 10 years old, which was in their age group at the time. This little Persian and the "kitten" hit it off and there were so many funny times with those two while the other (original) kitty watched.
I lost the Persian first (kidney failure) and the second kitty (kidney failure) but
still had the "kitten" who was then 15. She's never been an only kitty so I went to the shelter to find her a new sister. There was a 2 year old tabby left there because the people were going to have a baby. I took one look at her (and I have a soft spot for Tabbys never having one) and decided she's the one.
Long story short, I am the parent with "you will be an indoor kitty" or
"you will get along because nobody is going back (or going) to the shelter!"
Right now my 17 year old "kitten" is snoozing right next to the Tabby.
Bottom line: adopt old cats and merge them with other old cats and don't make a big fuss about them being together. They're not stupid and sometimes we act like overprotective parents with their kids in a new school.
Watch them and regulate when necessary (i.e., the water squirt bottle).
Old kitties know where their bread is buttered and they will "accept" other kitties of all ages when necessary.
Michele says...
June 25th, 2011, 7:04 am
I have adopted two older cats and they are my babies. I have four cats in full. Two red eared slidders(turtles) and three rats albino rats. They are all spoiled and my cats even get along with my rats which is a big relief. My dad gets a big kick out of my pets ad he told me he use to have turltes himself and lots of them. Older cats are really cool thy are more calmed so when the other two younger ones want to play sometmes the older one's will let them know not to bug the but it all works out.
Adopting older cats is the best way because these older cats are the first one's these shelters put down after their not adopted at a certain time. Which I feel is a heartless thing some of these shelters do but they do it I was told personally.
Ingrid says...
June 25th, 2011, 10:03 am
Let me just say every situation is different. We had 9 rescue cats living together (with plenty of space, litter boxes, food sources, etc.) successfully and then after four years a big one decided to beat up on a smaller one. It was necessary to close the doors to our dining room to separate them. We allowed the other cats to go back and forth if we opened the door but eventually they separated themselves out into two camps, four on one side, five on the other. We now live in a house divided.
Cat behavior is complicated and I've learned they can be very territorial and can, for no reason that I can see, just "have it in" for one of their roommates. My husband and I decided that we would never have this many cats again, thinking that this may be part of the problem. The aggressor cat just has that personality, but it wasn't evident for four years. He gets along with the other four cats on 'his side' of the house but even with them he can be a bit of a bully.
In the future, when these kitties have gone over the rainbow bridge, we will only adopt maybe two at a time. And yes, they will be older cats.
Satu says...
June 25th, 2011, 2:00 pm
I adopted a 12 years old really shy cat and I'm really happy to have reached her trust, though it took me more than a year.
She's really lovely 15 years old now and I'm happy to have her.
She used to come along with other cats but she doesn't come along with my Aby
Fortunately I have to rooms so I'm able to keep her
Helen Brewster says...
June 23rd, 2012, 10:41 am
I have two eight year old American longhair cats-mostly black with white ruffs and feet. They are siblings and have never been apart. We are moving to China and I need to find a home for them. They are loving catties, each with their own distinct personality. Fran is the female-feisty, mothering, busy, busy. Ollie is the male, laid back, sweet. We call Fran the New York cat and Ollie the California cat. I am heart broken about having to leave them; I need to find the best home for them. They are current on vet visits; they do have claws, they are indoor cats. Where can I advertise to find them a good home?