If you are reading this, I am guessing you already have a cat. If not, check out my 5 Things to Know Before Adopting Your First Cat post!

While I had my initial hesitations, I can now say I have zero regrets about getting a second cat for Milo. He has lost weight since Sunny’s arrival, his energy is up, and he is back to being a frisky, wild thing. It’s like having a kitten again… x2. The two of them have become the best of friends – they eat together, they play together, they fight together, and sleep together. They are two peas in a pod, and it truly warms my heart.

That being said, they are a HANDFUL and my job away from my full-time job. Sunny is a second mouth to feed, a second baby to clean up after, and a second set of expenses. He is so worth it, though! 

Here are some important things to consider when thinking about getting a second cat:

1) THE INTRODUCTION!!!!!! 
When I went to bring home Sunny, I had a shirt inside of the carrier for him to sit on. This allowed his scent to be on the t-shirt, which I took out and gave to Milo to sniff once I had Sunny separated in the bathroom. This gave Milo an opportunity to learn Sunny’ scent, while combined with my familiar scent – which made Sunny’s scent less threatening to him. Then, I let Sunny play with some toys. I gave those toys to Milo and the toys Milo plays with to Sunny. Again, the scent introduction is so important. 

At this point, Milo was aware something new was in the apartment, and he was super curious. I kept the two apart for around two hours and would open the door periodically (while shielding Sunny) to alert Milo where Sunny was being kept. People usually recommend keeping the two separated overnight, but I was way too impatient to do that. I eventually let the two sniff each other, and Milo was a terrified little baby of this kitten that was half his size – it was truly hilarious! Sunny was super brave and curious and kept running up to Milo, who would just run away. I made a point to pet Sunny in front of Milo, so that he knew I wasn’t threatened by Sunny, which meant Milo didn’t have to be. After a few puffy tails, and I think only one hiss, the two started to mingle!

2) Pay attention to the first cat.
I did not want Milo to associate Sunny with a lack of attention, so I was sure to spend equal time with Milo as I was with Sunny, if not more. He is my first baby, after all!

3) You may need to have separate litter boxes.
I actually tried this, but Sunny went on and made himself comfortable in Milo’s litter box the first night. Fortunately, Milo wasn’t territorial about this at all, and the two have shared a litter box since. That being said, be prepared for 2 different bathroom schedules, which means cleaning the litter box at least 1-2 times a day.

4) You will need to separate their food.
At the time, Milo and Sunny were eating different types of food, so I kept one cat in another room while the other ate. While they are eating the same food now, Sunny will always eat as if he’s never seen food before – and this results in poor Milo getting his food stolen if the two are next to each other. Milo is an absolute delight about it and has thankfully never had food aggression. Lately, Milo has been going after Sunny’s food more, but I’ll keep an eye out to make sure one of them isn’t totally being robbed of their meals.

5) Keep an eye on their playing.
It is perfectly normal and expected for kittens – especially boys – to roughhouse. Once you get to know cats, you can pretty easily tell what is play aggression versus real aggression. Play aggression involves biting and clawing, but the ears are not all the way back and there is no hair raised. If you start to hear hissing, see raised fur, and/or see the ears all the way back, separate them for the time being. Milo can look pretty evil when they play, but I can always tell it’s just playing by his body language.

If your cat is alone for most of the day, I highly recommend getting him/her a pal. Cats are very social, playful creatures – and you don’t want them getting into/doing things they shouldn’t as a result of being bored in the house all day!

As always, feel free to reach out with any and all questions!

Truly,
Taylor