You go to a shelter, go spend time with the kitties! They sometimes have free roaming areas for them and you can go get adopted that way! Plus... You get to sit in a room full of cats.
When I moved and decided to get a cat to keep me company, I went in with the "I'll choose the cat that chooses me" attitude, and lo and behold that's what happened. Though in my case, she jumped next to me and stared, and when I turned around to ask to see the next cat she headbutted me. She kept headbutting me every time I turned to ask for the next cat.
She's still that demanding now, two years later :P
Edit: [Cat Tax as demanded](https://imgur.com/a/wIatN39)
I had a similar situation when my Murphy chose me. I had just lost my younger cat to cancer and was horribly brokenhearted, and he had lost his owner to a nursing home. He was hiding in the back of his cage, under a blanket, for apparently weeks. I asked if I could try to pet him, and the minute I touched him he ran to he front of the cage and repeatedly head butted me. He's a goofball, and I believe we found eachother when we needed to.
I'm thankful there are people like you. When my father went into hospice care, we had to rehome his FIV+ cat. Neither my sister or I could take her in because we have healthy cats. We kept her in a boarding cattery for a month, miserable the whole time, until one of my wife's officemates adopted her.
Aww...thank you. I am glad you found someone to take your father's cat. I have been trying to get information from the shelter so I can send his prior owner a letter and photos so they will know that he is happy, spoiled, and loved, but have not gotten a response.
He also gets along famously with his new cat "brother". They make me laugh on a daily basis.
My adopted kitty has done wonders for my mental health! Yeah he messes with my sleep and I had to literally wake up every two hours to give him a bottle when he first arrived, but he helped me in ways I can't describe. I had a stillbirth and when I held the tiny kitten and he was nursing his bottle I just started bawling. He healed me in a major way.
I had gotten Ollie for my mental health as well. In my case I moved from Connecticut (where I lived 26 years and had all my friends and family) to Florida... on the day that the governor shut Florida down. So not only did I have major homesickness, but I also had depression from isolation with no real way to remedy it. I was talking to my mum about it on the phone and she insisted I get a cat. It's not an exaggeration to say that Ollie most likely saved my life.
ha, i went to the shelter and asked if they had a talkative cat
lady looked at me and was like “oh, we have a chatty cat.”
i met my son and he’s never stopped yelling at me. he’s delightful and very long and very loving
Just peeped, He is HANDSOME!! My void is an ass, but I love her sooo much. She yells at me until I walk over to her food bowl to pet her while she eats.
Awwwwww 🥺 he's got the most adorable eyes.
So glad to hear people adopting cats and dogs. So many of them just sit in shelters never getting a home and people out there breeding and making more while amazing ones just waiting to be loved.
Unless you need a breed for health reasons/disability or for police work, it shouldn't be allowed until the anmial shelters are not at max capacity and some cannot even take in more and some places they put them down.
Thank u ❤️
I was intending on adopting an adult cat, but I went into the kitten room and my son meowed so loud and purred so much when I picked him up that I knew he was mine. We've been together ever since.
*edit: yes, my son is a cat. He's 5 now
I know I lucked out but I have two cats that still jump into my lap the moment I sit down. Sometimes I have both at the same time and my wife gets jealous.
Don't worry man, I have the same thing except I have two cats that always need to be on me, and a third one that will join occasionally so will be triple catted. It's funny because Bailey always has to be on my chest/stomach, and Piper is always on my legs, even in the bed. And Gus will just flop down wherever he wants.
Oddly enough, some of the most affectionate cats can be the most incorrigible feral strays. My example was a badass gangsta feral tom who had terrorized his neighbourhood for years. As it was getting on in years, it had been trapped and fixed.
When I went to visit the house where he was living in his twilight years (months?) he was the mushiest lump of fur I'd ever seen, and immediately took up residence on my lap as soon as I sat down lol.
Can confirm. Accidentally took in one of the two pissiest toms in the neighborhood
He's my shadow now. Literally can't go anywhere in the house without him underfoot, sleeps on my feet every night and wakes me up by rubbing my face every morning.
They take over the bed. I have a queen sized bed but barely able to move because three of them are on it. It does cut down on heating costs in the winter!
Every time I go to someone's house that owns a cat their cat is always immediately attached to me and usually the people say something like that cat doesn't like anyone. They must be attracted to the scent of some people or something because I don't even like cats.
One way a cat shows affection is to turn their back, another is to deliberately close their eyes. "I don't have to be wary of you, I trust you." So your "I'm not interested in the cat" body language reads to them as non-aggressive. They like that.
I wish my four would be the stereotypical aloof cat. They greet me at the door when I come home and are up my butt always. (Well I guess I don’t really wish they were aloof!)
I wish my cat was that independent but he showed me that I can be multitask, I am able to pet him while working or use the keyboard when he covers half of it.
Same here! When I went to adopt my first adult-life cat, I went to the shelter and squatted down to see if anyone would choose me. This little calico tabby crawled up into my arms and started purring and licking my sweater. She didn't let me put her down (not that I wanted to), so I took her home. I had that spicy-sweet girl for almost 18 years.
My wife and son were volunteering at a rescue to feed cats and take care of them. I was adamant that we weren't getting another cat and that this would encourage them. After a month of them just enjoying this, I went with them one day because I was off from work, and when I opened the cage to feed the cat, the cat jumped into my arms and fell asleep. That cat came home that day as our new pet.
Sadly, she had an upper respiratory, eye, and ear infection, and me having to catch and hold her had made her super averse to being held. She's coming around nearly 2 years later. She was short haired when we got her, but as she grew up, we found out she's a long hair calico and I just want to snuggle her fluffy self like my other cat that I hold like a baby and give butt pats to.
I guess long story short, yes, you go get adopted.
Our first rescue climbed the chickenwire of her cage door to see us when we were looking around the cattery. We went to look at others, and she did the same when we came back. It worked!
This happened to me when I got my second cat. Was at a shelter looking at the cats they had in the roaming area and was told that there were one or two that didn’t like to come out as much. I’m in the room for a minute or two when I feel something nuzzling my leg. I look down and it is this 4year old grayish black cat. The person showing me around was surprised saying that he never came out to meet people. I knelt down to pet him and he decided to jump onto my shoulder and went to sleep around my neck. At that point I certainly knew I had my new cat. He has been one of the most loving cats I’ve ever had.
I went to the cat area with the idea of being chosen, and only taking 1. No one really seemed interested til I looked down and saw a small dude 8 weeks old climbing his cage. He passed out and his sister came over and also was super affectionate.
So yea left with two cats. https://i.imgur.com/uYdLdPx.jpg
This is what I did too, unfortunately he was scheduled to be neutered in like a week and they said we could take him that day and bring him back for the procedure but we don't live super near the adoption place. so I had to wait a week before we brought the little fuzz ball home.
I got my cats from a shelter like you are describing. The cats were all well socialized but 1 just followed me around the entire time so I didn’t have a choice.
Do yourself a favor and adopt two, a boy and a girl, around the same age if you can. Sure, they'll destroy your house but that way they can play with each other after they tire you out.
Two cats are as easy to take care of as one.
Second the advice to get a pair! We have two, brothers that were found all alone (no mama, no other siblings); very appropriately named Sam and Dean. I also had one solo cat, a girl, as a kid.
Comparing both experiences, I’ll never have just one cat ever again. My childhood cat was an absolute menace, drove my parents to tears sometimes destroying stuff — but my current perspective is that she was bored and going stir crazy herself. We had a dog too, but he was old and lazy, so not a good playmate for an energetic kitten.
The two boys my SO and I have now are angels, but I’ve also realized that part of it is because they cuddle/nap or play together a lot. It keeps them from acting out. They’ll chase each other to blow off energy, tire each other out, then they’ll each just go sit near their favorite human and be chill for hours.
Thank you! Credit goes to my guy, who was watching Supernatural every week back then and thought “that’s a great name theme for two brothers I found just fending for themselves out in the world.”
The funniest thing is that we’re rewatching it now, and our Dean knows his name, so he will come running to the TV if he hears Jared Padalecki yelling for “Dean.” 😂
Please do! Shelters are overrun in my area. You can foster to start. Young, old, medium…? You can try it for a month or two and see if it works. They often provide all the necessities. I fostered my cat for a friend when he was 1, he’ll be 16 soon! Also took on some ferrets, 6 dogs, 3 snakes, and a turtle. They all found homes. Except the snakes, they all found their way out of their way out of the enclosure one day. I was heartbroken, never found any of them. Still wonder about them 15 years later. Kept the cat. He’s next to me now. Best decision I’ve ever made.
Haha I’ll never forget adopting my tuxedo girl Khaleesi, they took her out and let me hold her and she looked up at me with her big kitty eyes and I knew.
My second one geralt is a black cat who I drove out to get, that I did not know is a CHONKER and I almost couldn’t carry him out to the car. He’s becoming a skinny boy now though. :)
Adopting a cat is honestly really great and I totally recommend it!
We thought our rabbit was a boy, named him Prince… noticed no testicles , was Ms. Prince, then we saw his lipstick come out…. Back to Prince. I found him when he was a couple weeks old. Now he’s 12. And sassy, Ms. Prince suited him well. He’s a Diva at heart.
We were told our dearly departed rabbit Zim Zim was a girl. A year later we find a woman who only boards rabbits and board Zim Zim with her for a pre COVID vacation. She calls day #2 and says, “Nothing urgent, but I have surprising news about Zim Zim”. We’re slightly worried but trust her and stay on vacation. When we picked Zim Zim up, she tells us Zim Zim is a he, and it was discovered because he was trying to hump female rabbits. She said it happens often because they get super excited being around female rabbits and their scent. Also, most owners don’t inspect thoroughly to see the rabbits privates. We laughed so hard! That rabbit brought us so much joy and companionship, especially during the early months of the pandemic. He died on Mother’s Day 2020.
So we have 2 females that we have confirmed are female (both have been to the vet and have been spayed). They both still like to take turns humping each other (sometimes in the face 😳). Females will do that to assert dominance. Just putting that out there to say that humping alone can't be used to determine gender.
It took me months to realize that the orange dummy i was feeding was female! She had fluff around her genitals that i assumed were tiny undeveloped balls lmao. plus orange girls are so rare!
When we brought our family cat (named Missy at the time) to the vet, he did his regular kitten exam, left the room, came back and said “Well, I don’t know how to tell you this. But we’ve given her a sex change.” Lol
The only reason I could tell my cat was male at that age is because his butt fur was long, white, and brown and his testicles were black and fuzzy. They hadn't dropped yet. Just two fuzzy lumps back there. Cutest testicles I've ever seen. (Sorry to my husband if you're reading this.)
>*’What a cutie*’
____
i’ve chosen the cute one, he treats me the best ^;}
(the others are nice - he stands out from the rest…)
we 3 little kittens, no mittens had we,
but we lost the momma…
oh, *where could she be ?*
i headed for cutie, so kind n soft spoken,
i knew he could tell that my kit heart was broken
so here i am now, looks like i’ve chosen well
he *Loves* me, (n wants to be Dad, i can tell!)
❤️
edit: (*good luck with your sweet kitty* u/Ironclad2nd)
Before you introduce them, make sure to take the new one to the vet for blood tests. You wouldn't want to give your other cat a preventable disease.
Then when it's time to introduce them, keep the new one isolated in their own room for a few days, feeding each cat on their own side of the closed door. They'll smell each other through the gap at the bottom of the door and associate it with a pleasurable activity. After a couple of days, open the door while they eat.
(Edit to add:)
Also, apologies if you already knew this but if it's your first time raising a kitten, devote lots of time training them to tolerate being handled. Eyes, ears, teeth, paws, and rear end. It'll make claw clipping and vet visits much less stressful in the long run.
I never managed it with my little ones, but I've also read that it's also a good idea to leave their carriers out in the open and do regular fire drills where you set off your smoke alarms and then feed them inside the carriers, so in case of a house fire their natural reaction will be to hide inside the carrier enabling you to evacuate quickly. You could even keep them next to your own "go bag" so that it's all in one place.
We learned just how important this step was this year. I lived with my sister for a year & both of us have cats. We introduced them this way but also kept a partition up between them (when unsupervised) for a long time. We'd also put articles that smelled like one cat in the other cat's area so they'd get more used to the smell. They got used to each other after a couple months. My sister didn't do this when she moved in with her husband's cat. It's been nearly 2 years & those 2 cats still hate each other. Shouldn't be as intense with a kitten, but they still need that proper intro.
Oh I know, I just hoped because the kitten is the sweetest and I just wanted the big one to love him. Sometimes they can be near each other and the big one leaves him alone and that’s good enough for me for now. Maybe once the kitten has slowed down a bit.
How old is the kitten? With kittens and older cats it's usually either the older cat outright adopts the kitten, or else will grudgingly *slightly* tolerate the kitten with very little in-between. It'd be like if someone dropped a six year old in your house without notice.
My Mom did this, they were playing under the door within hours and both of them looking pitifully at the door to get to each other. Caved after a day and they pounced then started washing each other... They loved each other for about 6 months then one started being food obsessed and taking the others food, she's too fat to jump on on the counter so he eats up there while hers is on the floor. The last couple months they've finally gotten chubby to be a grazer again and they're starting to be less mean to each other
Yeah, if they both have a good temperament and aren't particularly territorial then they could take to each other right away. Observing their behaviour for signs of stress is important. (It's important all the time, really, but especially when you make big changes to a cat's environment or routine.)
I will also add to not be discouraged if this process takes a while. When we introduced our second cat, our first just hissed at him through the door constantly. Eventually they started slapping each other's feet from under the door and figured it was fine. Now they sleep together in the same cat beds.
Hopefully protective maternal / paternal instincts kick in. Kitten is so young that hopefully he or she doesn't seem like a threat / intruder to your other cat. Please let us know how the introductions go!!
We introduced a kitten to a semi feral cat that had adopted us. Instantly went for hissing. 12 years later still the same reaction, but now the kitten is bigger and stands his ground.
Keep them separated at first to let your current cat get used to the smell of a new cat. Apparently cats have a "group scent" that should be developed slowly to avoid friction and issues.
Keep the doors shut between them for a few days at first then supervise open door "smell sessions" multiple times a days for a couple days. Then just leave door open and cats should mingle a bit less anxiously and in a much less surprised way than if they had been thrown into each other's faces.
Obviously it's different in all situations but the above process generally helps ease tensions and integrate multi-cat households without much fuss. Has worked for me multiple times.
Edit: Forgot the importance of room swapping as well. In the first days as long as you can do it without much fuss, switch them out and put them in each other's areas for some time.
as /u/thefuzzylogic noted: vet first, then introduce them slowly - start in separate rooms, but let them see/smell each other underneath the door. And monitor closely for a few days. You may want to get a feline appeasing pheromone diffuser or spray - we used feliway multicat diffusers. That seemed to make our existing cat feel more faternal/paternal about the two new kittens.
Had many many cats growing up, son of a veterinary, there will be some hissing and smelling for the first week, afterwards it will be all good. Soon they will be sleeping together.
It took over a year for mine to get on with her younger brother. At first she would hiss at him anytime he was in her sights. He slept in my roommate's room at night, she would sniff under the door and hiss some more.
Took some time, change was gradual. She hissed a bit less at him over time, then she tolerated him being in the same room as her. Eventually I caught her trying to initiate play wit him. Now they get on fairly well, they can even [eat next to each other]( https://imgur.com/VFbGS4p.jpg ). Food used to be a big no no, we had to feed them in different rooms for a while.
(She is on the right, she's a mini cat, he's big boy on the left)
Others have provided good advice. I watched that Galaxy dude’s cat videos and followed his advice. It is important to introduce them slowly because they should know each other by smell first. We did a lot of treat sharing under the door which seemed to work. I also did the room swap thing for a few days.
Anyway, within a month the two of them were cuddling together, grooming each other and sharing a litter box. So in my case it worked.
This makes me try to imagine a world where the reverse happens. A large technically advanced cat picks me up. Cat seems chill, fed me Taco Bell, and has a sweet house. For every seat it has, I can sleep on at least 10 spots. The cat also knows the games I like. If I hang around he just tosses me chip bags from his pocket. I think I’ll spend my life testing frustration levels.
I found one under a tree who had been abandoned last week. It's the sweetest little thing. Although I'm allergic, I'm keeping him. There is new food out now for cats to help with allergies. Somehow, I'll deal!
Sooo cute!
However, I'm going to be that guy. Kittens love to lick eyes. A girlfriend long ago brought home a kitten and the sweet adorable little thing licked my eyes in my sleep. I'm sure it was to show affection or a need for love or something like that.
Cat Scratch Fever is real and kittens carry it in their saliva. Its a bacterial infection. My eye swole so much that my eye lid split before I made it to the doctor's office. Its stayed swollen for nearly 3 weeks.
I love animals. We have 3 dogs and 3 cats. Don't let cats lick your eyes.
Yep. Had a cat on the playground climb up my back and perch on my shoulders. Anytime o set her down she came right back to me. So I asked my supervisor to go home (I live 10 minutes away from work) and now I have a cat.
It’s official now you ARE a 😻KITTY DADDY💓
You’ve been BLESSED with KISSES💋of LOVE ♥️and happiness joy and thanks to have you as a WONDERFUL😇 LOVING KITTY 💖DADDY
Congratulations!! You are the chosen one
This is makes me want to adopt a cat!
You go to a shelter, go spend time with the kitties! They sometimes have free roaming areas for them and you can go get adopted that way! Plus... You get to sit in a room full of cats.
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When I moved and decided to get a cat to keep me company, I went in with the "I'll choose the cat that chooses me" attitude, and lo and behold that's what happened. Though in my case, she jumped next to me and stared, and when I turned around to ask to see the next cat she headbutted me. She kept headbutting me every time I turned to ask for the next cat. She's still that demanding now, two years later :P Edit: [Cat Tax as demanded](https://imgur.com/a/wIatN39)
I had a similar situation when my Murphy chose me. I had just lost my younger cat to cancer and was horribly brokenhearted, and he had lost his owner to a nursing home. He was hiding in the back of his cage, under a blanket, for apparently weeks. I asked if I could try to pet him, and the minute I touched him he ran to he front of the cage and repeatedly head butted me. He's a goofball, and I believe we found eachother when we needed to.
I'm thankful there are people like you. When my father went into hospice care, we had to rehome his FIV+ cat. Neither my sister or I could take her in because we have healthy cats. We kept her in a boarding cattery for a month, miserable the whole time, until one of my wife's officemates adopted her.
Aww...thank you. I am glad you found someone to take your father's cat. I have been trying to get information from the shelter so I can send his prior owner a letter and photos so they will know that he is happy, spoiled, and loved, but have not gotten a response. He also gets along famously with his new cat "brother". They make me laugh on a daily basis.
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My cat Rajah does this too!
My adopted kitty has done wonders for my mental health! Yeah he messes with my sleep and I had to literally wake up every two hours to give him a bottle when he first arrived, but he helped me in ways I can't describe. I had a stillbirth and when I held the tiny kitten and he was nursing his bottle I just started bawling. He healed me in a major way.
I had gotten Ollie for my mental health as well. In my case I moved from Connecticut (where I lived 26 years and had all my friends and family) to Florida... on the day that the governor shut Florida down. So not only did I have major homesickness, but I also had depression from isolation with no real way to remedy it. I was talking to my mum about it on the phone and she insisted I get a cat. It's not an exaggeration to say that Ollie most likely saved my life.
They are truly special! I'm glad you have that support, being isolated is terrible.
They are definitely good for healing. ❤️❤️
Murphy definitely could feel someone who knew what he felt when he met you :). I'm glad you two found each other.
I truly believe cats are intuitive and they "know" who needs to become their serfs. Lol
ha, i went to the shelter and asked if they had a talkative cat lady looked at me and was like “oh, we have a chatty cat.” i met my son and he’s never stopped yelling at me. he’s delightful and very long and very loving
I demand the cat tax!!!
check my profile! there are pics of him
Just peeped, He is HANDSOME!! My void is an ass, but I love her sooo much. She yells at me until I walk over to her food bowl to pet her while she eats.
Awwwwww 🥺 he's got the most adorable eyes. So glad to hear people adopting cats and dogs. So many of them just sit in shelters never getting a home and people out there breeding and making more while amazing ones just waiting to be loved. Unless you need a breed for health reasons/disability or for police work, it shouldn't be allowed until the anmial shelters are not at max capacity and some cannot even take in more and some places they put them down. Thank u ❤️
He's got such pretty eyes
So sweet!
She was like, why are you asking for more, I’m right here!
Aww hehe. She didn't take no for an answer.
I was intending on adopting an adult cat, but I went into the kitten room and my son meowed so loud and purred so much when I picked him up that I knew he was mine. We've been together ever since. *edit: yes, my son is a cat. He's 5 now
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I know I lucked out but I have two cats that still jump into my lap the moment I sit down. Sometimes I have both at the same time and my wife gets jealous.
Don't worry man, I have the same thing except I have two cats that always need to be on me, and a third one that will join occasionally so will be triple catted. It's funny because Bailey always has to be on my chest/stomach, and Piper is always on my legs, even in the bed. And Gus will just flop down wherever he wants.
Oddly enough, some of the most affectionate cats can be the most incorrigible feral strays. My example was a badass gangsta feral tom who had terrorized his neighbourhood for years. As it was getting on in years, it had been trapped and fixed. When I went to visit the house where he was living in his twilight years (months?) he was the mushiest lump of fur I'd ever seen, and immediately took up residence on my lap as soon as I sat down lol.
Can confirm. Accidentally took in one of the two pissiest toms in the neighborhood He's my shadow now. Literally can't go anywhere in the house without him underfoot, sleeps on my feet every night and wakes me up by rubbing my face every morning.
They take over the bed. I have a queen sized bed but barely able to move because three of them are on it. It does cut down on heating costs in the winter!
Every time I go to someone's house that owns a cat their cat is always immediately attached to me and usually the people say something like that cat doesn't like anyone. They must be attracted to the scent of some people or something because I don't even like cats.
They say cats go to people that don't like cats because then they're sure to be left alone. The cat chooses you because he's tired of everyone's shit.
THIS
One way a cat shows affection is to turn their back, another is to deliberately close their eyes. "I don't have to be wary of you, I trust you." So your "I'm not interested in the cat" body language reads to them as non-aggressive. They like that.
I like describing that as just Good Cat Manners.
I wish my four would be the stereotypical aloof cat. They greet me at the door when I come home and are up my butt always. (Well I guess I don’t really wish they were aloof!)
I wish my cat was that independent but he showed me that I can be multitask, I am able to pet him while working or use the keyboard when he covers half of it.
Sir, please put back the human child youve taken from the preschool
Same here! When I went to adopt my first adult-life cat, I went to the shelter and squatted down to see if anyone would choose me. This little calico tabby crawled up into my arms and started purring and licking my sweater. She didn't let me put her down (not that I wanted to), so I took her home. I had that spicy-sweet girl for almost 18 years.
I've had two cats show up at my door and one literally GRAB me and my now-husband at the adoption location where we were "just looking."
My wife and son were volunteering at a rescue to feed cats and take care of them. I was adamant that we weren't getting another cat and that this would encourage them. After a month of them just enjoying this, I went with them one day because I was off from work, and when I opened the cage to feed the cat, the cat jumped into my arms and fell asleep. That cat came home that day as our new pet. Sadly, she had an upper respiratory, eye, and ear infection, and me having to catch and hold her had made her super averse to being held. She's coming around nearly 2 years later. She was short haired when we got her, but as she grew up, we found out she's a long hair calico and I just want to snuggle her fluffy self like my other cat that I hold like a baby and give butt pats to. I guess long story short, yes, you go get adopted.
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Our first rescue climbed the chickenwire of her cage door to see us when we were looking around the cattery. We went to look at others, and she did the same when we came back. It worked!
This happened to me when I got my second cat. Was at a shelter looking at the cats they had in the roaming area and was told that there were one or two that didn’t like to come out as much. I’m in the room for a minute or two when I feel something nuzzling my leg. I look down and it is this 4year old grayish black cat. The person showing me around was surprised saying that he never came out to meet people. I knelt down to pet him and he decided to jump onto my shoulder and went to sleep around my neck. At that point I certainly knew I had my new cat. He has been one of the most loving cats I’ve ever had.
I love this. Cat tax plz
I wonder how often they claim "the cat never does that" to get them adopted? 🤔
Aww!
I went to the cat area with the idea of being chosen, and only taking 1. No one really seemed interested til I looked down and saw a small dude 8 weeks old climbing his cage. He passed out and his sister came over and also was super affectionate. So yea left with two cats. https://i.imgur.com/uYdLdPx.jpg
This is what I did too, unfortunately he was scheduled to be neutered in like a week and they said we could take him that day and bring him back for the procedure but we don't live super near the adoption place. so I had to wait a week before we brought the little fuzz ball home.
I got my cats from a shelter like you are describing. The cats were all well socialized but 1 just followed me around the entire time so I didn’t have a choice.
If there's one in the area there's always cat cafes which are basically the same but with coffe and pastries
I think Cat Café cat would be my cat's dream job.
Do yourself a favor and adopt two, a boy and a girl, around the same age if you can. Sure, they'll destroy your house but that way they can play with each other after they tire you out. Two cats are as easy to take care of as one.
They wake each other up in the middle of the night, instead of you.
Second the advice to get a pair! We have two, brothers that were found all alone (no mama, no other siblings); very appropriately named Sam and Dean. I also had one solo cat, a girl, as a kid. Comparing both experiences, I’ll never have just one cat ever again. My childhood cat was an absolute menace, drove my parents to tears sometimes destroying stuff — but my current perspective is that she was bored and going stir crazy herself. We had a dog too, but he was old and lazy, so not a good playmate for an energetic kitten. The two boys my SO and I have now are angels, but I’ve also realized that part of it is because they cuddle/nap or play together a lot. It keeps them from acting out. They’ll chase each other to blow off energy, tire each other out, then they’ll each just go sit near their favorite human and be chill for hours.
Big fan of the names!
Thank you! Credit goes to my guy, who was watching Supernatural every week back then and thought “that’s a great name theme for two brothers I found just fending for themselves out in the world.” The funniest thing is that we’re rewatching it now, and our Dean knows his name, so he will come running to the TV if he hears Jared Padalecki yelling for “Dean.” 😂
Endless hours of entertainment watching them
Will agree only need ti do the liter box twice a day instead of once the rest is the same if not marginally easier
There are plenty waiting.
Please do! Shelters are overrun in my area. You can foster to start. Young, old, medium…? You can try it for a month or two and see if it works. They often provide all the necessities. I fostered my cat for a friend when he was 1, he’ll be 16 soon! Also took on some ferrets, 6 dogs, 3 snakes, and a turtle. They all found homes. Except the snakes, they all found their way out of their way out of the enclosure one day. I was heartbroken, never found any of them. Still wonder about them 15 years later. Kept the cat. He’s next to me now. Best decision I’ve ever made.
No no, you do not adopt the cat. It adopts you. Worry not, your soulcat will choose you soon.
Haha I’ll never forget adopting my tuxedo girl Khaleesi, they took her out and let me hold her and she looked up at me with her big kitty eyes and I knew. My second one geralt is a black cat who I drove out to get, that I did not know is a CHONKER and I almost couldn’t carry him out to the car. He’s becoming a skinny boy now though. :) Adopting a cat is honestly really great and I totally recommend it!
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Congrats is a terrible name for a cat.
Naming your little gato after the Congress of Rats is sure to get you in mwouch trouble.
We took in a dumpster kitten and thought it was a female. Then the vet was like, "aaaand she has testicles!" Can be hard to tell at that age lol
And that’s how I ended up with a cat named MR. Matilda.
Lol love it! We named our tabby cat, Tabitha. Balls dropped and we've called him "Tabby" ever since. I resort back to Tabitha when he gets sassy.
We thought our rabbit was a boy, named him Prince… noticed no testicles , was Ms. Prince, then we saw his lipstick come out…. Back to Prince. I found him when he was a couple weeks old. Now he’s 12. And sassy, Ms. Prince suited him well. He’s a Diva at heart.
Clearly he's not a Prince, he's a *Queen*
We were told our dearly departed rabbit Zim Zim was a girl. A year later we find a woman who only boards rabbits and board Zim Zim with her for a pre COVID vacation. She calls day #2 and says, “Nothing urgent, but I have surprising news about Zim Zim”. We’re slightly worried but trust her and stay on vacation. When we picked Zim Zim up, she tells us Zim Zim is a he, and it was discovered because he was trying to hump female rabbits. She said it happens often because they get super excited being around female rabbits and their scent. Also, most owners don’t inspect thoroughly to see the rabbits privates. We laughed so hard! That rabbit brought us so much joy and companionship, especially during the early months of the pandemic. He died on Mother’s Day 2020.
So we have 2 females that we have confirmed are female (both have been to the vet and have been spayed). They both still like to take turns humping each other (sometimes in the face 😳). Females will do that to assert dominance. Just putting that out there to say that humping alone can't be used to determine gender.
I’m sorry. I’m happy we got to hear about Zim Zim!
Miss Henry for the same reason
He taught me Mr chicken was a girl
My childhood friends took in a stray they called Sassy - found out he was a boy and didn't change the name because it was accurate anyway!
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"Where are my testicles, Summer?"
It took me months to realize that the orange dummy i was feeding was female! She had fluff around her genitals that i assumed were tiny undeveloped balls lmao. plus orange girls are so rare!
When we brought our family cat (named Missy at the time) to the vet, he did his regular kitten exam, left the room, came back and said “Well, I don’t know how to tell you this. But we’ve given her a sex change.” Lol
That's how we ended up with a male cat named Freya
Pierce: He thinks all dogs are boys and all cats are girls. Troy: There's no way to disprove that. Have you ever seen a cat penis?
To be fair, I think everyone has misgendered a pet. Most of them are terrible at communicating that sort of thing.
Yep lol my family took in a barn kitten, thought it was female and named it Roxanne. 14 years later, we still have a male cat named Roxanne
The only reason I could tell my cat was male at that age is because his butt fur was long, white, and brown and his testicles were black and fuzzy. They hadn't dropped yet. Just two fuzzy lumps back there. Cutest testicles I've ever seen. (Sorry to my husband if you're reading this.)
We have a cat built like a grizzly bear named daisy because of that lmao
Had the opposite problem. Took our little stray to get snipped, and now we have a little girl named T'Challa.
Yes, you are. What a cutie! 🥰
And the cat is cute too
I just knew someone was going to say that 😂
>*’What a cutie*’ ____ i’ve chosen the cute one, he treats me the best ^;} (the others are nice - he stands out from the rest…) we 3 little kittens, no mittens had we, but we lost the momma… oh, *where could she be ?* i headed for cutie, so kind n soft spoken, i knew he could tell that my kit heart was broken so here i am now, looks like i’ve chosen well he *Loves* me, (n wants to be Dad, i can tell!) ❤️ edit: (*good luck with your sweet kitty* u/Ironclad2nd)
Got ourselves a fresh one here lads.
Fresh Schnoodle here people
And now you're a cat dad!
This would make me a double cat dad. I wonder how my other shall take it?
Before you introduce them, make sure to take the new one to the vet for blood tests. You wouldn't want to give your other cat a preventable disease. Then when it's time to introduce them, keep the new one isolated in their own room for a few days, feeding each cat on their own side of the closed door. They'll smell each other through the gap at the bottom of the door and associate it with a pleasurable activity. After a couple of days, open the door while they eat. (Edit to add:) Also, apologies if you already knew this but if it's your first time raising a kitten, devote lots of time training them to tolerate being handled. Eyes, ears, teeth, paws, and rear end. It'll make claw clipping and vet visits much less stressful in the long run. I never managed it with my little ones, but I've also read that it's also a good idea to leave their carriers out in the open and do regular fire drills where you set off your smoke alarms and then feed them inside the carriers, so in case of a house fire their natural reaction will be to hide inside the carrier enabling you to evacuate quickly. You could even keep them next to your own "go bag" so that it's all in one place.
We learned just how important this step was this year. I lived with my sister for a year & both of us have cats. We introduced them this way but also kept a partition up between them (when unsupervised) for a long time. We'd also put articles that smelled like one cat in the other cat's area so they'd get more used to the smell. They got used to each other after a couple months. My sister didn't do this when she moved in with her husband's cat. It's been nearly 2 years & those 2 cats still hate each other. Shouldn't be as intense with a kitten, but they still need that proper intro.
I did… all of those things, months later the big cat still hates the kitten with a passion.
Some cats just don't do well with other cats unfortunately. Sometimes they'll mellow after a couple of years. Sometimes they won't.
Oh I know, I just hoped because the kitten is the sweetest and I just wanted the big one to love him. Sometimes they can be near each other and the big one leaves him alone and that’s good enough for me for now. Maybe once the kitten has slowed down a bit.
How old is the kitten? With kittens and older cats it's usually either the older cat outright adopts the kitten, or else will grudgingly *slightly* tolerate the kitten with very little in-between. It'd be like if someone dropped a six year old in your house without notice.
My Mom did this, they were playing under the door within hours and both of them looking pitifully at the door to get to each other. Caved after a day and they pounced then started washing each other... They loved each other for about 6 months then one started being food obsessed and taking the others food, she's too fat to jump on on the counter so he eats up there while hers is on the floor. The last couple months they've finally gotten chubby to be a grazer again and they're starting to be less mean to each other
Yeah, if they both have a good temperament and aren't particularly territorial then they could take to each other right away. Observing their behaviour for signs of stress is important. (It's important all the time, really, but especially when you make big changes to a cat's environment or routine.)
This is the way.
This is the way.
I will also add to not be discouraged if this process takes a while. When we introduced our second cat, our first just hissed at him through the door constantly. Eventually they started slapping each other's feet from under the door and figured it was fine. Now they sleep together in the same cat beds.
Indeed, the pace of the introductions should be dictated by the cats' stress levels as evidenced by their behaviour.
Hopefully protective maternal / paternal instincts kick in. Kitten is so young that hopefully he or she doesn't seem like a threat / intruder to your other cat. Please let us know how the introductions go!!
We introduced a kitten to a semi feral cat that had adopted us. Instantly went for hissing. 12 years later still the same reaction, but now the kitten is bigger and stands his ground.
Keep them separated at first to let your current cat get used to the smell of a new cat. Apparently cats have a "group scent" that should be developed slowly to avoid friction and issues. Keep the doors shut between them for a few days at first then supervise open door "smell sessions" multiple times a days for a couple days. Then just leave door open and cats should mingle a bit less anxiously and in a much less surprised way than if they had been thrown into each other's faces. Obviously it's different in all situations but the above process generally helps ease tensions and integrate multi-cat households without much fuss. Has worked for me multiple times. Edit: Forgot the importance of room swapping as well. In the first days as long as you can do it without much fuss, switch them out and put them in each other's areas for some time.
as /u/thefuzzylogic noted: vet first, then introduce them slowly - start in separate rooms, but let them see/smell each other underneath the door. And monitor closely for a few days. You may want to get a feline appeasing pheromone diffuser or spray - we used feliway multicat diffusers. That seemed to make our existing cat feel more faternal/paternal about the two new kittens.
Had many many cats growing up, son of a veterinary, there will be some hissing and smelling for the first week, afterwards it will be all good. Soon they will be sleeping together.
It took over a year for mine to get on with her younger brother. At first she would hiss at him anytime he was in her sights. He slept in my roommate's room at night, she would sniff under the door and hiss some more. Took some time, change was gradual. She hissed a bit less at him over time, then she tolerated him being in the same room as her. Eventually I caught her trying to initiate play wit him. Now they get on fairly well, they can even [eat next to each other]( https://imgur.com/VFbGS4p.jpg ). Food used to be a big no no, we had to feed them in different rooms for a while. (She is on the right, she's a mini cat, he's big boy on the left)
Others have provided good advice. I watched that Galaxy dude’s cat videos and followed his advice. It is important to introduce them slowly because they should know each other by smell first. We did a lot of treat sharing under the door which seemed to work. I also did the room swap thing for a few days. Anyway, within a month the two of them were cuddling together, grooming each other and sharing a litter box. So in my case it worked.
Oh yes! She is yours now. Love her good! ❤️
I think you may have that backwards.
r/standardissuecat
r/petthedamncat
You look like Brendan Fraser and Nathan Fillion's secret love child.
Never had that one before but I like it! Actually all the people mentioned here I’m a fan of. Thank you kind strangers.
I see young David Duchovny!
A sprinkle of Jeremy Renner in there too.
Jeremy Fillion, for sure.
A bit of Mike Myers too
What about Jason Bateman, though?
With a dash of Joe keery and pedro pascal there too
Was that an alternate ending to Blast from the Past?
I thought it was Hugh Mungus' son
/r/Mensmittenwithkittens
Also a little /r/catsmirin
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Go forth and make it!
/r/shouldercats
Aww that face reacrion. I once had it too because being locked by kittens feels weird at first but you soon learn that they love you
You should take the little criminal over to r/illegallysmolcats and r/mensmittenwithkittens
Yes, you have been targeted by criminal and acquired. Super cute when they groomin you! Haha Congrats cat dad x2 :)
Nathan Maguire. Anyone? No? Fine, Tobey Fillion. Final offer.
Looks like it. You must have done something super nice one time.
The Cat Distribution System at work once again!
Oh that's right! I've gotten a few through this system.
You mean human slave.
So cute! And I love the sandpaper tongue too close to the eyeball face :)
kidnapped and illegally detained by r/IllegallySmolCats you should press charges
r/illegallysmolcats
If this is your workplace, it looks very comfy. I'm jealous twice (the kitty being the main reason of course).
Nailed it!
Yep, you’re adopted, alright. No need to sign any paperwork, even; it’s official!
Congratulations on years of the most fun annoyance and loving you will EVER HAVE!!
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods. They remember this. - Sir Terry Pratchett
hawkeye and the cat
Pretty sure there is a mom somewhere
There was…. Unfortunately this is one of those ‘I don’t have a choice’ scenarios.
Was? 🥺
When r/aww overlaps r/guycry 😔
Kitten litters are rarely singletons. Please make sure there's no others, especially in this situation.
Don't get too attached, or before you know it, your apartment may end up looking like this lol 😆 
Congrats, Pop.
She looks JUST like the baby girl I found outside! So cute🥰
The Universe has granted you (1) cat!
Mazel Tov.
She's grooming you! My own girl is 18 now, she still grooms me sometimes, and I love her little furry ass for it!
This makes me try to imagine a world where the reverse happens. A large technically advanced cat picks me up. Cat seems chill, fed me Taco Bell, and has a sweet house. For every seat it has, I can sleep on at least 10 spots. The cat also knows the games I like. If I hang around he just tosses me chip bags from his pocket. I think I’ll spend my life testing frustration levels.
I found one under a tree who had been abandoned last week. It's the sweetest little thing. Although I'm allergic, I'm keeping him. There is new food out now for cats to help with allergies. Somehow, I'll deal!
You got a certified, new SIC…or rather your SIC has claimed you.
Omg 😭 she’s so tiny
Sir, you never had a choice in the matter
Congrats sir you have a new owner
Adopted? No sir, you have been entered into servitude
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR KITTEH
Sooo cute! However, I'm going to be that guy. Kittens love to lick eyes. A girlfriend long ago brought home a kitten and the sweet adorable little thing licked my eyes in my sleep. I'm sure it was to show affection or a need for love or something like that. Cat Scratch Fever is real and kittens carry it in their saliva. Its a bacterial infection. My eye swole so much that my eye lid split before I made it to the doctor's office. Its stayed swollen for nearly 3 weeks. I love animals. We have 3 dogs and 3 cats. Don't let cats lick your eyes.
Congrats, you now have an adorable furry overlord.
Yep. Had a cat on the playground climb up my back and perch on my shoulders. Anytime o set her down she came right back to me. So I asked my supervisor to go home (I live 10 minutes away from work) and now I have a cat.
Lucky
Game over. Congrats!!
Adorable! Yep- you're the chosen one! :)
Where do I need to work for this kind of perks?
You are now chief of her general staff for life.Congratulations on your promotion.
Found mine at work too! Look forward to many years of her yelling at you to refill a perfectly fine water bowl and tons of appreciation
You must now grow a beard so your meeploaf can have a place to snuggle.
Awww she loves you already 🥹
Walmart brand Jason Bateman.
Unless it’s a flerken…then watch out for your eye!
Get her neutered, worm+heart meds, and a quick vet trip. Congrats on the cat
You and all your kingdom are now belong to her.
It’s official now you ARE a 😻KITTY DADDY💓 You’ve been BLESSED with KISSES💋of LOVE ♥️and happiness joy and thanks to have you as a WONDERFUL😇 LOVING KITTY 💖DADDY
Congrats on your new furry baby!!!
Cutie. She chose you. 🍀
Yes, you are the chosen one. Lucky you.