Would Kittens Be Detrimental To A Senior Cat?

[Foam_Hands]

Unfortunately my 9 year old cat passed away the other week, leaving me with my 16 year old boy.
The 16 year old is aging; getting skinnier, etc, but he's still very active and healthy for his age. He's had 1 real illness in his life, and it was a respiratory thing from the 9 year old kitten.

She brought it in from the Human Society, and I didn't quarantine her.

When these 2 met though there were no problems, just the usual creeping around for a few days, and then they were friends.

SO. I'm debating getting 2 kittens, but I don't want it to affect my 16 year old. If he got a respiratory thing, I assume that being that age wouldn't be good?
I think if they were young enough and small enough they wouldn't really stress him out... I'd hope he'd be exactly who he is now, but with 2 new friends.

Was the respiratory thing a rarity?
Can you avoid kittens bringing in illness if they're not from a shelter or somewhere with tons of animals?
That's my main worry, they're sick get him sick, and he isn't strong enough to fight it.

Anyone have a similar situation or thoughts?

I'd like to get 2 new kittens if possible, for him, for me, for them. But not if it's going to end bad for the 16 year old.
I mean, he could live another 6 months, another 2 years, who knows. I don't really want to wait 2 years though

[SarahT1 [PLLE]]

Hello

I think received wisdom tends to be that older cats don't really want youngsters imposed upon them. I imposed a 9 year old little madam on my 17 year old Queen Bee and she was less than impressed, but it didn't stop me introducing a 6 year old male ex stray to the mix mostly as a friend for the 9 year old. We all rock along and Lou Lou who is now 10 and 6 year old Edgar get on famously, and 17 year old Pepsi makes her point now and then, but has come to terms with it all, and they are all a million times better off with us than in rescue or a home where they aren't looked after properly. We have lots of love and cuddles, play time and good food, and everyone knows they are their Mummy's joy and delight.


Maybe your old boy would cope better with two kittens who would entertain each other rather than one who would look to him for activity which he wasn't able to provide, but there are others who an advise you better. It's hard, isn't it - it really is true that cats are like chips, you can't just have one!!

[Foam_Hands]

Yeah, that's why I was looking at getting 2 if I was doing it at all.
I assumed they'd keep each other occupied, and I wouldn't have to introduce another cat down the road.
They'd be paired up for a while.

I don't know, part of me wants to be a bit selfish and get 2 kittens, but I wouldn't want it to harm the 16 year old.

He's at least helping me keep my mind off the passing of the 9 year old.

[Crewella]

I was in a similar situation when my family of elderly cats started passing on, and like Sarah I adopted a pair of older cats so as not to upset the remaining ancients, which worked well. Older cats are more settled and inclined to mad playtime, and you have the added bonus of knowing that you have given a home to an older pair of cats that will otherwise have struggled to find a home at all, let alone together.

You also know what you're getting with older cats as their personalities are already developed.

So sorry you lost your boy. (((hugs)))

[Hazel]

Hello, it's a tricky question and you know your cat best. My Max was about 14 when his lifelong friend Misty died. We tried after about a year to introduce a young adult female cat that a friend of a friend wanted to rehome. We didn't know what we were doing and it didn't work at all! So, we decided to keep him as an only cat and planned to rescue a pair of older cats when he had gone.

About another year later a feral kitten turned up in our garden eating bird food in the winter. We had to take him in and Max got on fine with him. The only problem was the kitten would pounce and play a lot and Max, although very tolerant and never aggressive, didn't like this. So we got another kitten of a similar age to play with the feral and teach I'm about being a domestic kitty.

This didn't work out as planned either as the new kitten adored Max, Max hated him and would hiss at him and the feral was (and still is) a bit scared of him.

So, given that I clearly shouldn't be giving advice about this subject I would just say that I agree with the others, a home with you is better than a home in a shelter. If you are going to get kittens probably get a pair that are already together so they will sick together, but I think if your oldie has any sense she will keep well out of the way of them! You should also make sure she gets lots of time with you still as the most important cat so she doesn't feel like she has been replaced.

Good luck!

[meriad]

I had two sisters; Molly and Chloe - they were both 13 when I lost Chloe to cancer. Molly became very clingy and vocal and I thought she was lonely so went and adopted two 5 month old sisters - Jamie and Abbie.

In hindsight I now know that Molly's behaviour was actually more because she enjoyed having a 1:1 'relationship' with me rather than lonliness, but hey - Abbie and Jamie were there to stay. Molly soon adjusted to them and the two youngers more or less ignored her and just got on with their own lives . Personally I do think it's easier integrating younger cats into an existing cat household and if I was ever in that same situation I'd have absolutely no hesitation whatsoever doing again what I did then. At 5 months old Abbie and Jamie were big enough to be allowed outside after the usual settling in period; they'd been spayed and vaccinated etc.... to me a perfect age