Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hello,

I'd firstly like to apologise if this has been asked before, but a search didn't find anything.

We have a cat. He's called Scrumpy, he's great and just over 12 months old. He's been snipped and is really well behaved, loves being picked up, really cuddly etc, honestly, absolute legend.

My partner is mad keen for a new kitten, but we have some issues around logistics. I think we can't have a new one yet (reasons below), but would love a more seasoned second opinion as i've only ever had dogs up until 9 months ago!

Firstly, We both work as teachers full time, 7-4:30/5ish each day. If we were to get a kitten (at ten weeks old) would this length of time be too long to leave the little one, even if with Scrumpy the big cat?

Secondly, this is then complicated again as 5 weeks later, as the 15 week old kitten would need to either be left alone for a day at a time as we'd be off on our honeymoon, my parents will nip in for a few hours every other day and a neighbour will feed daily. The alternative would be sending her back to a relative (1.5 hour drive away) for two weeks, before coming back again to us. Again, is this any of this at all workable?

The last solution would be to hold out getting her until she was 17 weeks, but I fear that's a bit late for routines, getting used to us her new owners and ensuring she's happy to being picked up and all cuddly like Scrump is. We'd also be back to work full time only two weeks after getting her, again worrying me that she'd only just be getting used to us and Scrumpy before being left alone with him for hours.

Does anyone see a way this can work and am I being too fussy and safe?

Ta,

Chris

Personally I would wait till after your honeymoon - I assume you are going straight after getting married in which case you may be busy enough with wedding plans. I wouldn't necessarily make a kitten wait till they are 17 weeks old, there will be other young kittens available after your honeymoon

Hi Chris and welcome

I think you're very right to be thinking this out so carefully; sounds as if you've got a busy summer ahead and (this is only my personal view) I feel that this isn't the time to take on a new kitten.

Your Scrumpy sounds a darling, and he's clearly used to your routine, but a new kitten needs a lot of settling in, careful introduction and attention; she can't just be left with an older cat all day at first, although there's every chance of a younger and older cat settling happily after the introductory period, and I wouldn't worry about the age of the kitten either; I once got imposed on by a middleaged feral tom who moved in and turned out to be half golden labrador lol

But perhaps this isn't the right time for you, and there will always be other kittens - there always are kittens needing homes.

Good on you for being 'fussy and safe' - would that other people were!

Booktigger, we overlapped.

Hope you do find Scrumpy a companion at the right time, Chris, all the best