Conference misery::feline_v1

    Cats get lonely.
    
    We currently have two, and if we're going to be away for lengths
    of time, I put on soft ("easy listening") music on one of our FM
    sets.
    
    Females sometimes accept kittens, but if you take that route, don't
    get one; get two.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    If you get another kitty for your cat, you might want to make sure
    you can return it!!!  
    
    Some cats get used to living alone and will not accept another cat
    or kitten.  Unfortunately, when my fiancee' and I moved in together
    we had to fine another home for his himmy cat.  After 5 or 6 months
    of trying to get her to even put up with other cats in different
    rooms, it became apparent that the only way she was happy was as
    an only cat!!!   I found a wonderful home for her through Feline
    as an only cat.  
    
    If your cat has been living alone for that long, she's probably
    not lonly and spends most of the time your gone sleeping.
    
    cin
    

    
    Thanks for the input so far. She probably is used to being alone
    as I have not owned another cat since I've had the coone. She doesn't
    put up with other cats very well at all and is quite protective
    of her "turf". My wife and I are quite hesitant about taking the
    "new kitten" approach.
    
    I think I'll give the radio idea a try ...
    
    Stay tuned for updates on the lonely kitty saga ...
    
    Thanks again,
    
    - Peter
    

    Even though we have a houseful of cats, I try to leave the radio
    on -- FM, soft gentle (usually!) classical music and occasional
    human talking.
    
    I didn't realize I wasn't being the only weirdo doing this!
    
    	P

    MY HUSBAND AND I MADE A BIG MISTAKE WHEN WE THOUGHT WE'LD GET A
    KITTEN FOR OUR 2 YEAR OLD.  CATS ARE TERRITORIAL AND IT TOOK OUR
    2 YEAR OLD 3 MONTHS TO GET USED TO SPUNKY.  SHE WAS A VERY SPOILED
    CAT ALSO, WHICH DIDN'T HELP.  PLUS THE FACT THAT SPUNKY IS MUCH
    BIGGER THAN OUR 2 YEAR OLD AND AS A KITTEN ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS
    PLAY.
    
    BETTER THINK LONG AND HARD - I AGREE THAT THE CAT PROBABLY SLEEPS
    MOST OF THE TIME YOU ARE AWAY.
    
    GOOD LUCK.
    
    

    I have a similar question.  My husband works days and I work third
    shift, so someone is home almost all the time, but sleeping.  My
    question is although the cat is with us (assume sleeping) when we
    are sleeping, is she lonely?  I wake up several times during the
    day (well most days anyway) and if she is there I talk to her and
    pet her.  I have noticed that on weekends, when I sleep "normal"
    hours, she will come wake me if I'm sleeping during the day.  
    
    Opinions welcome.
    
    Bernice

 Interestingly enough, we have an old buck named Midnight -- all black -- no
white anywhere on him -- was an only cat for 9 of these years --
(he was a stray cat we picked up, and weighed then only 3 lbs at 1 year old -
vet mentioned his growth was stunted--  10 years later and 18 lbs heavier) --
we introduced 8 week old kittens I got from one of my friends (both females - 
one of whom nurses from him, even after a year!!) -- he enjoys them both -- 
when they get too rambunctious, he walks over and bats them both on the 
head -- they calm down.  He has even left food for them -- and let me tell
you for him to do that is something because he loves to eat!!!

 I think Cindy's idea is great -- you can get kittens and/or cats from the
Sterling Animal Shelter and they will accept them back if they don't work
out.

  Good luck.

		

    Kitty used to love to watch Channel 2, or the Discovery channel
    on TV.  Anything with animals in it she loved.  Couldn't tear her
    away from it!  Try that and see if it helps.
    
    Dawnne Santos
    

    I couldn't help but chuckle when I read this note.  My 7-month old
    female is alone all day, too.  My husband and I both work days.
    I can remember a while back when we were watching TV and she sat
    on the arm of the sofa totally intrigued by the TV.  We both thought
    it was cute...kitty watching TV with 'mom and dad'.  I never thought
    of leaving the house with the TV or radio on.  Thought she probably
    slept most of the day.  Who knows?  Some food for thought, anyway!
    

    
    	On getting another kitty ....
    
    
    	I just got a kitten a couple of weeks ago and about a week
    	after I got it I went home to visit my parents.  Of course,
    	I took T.K. with me.  Well, my parents have a cat (its actually
    	mine but they wouldn't let me take it when I left home since
    	he is an outdoor cat).  Anyhow, we introduced them and T.K.
    	sat there hissing away while Cinnamon (he is 11 years old) just
    	looked at him for a while.  He would keep trying to approach
    	T.K. to sniff him but the kitten was having nothing to do with
    	it.  You should have seen it when the dog came in and Cinnamon
    	and the dog cornered the kitten and stared him down.  Well,
    	we put the dog in another room but it was kind of funny the
    	way they ganged up on the kitten like that.  After a few minutes
    	of Cinnamon attempting to be friends with T.K. Cinnamon just
    	walked cooly out of the room.  Well, guess who followed him!!
    	T.K.!!  Cinnamon knew exactly what was going on too.  Then my
    	mother and I got out T.K.'s tin foil ball (cats love that toy)
    	and started playing with the two cats.  Cinnamon was just
    	laying there on the floor and we threw the ball towards him
    	and T.K. went after it.  Well, it got to Cinnamon and he just
    	batted it back towards the kitten.  This went on for quite a
    	while with T.K. still hissing, but still chasing the toy as
    	long as he didn't get too close to Cinnamon.  Occasionally
    	Cinnamon would roll over on his back and sway playfully at the
    	kitten but T.K. just wasn't giving.  Later on, the two cats
    	were in the kitchen and T.K. hissed and arched his back at
    	Cinnamon who then went running out of the room with T.K. on
        his tail.  He got under a bureau and they started poking at
    	each other.  It was pretty funny.   Cinnamon really wanted 
        to be friends with T.K. but the kitten was just not ready.
    	Unfortunately I had to leave before they got the chance to
    	be friends but I will be visiting again this weekend and
    	maybe they will become friends.  They have to since I will
    	be taking care on Cinnamon for the winters while my parents
    	are in Florida.
    
    	Cinnamon is a neutered male but he has always gotten along
    	with any kittens that the family has gotten.  He mothers
    	them and its really cute to see him with a kitten, teaching
    	them how to hunt, or just giving the kitten a bath.  But
    	along the same line, he has never missed any of the cats
    	that we had that died.  Kind of strange behavior.  Although
    	he did become much more affectionate since he is an only
    	kitty now.  I guess he wanted more companionship..
    
    	Well, this note is long enough I think.  I'll write more later
    	letting you know how the two cats fate this weekend.
    
    	Karen

    
    Cats are really unpredictable.  I have to say I agree with the gist
    of what Karen (.10) is saying.  You have to be patient and let two
    cats work out their own relationship.  I had the opposite experience
    when I got a "friend" for my Sebastion.  The new kitten was instantly
    in love with him, but he, having been an only child for 2+ years,
    just hissed and growled and was as nasty as all get out.  It didn't
    bother her in the least!  She just took it in stride, and kept right
    on trying... It finally worked, and she won him over!  (He will
    never admit it if asked, however...)                     
    
    I'd say to anyone who is thinking of getting another cat to keep
    another one company, go ahead and try!  It MIGHT be great!  Sebastion
    has become MUCH happier, and more affectionate since Claude arrived
    to soften his rough edges!
    
    Amy.

      For the past month, I've cat-sat for a very good friend's cat.
    Kimber (the cat) is a couple of years old and was the runt of her
    litter and thus was often beaten up by other cats.
      I have 2 10-week old kitties, Zuba and Scooter. My brother warned
    me that Kimber might very well KILL the kittens if she got the chance
    and that I must keep them separate. If I wanted to introduce them,
    I should start with them on opposite sides of a screen so they could
    get used to smelling each other and even then, she still might kill
    them.
      Sure enough, she growled and hissed at them at even swiped at
    the screen once or twice. I decided not to take any chances since
    the kittens were too small to defend themselves and things can happen
    very quickly with cats.
      That's why I'm a bit befuddled by this note. Was my brother wrong
    and the hissing is just a show until the cats have checked each
    other out? I'd love to be able to trade cat-sitting chores with
    my friend but keeping the cats quarantined is a major chore. 

        re .12
    
    	I would say that hissing is definately just a show for most
        cats.	T.K. hissed at himself the first few times that he
    	saw himself in the mirror and his hair stood on end.  Boy
    	was that funny.  He was trying to be so ferocious by approaching
    	that other kitten in the mirror, hissing and prancing around.
    	But he doesn't really hiss at himself anymore except when he
    	startles himself walking past the mirror.  But periodically
        we catch him playing games with the mirror, running into it
    	and such.
    
    	And when T.K. met my cat Cinnamon he hissed, but he wasn't 
    	really frightened or he would not have played near him or
    	followed him when he wasn't looking.  
    
    	Karen

    Where the introduction happens may make a BIG difference.  My brother's
    cat gets along with my kitten when I visit, and they romp around
    the house with only an occasional hiss.  However, when his cat comes
    to my place, she hisses alot and just waits to go home.  The one
    time she broke out of this mold was when I put out her favorite
    toy...an empty paper bag.  Then they played at traping each other
    in the bag until his cat remembered where she was and the hissing
    started all over again.
    
    It may be due to my brother's cat being a rescued stray, so she
    may need the security of HER territory.
    
    dennis