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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

2716.0. "Kitten wanted" by GENRAL::BALDRIDGE (Now it's Summer!!!) Fri Jul 28 1989 14:27

Maybe this shouldn't be a new note so, moderator, please move if appropriate.

	I follow this notesfile regularly, but don't see any noters in the
Colorado Springs area, so I don't know if anyone can help. My wife and I have
had many, many cats over the years and now we are down to *only* two since
the disappearance of Ada back in May.

	Doobie, our black and white longhair is now 15 yrs old and beginning
to have many of the symptoms of old age. The vet has her on K/D with
potassium supplement.  Peaches, the orange and white shorthair is now 14 and
in apparent good health (aside from soft, cow-pile sized stools).

	Jane is thinking that we should now add a kitten to the household, so
I would like to hear from feliners in the Colorado Springs area with some
suggestions.

	Contact me via E-mail at NERMAL::BALDRIDGE or DTN 522-2697
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
2716.1My opinion...CGVAX2::JOHNSON_SFri Jul 28 1989 19:4312
    I'm not from the Colorado Springs area, but I can comment on this
    situation.
    
    I have a 7 year old fixed male, who I love dearly.  I recently adopted
    a playmate for him- thinking that I would be doing him a favor.
    We love the little kitten and for the most part he gets along very
    well with our older Golden Retriever and Big Kitty.  However, Kitty
    wishes we never got him - I'm sure!  Willy (the Kitten 18 wks) does
    nothing but bite and jump on him when ever he is awake.  
    
    So, personally I would have to say that a kitten might be too much
    for your older cats to handle.   This is my own opinion.
2716.2We'll have to seeGENRAL::BALDRIDGENow it's Summer!!!Fri Jul 28 1989 20:4411
    We have added kittens to the household in the past (not with the
    present cats, though) and it has worked out fine.  I feel quite
    sure Doobie would adopt a kitten just fine.  She was spayed before
    her first heat and has always had strong "mothering" instinct. In
    fact, she has always been Peaches "Mammy" even though they are not
    related.  It's hard to tell how Peaches will react, but he is very
    spry for his age and I think he would like to have someone to play
    "sprint cat" with.  We'll just have to see.
    
    Chuck
2716.3TheyLOVE to play rough!CPDW::MCDONOUGHFri Jul 28 1989 21:0915
      Re .1
      Don't be so sure... We recently adopted a tiny kitten, and she has
    become fast friends with our three-legged grey male cat. He is about 17
    pounds and she is about 10 ounces. I was thinking the same as you
    regardingthe abuse he seemed to be taking from this tiny sniplet. She
    will run up to him, leap on his head while he's asleep, grab his head
    with all four feet and start chewing on his ear... I then noticed that
    HE does similar mayhem with HER!! He'll go over to her while she's
    asleep, grab one of her legs in his mouth and yank her about three
    inches off the ground.... But then about ten minutes later thay'll be
    curled up in a ball together fast asleep...
      I think MOST ALL of what they do to each other is done with a certain
    amount of restraint, and it's simply roughplaying. Neither of them ever
    have made any complaining sounds...
    JM
2716.4WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOFri Jul 28 1989 21:5119
    When I got my first Birman, I had a male neutered cat that was over
    13.  I was so worried that he wouldn't accept the new kitten.  Well,
    he was the first to accept her, and would often seek her out for
    comfort as well as play.  I would often find them sleeping all curled
    up together.  And the change in him was great.  He no longer seemed
    to be an old timer, he had renewed energy and vitality.  In fact,
    he was so active that the vet tested him for hyperthyroidism.  (it
    was negative)
    
    Since then, I have added lots of cats and kittens to the household.
    We now have about 11 cats that we call our own, plus various kittens,
    and a male Birman that we co-own with his owner, who was transfered
    to Hawaii and couldn't take him with her.  Everybody gets along
    fairly well, with the exception of Kalliste and our spayed household
    pet.  He is a whole male breeding cat though, and doesn't recognize
    her spayed scent.  The younger cats seem to keep the older cats
    younger, if you know what I mean.
    
    Jo
2716.5get twoCRUISE::NDCNancy Diettrich-Cunniff-I wanted it allMon Jul 31 1989 12:0020
    Prior to our getting Dundee I had noticed some tension between Isis
    and Mao.  I watched closely and decided that the problem was that
    Isis wanted to play much more than Mao (Isis was 4 and Mao 9). 
    So we went out and got a kitten (Dundee).  Of course, we would have
    done this anyway, but it was interesting to note the change.  Isis
    now plays almost exclusively with Dundee (Who will jump on Mao and
    especially, Bumpy) and leaves the older two alone.  They all seem
    to have paired up.  Mao & Bumpy sleep together and groom each other
    and Dundee & Isis play together and groom each other.  The tension
    that used to be there is gone now.
     
      I would say go ahead and get the kitten.  Kittens are more easily
    accepted by older cats anyway.  If the kitten turns out to be too
    playful for the older cats then get him/her a playmate.  You may
    want to adopt two littermates anyway.  That way the older cats
    can play if they want.  And if they don't then the kittens have
    each other.
      Try your local shelters.
       Nancy DC