Do Cats Need A Friend?
Apr 7th, 2008 by Beate
Ok, here it comes. When I was reading several professional opinions about cats I learned (what was new to me) that cats are supposed to prefer to be the only pet in a household.
How about your cat?
My cat would go crazy without a buddy. While growing up and living for 13 years with his girl friend Velvet, my oriental shorthair boy Diablo now adopted ouf dogs as best friends after Velvet passed. Our little Jack Russell Terrier Chico is the new love of his life.
Now tell me, who is right? The cat professionals or my cat?
I believe it depends on how the cat was raised. If you were to adopt an adult cat that has lived its whole life alone, it would probably not be able to adjust well or would take a long time to adjust to a household with other pets. My two cats for instance, are brothers. They and the rest of their litter were dropped off at a veterinary office when they were very young, and by the age of 4 or 6 months, all but the two of them had been adopted out. Because of the bond the brothers had grown, they did not want them separated. I adopted them both, and brought them first, into a household with no other animals. I later brought them to my parents home, where they have an abundance of pets, and my boys adjusted within mere days, and seem to love having other friends around to play with.
Never once have I had a cat that did not enjoy the company of other pets.