Cat Lonely What to Do?

funnysht on 03/04/2020 - 12:27
Last edited 03/04/2020 - 12:28

Hello

I have a cat which i adopted at 6months now it's 12months male. Got a backyard, toys, so it is usually outside roaming, climbs trees and other roofs as well. However looks bored, and meows (not consistently).

Usually one of us is home.

I was thinking of how useful it would be to get another cat (similar age but female). Do people have similar situations where getting another cat helped or not helped?
Or cats like to be alone generally. (I already took to vet who saiid no problems medically)

Do cats generally like to be alone, or getting another cat won't help with the boredom?

Poll Options

  • 27
    Get another cat
  • 155
    No need to get another cat because cats like to be alone generally
Pets Cat

Comments

  • theHMASfriendship on 03/04/2020 - 12:36
    +50

    What did the cat say when you asked it?

    • xuqi on 03/04/2020 - 12:39
      +39

      Meow.

    • Nalar on 03/04/2020 - 12:39

      What did the partner say when you asked it?

      • funnysht on 03/04/2020 - 12:40
        +11

        shes lonely too

        • kolorijo on 03/04/2020 - 12:41
          +3

          so cat and partner got each other but still lonely?

      • theHMASfriendship on 03/04/2020 - 13:03
        +11

        My partner hates when I refer to her as "it". They find it really deflating.

    • Melong on 05/04/2020 - 08:52

      Cat goes “meow”
      What does fox say?

  • kolorijo on 03/04/2020 - 12:40
    -1

    Get another cat from shelter

    • funnysht on 03/04/2020 - 12:41

      will it help though?

      • kolorijo on 03/04/2020 - 12:42
        +15

        it will help the shelter & the cat ;p

    • Hangryuman on 04/04/2020 - 14:53
      -2

      cats from shelters are typically nervous having lived through uncertainty - and never know where their next meal's coming from

      we have a frequent visitor (share cat in our strata complex) that was apparently abandoned by a previous owner - this one comes in and anxiously brushes (marks scent) against every sight and rarely seems relaxed (unless asleep) but enjoys rushing up trees to scare the noisy mynah birds.

      so a shelter cat is unlikely to ever be completely relaxed - you might be lucky and get one that defaults to eat, sleep, get fat (urp)

      • eraser215 on 04/04/2020 - 20:01

        Hard disagree here. I have two shelter cats and we got them both separately, both fairly young (1 year old or so), and they have settled in fine without having terrible anxiety. It really depends from cat to cat.

  • bulldoglikeapproach on 03/04/2020 - 12:41
    +8

    Another cat will almost certainly be disastrous. Cats are territorial.

    Do you play with the cat? If it's truly bored, humans are more than capable of providing that stimulation.

    However, cats meow amongst humans. It could just be having a chat with you, especially if it's not continuous. If you're convinced it wants something, I'd make sure it has access to water and biscuits and then give it a good play with a cat wand or something.

    Our cat is comfortable by itself throughout the day. You do need to interact with it occasionally though.

    No offence but it doesn't sound like you know much about your own animal.

    • funnysht on 03/04/2020 - 12:41
      +2

      True. Thank you for your honest and useful answer

      but i thought given it is a male, then a female may not make it territorial..or is it just that its been around for 6 months then it is terriortial regardless. (A friend brought around 2 cats, one male one female, the males hissed at each other all day, teh female hissed only once and just avoided my cat)

      • crashloaded on 03/04/2020 - 13:49

        I have a male and female, they are great companions however i got them from the same litter.

        • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2020 - 14:51

          I’ve got two girls from the same litter and one of them does boss the other one around. It can depend on the cats but, our experience, is they tolerate each other but are never best buddies. We had a cat we had to give to a friend because she went psycho at our new kitties. We had a DMZ through the house for 12 months, we had a cat whisperer, pheromones, Prozac, Valium, all sorts of treatments but she never got past “I’ll kill them”. It can end disastrously and we felt terrible.

    • fenric on 03/04/2020 - 17:40
      +1

      Your experience with your 1 cat is not really that helpful to the OP. It's great that you have a chilled out loner cat.

      I grew up in what was basically a unofficial animal shelter (we had 7 cats at one point), and I also own 2 cats. They all eventually get along.

      Yes cats can be territorial. Especially unspayed males vs males. Females tend to get along better with other females and males. Cats are intelligent animals with individual personalities (like dogs), so some will adjust easily to other pets and some (like try2bhelpful below) will just hate everything.

      Get another cat. Its a pain in the arse for the first couple of weeks having to keep them apart and let them get used to each other.
      I was lucky with my 2, when we got the second it only took about a week for them to be living in the same space.

      Good luck OP.

      • eraser215 on 04/04/2020 - 20:02

        Thank you for posting this. You seem to be the only person making sense here and not making ridiculous blanket statements and gross generalisations.

    • Lastchancetosee on 04/04/2020 - 20:47

      Our Tigger was a great meower, like his mother. He was a better watchdog than the dogs. Claude is the opposite. Rarely makes a sound, just purrs.

  • Cave Fire on 03/04/2020 - 12:43

    I read you are meant to play with them for an hour a day. So 15 - 30 mins a person? At that age they want to play, so it's not that hard. It's more your preference to get another cat. They will find and attract other cats on their own. Younger is better to get another one, as they generally aren't so territorial at that age. You have to introduce them slowly, not place them next to each other lol.

    • funnysht on 03/04/2020 - 12:45

      it's 12 months so it's prob too old now?

      well it did try to play with 4 other cats from the neighbourhood but they chased him down a gutter

      • Cave Fire on 03/04/2020 - 12:49

        Depends on the personality 12 months is not old, my cat is 13 yrs now? She only was territorial at about five years. Some cats are aggro, mine is pretty passive.

  • slow on 03/04/2020 - 13:06

    Cats are generally solitary animals. Cats will not try to play with other neighborhood cats - they will fight as they are territorial Sounds like your cat has enough to do with exploring the neighbourhood. I used to have 2 cats ans they completely ignored each other - no playing. My sister has 2 cats and they do the same - ignore each other completely

  • cypher67 on 03/04/2020 - 13:06
    -4

    Cats are jerks in general, the fact you are asking this question proves it is manipulating you, get a dog and show the cat what a real pet is and to stop being a jerk

    • Payne on 03/04/2020 - 13:32
      -1

      Cat owners are jerks in general for thinking cats need very little attention, training, boundaries and play time.

      FIFY.

      Sure, it's not all cat owners, but having had both cats and dogs my whole life, I find it amazing that so many people just let cats do whatever they want and then complain about them.

      • eraser215 on 04/04/2020 - 20:03

        Well said Payne. The person you replied to is being …. a tool.

  • Marcsie on 03/04/2020 - 13:19
    +6

    First world problem ! lol 😂

  • 87percent on 03/04/2020 - 13:20
    +6

    get a laser pointer.. all the videos i see, cats love them

  • UFO on 03/04/2020 - 13:22
    +4

    He's meowing because he's young. He'll settle down, trust me. Give him time… and don't buy another cat!

  • KBZ on 03/04/2020 - 13:31

    It's a cat… relax.

  • picklewizard on 03/04/2020 - 13:45
    +1

    Got a backyard, toys, so it is usually outside roaming, climbs trees and other roofs as well.

    Good, that's fantastic. Try to keep him in your yard if you can, and of course only during daylight hours.

    However looks bored, and meows (not consistently).

    Your cat is a cat. Your cat sounds perfectly happy! Just pick him up and pet him etc :)

  • lette on 03/04/2020 - 13:51
    +6

    Play with him. We constantly get comments about how great our cats are. It's just because we spend time with them. A lot of time. Most people don't think they need it like dogs do, but they do.
    Oh and YouTube has videos designed specifically for cats. Fish bouncing around the screen or whatnot. Uses to put it on while we were out. They love that stuff.

    • Traveller107 on 03/04/2020 - 13:55

      This^

    • John Kimble on 03/04/2020 - 14:34
      +8

      Fish bouncing around the screen or whatnot.

      Sounds like a strip joint…you can look but not touch. 😞

  • Traveller107 on 03/04/2020 - 13:54
    +9

    We foster animals with RSPCA and I can tell you after first few months we decided to always foster more than one cat or dog at any time and never alone by itself. They get awfully lonely by themselves and it's sad. All of the hundreds of cats and kittens we've fostered have enjoyed company and have been social,happy and healthy cats. Get your cat a companion from the shelter and watch how much happier they'll be. Cheers!
    Also please ensure they are neutered, microchipped and dewormed and kept indoor safe and happy.

    • fenric on 03/04/2020 - 17:44
      +3

      ^^ This person knows what they are talking about :)

  • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2020 - 15:08
    +3

    … looks bored …

    That is most cats' default look … a mix between haughty & RBF.

  • Agarwal on 03/04/2020 - 15:36
    +2

    Send it to London to see the Queen

  • Baysew on 03/04/2020 - 15:42

    Why aren't you exploiting making money out your cat with videos?

    • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2020 - 16:13

      We have a converted warehouse and our kitties run around on the beams etc but they are too quick to video.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2020 - 17:33

        Cat GoPro

        • try2bhelpful on 04/04/2020 - 07:05

          Intriguing but they don’t even wear collars. I can’t see her wearing a go pro. Will keep an eye out for a deal.

  • coin saver on 03/04/2020 - 18:10
    +18

    "so it is usually outside roaming" i am suprised no has yet told you how irresponsible you are.

    • orangetrain on 03/04/2020 - 21:11
      +6

      Aside from risking wildlife, someone may kill it or poison it. Massive vet bills with latter.

    • GeneralSkunk on 04/04/2020 - 09:57
      +5

      +1 to this. I wouldn't say you're irresponsible but do keep it in your yard and not let it out at night. You're learning. Look up the stats on how many native and endangered animals are killed by cats.

      My suggestion is you play with it and give it toys to play with. Rolled up little bits of paper or alfoil are easy and cats love them. Be careful with alfoil though that it doesn't eat any. Throw it in a direction away from the cat and it will instinctively run after it. Then it's game on as it runs around the house tapping the ball around. 15 mins of that and the cat will be done and go sleep for a few hours. Also get a couple of scratching posts around the house. A cat tree is really good too. Our single cat always goes and sleeps up on top of it. That space is the cats space when it wants to go somewhere solitary to unwind. It's higher than our noisy toddlers can reach, and it's next to the window. Windows are like TVs for cats, they love the warm sunshine and just looking out, especially at night. With cat trees, look on eBay, the pet shop ones are always so expensive. We have one which has a thick rope attached and our cat plays with it and chews on it.

      Cats are awesome pets, quiet, low maintenance, good for urban yards with not much space. And they bury their own crap, How good is that?

      Do a bit of googling about diy cat toys. Tiny bits of plastic, ping pong balls, little teddies. Didn't need to be a expensive thing from the pet shop.

      Oh and feed it decent wet food. Dry biscuits are no good for them, whiskas is like Maccas for a cat. That's what we were told by our vet when our cat had blood in it's wee, to much salt and not enough water in it's diet caused crystals in it's bladder. Lucky we got it early so no operation to remove stones.

    • moggott on 04/04/2020 - 17:17

      The truth hurts?

  • voiletmay on 03/04/2020 - 18:23

    Really depends on the personality of the cat. Some cats (older ones) will never forgive you for getting them a friend, and they will also always hate the friend. Some cats are OK with it.

    You really can't pick it but I think the younger the orignal cat, the more likeliehood you have of them accepting a friend. I've only experienced it with elderly cats and it hasn't gone well.

  • indeedido on 03/04/2020 - 18:48
    +3

    Many cats enjoy a companion. Don't let people here dissuade you from rescuing a second cat if that's what you want to do. Get advice from the shelter on your options and the best way to introduce the cats to each other. I introduced a 1 year old female to 2 year old male, and they're best friends now. It really depends on the cat/s.

  • orangetrain on 03/04/2020 - 21:13

    Cats only meow when young. Adult cats dont meow to each other. Humans get meow because they're either seen as parents or too dumb to know that a cat is hungry.

  • askme69 on 03/04/2020 - 21:28
    +5

    It's bored because it has killed all the wildlife and needs new territory to kill and have fun.

    Keep it inside.

    • try2bhelpful on 03/04/2020 - 21:38
      -6

      My girls are allowed out into our yard and they have never killed anything but insects.

      • moggott on 04/04/2020 - 17:18
        +4

        Spoken like a true moronic pet owner.

        • try2bhelpful on 04/04/2020 - 21:37

          No, your comment Is from someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about but want to be offensive anyway. So, do you have a camera in my yard or a crystal ball?

          • moggott on 05/04/2020 - 16:40

            @try2bhelpful: I have 7 pets so I guess your crystal ball is a bit cloudy. What is offensive is that you think, like most entitled pet owners, that your "girls" didn't do nuffin.

            You own cats then keep them inside like any normal person would do or risk someone else dealing with your "girls" with extreme prejudice.

            • try2bhelpful on 05/04/2020 - 21:02

              @moggott: My girls have done “nuttn’”. The fact that you threaten animals is deeply disturbing. My cats are in a walled, two story courtyard garden, that is insert into my house, where nobody can “get to them”; Thank God for that, apparently there are people like you in the world. You really are a completely disturbing creep, aren’t you. I feel sorry for your 7 pets. If I was your neighbour I would be really disturbed.

              My cats have caught absolutely nothing but insects. No corpses, no feathers.

  • Sammy2000 on 04/04/2020 - 03:54

    Is the cat desexed? Is it howling for a mate?

  • MagicOZ on 04/04/2020 - 07:06

    If is looking for female cat maybe you have to castrate him. Anyway cats are very social or not social at all. It really depends how it grow up, did it was feed with other cats or it was being alone in the wild or in cage. Male cats tend to be alone and to get in fights with other male cats in the area.
    How about some catnip? Some cats will cheep up from that.

  • AlanHB on 04/04/2020 - 07:19

    Hey that's great you have a cat! I love them.

    Don't worry about the cat being bored or something like that. They sleep something like 2/3 of the time and spend a significant amount of time cleaning themselves when they are awake. I'd obviously encourage playing with them to help build a good relationship but otherwise they're pretty self-sufficient and will do whatever they want to (which can inside sitting around doing nothing).

    I see that a lot of people are saying "don't get another cat". In truth it depends on the cat. Some are territorial, but a lot are not and will either make buddies with whatever animals are in their house or at least learn to tolerate eachother.

    I suspect that if you got a kitten, the full grown cat would not act territorial towards it, but I'm no pro on the subject (past having grown up with cats and getting one of my own much later when the rental property allowed).

    It should be noted that cats don't react super well to abrupt change, so if you're keen to get another cat, introduce it very slowly into the house.

    And although I'm basically reciting what you can commonly find on the internet, some cats are straight out weird and will hate anything you do (like as in, have actual mental issues) or be cool with whatever (like my cat, who seems to move between my and my parents house with ease, despite the change in location and dogs and cats that live at parents).

  • User210686 on 04/04/2020 - 08:10
    +1

    We adopted male & female siblings from a shelter when they were kittens. Even when they were 4 months old and about the same size, they were already fighting/playing. Now almost 2 years old, the male is considerably bigger than the female but they still fight. Fighting is only a small part of their interaction and mostly they get along well. They go out together, sleep together, play together, clean each other, etc. Despite their size differences, she’s fierce and fearless and he’s just the opposite. They are both super affectionate and often flop & roll and show us their belly for tickles. So if they get along, it definitely helps to have another cat. I wouldn’t get another male tho.

  • dbglt on 04/04/2020 - 08:21

    I would always get a second pet as they really do interact a lot (positively in my experience, playing, grooming etc). You just need to make sure they get on, so it's good to adopt and see how it goes for a week or so - if they aren't compatible you can take the new one back to be rehomed.

    Don't think female male matters with desexed cats. We've always had male cats, no issues.

    • serpserpserp on 04/04/2020 - 10:50

      It matters when you get boys desexed late in the game. They stay grumpy the rest of their life.

  • Danta on 04/04/2020 - 09:33

    Just got a kitten and have a 4 year old cat. They are both indoors and after a week are getting along well. For me the 4 year old is loving having another cat in the house and they could be something that works out well for you too.

  • the Unforgiven on 04/04/2020 - 09:39

    I found this to be the best cat site on the web, and it is free to join; ask them your question.
    Tell them a Bear sent you and me & Monster are OK

    https://thecatsite.com/

    • try2bhelpful on 04/04/2020 - 14:04
      +3

      Sorry about the quality of the shot but I thought you guys might be interested in Esmeralda Weatherwax”s reaction to one of the Cat TV videos

      https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/157591/78478/3b2597ea-…

      • Bid Sniper on 04/04/2020 - 15:04

        Friend had the same issue, turn it on and can see cat's eyes just dilate LOL

      • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2020 - 17:21

        Way cute 🐱

      • [Deactivated] on 05/04/2020 - 00:01

        Esmeralda! How I loved that name ever since I heard this song from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I was so close to calling my daughter 'Esmé' :)

        • try2bhelpful on 05/04/2020 - 04:31
          +2

          The name is from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of novels. If you haven’t got into them yet I urge you to get them, I think you will love them. Esmeralda is a very clever witch who is into “headology”. One of our previous cats was Morgana Le Fay.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granny_Weatherwax

          Our other girl is Marie Curie. She is the latest in our physicists. Two previous cats were Schrodinger and Heisenberg.

          https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/157591/54756/img_0163.…

          Our two girls when they were younger, and liked each other more. Esme is a bit aggressive.

          • [Deactivated] on 05/04/2020 - 19:41

            @try2bhelpful: Is that Esme looking straight at the camera? They are beautiful.

            • try2bhelpful on 05/04/2020 - 19:47
              +1

              @[Deactivated]: That is Marie. Marie was the runt, it too her 2 weeks to get to the birth weight of the others. She’s made up for it since - very food obsessed. The vet calls her “solid”.

    • Herbs on 04/04/2020 - 20:14
      +1

      Wow, both of my cats were captivated. They're still looking for the mouse even after I stopped the video.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/04/2020 - 10:56
    +2

    Get a dog

  • MontyMacaw on 04/04/2020 - 11:14
    +1

    Cats are solitary animals. They do not need another cat to feel complete. I transitioned my cat from an outside cat to an inside cat when I moved to the outback a few years ago. She was constantly crying. I looked up on YouTube about the issue and found out I wasn’t spending enough time with her. She needed toys and interaction. I live in a safer area now and she can both be an inside cat - during hot weather and an outside cat. She still loves to play like a kitten when I interact with her and she is now 10. Learn what your cat wants not what others think will stop your problem.

  • payless69 on 04/04/2020 - 17:16

    GTA has the solution! (not my idea)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jltbT0Bgsic

  • Eeples on 04/04/2020 - 18:35
    +3

    I rescued an 8 year old cat a year ago.

    From the selection I asked for a quieter cat.

    It is always indoors.

    I vacuum every day.

    It is alone in the house for 8 hours during the day. It sleeps.

    It scratches on those Kmart cardboard trays. And on a rope pole.

    It likes chasing laser lights.

    It is very affectionate; even to strangers.

    It always uses its litter tray (I clean it every day), never jumps up onto the kitchen bench, and can open wardrobes.

    I replaced all my windows fly screens with petmesh screening.

    It likes to look outside and get the sun in the morning in the spare room.

    It usually follows me around and sits near me, not always.

    It likes me to give it a good scratch. It used to get excited and do gentle nips… but I don’t like that so I gave it the cold shoulder. It doesn’t try to nip now.

    It sleeps on my bed at night; usually.

    It meows when hungry.

    Bottom line: All cats are different. This cat is not for sale.

  • sarahlump on 04/04/2020 - 19:15
    +1

    Cats aren't humans, they exhibit different behaviours. Your cat is likely fine. Don't get another cat unless you want another cat and understand the implications of having another cat introduced into your home.

  • LFO on 04/04/2020 - 20:07

    If choosing to get another cat, please respect and enforce current social distancing restrictions between them.
    Covid-19 is still very much present.

  • tryagain on 04/04/2020 - 20:42
    +4

    so it is usually outside roaming, climbs trees and other roofs as well

    Please don't allow it to roam. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2018…

    Any cat that is allowed to run free day or night will kill native wildlife, hungry or not.

  • 0lllllll0 on 05/04/2020 - 11:21

    I have a cat who is OK with being alone, but is very playful when there is another cat at home. Since your cat is only a year old, I would assume they're also very playful.

    One option would be to foster a cat for a couple weeks to see how your cat behaves with another cat. I highly recommend this option as you win, shelter wins, everyone winsssssssssss

    • try2bhelpful on 05/04/2020 - 14:52

      Especially if they get along as the foster cat will, probably, have a forever home.

  • OzBargainer214 on 25/09/2020 - 02:09

    Definitely worth getting a foster cat and also would suggest a cat scratching post, preferrably one with multiple levels or sleeping spots if you plan on getting another cat. We have one and it's great, the taller ones let our cat sit tall above the room and look out over us humans! They're also great for cats to sleep and scratching. We got ours from > https://directtopet.com.au/collections/cat-scratching-poles-…

  • funnysht on 25/09/2020 - 11:22

    Update i got a 2nd cat and theyre doing fine ! Old cat is quite excited

    • try2bhelpful on 25/09/2020 - 11:44

      Glad it is working out.

    • try2bhelpful on 03/06/2021 - 13:21

      Are they still getting along?

    • MollyJ77 on 21/09/2022 - 16:44
      +1

      That's awesome! I got a kitten from a shelter and was also worried he was lonely during the day. A few months later, I got another kitten and they are still the best of friends after several years. I've heard cats are territorial, but our cats are always together and definitely love each other!

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