Hi all, my cat is aged 2 and we have had her since she was 10 weeks old, she has always been very Timid and would hiss and spit at anything new, even people. since we had her spayed she has really calmed down, although that could also be because she is getting older, I am wondering if another cat would help her at all as she is still quite jumpy and i would love to see her snuggled up with a companion, or could another cat make her worse in the long run.
Your thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

My Grans cat is similar, she got her from a rescue centre.

Sophie (the cat) will hide if anyone new comes in the house, she is really shy.

My Gran then got a new kitten and Sophie got worse, she would constantly hide for days.. so the new kitten went to live at my Aunties house in the end.

Your cat may react differently, but she may see another cat as a threat if she is already so timid.

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SELKCAH NORWEGIAN FOREST CATS
www.selkcahcats.co.uk

It's a hard decision to make really - you would really need to choose the incoming kitten very carefully or else you could make the situation so much worse. Not all cats want the companionship of other cats - a lot of them are quite happy to be only cats - it's just us folks who like to see everyone "paired up" so to speak. You would need to have a very laid back kitten - one who is neither too confident or quite as timid as your present cat. I wish you the best of luck.

BTW have you tried some Feliway plug in diffusers around the house - these may help her feel calmer or maybe some honeysuckle spray?

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Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving

I would deffo bring in another cat but make it a kitten. An adult of similar age would cause territorial disputes and may make the situation worse. If you bring in a kitty the older cat would be dominant and they can then grow up together knowing each others place. I think it would also help with the nervous tempermant of the older cat. C.x.

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Thankyou for the advice we have decided on a bsh kitten so hopefully things will be ok.
I forgot to add that we had to look after my mums dog for 6 months and after the expected hissing and growling both cat and dog were fine together, so I think that in time she would accept the kitten, the dog was not the cause of her being Timid though, she has been like that since a kitten.

That's great news! good luck with your new kit

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