Female companion kitty for male??

we have had an orange male tabby called milo for about four years now.  he has full reign of the house and has completely taken over.  we got him when he was 7 months old.  now, some members of my household (won't mention any names) want to get a playmate for milo.  he's been fixed, so he won't be able to reproduce.  we were originally thinking of getting another male, but since milo has already established himself as the alpha male of the household, we thought getting another male who would encroach on his territory would be a bad idea.  do you think it would be safe to get a female companion for him?

he spent a lot of time with his brothers before we got him, but since then he's been all by himself.  do you think it's too late to introduce another cat into the household now?

[sk2006a]

have you asked your vet?  they might be a good resource for information.

[SueDonym]

I don't think it is a male vs female thing as much as a dominant vs submissive personality thing.  I have 7 foster cats, and among them, I have a female dominant and a a male dominant cat who get into little spats, and the other males and females all get along fine.

I would suggest going to a shelter that is cage-free, so you can see how their kitties interact, and talk to them about personalities.

Typically, they will hash out the "house rules" themselves.  It may take a little time, and don't worry if they get into some fights.  They'll get over it.

One idea is to introduce them gradually, keeping one in a room by itself at first, to settle down, maybe a few days. Give each of them a towel or t shirt that has the other's scent on it.  Then, let the new one explore the house while you have the current cat closed in a room.  After the new cat has had some time to explore, let them meet.  Just remember, even if they fight, it is just a partt of them figuring out who will be the dominant cat, and staking out thier personal territory in the house.

[Missy890]

Good idea with not getting another male.
If your cat is a dominant male, bringing another male into 'his' house...will not be good!
I dont see any problems with getting a buddy for your male-as long as he is fixed!
Please go to an Animal Shelter and find another furry friend though, and many shelters have kind of a 'return policy'...If your cat doesnt get along with his new friend, in some shelters you are able to bring the 'new friend' back and find a different one. But first give it time! They probably arent going to be best friends right away. Give them a few weeks to get to know each other first!
good luck!

[missmarie980]

how do you intorduce a kinda mean indoor and outdoor feamale to a indoor outdoor male cat thats both cats are fixed

[zodiacqueen]

I bet your kitten would have fun with another kitten in the house.  Kittens are so full of energy that it would be hard for anyone to keep up with them, BUT another kitten would be perfect.

As for picking another male, that one is "iffy".  I've always had more than 4 cats at a time for over twenty years-I've seen this situation go a couple of ways.  SOMETIMES 2 males of the same age will be non-stop fighting for "top cat" position or I've seen a female become top cat.  I had a tabby named Skippy who was the female top cat-that's happened only once.  She was quite the bad *ss.  None of the males would dare to mess with her.  Some males will do alright together, but you'd have to get a male that you've observed with other cats, then you'd pick a non-dominating cat.  Trust me, you'd be able to tell!!  Like, if you go to an animal shelter(hopefully, you'll rescue a baby from humane society), what you do is see how a litter of kittens act together and you don't pick the "pushy" one.  

This should be very interesting, so please let us know how this goes!!!

[KandyBin]

This is funny...i was actually about to post the same question as you ....and now everyone helped me too :) THANK YOU

[proudmom311]

MOST MALE CATS,WHEN INTRODUCED SLOWLY CAN GET ALONG JUST FINE. IT IS A GREAT MYTH THAT MALES WILL ALWAYS FIGHT OR MARK THEIR TERRITORY. I WORK AT A CAT SHELTER AND HAVE FOUR MALES OF MY OWN AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEHAVIOR. IF INTRODUCED PROPERLY AND IF BOXES ARE CLEANED LIKE THEY SHOULD BE THEY  CAN GET ALONG JUST FINE.