I have a nearly 4 year old neutered female cat. I have been thinking about adopting another cat, but I fear they won’t get along. Current cat is not really social, rarely likes being touched, instead requires attention: playtime, being near (but far enough), etc.
What are your experiences with second cats? Are there age / gender combinations which are the safest?
Edit: thanks for all the replies! Forgot to mention that she is an indoor cat.
I had one lone male and got him a friend around age 3. The new kitty wanted to be friends, but he wouldn’t accept him until we moved to a new apartment and neither of them had a claim on the territory. Then they started sleeping together.
Later, I adopted two kittens and at age 1.5 one of them got sick and died, basically like cancer but not actually cancer the vet told me. I got another kitten soon after because the survivor was in crisis and was very needy, she knew what had happened. It took some time for her to accept the kitten, but then she basically raised her. They sleep together and chase and play, but also occasionally squabble the way siblings might.
I don’t know what more to suggest. These are the experiences I’ve had. I hope you’re able to glean something useful from them. Ask your vet for tips, too.