Quote:
Originally Posted by ngandjean
Someone told me that as she grew older, stonger and kept wanting to play it would stress him out.
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As an opinion - which what the above is, and all it is - I disagree. A cat that grows up with another cat is likely to have learned where the boundries are and respect them or risk a good swipe. Of course there's always going to be the exception that just keeps pushing, but that shouldn't be anything you can't handle with some physical separation if and when required.
As for whether or not you did the right or the wrong thing.... that is a decision of conscious. You did what you did for all the best possible motives. Whether it was "right" or "wrong" (is there a right or wrong in this case?) is really a moot point and it's not going to do you any favours to think along those lines.
It's a double edged sword in many ways. While I understand why SouthernBelle is suggesting what she has, it may not be the best solution for the following reason: a young cat will, potentially, be more accepting of the older status and not try to challenge it. An older cat might be less willing to kowtow to the resident cat.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to temperment - that has to be the number one critierium on your list.
We have a female cat that's now about 18 months - 2 years old. She only plays by herself - as far as she is concerned, other cats are for company and getting your head cleaned, but not playing which she only does on a rare occasion anyway. All in all, she's just not a playful cat (never was, we've had her since she's about 4-5 months) but likes the company of other cats.
If you think a companion is in order for your cat, you need to look for a specific temperment rather than age or gender or anything else. You need a nice quiet cat who likes other cats and isn't overly playful.