Should I get a kitten/cat as a playmate for my current cat?

[Ghost 1,857]

Well for starters, my cat - aka my princess, bundle of joy, ray of sunshine, cute patootie, lil baby pie, itty bitty kitty witty, etc. -  is about 13 years old and is beloved and cherished in this household.

 

However, I always had the thought in the back of my head that pets who are the only one in the house can get..lonely. Well. duh. I know many animals when kept as pets, the owners are advised to have no less than two at a time so that they don't get lonely (female rats especially.) Thing is, if I got another cat or other animal in general...it wouldn't be for me, it'd be for her. I don't WANT another pet. Pearl (my cat) is my baby...she's the center of attention around here.  

 

It may be sad but I think it's for the best to be honest...like, really. If we DID happen to get another pet, it would never receive as much love and affection as Pearl. It wouldn't be nearly as adored or praised, and would probably receive loads less attention (well, from ME, anyways. I know my mother loves all animals).

 

Basically Pearl will always be number 1 for me. There's no room in my heart for another pet. But I don't want to be completely sellfish...I don't know if Pearl wants/needs a fellow kitty playmate. It''s not like I can just ask her, "Hey! Are you lonely and want a new friend?"...

 

Sure, there's the possibility they DO get along...but what if they don't? Let's say we get a kitten and Pearl feels old and left out. OR what if this new cat tries to mess with Pearl? I certainly wouldn't stand for it, and would quickly find a new home for the pet as soon as possible...Pearl comes first. Always. I don't know what to do, really....  

 

It'd be possible to keep them separate but other people in the house would have to see to it that they don't kill eachother while I'm at work. And I'd probably be worrying about it all firetrucking day anyways.

 

Sooo...yeah, idk. Is my cat lonely and needs a playmate...? Or would that complicate everything...

 

It doesn't even have to be a cat, what if I like get a mouse or something..She won't kill it, we had a mouse before and all she did was sniff there and sniff it. 

When she was younger she had a history of hurting other animals to come in the house (she knocked over my two tadpoles who were just sprouting legs - i cried so hard - and had scratched my uncle's toy poodle) but those were both years ago, when I was younger. Most aggressive thing she's done recently was kill and at a moth.

 

About 2 years ago she got out (people in my house dont know how to close the goddamn door, I'm the only one worthy of some firetrucking animal supervision around here tbh. It was an accident but still, that shit doesn't happen on my watch). And she got along well with a female (pregnant) alley cat...so, maybe things would work out...?

 

But it would have to be NOT a kitten , since the kitten would be too playful, right...?

 

Idk. No one 's gonna read this I'm just getting some thoughts out e_e;;;

 

Randon note::: Also going to say that when we first got Pearl, we also had Kitty, an older cat, but I was too younmg to really know her well. Pearl apparently used to annoy the shit out of Kitty and sort of "push her back" if that makes any sense, like she'd boss Kitty around and I do not want to repeat that cycle. I wish I was old enough then to have had made some proper adjustments or something...

 

But yeah. If you read this, I love you, thank you.

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Aw, you really love your pet cat, don't you?  That's so sweet! X_X  Recently I came into possession of a cat as well, and his name is Hiro!  Anyways, well, if you want to get a new companion for Pearl, then feel free to do so, and see how this new critter behaves and acts around Pearl, and vice versa.  If you see that both of them click, then that'll be good.

[Lady Aleister 1,677]

I have four cats.

Sometimes they fight.

But I would get a playmate if you think she is going to live long.

 

Whiskers and Berlioze play all the time, and Ali and Feather are basically sisters.

[DragonMaster 1,166]

It sounds like Pearl has been living quite awhile without another animal in the house, and that you and your family give her plenty of attention. I think she's probably fine without a playmate. Being a bit on the older side, she might not tolerate a younger animal coming into her territory. I'd say it isn't necessary to get a new pet (especially since you admit it won't get as much attention), unless you notice that Pearl seems to be really sad/bored after being home alone.