I can’t imagine owning only 1 cat. They would get so bored! My 3 boys love playing and snoozing together. They keep each other mentally stimulated.

Cat tax:

Cats are territorial. You are relying on just luck that they will get along. You’re much better off not trying. Your cat doesn’t want a friend.

Four “add another cat” stories for you:

1. My oldest had a cat and decided to get another cat after quite some time. However, the first cat had already established the entire house as her territory. They followed all the recommendations to try to introduce a second cat, but it made no difference. Now they can’t bring themselves to give up cat #2, so they have divided their home up to keep the cats separated.

2. My second child and his fiancee had one cat. They decided to add two more. Their cats fought. When they tried to keep the new cats in a room and introduce them gradually, their old cat was so violently opposed to their presence that it tore apart the carpet under the door trying to g et at them. However, they ended up moving. Once in the new apartment, all three cats stopped fighting.

3. Many years ago, a co-worker agreed to take a third cat. There was no fighting between the cats, but one of her cats was not happy. He started peeing on every surface he could get to. If you think the cat wasn’t doing it intentionally, he straddled her toaster so he could pee into it. Cats know how to communicate their displeasure. By the time she was able to re-home the new cat, the damage was done. Apart from the small appliances she had to replace, she had to rip up the floor in her house and replace it to get rid of the smell of cat pee.

4. My wife and I added a second cat years ago, but we did it at the same time we moved into our house. There were some fights between them, but they were just because of their personality differences. The new cat was young and wanted to play, while the older cat had reached the stage of life where he wanted to see how much fat he could gain. She would attack him and chase him around and that would piss him off, but they usually got along and he got in better shape. When she got too obnoxious for him, he would chase her under the TV, and make her stay there in time-out.

So, based on my experience, the only time you can safely add a cat to your home is when you move.

Now

My wife and I have four

Despite many commenters saying cats are not social, in reality cats were proven to socialize a lot. It is also true that they’re territorial and that can matter more if they’re not neutred (I recomend spaying all your cats for many reasons).

Your cat can benefit a lot from the presence of a fellow feline. If you decide to get a second one, you should be prepared for a transitional period of helping the cats to get used to each other. As someone else described already, it’s good to separate them first and let them get to know each other in phases. It’s good to have enough hiding places for them and safe corridors.

You will also need to give both cats more attention in the beginning and even after they start to befriend each other and play, it’s good to check whether they don’t attack each other too one-sidedly or just generaly too much - in that case you need to play with them more yourself.

In my experience it’s really worth it, 2 cats > 1 cat.

Oh, I forgot to add: your kitty is a beauty!

Any time you have one cat. Cats are better in pairs.

We usually adopt adult cats in need of a home, but our last adoption was 2 kitten brothers, and they have a special bond that the other cats don’t. It’s adorable, they still play together a lot even as young adults. We’ve always had at least 2, so no one is ever left alone when we are not here.

A few years ago, I found myself wondering if my cat wanted a buddy, so I signed up with the local shelter to foster, figuring if it didn’t work out, I’d have an easy “out” to find the new cat another home. I actually wound up fostering a few litters of kittens before adopting a second cat, and have also continued fostering.

If you decide to adopt or foster, be prepared for the first few weeks to be challenging. Read up on Jackson Galaxy’s guide to cat introductions, and move slowly from step to step. The guide is in 5 parts, here’s part 1: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blogs/news/cat-introductions-part-1-before-the-introduction

Some cats accept new cats within days, others may take weeks or longer. My oldest is always super pissed off for the first few days, but we usually reach “Eat, Play, Love” around 2 weeks.

I always recommend people get at least two cats and never only one. They groom each other and they keep themselves company.

Cats do get lonely because they’re social creatures, despite popular belief to the contrary.