Positive cat behaviour change

by Samantha
(UK)

We had gotten two cats within five days of each other and had them for 3 months. Sadly, my daughter moved out recently and took one of them with her, which I was disgusted by. The two cats were not the best of friends, and the one remaining cat was likely to tap her every now and again, but they seemed to stay out of each others’ way most of the time. Sometimes, the two cats would chase each other in the evening.

The cat that is still here was always a bit standoffish, would only now and again purr, and want a bit of attention and fussing. She always slept on my bed, but never would be very affectionate. Now that the other cat has gone, though, she is so affectionate. My cat is now often purring, kneading me, and smoothing my hands and face, which is just so lovely to see!

However, my cat is looking around for the other cat for 4 days now. She is a Persian cat and is indoors mostly, unless supervised outside, which she loves. However, I work full time and feel so guilty about leaving her alone all day inside.

I worry that if I get another cat companion again, will she go back to being what she was like when there was another cat? It could well have been suppressed, as the other cat was in no way the boss, but she was very friendly, younger but bigger, playful and was very affectionate. I do hope you can give some advice!


Dear Samantha,

There is really no way to predict whether your cat’s behavior would change if you were to introduce another cat to your household. In general, I usually believe that having more than one cat is better, however, there are exceptions to that rule based on your cat’s personality.

It sounds as though your cat is generally very happy being an only cat, and that her true cat personality now has the opportunity to shine through. Although she may seem lonely at the moment, she will quickly forget that there ever was another cat in your house. And, considering the positive change you have seen in her personality, I would recommend you keep her as an only cat, at least for the time being.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely