How do I know if getting another cat is the right thing to do?

[QueenStromba]

For those of you who aren't familiar with her, we got Rice from Battersea nearly three months ago. She's and indoor cat and is 15 but the only thing that gives her age away is the fact that she won't jump more than a couple of feet in height. She really is the friendliest, most sociable cat ever. She sleeps at the end of the bed every night and misses us by about 6am so wakes one of us up for a fuss before going back to sleep until we get up. I'm at home finishing my PhD at the moment and, while she spends a lot of the day sleeping, whenever she wakes up and I'm not in the room she finds me and settles back to sleep wherever I am. She also demands I lie down on the sofa/bed for a bit two or three times during the day so she can sit on me and get lots of strokes. If we're both out for several hours one day then she can be really clingy the next day.

Come October, I'll be finished my PhD and will be out a lot more teaching undergrads. It'll mostly just be afternoons but between travel etc I could be out for 5-6 hours 2-4 afternoons a week. She loves being the center of attention and I doubt she'd want another cat about if things continued as they are forever but I'm wondering if she'd be happier with a companion when I do start spending more time outside of the flat. For what it's worth we always planned to get a second cat to keep the first one company once my PhD was over but now that we have said first cat and she's really happy I'm worried about upsetting her.

[cozietoesie]

She'll likely adjust her routine to your new one, QS - and they sleep an awful lot at that age. Seniorboy is quite happy with being the only cat as long as he gets a reasonable amount of love at some points during the day. (And he just hated having another cat around even though we had a cordon sanitaire in place.)

Personally, and given her history, I wouldn't.

[QueenStromba]

I suppose it's probably best to wait and see how she adjusts but I hate the idea of her being lonely when I'm out. Then if we do decide that another cat would be good for her the adjustment period would be while we're out a lot or we'd have to wait for outside of term time. I really wish I could have a conversation with her and ask her what she'd prefer.

[MissStrawberry]

At that age it could either be the worst thing for her or the best. Given that I would not get another cat. Could you set up a camera to record how she is when you are not there to see how she copes? Cats seem pretty good at having their owners minions worry about them when really they are totally fine!

[NomNomDePlum]

she will be fine alone for a couple of afternoons a week. i really wouldn't introduce another cat, it's likely to stress her much more than an occasional spell alone to have to share her territory.

[Fluffycloudland77]

The way I look at the whole loneliness issue is that he doesn't miss us or seem clingy when he fecks off for 12 hours.

It's a one way street with some cats.

Plus when you get home she would need to share you both as well.

Jenni Murray wrote an article on her dog, she got a second dog because the first one gave her sad eyes when she left for work.

Now she has two dogs giving her sad eyes when she goes to work.

[Hassled]

I really wouldn't. She's too old for that much change and there will be territory issues especially if she's an indoor cat.

[cozietoesie]

...Now she has two dogs giving her sad eyes when she goes to work.....

Oh boy!