I got my 2 girls 2 kittens about a year ago. Sadly Smudge has been missing for 4 weeks despite all attempts to find him. His sister Tilly is missing him, and now we have 1 cat between two kids We would desperately love to see Smudge again but there has been no sightings of him apart from 1 possible...
My daughter keeps asking me for another cat (kids eh) and my sister in law's cat has just had kittens. Would Tilly get her nose pushed out and scarper if a new kitten came along? She is a lovely tempered cat, as is Smudge. Should I get a male or female? Or just wait and see? Advice please Guys.

I personally would give it a bit longer, but I think it depends on how much Tilly is pining for Smudge, rather than how much the kids want another kitten.

If your SIL's cat has just had kittens, they shouldn't leave their mum until their 12-14 weeks old, so perhaps you don't have to make a decision just yet - would she be willing to wait until they get to that point before having to have a decision from you?

As for getting a boy or a girl - I have no thoughts either way (other might have). So long as whichever one you do choose (if you do), you get it microchipped and neutered straight away.

Hope things work out!

The trick with introducing an new kitten is to get someone else other than your family members to bring it into your home in a box or basket. Let Tilly give it the once over - but in her mind it isn't you that is supplanting her - she is making a choice. I know this sounds perverse but it does work.

I wouldn't be inclined to introduce amother too soon though.

Two to four years is a good age for a cat to be introduced to a new kitten. Kittens are seldom seen as a threat and female cats take to them fairly easily but they will smack them about a bit to correct their behaviour if they over step the line.

I've seen quite a few miserable pairings of cats, where a second cat has been brought in to replace a missing or dead cat. The kids need to be patient, because bringing another kitten in at this stage could result in your pining kitten getting extremely violent with the new addition. I say leave it a bit longer, and perhaps carry on the search for smudge, few more notices on trees etc, you might be lucky.