Single semi-feral cat--does she need a friend?

[LuvMyTB]

Two years ago a young feral cat moved her 4 kittens into my woodpile. Kittens were young enough that they were fairly easily caught and moved into good barn homes.

Mama cat stuck around, got comfortable with us, and now lives in my (heated) garage. She has in/out access during the day and is locked in at night. She constantly seeks out attention and scratches; we can’t pick her up, but she is quite comfortable with us otherwise.

I know next to nothing about cats…is she lonely? Does she need a friend? There a few places around here that do barn-cat type adoption programs, should I look into one?

She seems happy and healthy–has her own litter box, bowls, toys, and beds–but she’s super needy and talks to us constantly and I just wonder if she’d be happier with another cat. That said, she’s been alone for 2 years so maybe she’s fine. She’s just turned into a really funny, nice little cat and I want her to be happy.

Also, after the kittens left, we did manage to trap her and get her spayed, so that’s been done.

Any advice appreciated, thanks!

[Simkie]

Nope. She sounds perfectly content. Adding another cat is likely to be quite stressful, and another cat may chase her off. They don’t need friends to be happy

[DMK]

Agreed, sometimes they get along and sometimes they don’t… Cats are social mostly within family units (mother daughters). But with cats the question may answer itself eventually. If another feral cat shows up and is accepted, there’s your answer! Alter it and turn it back out to be your 2nd barn cat

[2DogsFarm]

Bless you for giving this gal a home with all the amenities she might want
For all you know she may have cat friends, just not welcome in “her” garage home

My little barncat was 1 of 2 kittens that wandered up my drive @ approx 8wks.
Her brother(?) succumbed to the road @ 6mos
But she stuck around for the next 10yrs & became a very affectionate & effective Verminator for my barn.
But she never welcomed strange cats in her barn.

[OzarksRider]

Cats like their territory and don’t easily take to strange cats. I have 3 cats, and it has always been stressful to add a new cat to the mix. In general, cats more easily accept other cats when they’re young. The older they are, the less they are inclined to bond with a new cat, although they will usually come to at least tolerate the new guy. And, although cats like their solitude, they can bond deeply with their humans, and I think that is what has happened with your cat. Her attention seeking may be her way of telling you she really likes you.

@LuvMyTB, I wonder what would happen if you let your cat come inside the house at night instead of sleeping in the garage? You might have a lap kitty that likes to watch TV with you and sleep on your face and wake you up at 3 a.m.!

[jherold]

Cats are not pack animals and don’t need companionship like dogs or people. She’s fine. Sounds like she lucked into the perfect home.

[OzarksRider]

On the other hand . . .

Yes it’s true that cats tend to be solitary creatures and can live quite happily as the only cat in a household. However, sometimes cats do bond with other cats. For example, one of my older male cats “adopted” a new kitten and taught him everything he knew about being a cat. When the older cat died, the younger cat was despondent for months.

If you added another cat to your household, it could be everything to the new cat. There are so many shelter cats and strays that need homes, and if I can provide one, I always do. There’s no way of knowing beforehand how the dynamics will work out, but in general, I’ve found that younger cats adapt more easily and are more readily accepted by older cats. And, in my experience, opposite genders usually work best.

@LuvMyTB, I don’t think you can make a “wrong” decision about getting a companion for your cat. Your current cat seems happy as is, so keeping her as an only cat would be good. But, if you decide to give another cat a home, that would also be a good thing.

[LuvMyTB]

Thank you all so much, this is SO helpful. I’m a dog person and like I said, know nothing about cats. She has been a learning experience in many ways! We LOVE having her though and I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t unhappy due to my lack of knowledge.

@OzarksRider–we have let her in the house before, actually! Put the dogs away, leave the door from the garage open and let her wander in. She usually takes a slow spin around the house, watches the TV, tests out the furniture and then lets herself back out. She doesn’t seem super keen on staying in the house…which is probably a good thing, since I think my dogs would chase her.

When she showed up at our house, she was just a scraggly, skinny mess. She has a literally crooked face–like her jaw is permanently crooked and her eyes aren’t level. We would put food out for them and she wouldn’t eat until the babies had eaten…it was just heartbreaking. So happy she stuck around!

[Bluey]

Tread very carefully there.
Adding a second cat “for company” can turn out ok, or cause ugly cat spraying wars marking territory.

[BUSY]

She is HAPPY ! You’ve done a great job ! She is spayed and enjoying a safe home with food and beds and toys. Please don’t upset her ‘purfect’ world.

[Karankresgs]

I also think it’s better to leave the cat alone! They have their own territory and they protect it)))

[candyappy]

She just wants attention from you, not competition from another cat
Be happy you only have 1 to feed!