Senior cat Arthas adores his little sister of 2-years-old but can't keep up with her energy, family questions if a new kitten will make him unhappy, internet assures them it's the right time

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Jul 30, 2026 9:30 AM EDT

Timing is everything, as they say. 

To do, or not to do? The question that looms above many as they ponder between this and that, yes or no, or what to do. Life is full of limitless choices, and it can feel impossible to know what to do. Sometimes it feels like you'd prefer to have a taste of both lives and then decide which you want, but unfortunately it doesn't work like that. No one gets a crystal ball, all we get is the ability to let go of expectations or a piece of mind about the decision once we've made it. In the story here, a family as one 16 year old senior cat who they adore, Arthas, and a two year old with tons of energy, Junebug. They see that although Arthas and Junebug get along immensely well, they aren't on the same energetic level due to their age. Junebug is quite energetic and runs in circles around Arthas, and he's only weakening. 

Because they see that Junebug is a bit bored with things, they are considering getting her a new friend, a kitten to be her partner in crime. The only caveat is that they do worry about their old man, Arthas. They don't want to do anything that will upset him, anger him, or make him sad. The internet assures the family that getting a kitten now when he's older is actually a sweet thing to do for him. It's time that he has some new and young energy in his life, and he should enjoy her company despite not being able to play with them. Read the full story below, and find hope in the cycles of life, the transitions, the beginnings and endings. 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10651297024
    via charliepix from charliepix / Canva

    Senior cat and a young 2-year-old cat. 

  • 02
    I have two cats. One is my old man, Arthas, and he just turned 16. He had a medical issue recently (a URI
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 03
    which triggered acute pancreatitis) and he has just recently recovered. For 14 years, we had him & his
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 04
    sister Sylvanas, but she passed away last April. We also have a senior pug.
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 05
    Arthas is an extremely relaxed guy. He has never cared about other animals - he doesn't get all
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 06
    territorial, he is playful even at his age, and he is a sweet, gentle guy. After Sylvanas passed, a month
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 07
    went by and it was so quiet. Arthas was clearly also struggling (or maybe loving being an only cat...
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 08
    but I really don't think so). He became much snugglier and almost suffocating LOL though I hate to say that.
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 09
    We knew we offered a phenomenal home for any cat, so we adopted Junebug. She was 1 when we
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 10
    brought her home last May and is a bundle of energy and excitement. She is either playing or sleeping and
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 11
    there is zero in-between. She's now 2 and still the same. We moved out of our long-time home a few months later (August) so that was a big shift for him too.
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 12
    He lost some weight over that time but over the course of the year - maybe 1.5 lbs - but he also was a bit
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 13
    overweight to start with. Other than the scary episode of pancreatitis, he is so healthy and you could not tell he was 16.
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 14
    So here we are, considering getting another kitten. The reason for this is more so to give June an outlet for
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 15
    her energy. A partner in crime. She LOVES other cats - it's obscene how much she enjoys the company of
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 16
    other cats. She wants to play with Arthas and bless him, he tries to - but he sometimes just needs a
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 17
    break. We have a pretty large house so I am thinking that we could create spaces for him to seek refuge.
    via u/TruckDependent2387
  • 18
    I don't want him to be miserable and I don't THINK he would be... but I don't want to be wrong and make him deprsed. What say the internet?
    via u/TruckDependent2387

  • I think it's a good idea to get a kitten. The two younger cats can bond, and when the senior cat crosses the rainbow bridge, the two will still have each other. It's never easy to see your soul cat age, but everyone has to go through it. Pets give us so much that we sometimes take them for granted and don't understand that they can really support us. The structural integrity behind the function of animals in our hearts is really symbolic. I can't imagine my life without my cat. He's really more than a pet, he gives me so much love and purpose, and he always wants my attention. Cats are known to be introverted, but he isn't. 

  • 19
    brightredfish From the way you describe your situation, it sounds like it's probably the right time!
    via u/brightredfish
  • 20
    Confident_Lecture498 We got a cat because our first was getting old and then he
    via u/Confident_Lecture498
  • 21
    outlived her and made it a decade into the next cat's life because she and her daughter
    via u/Confident_Lecture498
  • 22
    kept him active and loved. Bonded cats are a breeze too
    via u/Confident_Lecture498

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

cat adoption kitten cute cats senior cats
Scroll Down For The Next Article