I think Jinx needs a friend.

Our kitten seems to need more attention than your average young cat. Peat has been home with her for the past 2 months waiting to find a new job (which he did – yay!), and he reports that after I leave for work in the mornings, he and Jinx will go into the library. He'll go on the computer and she'll sit in the middle of the floor and yell at him. If he doesn't pay attention to her after she yells, she runs up and smacks him.

Petulant little brat, isn't she?

The problem is that she's so cute, she can get away with almost anything. I found her sleeping on the kitchen counter above the dishwasher the other night – it was warm from the drying cycle – and I just couldn't bring myself to yell at her, even though she knows she's not allowed up there. It was just so funny to find her sleeping amid all the steam, I had to pick her up and cuddle her. (Most of the time, I do yell, though, for all the good it does.)

When Peat goes back to work on Monday, she'll be alone all day again. I come home after 7pm every night, which means I only get to spend about 4 hours a day with her. Peat spends a little more time with her, since he comes home earlier and goes to bed later than I do. But even so, most of Jinx's life is spent alone. I know that's natural for most cats, but I think Jinx is of a more social variety. She loves to be with people, even people she doesn't know. She's not afraid of anyone or anything (that we've seen yet), and she always needs attention.

The animal hospital where we got Jinx seems to have an endless supply of kittens to give away. They told us that if we wanted to, we could bring Jinx in for a playdate to see if she got along with any of the kittens they had before we brought one home, if we were interested. I thought that was a lovely suggestion.

The question is, will she welcome another cat into the house?

There are many pros and cons to this idea. Pro number one: if she has a playmate, maybe she'll be less lonely and starved for attention. It could help her become better socialized. Pro number two (a corollary to pro number one): with another cat to bite, perhaps she'll bite US less. Not likely, but you never know. Pro number three: I love cats, and having another one to play with would benefit me as much as Jinx. That may be selfish, but so is keeping a pet in the first place.

Con number one: It could all backfire and Jinx will just get mad at us for introducing a challenge to her status quo. Con number two: they'll make a mess. Whether fighting or playing, they're sure to break stuff. That's what cats do. Con number three: Peat is allergic to cats (along with most of our friends). True, we have 2 air purifiers in the house and he's been fine with Jinx, but adding more dander may negate any positive effects of the Ionic Breezes. Con number four: two cats are more expensive and more difficult to take care of than just one. Simple mathematics.

But I never liked mathematics.

So I'm torn. On the one hand, I think it's mean to keep a social animal like Jinx locked in an apartment and alone all day. On the other hand, Peat's sinuses and our finances may not be able to handle another cat.

What's a cat-loving girl to do?