>>2475659The "close bond" we have is still the same, but changed in a different way.
My first cat has always been very anxious and easily spooked. He was afraid of my dad for years, hiding under the bed for hours if my dad sneezed too loudly. When I got the second cat, first cat was so distressed he was throwing up bile, even though the second cat was a barely mobile kitten at the time.
But after he adjusted to the kitten, my first cat calmed down to a degree I wasn't prepared for. He used to howl and wail on car rides, but with the second cat in the carrier with him, he is comfortable enough to sleep for the duration and is very peaceable when we arrive at our destination. He became much more friendly to the other people in my house, and let's my dad approach and pet him now. Loud noises still startle him a bit, and I think he will always hate garbage bags, but using kitchen appliances doesn't make him hide for the rest of the night.
He became much less dependent on me, which I suppose can be sad to some cat owners, but it makes me happy because it means he's not constantly sick with fear or anxiety. He doesn't need constant reassurance from me throughout the day (and if he didn't get it, he would go into hiding). He's much more confident around my dad's cat, too, and doesn't let her bully him anymore.
But he is definitely still my little baby who will hop into my bed when I'm not looking and bite my fingers if I'm not petting him and drool all over me kek. So overall, not bad changes imo.
The reason I got a second cat was also as a companion for the first cat. Funnily enough, they don't even hang out together much, but I guess the second cat's presence fills him with enough joy to get through the day kek