One cat or two?

[Thecrazy88]

We have recently made the decision to get a rescue cat/cats. We have 3 boys aged 7, 5 & 2.5 so I thought that an older cat or cats would be best, one that is able to tolerate the noise and general mayhem that is our home! The thing is, the cats protection lady has offered me two young females (around 11mths old). It's been a while since I have had cats, what can I expect from cats this age? My worry is that if they are a bit skittish and overly playful they might get under our feet all the time (we don't have a big house!) and of course I don't want them to become nervous either. I sort of had my heart set on adopting some big old bruiser that would fit into our family without batting an eye, I'm not sure I'm ready to take on young cats! What would you do?

[timtam23]

My cat is just over 1 year old, the really skittish playful phase was when he was 3-6 months old - he has calmed down a lot since then (and since being neutered). He does like to play & is a lively cat but he also spends an awful lot of the day asleep. This surprised me as when we took him in (he was 7 weeks old) I had 2 very old cats who spent most of their days asleep and I hadn't thought that only a few months on we would have the same from the young one! (I had had my old cats for many many years so had almost forgotten what they had been like as young cats). My cat does like to go out & about but tends to prefer the evenings when there are fewere people/dogs about - in the daytime if I am home he is either asleep or following me around, dog-like.

If you are being offered 2 young ones who are happy to be together, I would be very very tempted to say yes if I were you

Are you going to have a look at them and see if you all like each other?

[timtam23]

I forgot to say I also have a small house & have 2 boys aged 6 & 4 and the younger cat is much more accepting of them than the older cats were - the older cats really really wanted a quiet life (which they were never going to get!). We have had to do quite a bit of modelling of being "gentle" and pointing out that the cat does not want to be picked up/stroked/poked or whatever, but it has been ok really and DS1 in particular is very fond of the cat.

[lilacmamacat]

Take the two young ones.
Our current cat - taken in as an abandoned (adult) stray in really poor condition - is nervous and frequently frightened by our bouncy 3.5yo. I think she was mistreated by previous owners (cat not DS).

Friends have had allegedly bomb-proof older cats which have turned out to be unable to cope with loud/busy lifestyle. I think younger cats would acclimatise better and be better able to cope with playful children (although kids would have to learn how to treat cats too of course).

if you do go for older cats though, and want more than one, I would say get some that come together rather than two separate cats who don't know eachother. We took in the current cat when our previous one was still alive and they did not get on at all.

[isseywithcats]

11 months is a nice age they will be young enough to still be kitteny but old enough to cope with young children and the general business, generally speaking cats of this age are either eating, sleeping, out and about (after they have got used to where they live obviously) or having a mad half hour dashing round the house just as you lock the doors to go to bed , the best thing to do is look at the cats and have a good discussion with the rescue people with all your concerns, write down any questions before you go so you dont forget anything, and take the children so you see how the cats react with them

[Thecrazy88]

Thanks everyone!

The rescue lady had them at her house for 6 weeks so knows them well, but they have had to go to a cattery now as she has had to take in some poorly ones. Apparently they have come from a flat with 10+ cats in it and when the landlord found out he rang cats protection. I don't like to think of them being caged, and as two black cats past the kitten stage I know it will be difficult to find homes for them if we don't take them. I just want to be sure we are the right family for them! They are about 30miles away at the moment so will be tricky to meet them first but I think it is probably essential with ds3 in particular.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

I think young cats are good at adapting. In the past few months I briefly had two 3/4 month old boy cats move in, and then once they'd moved out I took on two tiny kittens who are here to stay. Both pairs of cats were very different personalitys and temperaments but both coped very well with my two fairly grabby hands on toddlers. My youngest does this high pitched shriek whenever he sees one of them (excitement) which I'm working on, but they are really unphased by it, and the youngest kitten is v tiny still so fairly shy and wary still.

I can also recommend having two. When we got the kittens, we got girl kitten first and she was with us for a few weeks before I went and saw boy kitten. During that time she was following me about like a tiny dog, pouncing on my feet and hands a lot, just generally "give me attention" all the time. Since boy kitten moved in we've had a lot less of that because they play together, they curl up to sleep together. They sort of function as a pair.

I have no knowledge on older cats though, but would say that rescues are good at suggesting matches that fit with your circs so if she thinks these young cats would be a good match I'd seriously consider looking at them.

[ShadowsShadowsEverywhere]

Also, I have black cats and they are IMO the best sort to have! You can play spot the cat in the dark, it's great fun

[msrisotto]

I took one cat when I was given the option of two. Massive mistake. Get both! Always :)

[chockbic]

Depends how strong your resolve is with one!

Two will play with each other but one expects you to be their chum. I think a single cat or kitten is possibly more affectionate though.