Advice about adopting the right cat please

[MonsteraCheeseplant]

Hi, After the sudden and sad passing of my cat, I am looking to adopt and have found a mum and kitten to be homed together. Mum was apparently kept in a cage at the back of a shop and gave birth while in the rescue centre. I know the rescue lady said that mum is shy at first, I'm just nervous about her not warming to us? Or having behavioural issues. And smelling our last cat all over the house?

I had an absolute nightmare with my last cat. I got lots of advice, did lots of my own detailed research, honestly tried everything and in the end we survived for 2 years with her having a bathroom to herself, covered in 4 litter trays and puppy pads over the rest of the floor. The vets never found much wrong with her but she presented as under the weather on Sunday and had to be pts on Monday.

Can cats tolerate the smells from the last cat in the house? I can clean and clean but experience tells me it's impossible to eradicate completely. Initially shy cats can become friendly once they know you, right? Are there any signs to look for that will help me predict how they might be?

I hope someone can help because I love and adore cats but am worried.

You just need patience and to let them go at their own pace. It's all new to them. They will blossom, and it's worth the wait.

I brought another cat in with my existing cat and they weren't bothered. I've also put other cats into my cats baskets and again the smell doesn't seem to have worried them.

Thank you, what about well used scratching posts?

I just spoke to a different cat rescue centre and they said that they've found that rehoming mums with their kittens doesn't work out because mums get fed up of their babies after a few weeks. The first rescue centre said she didn't want to home them separately because kitten 'loves his mum'.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience?

Plenty of people keep one kitten out of a litter and they get on fine with the mother, and the rescue our cats came from (Celia Hammond) which is very reputable also rehomes mother and kitten pairs.

As with all cats, it will depend on the adult personalities, and I’m sure in a lot of cases they just go on to ignore each other as adults, but as long as they’re not unhappy / fighting then that’s not really a problem.

Cheddar has been fine with a well used scratching post. Though she absolutely will not go into her Teepee or any of her beds. My girls had been kept in cages, so hadn't been in a home environment until they went into foster care. It took time and patience. But they settled very well.

Of course he loves her, she has milk. Will she still love him after 16wks though?. They usually “encourage” them to move on around that time.

I've got a mum and her two kittens that are all inseparable and the kittens are now nearly a year old. They might hang around together less as the kitten gets older, but they might be really bonded. Regardless it's unlikely that they won't at least rub along together amicably.