Looking for a kitten - only seem to come in 2s

[legophoenix]

Hi, my kids are desperate for a kitten and I had it in my head that we just wanted one, but the local shelter seems to specify that the kittens can only go in pairs or to a home that already has a cat or dog.

Anyway we don't have any pets currently so I guess my question is, are two kittens harder work than one? Or would we manage ok with two?

Both DH and I had cats in the past when we were young but just one and it was a looong time ago!

Thanks 😊

@thelobsterquadrille interesting about puppies staying with siblings, I have not heard of that before. Personally I would prefer to have a kitten pre 16 weeks where they can get use to my home, and family with kids rather than a foster home. At let's face it there are not enough foster homes around to accommodate all the kittens waiting for a home.

I mean, I want lots of things lol - but what you (and I) want isn't necessarily what's best for the animals and that's what rescues focus on and care about.

There will always be someone willing to re-home kittens in pairs, so they're happy to wait until that person comes along.

We got two kittens, it's lovely in every way except for the cost which is of course double.

@Ostryga it's not just my opinion. It's a fact. Adult cats are solitary

Maybe have a read up?

Can you link to some reading material relating to this fact?

@Shmithecat2 why? Maybe google yourself.

It's not quite as straightforward as "adult cats are solitary".

It's true that jungle cats and wild cats are generally solitary (with the exception of lions) but we're not talking about wild cats. Domestic cats are entirely different and have been raised and socialised in an entirely different way. They are solitary hunters, yes, but not necessarily solitary animals.

Take feral cats - if left to their own devices, they often live in loose colonies - mainly of female cats and kittens, but neutered males may often live happily with other cats too. As long as there's no real competition for resources (food, shelter) - they have no reason to fight or squabble. Entire toms are different and will roam more, of course.

Research is starting to show that while many cats are happy alone, they can also be equally happy living with other cats.

www.msdvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/social-behavior-of-cats

I had two puppies from the same litter 13 years ago. They are the best dogs I've ever known. Total opposite to 'littermate syndrome'. I introduced a third dog later and they were very accepting. Bonded with all the family. Maybe it depends on the breed or owners?

It wasn't me stating 'facts'. It was you.. Google is as subjective as my search criteria. Can you link to the facts you mention?

There's lots of bollocks on the internet about what animals 'should' be like. Take hens for example. They'd have you believe there is a top to bottom pecking order. Not so. Each hen I've had developed a one on one relationship with each other. Some were best mates. Some hated each other. It's way more complicated if you take the time to watch and study them. There's no hard rules surely with any pets.

Even the best research admits littermate syndrome isn't guaranteed, though. It's luck just as much as it is training and dedication on behalf of the owners.

Some littermates will live together happily all their lives with no issues, but some will prove impossible to train and one ends up being re-homed, so for rescues (and decent breeders) it's just not a risk worth taking.

I'm not convinced to be honest. But then I think a lot of animals are treated as 'stock' rather than individuals and these generalisations make life easier for people. Such as not wanting to know how intelligent pigs are etc.

I mean, I'm not trying to convince you 🤷🏻‍♀️

But a one off example from 13 years ago doesn't prove anything either way.

ChocChipOwl · Yesterday 20:02
@Ostryga it's not just my opinion. It's a fact. Adult cats are solitary

our 4 aren’t. Two sisters, two older males. We took the girls in at 3 months. Nearly two years on, all 4 are inseparable. (The boys are 9 and 11). They are almost always to be found together, usually on our bed or the sofa in a furry pile or in the garden within a few feet of each other. They greet each other nose to nose and line up for feeding together.

Some adult cats are solitary but some like company of other cats. We've nearly always had at least 4 cats and with the fosters sometimes have up to around a dozen in the house.

Of the 5 we currently have, we have an older female who is solitary, as is a 2 YO who stayed after we fostered her and her kittens.

We also have 3 others we've had from tiny kittens, a brother and sister and a younger female we kept because she didn't engage well with any of her prospective adopters and she'd completely bonded with the other two so we thought it best for her that she stayed. Five years later they're still inseparable, especially the boy and the younger girl.

But in any case, if you want small kittens from a rescue they're very likely to only home in pairs and if you only want one cat you should be looking for one at least about 5/6 months or older which is only a difference of a max of around 4 months in the life of an animal that could live for 20 years. If you're interested in it's welfare, you should accept this.

OK you miss out on the tiny cutie kittens stage but believe me, at this age they're hard work. They make a hell of a mess with toys and litter everywhere, they destroy carpets, curtains and soft furnishings, they climb up your legs with their tiny crampon claws which fucking hurts and ruins your trousers.

Yes they're adorable but they're also monsters, it's like the terrible twos and the teenage puberty stage all rolled into one.

@thelobsterquadrille I think you've misunderstood. My dogs are 13 now 😂 and it's not a one off. I know a number of friends who have done the same too. And if it's not the 'done thing' and no-one does it anymore what's this research based on? As I said, animals personalities are as different and unique to each other as humans are if we care to notice. Sweeping generalisations don't work for people nor animals.

I haven't misunderstood at all - I know you got your dogs thirteen years ago but my point is that your individual example of your dogs getting on fine doesn't mean that littermate syndrome isn't a thing.

There's tonnes of research out there that supports the fact that puppies shouldn't be re-homed in pairs. It also suggests that people shouldn't get unrelated poppies of similar ages because they bond too closely to each other instead of with people and therefore it makes training incredibly challenging.

Of course there will be exceptions to that - I'm not saying otherwise. There will be plenty of people out there who raised sibling puppies with no issues but that doesn't mean it's not a risk and that it doesn't happen.

It's just like there will always be dogs that don't fit the breed standard for personality. There are Labradors who aren't food motivated, beagles who don't hunt, schnauzers that don't bark - but that doesn't mean those breeds aren't respectively known for greed, chasing scents and being noisy.

Rescues want what's best for their animals and they want them to stand the best chance of having a good life without getting returned - so that generally means kittens go home in pairs and puppies go home as solos. If you disagree then you're free to get your animal elsewhere.

Cats will never beat to the drum of normal

Yes wild cats are by large solitary but that doesn’t translate well to domestic cats

Some like to have other feline company. Some tolerate it. And some hate other cats with a burning passion.

I personally cannot be doing with kittens 😅. They are little unpredictable spiky balls of chaos. We got our 7 year old cat when she was a kitten and it was just chaos. 2 years later we added our second cat who was 10 months when we got her. The chaos levels were much more manageable. I would suggest a slightly older cat, especially if you're set on just one. Much less chaos and happier to play with us rather than run circles round us and climb the curtains.

@ChocChipOwl And if you 'read up' on the internet you will also find information that Hilary Clinton eats babies and the Covid vaccine contains microchips. It doesn't mean these things are true, just as the statement 'cats are solitary animals' also isn't true.

It certainly isn't true of feral colonies and it isn't generally true in domestic situations either (although it does depend on individual personalities). I've had at least 20 cats living with me for the past 15 years or so (not the same cats - some die, more arrive). For example I have 7 identical large cat beds in my kitchen, all next to each other. I normally see around 5 or 6 cats all squashed together in one bed, while all the other beds are empty, just because they prefer it that way. Some very specific friendships form - I have three 'couples' who have been together years - are always together, follow each other around, groom each other, sleep together - and these three couples didn't arrive together - they met their other half in my house. Yes there are some cats that definitely don't feel happy in the company of other cats, and so they can't stay with me, but it's an individual personality thing, not a general cat trait.

@Soubriquet By 'wild' cats do you mean feral? Feral cats are most certainly not solitary. They sleep together, groom each other, spend ages rubbing heads when they find food ...

@Mylittlesandwich I agree. I can't be doing with kittens either. Give me an adult cat any day. Not only are adults so much calmer and less trouble, you also know what personality you're getting. With kittens it's pot luck.

No I mean tigers and cougars. Feral cats do have nests.

Ah - well my experience of tigers etc is zero, so I'm perfectly happy to believe that.

@thelobsterquadrille there are studies also suggesting there is no scientific link and littermate syndrome is a myth. A lazy label.

Just like posters on here are disagreeing about whether kittens should be homed in pairs or whether they are solitary creatures. Sweeping generalisations. All animals are unique. Just like humans. Some get on, some don't. Animals, like children, like routine, stability and the security of knowing someone is in charge. These are more important.