Talk to me about adopting 2 cats instead of one

[BorderCauli99]

We lost our lovely old boy in the summer and feel like we are gearing up to adopt again. Possibly around/after xmas.

I am keeping an eye on local shelters for cats to adopt and keep seeing bonded pairs. I hadn’t considered getting two and maybe it’s just not practical but I secretly love this idea! Please can you tell me about this if you have two? Do you need double everything - litter trays etc? I’m a bit concerned about space.

We have a garden, quiet neighbourhood, lots of space for cats to lounge inside and out (but no spare bedroom). I have calm older kids who would love to play with a new cat/s. I’m unsure about two litter trays, four food bowls etc and what’s non-negotiable to meet their needs if we did get two. Any tips or advice? Thank you

Personally I'd only ever get one if I got another cat. We had a pair of litter-mate kittens and apart from when they were tiny, they really only tolerated each other at best and a lot of the time really pissed each other off. The older they got the more one bullied the other. Cats are normally territorial solitary animals, they don't generally crave the company of other cats.

Yes we’ve always got pairs.
no litter trays as we have a cat flap so can’t comment on that but it’s great! They are best friends!

We adopted a bonded pair after our dcat died, they share a litter tray as they had done at the shelter (they were there for 6 months, bless them) they have separate food areas as one of them is very greedy. Sometimes they fight, sometimes they spend hours away from each other and sometimes I find them all smushed up together in a ball, fast asleep. I’ve no regrets.

Mine bonded in the shelter when one was a kitten (they were there for a year, poor lads). The older one treats him like a child requiring general supervision. Washes him, checks his bum after he's been to the toilet, tolerates being cuddled up to (mostly), tells him off when he's misbehaving. They share a litter tray but older one mostly goes outside.

Another vote for a bonded pair.

I have (likely) sisters who are estimated at one-and-a-half (they were abandoned so the rescue made a best guess on how old they are). They share a single (biggish) litter tray, and share a kibble bowl, but have their own bowls for wet food. They are more expensive than one, but I don't think the day-to-day upkeep is that different, it's just another ring-top to pull off a can of food and a bit more poop to scoop! In return you get more entertainment, more cuddles, more love, and I think it's good for them too - if I have a long day away from home, I know they've got each other.

Now that I've got two, I really want to get more. I am thinking about how to do this - wait a few years then another pair of kittens? Add another young cat/kitten soon?

THIS TOO COULD BE YOU, it's very exciting 😺

Cats are normally territorial solitary animals, they don't generally crave the company of other cats.

Presumably that's why they gather into colonies as soon as there's a few homeless ones about? 🙄

Some prefer to be solo cats, but others are sociable especially once they realise that a) there isn't going to be competition for scarce resources and b) there's safety in numbers. Mine have the run of most of the house, but are more likely to be in the same room together at any given time. My first pair were from a feral colony of 19 cats.

Can’t don’t naturally need or want to be together. It’s double the cost, double the shit, double the fleas, double the damage.

I have two and I love them both but they don’t like eachother and as a result one of them lives a very stressful life.

I have two cats and massive litter tray called Catit Jumbo.. look online. Life is so much better for them with each other, and easier for you as they amuse themselves more. You don’t feel as guilty when you go out.. much better in every way.

We got a litter pair - they have entertained each other very well but they don't snuggle together or groom each other.

I have five - one I adopted, and then four who came as fosters and just never left. They play together, groom each other, snuggle up together, and their interactions bring me a great deal of pleasure.

Three in a bed (some cats do seem to prefer to be solitary but mine didn’t get that memo!)

We adopted a mum and her four kittens. Certainly don’t have five of everything!

Admittedly they are barn cats rather than house cats. We have separate bowls for wet food, but they all eat kibble from the same (big) bowl.

Do it! I’ve only had single cats before but now have two and I’ll never have a single cat again. If they’re a bonded pair it’s so great! It’s not much different on the care-taking / work side and if you can afford it I would wholeheartedly recommend it.

It’s just better!

Ours are a 13 year old litter pair of girls, adopted at a year old from a rescue because their owner's relationship had ended and she'd had to give them up. It is double the cost for most things, ver bills, insurance, food, litter, the cat sitter charges per visit not per cat but cattery would be more expensive. Ours tolerate each other but are not what I'd call properly bonded. They rarely settle closer than a metre from one another. Share two side-by-side litter trays but prefer to eat separately. Personality-wise they are chalk and cheese, one is a lapcat one is decidedly not but she is very gentle if you do pick her up or stroke her.

I've got a pair of boys, litter mates who love each other dearly. 6 months old. They keep each other entertained. We do have to feed them separately as one bosses the other and eats all his food

I have mother & son from a rescue! They are gorgeous! Two are definitely better than one! My 2 are quite I dependant of each other, lots of smacks round the chops, coming both ways until the chips are down ( the window cleaner arrives 🙄) then they absolutely stick together!

We have 2 siamese, aged 1, brother and sister. They are so loving and really entertain one another. They love to sleep cuddled up together and often groom eachother. We have an older cat as well who tolerates them well.

We adopted 2 kittens from the same litter who are polar opposites in every way but fortunately get on very well! We don’t have double of many things other than bowls.

I don’t understand the benefit of a jumbo cat litter tray. They stink. Small ones stink. Jumbo ones stink. I know because I have one. I am literally there the minute they poo, scooping it up to bin it and put it outside until the bin men come (please don’t put it in the loo).

surely a jumbo one is no better than a small one unless you are happy to let it pile up over days and then deal with it all at once.

The horror!!

That's fine if you are there 24/7, but 2 cats can leave a fair bit in a tray in 9 hours or so if you work out of the house and same overnight while you're in bed.

The amount of stink can be reduced if you use certain types of litter, and/or a hooded tray. And possibly change their food.

We have two, litter mates boy and girl. Recommended pairing by cats protection. We have one bowl for dry food their own bowl for wet but they regularly swap. We have a water fountain which they both use. One litter tray, we tried two but the second one was just ignored.

They cuddle and play fight, sometimes have disagreements but nothing major. They definitely keep each other company both often asleep on our bed together, though not always cuddled up. Boy cat thinks one of the scratching posts is 'his'. Girl cat likes to scratch it if he's sitting/sleeping in her favorite spot of the sofa. Boy cat instantly defends his scratching post, girls cat slinks off to her pre-warmed spot on the sofa. 😂

My 2 boys (brothers) are best friends, play, groom and sleep curled together a lot. They also do things independently of course and are very affectionate to me still, they sleep next to me at night. We have 2 litter trays as they are indoor cats. I use tofu based cat litter and honestly I sometimes don’t even realise they have used a tray as smell is so minimal. But I do spend and extortionate amount on quality cat food so I think that helps, they have wet food only no dry.

I’ve always had two cats. It’s amazing. Unfortunately Penelope says no to a sibling so she’s an only and I really miss having two,

I also only had one big litter tray, the other was never touched.

These cats are just the best. How beautiful they are!

We went for two after our lovely old boy died a couple of years ago and I don't regret it ... but ... they came as littermates and brothers, and used to snuggle together a lot. They fought of course, but kittens play-fight, it's how they learn.

Gradually, over the course of the last year and a half, they've stopped being so cuddly together. If they have to be indoors for any amount of time, they just kill one another. The big one goes after the little one and the little one is a provocative little sod! They're a hell of a lot better when they're able to go outside. So - bonded pairs do exist but don't assume littermate kittens will continue to love one another. As long as you're able to offer them the ability to get some space to themselves and away from the other one if needed, they should be fine.

And everything people say about kittens being great together when they're little is absolutely right. I think it's lovely for them to have a buddy they've always known to snuggle and explore with.