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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

About to take on a new kitten (or maybe 2)

15 replies

Mumski45 · 21/01/2026 22:08

Hi, my DS and I have at have at last managed to pursue DH to agree to getting a kitten. We have done our research and DS and I would like to take on a pair of siblings. I have been to see 2 pairs today. DH is not convinced that 2 will be easier in the early stages than 1. Is he right, I would love to hear from those of you who have experienced the pros and cons of getting a pair. Obviously the big disadvantage is the cost of 2 but we can afford it so it’s more the day to day care of them.

There is very rarely no one in the house but sometimes it would be DH on his own with them so I do want him to be fully on board. I know he will be OK if they don’t require to much input from him initially and think he will warm to them once he gets to having them around.

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Bibbitybobbity70 · 21/01/2026 22:15

Do it! We got our 2 girls almost 2 yrs ago after much persuading of DH. They play together which means less bored if home alone (rare tbh as I work at home, childminder so lots of kid around) Our 3 will feed them etc as will DH, generally falls to me to sort litter tray but no too bad since they go outdoors loads now. Even DH wishes we'd got them yrs ago.
Downside is cost of double pet insurance & food.

Bibbitybobbity70 · 21/01/2026 22:17

Ours are sisters.
Vet nurse did comment once that they may not always get on, she was surprised I had them in same carrier. But they sleep together most of the time, play together even outside & share food even though given their own.

BridasShieldWall · 21/01/2026 22:21

We got two siblings and they are such fun. They play together, zoom around the house and keep each other company, it’s very sweet when they curl up together. Ours have very different personalities and prefer different people in the house, Go for it.

autumn1610 · 21/01/2026 22:45

If you are getting kittens from a rescue most of thrm only rehome in pairs now. If you can have two it is recommended

SkankingWombat · 22/01/2026 07:17

We've rehomed singles twice (one is now 15yo and the other we sadly lost very young to a health issue) and most recently a pair, now 18mo. The pair was/is definitely easier! The singles were much higher maintenance, with us needing to provide all of the entertainment until they were old enough to go outside. The pair still needed (and continue to need) plenty of play with us, but it's at a level that makes it feel like a pleasure not a chore. Our senior cat much preferred the pair as small kittens too, as they weren't constantly seeking her out to play like the singleton did when he was with us.
The pair spend less time together now, as have very different ideas about the best weather conditions to go out and how far to travel, but when both home they cuddle, play and groom each other. They recently went to the vet in the same carrier and I think were pleased they had each other for support.

The downside is definitely the cost, but we're probably feeling that more at the moment as we have 3 and one is much older with all the extra costs and medical needs that comes with old age in us all. That's the only negative for us though, so if it's all comfortably within budget, two is the best choice.

FunkyMonks · 22/01/2026 07:52

We have three cats total a 5 year old we had him when he was 5 months old and only him and I kept thinking should we have had two and most recently we got 2 kittens over Christmas brother and sister and they are fantastic play with each other my older cat loves them he plays with them both and sleeps with them I would highly recommend getting two.
As a previous poster mentioned only downside is cost in food, insurance and litter but totally worth it.

Mumski45 · 22/01/2026 11:53

Thank you all. I have paid a deposit for a sibling pair, 1 boy and 1 girl joining us mid Feb. It’s my DS who wanted kittens but I’m also quite excited. Any tips are welcome particularly those that don’t come up when you do the research. I have so many questions I don’t know where to start but her goes.
Do I really need 3 litter trays for kittens as per recommendation.
Where is best to get insurance, I have a quote from pet plan for 280.
Are the monthly paid health plan worth it or do you pay as you go. My local independent vet does one for £21 per month each to include free microchip, health checks worming and initial vaccines then discounts of other stuff.
I hear that they don’t always use cat beds so would 1 be enough, would they normally sleep together.
what is the advantage of a water fountain over bowls.

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HeadyLamarr · 22/01/2026 12:02

Be careful to check what th one from the vet is - it's often not insurance but a "health scheme." It covers vaccines and worming and stuff with a discount on neutering, but it isn't actually pet insurance. So if your cat was ill or injured you'd still have to pay.

Mumski45 · 22/01/2026 12:10

HeadyLamarr · 22/01/2026 12:02

Be careful to check what th one from the vet is - it's often not insurance but a "health scheme." It covers vaccines and worming and stuff with a discount on neutering, but it isn't actually pet insurance. So if your cat was ill or injured you'd still have to pay.

Hi thanks yes I realise they are different things and that why I am trying to work out if the pet plan is worth it on top of insurance.

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cherrytree12345 · 22/01/2026 12:11

We had a brother and sister and only ever had one litter tray which they both used. We did use clumping litter and would remove the clumps as soon as the tray was used. The vet told us to bring them in at a certain age (can’t remember what age he said now)to be neutered, but way before then the male was constantly trying to mate with the female. We phoned the vet who said he’s a bit young but bring him in. We did this and on examination they said he’s was ready to be neutered, so he was done shortly after. Didn't want any kittens. So watch out for that.
They were both nervous cats from the beginning (had them at around 9 weeks old) so when they went into a cattery when we went away they would be together which helped calm them. We used Petplan and they do offer a discount for more than one cat

Toddlerteaplease · 22/01/2026 14:08

Two cats is the best! My current overlord does not agree though. And I really miss having two.

Icequeen01 · 22/01/2026 14:26

I have had cats for over 40 years and have experience of having single kittens and kitten in pairs. Definitely 2 kittens is so much better. I also only ever get kittens from rescues. Here are my current two the week after we got them. I need say no more ……..

About to take on a new kitten (or maybe 2)
Allergictoironing · 22/01/2026 19:04

Not worked out the maths for kittens who will need everything done, but certainly whether its worth it once they get older is very dependant on whether they will be indoor only or will go out.

Indoor only they should have their jabs in case you ever need to put them in a cattery, but flea & worm treatment is maybe once a year as a just in case thing as opposed to the regular treatments cats who go out will need.

SkankingWombat · 23/01/2026 12:16

We managed fine with 2 litter trays OP, although we scooped as soon as our noses told us it had been used. More important than the quantity was the location IME; we had one on each floor once the kittens got the run of the house after we quickly discovered that (much like small human DCs) the kittens didn't like going downstairs alone in the middle of the night for a wee. Maybe start with 2 and see how you get on? They are cheap and readily available if you need another.

We've never had a pet plan. I suspect whether it's worth it will depend on how lucky you are with their health. For our senior cat, it wouldn't have been worth it. She came chipped, neutered and vaccinated, goes for her annual vaccination, and has only ever had fleas once in over 15 years despite spending many hours outside and only being treated for fleas and worms 3-4 times a year. We wouldn't have even benefitted from the savings on other treatments as up to 2 weeks ago her only other visit in her life was for a skin issue. This last fortnight she's needed a dental and has started monthly arthritis injections. The former wasn't covered by the insurance, but the latter is so I'm not sure even this would have been worth 15yrs of paying for a plan.

We use price comparison sites for insurance. I would be tempted to take out full cover for the first few years as they are most likely to get themselves into a scrape as a youngster and it gives time for any health issues to show. After that (if possible) it may be cheaper in the long run to have accident-only cover and put a sum into a savings account each month instead to cover the inevitable old age care. DCat1's insurance is now £100pm despite never claiming until now, and I expect it will shoot up more now she's used it. The amount we've spent in 15yrs is unlikely to equally anything near what we claim.

I wouldn't bother with cat beds. Buy a nice snuggly blanket for the sofa (layed out in a manner that indicates it's for human use to increase its desirability), and pop another blanket into a cardboard box (cut a door in the side and seal the top back up) for the first couple of weeks when they might be a bit nervous.
Unless money really isn't a concern and you're happy to drop £££ on new stuff that may be rejected, consider buying a second-hand cat tree. Some love them (our younger 2), some (senior cat) will look upon them with the same horror, disgust and judgement my DM would have shown for them 😂 If you've only spent £25 it isn't a massive loss if it's rejected, and equally if it's loved, you can replace it for the fancy new version (at which point your kittens will decide they don't actually like cat trees after all... 😬).

We went with water bowls, however the senior cat will only drink out of the pond, puddles, or water that's pooled in various garden pots/buckets so we didn't even have a bowl out for many years once we realised it was forever untouched. The younger 2 will only drink from the above plus full human glasses and bowls. They don't like shallow water bowls. If the water falls more than an inch below the top of the bowl it will be ignored. Ditto if the water is freshly poured and hasn't sat there getting lovely and stale for a few days.

Mumski45 · 23/01/2026 14:40

Thank you everyone some good advice here.

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