Two Kittens, or One?

AceCard Jones

Hi all. We are looking to get a kitten in the near future, and had at one point decided on getting two. The question we have is what are the pros and cons of getting two kittens over one? I have heard that getting two will mean they may be a bit stand-offish and may bond more with each other and less with us. I have tried searching online for information on this, but what I mostly find is people answering this question from a cuteness point of view, i.e. that two kittens are cuter and therefore better! Now, while that is true, it doesn’t really answer the question.

Our way of thinking was that getting two will mean they have each other for company when we are out, and will have each other to wear out during the bundle of energy kitten phase! We would also like the option of adopting more cats, or getting a dog further down the line, and would think that having two cats together would mean they may be more open to the idea of new company, is this true? We have seen it ourselves from family were there was originally one cat, that was settled in its ways, and another cat was introduced, and in the cases we’ve seen the original cats aren’t too pleased at all, even to the point of fighting. Has any one here experience of introducing a new arrival to cat set in its ways, and if so how did it turn out? With our last cat, we took care of my mothers cat for a few days, and our cat was none too pleased, and was quite anti-social until it was just her again. I am curious to see if in the cases I’ve seen it was just down to individual cats personalities, or whether it is always hard to introduce another cat.

Another point that was raised to us was that one cat may overshadow the other in terms of personality, leading to the other being less affectionate towards us/shyer in general. Again, is this true, or just a coincidence?

Both cats would be indoors only, and so would be around us a majority of the time, and I would hate to think one (or both) may be less affectionate towards us because they have each other, or because one feels shyer because of the other. Both cats would be spoilt rotten, and we would never be more affectionate to one over the other, so would that be enough to ensure they both have full personalities, and neither would feel put out, or stand-offish or the likes?

I have read that with dogs, you are not supposed to get two pups from the same litter (get one, then wait a few months to get another), as they would bond more with each other than with their owner, and basically was wondering if there are similar things to watch out for with two kittens over one?

So to sum up, what are the pros and cons of getting two kittens over one (aside from the costs involved which we have no problem with)?

All opinions welcome!

missyfirefly

Get 2. Don't worry about the bonding thing. If they're gonna be indoor they will bond with you loads. They'll also be lonely if they're indoors all the time so they'd appreciate the company.

sweetnjuicy

i agree two is best.
and dont listen to the whole 2 males or 2 females wont get on etc etc.
It all depends on the kitty and howw you train them as such.
I got a lil girl in june last year and she cried and scratched down the door whenever we left and it upset me. So in july we got another lil girl the same age and their the best of friends, altho they killed each other for the first two nights . but thats all normal.
For indoor 2 is best in my opinion

The Sweeper

Definitely get two. They don't have to be from the same litter - best go to a shelter and pick up two that have been kept in the same pen so they already know each other. Once they're neutered, it doesn't matter if it's two males, two females or a mix.

morganafay

Definitely two is best! They'll be company for each other, they'll still be as friendly to you (they might even be more relaxed together and less nervous when you first get them), they'll be playing together which is lovely to watch, and they'll probably each have a different personality, which is nice to have maybe one very outgoing one, and one cuddly quiet one, or something. They'd probably be both as affectionate, but in different ways (a more outgoing one might rub up to you lots, and a quiet one might like sitting on your lap.) Or they might both have similar personalities. Also then you have the option of getting a male and a female, which is nice, because males and females tend to have different personalities too. That's what I've found anyway. Girls are more playful and affectionate and outgoing, and boys are "mommy's boys" who just want cuddles.

And when they're that young it's natural for the to be with other kittens. I wish my kitten had another kitten friend, because she is hyper and always attacking me to try to play with me! She plays with my 2 year old cat, but it's not the same as another kitten So yeah, it might make the kitten less hyper if there are two! (Mine is such a trouble-maker, knocking things over, biting me, meowing for attention all the time . . . but she's lovely.)

Whispered

Definately 2. They will still bond with you. And there is nothing cuter than 2 kittens playing.

In that vein. Keep an eye on the homes needed thread. I'm heading to Kilkenny tomorrow to get a few photos of a litter that are 4 weeks old. Ready to go in another few weeks. I'll be sticking pics up.

Mink

Go for it. Your plan sounds like it should work no problems.

I have a settled 6 yr old cat & then got a kitten (not by choice, she showed up on our doorstep) & our older cat was just disgusted for weeks. 6 months on & they still scrap! They are both spayed females. The vet said that if they weren't bonding & chilled out within a month together, it's never going to happen.

Now there is an air of toleration around the house! However, if we are in the sitting room say, we'll take one in at a time & give it loads of affection & then swap. Most of the time they will both hang out with us without a problem. It's really the kitten that torments my older cat, I'm trying to catch her doing this & get her to knock it off.

One thing I will say, if you've not had kittens before, read up on their behaviour & look at finding ways to keep them entertained & tire them out. Also about teaching them the general rules of the house at a young age!

At night, you may also want to look at locking them in another room with toys, food, water, litter tray, blankets. As otherwise you won't get much sleep, they are live wires (but lots of fun at the same time)

MsFifers

It isn't true that 2 kittens adopted together will bond more with each other than with their owner. I've 2 (grown cats now) siblings adopted together and they are both very affectionate to me in their own different ways. One wants to sit on my knee when I'm watching TV, and the other has to sleep on the end of my bed and has to get a cuddle once the alarm goes off in the morning! One is shyer than the other, but its just his personality - I reckon he'd be the same whether or not he was adopted with his sister.

Introducing a new adult cat will almost always be a challenge, as cats are territorial so see a new cat as a threat. Two kittens growing up together is an easier option - although they may have the odd squabble.

To be honest - you can't legislate for what how your cats are going to behave. They have their own individual little personalities, and you'll probably end up doting over them whether or not they are shy, or bossy, or sweet or cheeky.

AceCard Jones

Thanks for all the input everyone:)

Mink wrote:

One thing I will say, if you've not had kittens before, read up on their behaviour & look at finding ways to keep them entertained & tire them out. Also about teaching them the general rules of the house at a young age!

Don't worry, we've had cats our whole lives so we are very used to keeping cats and kittens amused! Just had heard conflicting reports on whether getting two would be a bad idea.

helena.ryan wrote:

In that vein. Keep an eye on the homes needed thread. I'm heading to Kilkenny tomorrow to get a few photos of a litter that are 4 weeks old. Ready to go in another few weeks. I'll be sticking pics up.:)

We recently lost our cat Belle (quite suddenly too, was absolutely devastating), she was a gorgeous grey and black Tabby, and in honour of her, we want one kitten to be a female grey and black tabby. With the second kitten we are open to what's available, so we will keep an eye on that thread, thanks.

Thanks again for the replies. As I said, we have had plenty of cats in the past, just really wanted to make sure that adopting 2 would be the best for them both.

Whispered

I'm sorry to hear about Belle.

Lillylilly

This thread is a great help to me as well! We have a little four month old fella, Bear, but we've recently decided to add to the family as we know someone looking to rehome some kittens. We're taking another male, and hope that Bear is going to readjust well. We spend a lot of time with Bear as it is, but hope that him and the newbie will keep each other company when we're at work. We also hope to have him neutered in the next two months or so, so that may help with any territorial stuff!

MaighEoAbu

Actually, I think you said you wanted to get a dog further down the line? Well then I would definitely advise getting one kitten and one puppy now, who are both quite young as they will bond easier then if you get a kitten now and then a dog in a couple of months time.

AceCard Jones

We're not really in a position to own a dog right now, and probably won't be for a while yet. If we get a dog further down the line, the dog will be taught to respect the cats, and the cats will have to tolerate the dog. We wouldn't expect them to be buddy buddy if they're years apart. All that is a long way down the road yet, we are only starting to think about pets again after losing Belle.

Thanks everyone for all your input and information, we're fairly certain we'll get two. If anyone has any other info etc just post it here and we'll check back, thanks again.

morganafay

Mink wrote: »

Go for it. Your plan sounds like it should work no problems.

I have a settled 6 yr old cat & then got a kitten (not by choice, she showed up on our doorstep) & our older cat was just disgusted for weeks. 6 months on & they still scrap! They are both spayed females. The vet said that if they weren't bonding & chilled out within a month together, it's never going to happen.

Now there is an air of toleration around the house! However, if we are in the sitting room say, we'll take one in at a time & give it loads of affection & then swap. Most of the time they will both hang out with us without a problem. It's really the kitten that torments my older cat, I'm trying to catch her doing this & get her to knock it off.

One thing I will say, if you've not had kittens before, read up on their behaviour & look at finding ways to keep them entertained & tire them out. Also about teaching them the general rules of the house at a young age!

At night, you may also want to look at locking them in another room with toys, food, water, litter tray, blankets. As otherwise you won't get much sleep, they are live wires (but lots of fun at the same time)

That's similar with my older female cats, when I got my new female kitten. They'll tolerate each other, but somtimes they scratch/growl at her. It's her own fault though because she tries to play with them . . . she'll hopefully grow out of it Some adult cats just find kittens annoying!

morganafay

AceCard Jones wrote: »

We're not really in a position to own a dog right now, and probably won't be for a while yet. If we get a dog further down the line, the dog will be taught to respect the cats, and the cats will have to tolerate the dog. We wouldn't expect them to be buddy buddy if they're years apart. All that is a long way down the road yet, we are only starting to think about pets again after losing Belle.

Thanks everyone for all your input and information, we're fairly certain we'll get two. If anyone has any other info etc just post it here and we'll check back, thanks again.

When I first got a puppy, my adult cats were annoyed by her at first, but soon got to like her. I think if you bring in an adult dog, they'd probably freak out, but they'd be better with a puppy.

Nemo123

Id say get two ... i have an adult cat and recently got a kitten and i was afraid he would hate her but they actually get on best of getting two possibly a brother and sister kitten they'll prob bond together and have company and play together

The Sweeper

Re brother and sister kittens - doesn't always work out. Some sibling kittens will bond. Some will fight like... well, like a brother and sister. If you can choose from a kitten 'pen' at a shelter, you can pick two who are unrelated yet have already bonded of their own accord.

Heroditas

Get two! You won't regret it.

We adopted two from another poster and they are almost identical - brother and sister. We also keep them indoors all the time and they are incredibly affectionate towards us. They even wait by the front door when we come home every evening.

There's so much written in this thread that I recognize.
The boy is much bigger than his sister yet he is a complete "mummy's boy" and wants to be cuddled all the time, particularly in the morning when he decides it's time for us to get up.
On the other hand, his sister loves sitting on my knees when I watch TV and cuddles up beside her "mummy" on the bed at nights.

Yes, they do knock lumps out of each other but it can be highly amusing to watch, particularly when they adopt the ninja poses.

If you're going to keep them indoors, definitely get two. they'll be great company for both you and each other. They certainly won't be in any way distant towards you.
They'll certainly enrich your lives!

Here's a photo of the two of them sleeping in the basket they never actually use :rolleyes:

Oh and invest in a decent brush for your clothes! The feckers will shed fur everywhere.

And last but not least, get a scratching post or two straight away.
We didn't and they destroyed the leather couch :rolleyes:


EDIT: I might also add that our two probably haven't been separated for more than a few minutes since the day they were born (apart from when they got the snip!). As a result, they tend to get upset whenever one can't find the other in the house if the other hides. It's very cute.... and occasionally loud!

AceCard Jones

Lol, they're lovely, seeing all these cats happy as can be just reminds me of Belle. Which is both good and bad as the memories are great but missing her sucks.

We still have Belle's scratching post, so no problems there, we were planning on getting one of those cat play structure things, but we can see about that.
We've both had cats around from growing up all the way through until adulthood. Cat hair is just a given to us at this stage.

I've attached two pictures of Belle I had handy, she's well worth the look.

Who_owns_this?

AceCard Jones wrote: »

Both cats would be indoors only

Hey - lucky you getting kittens!! It's so lovely to welcome new fluffy additions into the family!!

You probably already know this, but be careful of what kind of cats you're getting if you want to keep them indoors only. It doesn't suit a lot of breeds, and some unscrupulous sellers can try to pass kittens off as those suitable for indoor life when they're not at all (speaking from experience!)

Other than that, I'd definitely say to get two as well. Cats have attitudes in a way that dogs never have, so you can't say for sure that your two new kittens will be bosom buddies. However, getting them at the same time and allowing them adjust to your home together will give them a pretty good chance, and the odds are they will be good company for each other.

Best of luck with them and be sure to post up pics!!!!

P.S. Just saw those pictures of Bella. She's very gorgeous and looks like she had great care and a happy home. I think you is good people!

AceCard Jones

helena.ryan wrote: »

In that vein. Keep an eye on the homes needed thread. I'm heading to Kilkenny tomorrow to get a few photos of a litter that are 4 weeks old. Ready to go in another few weeks. I'll be sticking pics up.

Have you been to see the kittens yet? We're looking at different animal rescue groups but none have any kittens just yet. If you have pics I'd be very interested to see them.

Thanks.

mymo

I think you get the idea from all the replies that two is the way to go:D
We got two kittens 9 years ago, from the same litter and they got on great, they met a neighbours old dog who new cats well and liked them, but otherwise didn't see many dogs. One passed away about 18 months ago, and we got a pup around that time, the remaining cat accepted it, but stayed out of the way mostly(although there was the odd game on the stairs chasing each other, until the dog got too big), a few months later we adopted an adult cat, which he took much longer to get used to, then last summer another pup(I think thats enough for now) and he gets on great with her.
So if you know someone with a quiet, cat friendly dog, introduce them so the cats know what to expect, and get as many people as you can to meet the cats in the first few months(once they're settled) as we found ours didn't meet many friendly people so as a result is terrified of strangers.
Best of luck, should be loads of kittens around in a few weeks.

The Sweeper

Who_owns_this? wrote: »

You probably already know this, but be careful of what kind of cats you're getting if you want to keep them indoors only. It doesn't suit a lot of breeds, and some unscrupulous sellers can try to pass kittens off as those suitable for indoor life when they're not at all (speaking from experience!)

It's not really a breed matter. It's more to do with the persistence of the owner, and the personality and past history of the cat.

A persian can jump straight up a six foot fence, a ragdoll will swim in your pond if it feels like it, and a tabby can be content for its entire life on the couch. It depends on the cat and on the owner. Most cats who are raised as indoor cats from kittenhood never know anything else and are quite happy. Some adult cats will take the transition to indoor living quite well, others will take a long time to adjust.

Intelligent cats - oriental breeds and the new 'designer' breeds like bengals in particular - can be very destructive in the home if they don't have toys, a scratching post and daily attention. However it's not difficult to provide those things and have a happy cat. In most cases, being both persistent and consistent at all times is more than half the battle with changing your cat's behaviour.

I have come to the conclusion that some degree of restricted outdoor access is best for most cats. Unrestricted outdoor access means the cat is exposed to disease, and serious injury or violent death on the roads, or from an encounter with another animal or a human that dislikes cats. They can also get accidentally shut into houses, sheds, garages and even vehicles and be lost for days or even weeks. Subsequently just letting them roam is a bad idea.

Indoor-only access is doable with persistence for virtually all cats, however some cats can suffer health problems if they are never given access to the great outdoors. Believe it or not, these problems aren't physical, but more emotional and behavioural - stress, depression and interstitial cystitis can affect cats who strongly want to access the territory they can see through the house windows, but who are never allowed into that territory - especially if they see other roaming cats in that territory. This can result in behavioural problems including spraying inside the home, and displays of aggression or violence towards other cats, other pets and even human owners. Interstitial cystitis can be a persistent problem and cost a lot in vet bills.

Restricted outdoor access means the cat can get into your yard, or into a specially built cat enclosure; however they cannot get out of the enclosure or yard, and roaming cats cannot get into the enclosure or yard. This allows the cats fresh air, time to pootle and sniff about in the grass and so on, but prevents them becoming injured by cars, dogs, unscrupulous humans and other cats. It also reduces their impact on killing the wildlife, prevents them from pissing your neighbours off and ensures you're never left wondering what happened to them for days on end when they don't come home.

AceCard Jones

Well I know a fair few people wanted to see our new arrivals once we managed getting them. We got them yesterday and we're thrilled with them, they've nearly replaced watching TV.

Made a quick video of them up to their antics, Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJAE7TvPKU

april99

What beautiful kittens! I love their colouring, is this similar to poor Bella? I can understand why they have overtaken watching TV! Many congrats & best of luck. Would love to get more cats but just don't have the space unfortunately. Mind you ,when i win the lotto.............;)

AceCard Jones

I think one of my previous posts on this page has pictures of Belle in it, Belle had very little white on her and the markings were very different, but we just love tabbies. Thanks a lot for your best wishes, and thanks everyone for your help and kind words. We fully intend to enjoy our new arrivals. (Buggers had us awake at 5am this morning.....:P)

Heroditas

AceCard Jones wrote: »

(Buggers had us awake at 5am this morning.....:P)

Blackout blinds are your friend!

AceCard Jones

Heroditas wrote: »

Blackout blinds are your friend!

Yeah a few people recommended them to me alright, until we get the chance to get them our spare room is our best friend. We thought they would be scared as new arrivals so were going to keep them in our room for a few nights, but seemingly with them two of them being together they're filled with confidence. They seem to like their own room so it's all good.

KillerKity

Two kittens are better than one! In my experience, it'll be much the same to look after two rather than one but you'll get twice the love and cuteness Plus they'll be best friends (and gang up on a dog if you have one!)

KillerKity

AceCard Jones wrote: »

Well I know a fair few people wanted to see our new arrivals once we managed getting them. We got them yesterday and we're thrilled with them, they've nearly replaced watching TV.

Made a quick video of them up to their antics, Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJAE7TvPKU

Soooooooooo cute! Makes me broody for more

chilloutman

snip