Do similar-looking cats bond better?

Will Moses and the new kitten bond better if the kitten looks like him? Or does it not matter? I read here that someone had a cat that really bonded to another cat that looked just like them.

I think personality and energy levels are the most important thing, I don't think they pay much attention to looks. My 2 Ori boys bonded really quickly and look similar, but both being the same breed from the same lines and from the same breeder, they are very similar in personality and being around the same age they have the same need for play and similar energy levels - I think that is the key to their friendship

Originally Posted by Ashley45

Will Moses and the new kitten bond better if the kitten looks like him? Or does it not matter? I read here that someone had a cat that really bonded to another cat that looked just like them.

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This sounds like an urban legend to me. In my case:

1. One is male, the other is female.
2. One is pedigreed, the other is a moggie.
3. One is longhaired, the other is a shorthair.
4. One is afraid of everything, the other is very bold.
5. One eats nothing but dry food, the other begs for food from the table.
6. One stays on the floor, the other is on the counters and everything.
7. One is seal and white in color, the other is calico.

I could go on and on if I sat here long enough but you could not find two cats more different yet you could also not find two cats that loved each other more. The lie together on the window sill together and take turns using each other's head as a pillow.

The lie together on the window sill together and take turns using each other's head as a pillow.

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That is so sweet!

Its good to know that they'll bond with different looking cats.

I want to look for a similar personality, but I'm concerned that in a shelter situation, any new kitten will seem a little frightened and his/her new colors won't really shine through.

Persi&Alley, if I remember right, when I was first researching about cats before getting Moses over a year ago, didn't your cats not like each other at first? How long did it take them to get along?

Originally Posted by Ashley45

That is so sweet!

Its good to know that they'll bond with different looking cats.

I want to look for a similar personality, but I'm concerned that in a shelter situation, any new kitten will seem a little frightened and his/her new colors won't really shine through.

Persi&Alley, if I remember right, when I was first researching about cats before getting Moses over a year ago, didn't your cats not like each other at first? How long did it take them to get along?

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You have a very good memory! Yes, that is very true and also remember that Alley was shipped to me from a shelter in L.A., so lots of trauma in Alley's life. And yes, I got on this site very afraid that they would never get along together but the nice people here soothed my feelings and I waited it out and finally Alley came out from under the bed, and look at them now!!

^Looks like Persi is being a bit of a brat in that picture (showing he's dominate).

I don't believe cats have any sort of body image recognition - even for themselves. They're not going to look at an extremely fat cat and think something bad because the cat is fat. Mine are closely bonded, but that's because the older one Sho loves kittens - and I found Tomas as a kitten. That they look alike is funny and part of the reason I couldn't rehome Tomas.

Thanks for all the feedback. It sounds like I just need to worry about personality, not so much color. I'm sure that in the end, I'll get picked by the kitten, not the other way around....

Agreed! Personality rather than sex or colour is something you should be the most concerned with
My cat is most bonded with my large breed black dog. They are best friends, it is quite funny. They groom each other, sleep together, and love each other so much. They look NOTHING alike
I can't wait to see pics & hear stories of your new kitty with Moses

Originally Posted by Ashley45

I'm sure that in the end, I'll get picked by the kitten, not the other way around....

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I wouldn't say that. Often it's the cat or kitten that picks you.

Often it's the cat or kitten that picks you

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That's what I meant.

Originally Posted by Ashley45

That's what I meant.

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I misread that as "I'll get to".

The only time that occurs is usually purebreds. My rexes would hang out more together with each other then other "breeds". Or if the cat was similar in build - like an oriental type.

I've noticed in shows with owners with more then one breed, that they will separate and hang out with the same breed even tho they live with other breeds.

I'll have to let you know next year when we get Charlie's baby brother who will be an Ocicat like him

When my Oci's lived with my sisters 7 moggies they chose to stick together and pretty much only played with each other. They'd snuggle on the bed with the moggies but playing and eating was Ocicats only.

When Demetri was the only Oci he played with the moggies but they would get tired way before he was done racing around, he seemed much happier when I got the other 2. We've moved out now, so it's just the 3 of them.

Anyway, I think it's more about personality and energy levels than looks.

I got my last cat from a rescue foster group rather than a shelter. The good thing about that was the foster humans are able to tell you so much about the personality, the likes and dislikes etc. I know from past experience cats I got at the ASPCA shelter here acted nothing like they did at first. For example my male I aopted in 2000 was so calm when I picked him up and held him. A few days later in the house and he was one crazy cat. LOL not that we minded. Just an idea if you are seeking a certain personality.

Like GK said, it's mostly a breed cat thing.

My bengals will discriminate based on pattern. The spotted stick together and the marbles stick together, when in groups.

If there is only one of each, they hang out together.


But, for instance, if there are 3 spotted and one marble, the spotted will shun the marble to some degree and vice versa.

At the moment I have 4 marble kittens, 1 adolescent marble and an adult marble in our den along with a spotted kitten. The marbles behavior is very cliquish and they get annoyed when the spotted boy butts into their games and space.

I've observed this behavior in kittens as young as 3 weeks.

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

At the moment I have 4 marble kittens, 1 adolescent marble and an adult marble in our den along with a spotted kitten. The marbles behavior is very cliquish and they get annoyed when the spotted boy butts into their games and space.

I've observed this behavior in kittens as young as 3 weeks.

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I would never have thought that! I've always thought cats had little sense of visual identification of one another. I thought they relied almost entirely on smell to identify one another.

I learn so much neat stuff in these forums!

That is so weird Nial and interesting. With my rexes they did not separate according to color/pattern - it was by breed. My first rex had no other rex but was very best buddies with my RB male.

Once I had more rexes in the house, they hung out together. Will be interesting once we get Jack next year to see if the same thing happens - the 2 Oci's will hang out more together. Hopefully they will not gang up on Ling and Ling can go back to being best buddies with Keno (our lab).

I've only seen that in dogs really. I know a lot of dogs who prefer the company of other dogs of their breed and/or other dogs that look like dogs they have previously lived with.
My Golden Retriever prefers other Goldens. If we walk into a group of dogs off-leash and she doesn't know any of them, she will always seek out the other Golden(s) first! My terrier mix, who looks like a Rat Terrier, doesn't seek out other dogs that look like him but for some reason he just loves small fluffy white dogs. I got him at 4.5 years old so I don't know his history. Of course, my two dogs are completely different in looks, personalities, and energy levels-- some people have called them "Mutt and Jeff"-- and they have bonded very strongly.
It makes some sense that cats/dogs might be more drawn to other animals that look like their mom or littermates (or other breeds they've lived with) because it is something familiar to them, but even if they do I don't think it would really make that much difference in long-term bonding. Also, if they were drawn to other cats who looked like mom/littermates that does not necessarily mean the other cats will look anything like them, they could be completely different in appearance. I know a pair of littermates where one is longhaired and black, and the other is a shorthaired blue tabby.
I agree with whoever said that energy level and personality is much more important. The only problems I have had with the two kittens in our household is clashes with their play style/personalities.

my rb lurcher was always drawn to any hound types that he met out too. i used to think that he seemed to recognise similar breeds.

as far as the cats go, i have had dsh's all my life and some have got on much better than others, disrespective of colour. milo and shinobi are ginger and black, respectively, and they get on just great.

having said that, check out my rb cat janet and his mini-me milo.

Ha ha...what a sweet picture!

Well, I think Moses didn't even know what species the new kitten was at first (but I don't think Moses know's what species he is either, now he thinks he's a toy....but the kitten doesn't seem to mind.