Bringing a new cat into a home........

Hi there.
I am very seriously giving thought to getting myself a new kitty.
I have a male and female (brother & sister) who are 2 years old, both neutered, both gorgeous, placid temperaments and are very affectionate.

I am not sure whether to get a kitten so that the dominance issue isnt a problem or to get an adult cat.

My heart says an adult one as our local shelter is crying out for new owners but I want to make the right choice as we will all have to live together and I know to start off with they wont like any thing I bring into the house.

Can any of you share your stories/experiences about bringing a new cat home so I can make an informed choice??

Thank you all so much xxx

I just brought in an 8 y/o less than a week ago; I've also brought in 6 week old kittens. No matter what, it takes some time for everyone to get used to each other. In my experience it seems as if the older kids got used to a kitten more quickly---maybe they didn't appear to be a threat, maybe just because they seemed to need a little 'mothering'.
My new 8 y/o girl is still very stand-offish with my other 5, and they aren't going out of their way to be friendly, either. In the end it will all settle down and they'll be one big happy feline family

Good luck with whichever choice you make (but you know, the older kitty needs you more than a kitten does).

I have been really lucky with both cats that I introduced into my household. Two years ago I lost Flip the litter mate to my now 16 year old Sassy. I was concerned about Sassy not having another cat around because he had never been separated from Flip his whole life. That is when I got Linus, Linus was about 1 year old when I got him. I brought him home and introduce him to Sassy, for the first two days things were a little tense, Sassy would hiss at Linus but never attempted to hurt him. Linus was pretty persistent and would keep going up to Sassy wanting to play and after about 2 days they were fine with each other.
Pixie came 7 months later and her transition into the household was instantaneous. I have never seen a cat make themselves at home so quickly. I let her out of her carrier and within an hour she had explored the house, had a snack, used the litter boxes and went to sleep in Sassy's basket. Both Sassy and Linus were nervous of her for the first day or two but she totally ignored them and did her thing. Pixie was about 2 years old at the time.
I think the best thing you can do is ask the shelter staff their opinions on the cat your thinking of adopting, does it get along well with the other animals at the shelter. Has it had a chance to interact with other cats. They can probably steer you towards a kitty that is best for your situation.