One Cat or Two?

my brothers cat has had kittens, and as i have been thinking about giving a cat a home for a while now, it seems the perfect opportunity.

my question is; which would be better for the cats - to get a single feline, or to give two siblings a home together? or do the cats themselves not really care that much about company of their own?

opinions please!

also, what age is it they are ready to leave the mother? is it eight weeks?

Hi, and welcome to TCS!

I've had one or two cats at a time and I personally prefer two. It gives them a playmate so they aren't constantly bugging me to be their playmate. Yet both are still very cuddly and want my attention plenty, so it is not as though I'm missing out on that part of having a cat. With two, also, they are less apt to be bored or lonely when I'm gone. I've only had adult cats, but I would think that would apply even more so to little kittens. Someone else will, no doubt, comment on that, though.

IMO: 2 cats are better than one, particularly if you can get littermates! If you are gone for any period of time at all (like at work), they have companionship while you are gone. As they go thru their various phases of kittenhood, they can take their energy out with each other rather than on you or your household belongings.

Cats are not always considered to be social animals and need their own territory. But when I see cats hanging out in feral colonies, whether they are matriarchal female colonies or the bachelor groups, I think it is natural for them to bond with their kind, as long as it is not overdone.

Here's a great thread that discusses adopting kittens in pairs:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...adopting+pairs

Originally Posted by malaikah

my brothers cat has had kittens, and as i have been thinking about giving a cat a home for a while now, it seems the perfect opportunity.

my question is; which would be better for the cats - to get a single feline, or to give two siblings a home together? or do the cats themselves not really care that much about company of their own?

opinions please!

also, what age is it they are ready to leave the mother? is it eight weeks?

Click to expand...

YES! I would strongly encourage u to get TWO siblings together.. As u can see, I have 4 cats. Two are from the same litter and are VERY VERY close to each other-often will groom each other and play-wrestle..

Good luck! Keep us posted about this decision! If u do decide to adopt cats, pls post pics! We LOVE pics of cats!!

Amy..you beat me to it...

malaikah..welcome..that is a very good and valid question. I got 2 kittens from a friend when they were 8 weeks of age (I believe now the recommendation is to wait if possible until they are 12 weeks of age)..they are brother and sister and are now almost 6 years old. I couldn't imagine life with just 1 cat right now...they are best friends and keep each other company while I'm away. I do recommend 2 kittens.

Katie

thanks a lot guys! i'll let you know when we go to see them and maybe even take some snaps of the teeny things. they are only about three weeks old now, they are starting to play with one another but their hind legs are still weak as if they've been drinking

Definetly go with two. Red has been much happier and more active since we added Sophie to our family! Not to mention the fun that we have had watching them play!!

ice you're getting them from your brother, pleast make sure they are 12 weeks old at least before taking them. this is the time when they are in the "learning" stages of their life, and also about how long it takes to get them completely and healthily weaned.That's 4 months!

to TCS.
I notice you are from the UK, like myself, and most people believe here that pedigree kittens should stay with their mother until 12 weeks old and housecats should be 8 weeks old. I think 8 weeks is too young. The mother cat has not taught them all they need to know by then and emotionally they are not ready at 8 weeks. I would recommend them to be 12 weeks old at least. I have four cats. Two are brother and sister from the same litter, and two are sisters from the same litter (meaning two separate litters in all). They all get on fine with each other but there is a definite bonding with the litter twins in both cases. This must be very exciting for you. Can't wait to see the pictures.

You just wait...you know the saying about Potato Chips that you can't have just one? Same with cats. I started out with 2 and now I have 5 indoor 4 outdoor (ferals).

i started off with one....

and then there were two....

and now there are three....

And I still don't think I am done!!! Once I move into a house (instead of a large apartment) I want another one!!

But to answer your question, the whole reason i got my second cat was so my first one would have a buddy. He was acting mopey and sad, and we both work fulltime of course, so we wanted him to have company and interaction while we were gone. Sure enough, with the addition of the second cat, his attitude perked right up. Havent seen a mopey day since!

TWO are better than ONE! Even though you'll have to buy double the food, double the litter, double the medication, double the vet bills - it will be double-ly worth it. I never tire of watching my two cats play together. My son calls their morning routine the WWCWF - World-Wide Cat Wrestling Federation.

One question - are they both male or female or will it be one of each?