Will one kitten be okay?

I know this was asked earlier but that thread kind of went to a indoor/outdoor debate. We are getting an older kitten. Will it be warped for life if we only get one. My husband is very against getting more than one for a number of reasons. Since we all will be living with the animal, I felt like we should all agree. Anyway, I am home most of the time and I have 2 boys, ages 5 and 8 yo. The older one, especially, will want to play and cuddle the cat quite a bit.

I KNOW 2 kittens are better than one, but if we take care to give one lots of attention and play time, will it be okay? Thanks for any input.

I do not see why it should be a problem if there are that many people there to give it all the attention it would ever need.

One kitty is just fine. To be honest though I thought that I would only have one until I walked into Petsmart one day and Scratch was looking up and me and said "Take me home please". You will be amazed at how one somehow can turn into two.

I am also only getting one. I am a stay at home mom so the kitty will rarely be alone.

I also think when you get two at the same time they tend to bond to eachother instead of the humans in the house. Lastly, I think it reduces your chances of having litterbox avoidence issues if there is only one cat.

We had only one for 19 years when I was growing up and he was happy as could be with us.

We only have 1 cat (well, for another few weeks anyways! )

We've had Harley as our only cat for 1 year now - and he's a very happy, healthy cat. He gets plenty of attention all the time, and he also will when we add the new kitten to our family as well.

Give your cat all the love and the attention he/she needs, and they will live a very wonderful life!

Of course it's okay to have just one. As long as the kitty gets enough attention, then it will be fine. I really wouldn't worry about it, Trout is an only kitty and she is happier than a pig in poo

Yes, I've known many cats that for one reason or another were "only" cats - some cats prefer that and its ok. Look for an older kitten or young adult that prefers to be an only cat. Shelters may have some info along those lines.

I've seen pet adoptions that do say "cat needs to be only cat with not other pets"...so hunt for those type of kittens/cats

I think one kitten would be fine. If you can be sure it would get a lot of attention, you shouldn't have problems in that respect. I prefer having more than one because they can entertain eachother, though. Just make sure to get a good match and a kitty that will enjoy lots of snuggling, and of course is ok with kids.

my kitten is an only child and hardly is suffering. As long as there are humans to give attention, play, food and silliness, the cat will be fine. remember that cats are not meant to live in large groups and generally only maintain kinship ties , and even then it's mostly among the females.

I have had abi since november and she isn't lonely in the least, she still loves to play and saunter around like queen of the nile.

Originally Posted by meow meow

I am also only getting one. I am a stay at home mom so the kitty will rarely be alone.

I also think when you get two at the same time they tend to bond to eachother instead of the humans in the house. Lastly, I think it reduces your chances of having litterbox avoidence issues if there is only one cat.

We had only one for 19 years when I was growing up and he was happy as could be with us.

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I have to disagree with your comment about a single kitten having less litterbox issues and that when you adopt 2 kittens that they bond to each other and not to their humans. What I have found is that 2 kittens play with each other and also will play with their humans. BOTH of my cats are well socialized (friends always comment on that), have never had a litterbox issue (and they share a litterbox) and are better adjusted then the cat that I had as a child who was an only kitten and lived to be 17. My choice will always be to have 2 from this point forward.

The rescue I volunteer with will not adopt out young (under 6 months) kittens as singles. We hand out the article in the link below to perspective adoptors:

http://www.pawschicago.org/PetCare/catsinpairs.htm


Most of the cats we get into our rescue actually came

I think it's fine to have just 1, so long as you can provide human company. Cats aren't particularly social animals and many will prefer to be an only cat, but if a cat is being kept indoors and you're out a lot s/he will likely be lonely and bored without any companionship. In those circumstances I think it's best to get 2. I don't agree that 2 will bond more with each other than with their owner. My Jaffa always preferred me as playmate to his brother! But he clearly enjoyed having another cat around too. It's also worth bearing in mind that one kitten left alone can be very destructive!

My husband is absolutely against having a second kitten. Does this mean I shouldn't adopt any at all??? To me, a lot of the social/behavior problems with single kittens stem more from the fact that the cat was adopted at too young of an age. I agree that 2 kittens are a better idea than one, but my husband is pretty adamant about it. We are planning on an older kitten, but now I am wondering if we should get any at all????

Pudge was an only(and feral) kitten, rescued at somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks of age. Unexpected, and the first pet I've ever had. She got all of the attention she wanted (and still does) and is now a relaxed, well-adjusted cat. She gets along excellently with other cats when I foster them, and has bonded very closely to me.

I would not completely banish the idea of getting an older kitten/adult cat/young kitten simply because it'll be a single cat if you and your family can provide the attention and care that it will need.

that article was very discouraging about it. I do plan to give the kitten LOTS of attention and play time. The whole family is looking forward to a new addition!

Originally Posted by bronte73

that article was very discouraging about it. I do plan to give the kitten LOTS of attention and play time. The whole family is looking forward to a new addition!

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I believe that since there will be a group of people giving the kitten attention, playing with it, and keeping it stimulated, it will be less likely to get bored. I play with Pudge for about an hour each day. (she's a little over 2 years old now)