Do you think cats have sibling bonds?

[zohdee]

I ask because my three furbabies are always together. I also adopted a kitty a few months ago from a shelter and her sister is still there.

I see how my kittens all interact and love one another and Charna seems to always be looking for something.

I am really thinking of adopting Charna's sister. He sister has been at the shelter since May.

 

[tara g]

I always thought that they do because Mag & Battery (my first at-home kitties when I was 6) were litter mate brothers. They spent SO much time together, more-so than I've ever seen any of my non-litter mate kitties spend together. They were inseparable.

Katina and Monte were also very close. When Monte died, Katina didnt want anything to do with another cat. But she cuddled and played and rough-housed with Monte all day. She pretty much pushed Nero away from her and didn't want to play or interact with him.

 

[Ms. Freya]

I think it depends on the cats.

Out of our foster litter, Molly never really bonded too closely with her siblings and according to her forever mom, never gave any indication of missing them (they didn't seem to notice she was gone, for their parts). The other two, Harry and Karrin ended up having to go together because they bonded so closely. According to their forever mom, Harry still cries if he loses Karrin in the house...although he's happy to be comforted by her kids until Karrin comes to get him.

 

[gloriajh]

Yes, yes, yes.
A stray adopted us, and brought along his female friend - a feral. They had two kittens before I could get all trapped and altered.

I've observed them for over two years - the stray and his female friend are so close it's indescribable. Before I finally got them inside, I observed her watching for him to come home from where ever ... they would all four nest together - I have pics of daddy grooming his son while he was nursing, etc.

I am SO glad I didn't separate them!! If I would have taken the kittens away, the mommy would have grieved, if something would happen to the daddy, she would grieve.

Before I was able to get them all in the house I only had the daddy inside at night. He was unsettled all night and tried to get out. Once his "wife" was in all night - he was just fine. Now all of them are in, and it's obvious they are a family and want to be together.

Yes, go get the sister. Because you are sensitive to their needs, and to realize they need to be together, I'm sure everything will work out for them, and for you.

Bless you!

 

[strange_wings]

No. You could mix and match up to four or five weeks old and unrelated kittens will grow up never knowing any difference and bonded with each other. Older kittens can bond just as closely, though they're more likely to realize a new cat at first. It has more to do with being raised together than being actually blood related.

Sho, my 8 year old cat, raised Tomas from when he was 10 weeks old. They're bonded very very closely. Tomas then raised these last three kittens, they all completely adore him and are very bonded to him. In this case personalities and just being together made those bonds.
Older cats are less likely to bond that way. I think they develop some sense of personal space and cat dignity that doesn't let them relax like a kitten + cat or kitten + kitten relationship. But again, outgoing cats can bond closely with each other.

Another odd example. Boo my outside male cat is very outgoing. He likes other cats a lot.. even strange ones. He's bonded to MewMew. She'd mostly be happy with him gone.

 

[kailie]

Osiris and Cleo are siblings and they are quite close, but Cleo is closer to Imhotep really.

I think it depends on the cats and their personalities, but I don't necessarily think they would be closer simply because they're siblings. It's just like humans. Not all humans are all that close with THEIR siblings either.

 

[nurseangel]

I agree that it depends on the cats. Speck and Daisy are so close that they remind me of salt & pepper shakers, even though they look nothing alike and aren't related. But I think it is wonderful that you are thinking about adopting the sister. Even if they don't remember each other, the sister will be furrever so happy.

 

[motoko9]

It's interesting to see the varying perspectives on this topic. For what it's worth, two of my cats were litter mates, and they are indeed very close. I do wonder sometimes if my third cat feels left out, but they all play and hang out together, just not quite as much or in quite the same way.

 

[nsdragonfly]

My two red point Siamese, Eddie (10) and Percey (14) are full brothers - 3 1/2 years apart. They are very close and seem to be always together. I don't know if they know they are brothers or not. My old female Lilly(15) (blue point) is close with the boys too, but it takes her awhile to accept a new furbaby into the family. Reuben(5) is a maine coon and everyone loves him. He is the heat source for the family *LOL so the others curl up around him. I introduced Sophie, also a maine coon into the family 5 months ago. The boys all accept her within a week, washing her and cuddling with her. Lilly is still standoffish, but i do catch her cuddling with Soph every now and then, maybe she thinks she has found her own heat for the winter. I think it depends on the individual cat, some are more social than others. I have been very lucky all my cats get along very well. When I figure out how to post pictures on here I will!!

 

[cococat]

I don't see why not.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by cococat

I don't see why not.

I say not because I don't believe cats understand the concept of siblings in the same way that we do. If not spay/neutered they will separate from each other (though young males can often stay together) so as to prevent inbreeding. If instinct would normally drive them apart like that, I don't think the bonds formed are due to being directly related.

As I said in my post, it has to do with cats being raised together and just general personality.

Of course, we understand siblings and blood relation and that doesn't guarantee we get along with siblings, either.

 

[cococat]

My thought was big cats can tell by scent those who are offspring and related and those cats who are not. The main point being they can tell in various ways.
No animals in my house are directly related, but there are still many bonds. Bonds are not always understood and just being a family members doesn't always guarantee a mutual healthy bond (just like in humans). Some bonds are instant, others take time to develop.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by cococat

My thought was big cats can tell by scent those who are offspring and related and those cats who are not. The main point being they can tell in various ways.

But wouldn't that recognition work to prevent inbreeding and be why they all (but lions and some cheetahs) separate? That wouldn't be why they would bond closely and stay together, because that is not normal for big cats or even smaller wild cats.

Their perception is different than ours. To humans family means something that it can't to a cat - a cat doesn't have a concept of property, inheritance, or honor. Your domestic cat, for the most part, is also a solo hunter.

 

[cococat]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Your domestic cat, for the most part, is also a solo hunter.

My domestic cat is in total love with and BFF with a dog

They bonded almost immediately. Kindred spirits I suppose.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

To humans family means something that it can't to a cat - a cat doesn't have a concept of property, inheritance, or honor.

Family at its best is IMO love. Not property, honor, but real pure caring love. That is what keeps bonds tight. Family means many different things to many different people though I understand that.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

But wouldn't that recognition work to prevent inbreeding and be why they all (but lions and some cheetahs) separate? That wouldn't be why they would bond closely and stay together, because that is not normal for big cats or even smaller wild cats.

I am not following?

All I know is that with cats who live in groups they can tell. This saves some cats and others are killed all due to being family or not being family.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by cococat

I am not following?

Most cats live alone. As I said, of large or wild cats only lions and some cheetahs are the exception. Domestic cats are somewhere in the middle, and while ferals can bond and form groups it's different than the social structure found within a lion pride. They're together, but they're still separate. You won't find ferals hunting and bringing back food to feed other adult cats within the group before they themselves eat.

Ferals also tend not to kill each other... Newcomers will be driven out of a territory. Some will be accepted in. You'll have unrelated females.
It's much the same with a lot of other animals and territory. If one can drive another animal off without risking their own life and energy, then that's usually what they try first.

Animals have emotions, but they're not the exact same as the emotions we have. They have their own feelings and perceptions. This is somewhat because they have to filter it through what they can understand and what they experience. Emotions even vary between animals - a dog will feel differently (and respond differently) than a cat, for example.
To assume they think and feel the exact same thing we do leads to people thinking silly things like cats are spiteful, like revenge, defiant, mean, etc.

So again, they can have bonds. And even very close ones. But it's their own type of bonding different from some of the reasons humans bond. Cats are simply their own animal with their own minds.


Oh and zohdee: Charna's sister has been in the shelter since May? She may have changed a bit in that time. Don't assume she'll remember her sibling or that she'll even settle in as well. Shelter life can affect a cat. Do introductions properly so as to make it easier on everyone.

 

[nekochan]

I think so. I have four littermates and they sometimes will groom each other and are comfortable with each other in ways that they are not with my other cats even though the littermates were around my other cats from a young age-- I rescued their litter at 2-3 weeks old and they were introduced to my other cats as soon as the litter was old enough to be tested/vaccinated.
Oh they also seem to think I'm another cat and their real mother, since I raised them and bottle-fed them.
When they were younger like under a year old they used to sleep together in a pile, but as they got older they wanted their own space more. Sometimes they will still cuddle up together. I have 3 males and one female from the litter. The female Harley is the most affectionate towards the others are will often groom them. One of the boys, Mr Grey, has been having allergy-related health problems and not feeling well, and lately he has been both more cuddly towards me and also seeks out and lays down near Harley, in hopes that she will groom him it seems (for comfort I think.)

I think it is probably more to do with them being bonded due to being together from birth, rather than with whether or not they are related.

 

[erinuu]

I think so! I have two kittens that are brother and sister and they're almost always seen together and playing together. Whenever Leo comes upstairs when Lula is downstairs, she calls out for him until he comes to find her. It's cute!

 

[arnie58]

I ask because my three furbabies are always together. I also adopted a kitty a few months ago from a shelter and her sister is still there.

I see how my kittens all interact and love one another and Charna seems to always be looking for something.

I am really thinking of adopting Charna's sister. He sister has been at the shelter since May.

Whether it's a sibling thing or not, cats certainly form bonds, and in my experience they are distressed when those bonds are broken. If you have room and the capability, I would reunite Charna with her sister.

 

[nicolina]

All the cat's that we've had that have been siblings have all been really really close!

But on the other hand, I have had cat's form strong bonds without them being siblings.

I do think that some siblings do form especialle strong bonds

 

[natalie_ca]

To be honest, I don't know.  Spencer and Katie are my first sibling cats, and while they were super snuggly and loving to each other at the vets from which I adopted them, it was by design because they were in the same kennel.  However, when I got them home, they each sought out their own spots to sleep, and they never snuggle with each other.  Katie bonded with Abby and Abby doesn't mind her coming and laying near her, at least for the most part.

If you adopt her sister, I doubt very much that they would remember one another because they have been away from each other for so long.  You would still have to do a period of reintroduction.  However, if you have the physical and financial means for another cat, it would be nice of you to adopt another, if only to give another kitty a loving forever home.