It's 2 months that I want to adopt a kitten. So I found several kittens available for adoption but now they are all adopted. Now a woman offers me to take 2 stray kittens whose mother died few days ago. She feeds them but they are living outside, like they and their mother has never had owners. The kittens are brother and sister. She says that she will take the kittens to the vet and will help me to find a low cost neutering clinic. But I am really worried about this. First of all I have never had 2 cats, and the kitiies are siblings, but will they like each other when they grow up? Is it possible that they will not become good house cats? And also my neighbor's cat had kittens 3 months ago, and they yet have one black and white female kitten. And finally I can buy a siamese kitten from a breeder. It's like I will feel guilty for not adopting stray kittens but I am really afraid. We will care for any of these cats for many years so I don't want to make a mistake. You have much more experience, so please tell me what to do. Should I adopt the stray kittens?
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I need an urgent help. Should I adopt 2 stray cats?
- Thread starter ebilei121
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Having not 2, but 3 stray cats, I see no reason why you shouldn't. Actually, I strongly advocate for rescuing, not buying.
It is so so much easier to adopt two cats that already know eachother. You don't have to go through all the introduction phases, and, as I see with my two, the siblings bond is a strong one. After having one cat for some time and then deciding on bringing home another two that lived on the street, I would never go back to having just one cat. I really think it is better for them to have a same-species companion.
Regarding the kittens' personalities (how friendly, how shy, etc) you have no guaranties no matter if they are strays or purebreeds. I have two siblings, one is the friendliest most relaxed guy ever, and his sister is a semi feral "I like to live under the bed, thank you" kind of cat. Amelie (the semiferal) hissed at us for the first three months we had them. She was already 4 months old when we took her in, so not so easy to socialize. Now, 2 years later, she sleeps at night under the covers with me, my bf and our third cat, Sophie. She has the loudest purr and when she demands attention, you have to stop everything that you're doing and pet her, or else she will literally be in your face screaming for pets. However, the moment someone comes visiting she will hide under the bed and stay there until she considers it safe to come out.
I think you should follow your heart. Go see these kittens, look in their eyes. You'll know if they are yours or not. Or maybe they will know. Harley (my male cat) knew we were his humans long before we decided to adopt him (that's a story for another time).
It is so so much easier to adopt two cats that already know eachother. You don't have to go through all the introduction phases, and, as I see with my two, the siblings bond is a strong one. After having one cat for some time and then deciding on bringing home another two that lived on the street, I would never go back to having just one cat. I really think it is better for them to have a same-species companion.
Regarding the kittens' personalities (how friendly, how shy, etc) you have no guaranties no matter if they are strays or purebreeds. I have two siblings, one is the friendliest most relaxed guy ever, and his sister is a semi feral "I like to live under the bed, thank you" kind of cat. Amelie (the semiferal) hissed at us for the first three months we had them. She was already 4 months old when we took her in, so not so easy to socialize. Now, 2 years later, she sleeps at night under the covers with me, my bf and our third cat, Sophie. She has the loudest purr and when she demands attention, you have to stop everything that you're doing and pet her, or else she will literally be in your face screaming for pets. However, the moment someone comes visiting she will hide under the bed and stay there until she considers it safe to come out.
I think you should follow your heart. Go see these kittens, look in their eyes. You'll know if they are yours or not. Or maybe they will know. Harley (my male cat) knew we were his humans long before we decided to adopt him (that's a story for another time).
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I totally agree with @IrinaSaK, and would add that the companionship of having 2 cats together, makes it easier when it comes to playtime, or when you are away from the house, working, school etc.
I would also advocate rescuing, and adoption, versus buying, but only because the money you may spend on a purebreed cat, could go toward the cost of future veterinary care, food, litter, toys etc.
However, that is a very personal choice, and you should not feel guilty, in whatever cat you choose. ( I personally, have never had a purebreed, and think that cat personalities are not set in stone, so as IrinaSak said....there are "no guaranties".)
I also have never had feral cats, but 2 of my previous cats were strays, and they were the best cats ever. There is an excellent forum on TCS, here, which deals with many issues that may arise from socializing ...http://www.thecatsite.com/f/9/caring-for-strays-and-ferals (It is under the Forums tab....called "Ferals and Rescue".) I am not sure if pure ferals can ever be house cats, but I have read stories that semi-ferals can. I would suggest to read up on the threads there, or ask questions about that in the Feral forum.
(Don't think about the choices you make in life as '"mistakes", but rather just see them as "learning experiences". Our "mistakes/learning experiences", makes life way more interesting, anyhow.)
And yes, if you do have the chance to go and spend time with the kittens, they will probably choose you.
I would also advocate rescuing, and adoption, versus buying, but only because the money you may spend on a purebreed cat, could go toward the cost of future veterinary care, food, litter, toys etc.
However, that is a very personal choice, and you should not feel guilty, in whatever cat you choose. ( I personally, have never had a purebreed, and think that cat personalities are not set in stone, so as IrinaSak said....there are "no guaranties".)
I also have never had feral cats, but 2 of my previous cats were strays, and they were the best cats ever. There is an excellent forum on TCS, here, which deals with many issues that may arise from socializing ...http://www.thecatsite.com/f/9/caring-for-strays-and-ferals (It is under the Forums tab....called "Ferals and Rescue".) I am not sure if pure ferals can ever be house cats, but I have read stories that semi-ferals can. I would suggest to read up on the threads there, or ask questions about that in the Feral forum.
(Don't think about the choices you make in life as '"mistakes", but rather just see them as "learning experiences". Our "mistakes/learning experiences", makes life way more interesting, anyhow.)
And yes, if you do have the chance to go and spend time with the kittens, they will probably choose you.
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You mean because they live on the streets? I adopted a few weeks ago a stray cat, i dont know how old she old but shes 6 lbs, and seems to still be a kitten.
I have to say, shes the sweetest kitten, exactly the same as she was outdoors. She still looks outside, but she doesnt try to go near any of the doors, its like she has no interest to go back to the streets where there is rain and hunger.
All you can do is try. If the cats get along now. I dont see why they would not get along, but do make sure you get them fixed as soon as possible, and check them for Felike Leukemia, and FIV. Also, get them vaccinated in case they do get out.
Something i did was set out a litter box outside before i adopted this cat, and i saw she knew how to use it, so that meant i didnt have to figure out how to teach her to use litter. lol
Also, although my cats still seem to be iffy about food and trying to eat from each others plates. I have to mention that my cat seems more energetic. Kitty is three years old, and has only had dogs to play with. Shes gotten pretty lazy, even though i try to get her to play. But ever since Elsa got here, she is chasing her around, playing with her. They are constantly together. Not all cats get along together, but i do think many of them like the companionship.
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I agree with the others that taking in stray cats v purchasing cats does not likely change the answer to your questions. How their personalities grow & develop is unknown in both situations. I have 3 cats that were all siblings I rescued from my backyard, along with their mom. The mom now lives at my parents & since the 3 kittens (now 6y) live with me, they do act like strangers. But my 3 siblings who have always stayed together, are bonded. Since they haven't been separated, they maintained that unity.
Kittens take to a house rather quickly. They figure out the litter box quite naturally, so that wouldn't be a problem. Many cats who move from 1 place to another may be skiddish at first, but will slowly warm up. Adopt, don't shop!
Kittens take to a house rather quickly. They figure out the litter box quite naturally, so that wouldn't be a problem. Many cats who move from 1 place to another may be skiddish at first, but will slowly warm up. Adopt, don't shop!
I've only ever had one pair of siblings, but they're about a year and a half old now and they get along just fine. I've never only had one cat at a time, but I have had up to five in a house and they all coexisted rather peacefully. Even the ones that didn't like each other came to a truce and claimed different parts of the house.
Of course I feel compelled to recommend rescuing over buying, but like someone above me said; Meet the cats, see how they get along with you. See what they think of you and what you think of them, and even if only one of them loves on you and the other one is ambivalent, odds are they'll accept you just on the word of their sibling. My Jinx picked me, but now I think his sister likes me more. And of course, the "I like you" signs they give differ from cat to cat. Jinx crawled in my lap, but Alice just gave me an intense stare from across the room. Sometimes they're obvious about it, and other times it's more subtle.
Now, as for outside cats becoming inside cats. Every cat I've met has wanted in. Regardless of where they started, Jinx and Priscilla have been outside nearly their whole lives and only come in on rare occasions and they just think of it as a new adventure every time. Toby also is curious about the great indoors. Even the neighbors old cat, who as far as I can tell has lived outside for seven years, tries to sneak past us inside when we open the door.
I've had no trouble litter training any of the cats, even though they all started out outside. I just put the box near them and they figured it out all on their own. Also, since they're young(you say kitten, so I assume pretty young), I don't think they'll really have picked up too many outside habits or be used to living outside so much that they can't adjust.
If the woman is offering to get them completely checked by the vet so you know you'll be getting healthy kittens, I don't see any reason not to get them. Unless you simply can't get along with them, then there's no shame in waiting for a cat who you like and who likes you.
Of course I feel compelled to recommend rescuing over buying, but like someone above me said; Meet the cats, see how they get along with you. See what they think of you and what you think of them, and even if only one of them loves on you and the other one is ambivalent, odds are they'll accept you just on the word of their sibling. My Jinx picked me, but now I think his sister likes me more. And of course, the "I like you" signs they give differ from cat to cat. Jinx crawled in my lap, but Alice just gave me an intense stare from across the room. Sometimes they're obvious about it, and other times it's more subtle.
Now, as for outside cats becoming inside cats. Every cat I've met has wanted in. Regardless of where they started, Jinx and Priscilla have been outside nearly their whole lives and only come in on rare occasions and they just think of it as a new adventure every time. Toby also is curious about the great indoors. Even the neighbors old cat, who as far as I can tell has lived outside for seven years, tries to sneak past us inside when we open the door.
I've had no trouble litter training any of the cats, even though they all started out outside. I just put the box near them and they figured it out all on their own. Also, since they're young(you say kitten, so I assume pretty young), I don't think they'll really have picked up too many outside habits or be used to living outside so much that they can't adjust.
If the woman is offering to get them completely checked by the vet so you know you'll be getting healthy kittens, I don't see any reason not to get them. Unless you simply can't get along with them, then there's no shame in waiting for a cat who you like and who likes you.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
Thanks for your answers. Yes I also think that adopting is better. But the woman who offers me to take the 2 farel kittens refuses to show their pictures, she just told me the girl is calico and the boy is white and grey. She says that the kittens are living outside and it is hard for her to take a picture. So this is the reason that makes me doubt and also I am afraid that they may not learn how to use a litter box. Yesterday she told me that she will take the kittens to the vet and bring them immediatly to my house. And today she is not responding. Should I really trust her?
That does sound a little weird. She surely plans on catching them to take them to the vet, so I don't see why she couldn't catch them to take their picture. Make sure you make it clear you want to visit with the cats before deciding to take them, and also make sure that you get a clean bill of health on them. Tell her to bring the vet reports with her so you can see for yourself that they are healthy and actually got their shots(if she's offering to get them their shots).
But litter box training is pretty easy, mine went straight from yard pooping to box pooping. I just had to make the box their only option, and they chose it over the floor.
But litter box training is pretty easy, mine went straight from yard pooping to box pooping. I just had to make the box their only option, and they chose it over the floor.
Don't worry about the litterbox, mine used it without any introductions. They never miss it.
Regarding everything else, I really think you should see them before you adopt them. If she an't get a picture, ask to go see them while she's feeding them. Maybe you'll fall in love with them, or maybe you just won't click. You can't be expected to just blindly adopt them.
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- #10
Thank you very much for your answers. As I couldn't contact with the woman who offered me to take the two stray cats and I really don't trust her because she never told me anything certain, I decided to buy the Siamese kitten. And also me brother asked me to buy the Siamese because we had one in the past and he was the best cat we had. So sunday we will take a male Siamese kitten. The kitten is exactly 2 months old. What do you think is he old enough to leave his mother?
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Kittens should stay with the mother from 8-12 weeks.
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I know its none of my business, and i hope my comment doesnt offend you, as its not intended in that way....
But, may I ask if you checked shelters near you? I found my cat Kitty, by looking at Petfinder.com. That way i didnt have to drive to all the shelters near me. If you dont live in the USA, there should be a similar site in your country.
I cant help but encourage people to adopt from shelters, especially since cats get put down a lot more than dogs do.
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@ebilei121 .....You could still get the Siamese kitten, AND get the neighbour's kitten, too.
As @terestrife mentioned, there are many excellent kittens in shelters, and Petfinder.com is a great site to find kittens. Your NEW guy would love to have a playmate. It does not matter to a cat what their friends look like, and they do not have to be from the same family.
Two are a lot less work, anyhow, since they occupy their time with each other, and learn from each other.
Still, if you can, go see the kitten beforehand, and spend some time with him.
Oh, and congratulations on getting a new kitten! I really look forward to seeing photos, and updates from you, if you have the time to post. This will be a fun time, so take a lot of photos and enjoy all the moments.
As @terestrife mentioned, there are many excellent kittens in shelters, and Petfinder.com is a great site to find kittens. Your NEW guy would love to have a playmate. It does not matter to a cat what their friends look like, and they do not have to be from the same family.
Two are a lot less work, anyhow, since they occupy their time with each other, and learn from each other.
Still, if you can, go see the kitten beforehand, and spend some time with him.
Oh, and congratulations on getting a new kitten! I really look forward to seeing photos, and updates from you, if you have the time to post. This will be a fun time, so take a lot of photos and enjoy all the moments.
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Thank you cat nap, I also think that adopting kittens is better. But my family insists on buying Siamese kitten because in the past we had one very good Siamese cat and now they want to have the same breed of cat. I will also think about adopting the nighbor's kitten if she doesn't get adopted by anyone else. I think I will bring the cat home tomorrow evening and will share his photos.
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That is great news. You can post some photos here, and also make a New thread in "New Cats on the Block" under General Forums.... http://www.thecatsite.com/f/20/new-cats-on-the-block , and there are other places that you can just post photos.
The Cat Site (TCS) is huge, and I am only part time on it, and still find new places to see and read about. All us cat site members, love to look at photos.
