Adopting Kittens and Young Cats - Why to Consider Two!
By Dorothy Belle Poli
Adapted from PAWS Chicago

You are looking to add a new member to your family and you have decided it would be best to get a young cat or a kitten! Congratulations. Here are some reasons you should consider adopting 2 young cats or kittens rather than just "an only child" or a companion to your older cat.

* It is very hard to keep a single kitten occupied, safe and happy while you are busy with your daily life. If a young cat/kitten is bored behavior problems arise such as biting, scratching, pouncing, and marking! Remember kittens are born in litters and are used to companionship right from the beginning. Cats are very social animals and are truly happier living with other cat companions. Think big cats, lions for example live in large groups called prides...so a single kitty will be lonely! When you want to pay bills, talk on the phone, help children with homework, etc. that lonely kitten/cat will be demanding your time and attention.

* Boredom results in chewing plants, climbing drapes, climbing furniture, unrolling toilet paper, chewing electric cords, and licking electric sockets! A kitty with company can do these same behaviors, but if there is another cat/kitten to keep them company the frequency of these dangerous behaviors decreases.

* Cats tend to sleep up to 18 hours a day and are most active at night. Kittens are no different and will seek out their human family for playtime when you want to sleep! Cats like to hunt at night; so lone kittens/cats will "hunt" their owners by pouncing whatever may move beneath the sheets. This means unwanted scratching and biting in the middle of the night and you, up at 2 AM. Two cats/kittens will practice hunting with each other and will even turn this into a game. Vigorous playing will result in needed exercise and their falling asleep too.

* Kittens need and want interaction with other kittens. This is how they learn how to play, hunt, and be physically, emotionally, and socially well-adjusted cats. Many cats that "play rough" do so because they did not learn that their claws and teeth hurt, because the consequences were never received if they hurt another kitten (or because their humans allowed these behaviors to occur when the kitten was growing up). These behaviors are learned during normal kitten wrestling and biting and they are part of natural kitten development!

* If an older cat is in the household already, a kitten should not be brought in as a lone companion. Kittens have tons of energy and want to play constantly. This is overwhelming for older cats and will irritate and cause unwanted behaviors by the older cat (urinating outside the litter box, scratching, biting). Also a kitten will become frustrated with the older cat's unwillingness to play and use its energy in destructive ways (climbing drapes, scratching furniture, etc). In most cases, this relationship never gets better between the two cats and results in two cats feeling alienated. Always try to match kitty with another kitty close to its age and temperament!

CARA does not focus on adopting out large numbers of cats, but we do try to ensure that our adopted cats find happy homes forever. Forcing a cat to be "an only child" is a mistake in most cases and should be considered knowing all the potential problems. Some shops will sell you a single kitten but groups that know and care about the welfare and lives of their animals will highly recommend you take two!