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Post by jess on Sept 1, 2015 20:59:16 GMT
Hello everyone, Some time has passed since we had to put Oscar down and we feel ready for some new paws in our lives. We're thinking of adopting two kittens as we always felt Oscar was a little lonely when we were out of the house. Just wondering what the main differences were in having 2 cats compared to 1. We'd be getting sibling kittens - so does it make much difference if it's 2 boys, 2 girls or a girl and boy and is there anything else much different?
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Post by smilesbetter on Sept 1, 2015 21:16:01 GMT
Two cats are twice as awesome as one, that's probably the main difference. Haha nah, I'd recommend having two litter trays as many cats do not like to share, or in the case of ours, if the tray is busy they will go elsewhere, for example on my mans tshirts. If you get a girl and a boy they may mate, they can become sexually mature very young and before you know it you've got incest kittens! I have only ever owned one male cat do can't really say about his they interact but I've always had pairs of females (not siblings) and they usually get on great. My two will sometimes lie next to each other and play but usually they stay away from each other and seem to have a time share system on certain prime sleeping spots so there is virtually no conflict. I imagine two kittens growing up together would be a bit more affectionate with one another haha. But make sure there is plenty good places to snooze so that they can have their own space when they need it. lotsofcats & tonib will be able to expand further on life with multiple cats I'm sure. I always say two cats are better than one haha, but it depends on the cat. If you are getting siblings though then go for it
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Post by tonib on Sept 2, 2015 0:34:05 GMT
jess how nice that you're feeling ready to home some more cats. I can't advise on kittens the youngest cat we've eve had was nearly 2 when we got him. All of ours were rescues & unrelated. However I've heard that getting kitten siblings does seem to work out better but like all things not always When we adopted our cats the rescue advised having one male & one female (we already had one female so we got a male), then when we lost the original cat we got another female who came as a pair with another male. The final cat of the 4 was female as we felt that would cause less stress to our 2 boys as there are plenty of males around. Butt then they were all neutered so no issues there but I know others have happily had mixed kittens & they have been neutered before there is any risk of pregnancy (speak to your vet about that) Apparently cats can form a social group but often just share space without interacting. That sums ours up. When we got our 4th cat apparently she disrupted the balance which the other 3 had worked out. With care we've resolved a lot of the issues but not all & they will never cuddle up together but mainly tolerate or find ways tor cope with living in the same house but they are also outdoor cats so can escape if necessary. On a practical note as smilesbetter said you do need to have a litter tray each as a minimum & if they are going to be indoor cats then probably a 3rd. Not necessarily all in the same place. We've currently got 4 around the house but if they are being kept in for a day or so then we add another. They will also need space to get away from each other when they need to. Also their own feeding & water spaces. They may happily eat side by side but this can be stressful for some cats. Hope everything goes OK & look forward to hearing more about the additions to your family when it happens.
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Post by lotsofcats on Sept 2, 2015 8:59:00 GMT
I can recommend having 2 kittens - when my cat Kali had kittens I kept 2 girls, Blackberry and Willow, and I can honestly say there is nothing as funny and enjoyable as 2 kittens together. Nothing as naughty as well!! Have you found any that you are thinking of getting?
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Post by jess on Sept 2, 2015 10:28:41 GMT
I can recommend having 2 kittens - when my cat Kali had kittens I kept 2 girls, Blackberry and Willow, and I can honestly say there is nothing as funny and enjoyable as 2 kittens together. Nothing as naughty as well!! Have you found any that you are thinking of getting? We haven't started properly looking yet but there's a Cats Protection a few minutes away so we'll probably look there. This is some great advice everyone, thank you! Getting me very excited for some new babies.
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Post by smilesbetter on Sept 2, 2015 11:13:29 GMT
We will be waiting expectantly for pictures when you get the kittens! I would LOVE a kitten to bring up again haha. My most recent two cats were adopted as adults and they are great, but bringing up a cat from a kitten and have it grow up to be a really fun and loving cat is so rewarding.
Make sure to handle them loads! The two I got as adults weren't handled much and absolutely hate being picked up haha, which is a shame, my cat that I brought up from a kitten absolutely loves cuddles. Also I would strongly recommend socialising them with a cat harness and cat carrier. You will need to get them into the carrier now and then for vet trips etc and if you take them time to get them to enjoy being carried around in one then you will save a lot of future hassle. If I had a kitten now I'd be carrying it around as much as possible in the carrier with lots of tasty dried chicken treats to get it used to it. The two cats I have now HATE the carrier and it is pretty much a case of wrapping them up in a towel and stuffing them into the thing and hoping for the best. If we don't manage it on the first attempt with the black cat then she is not going to the vets that day, haha. She turns into a vicious Panther!
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Post by jess on Sept 2, 2015 14:36:55 GMT
Haha don't worry there will be plenty of pictures! It's so much fun bringing up kittens, yes we used a cat harness with Oscar when he was small and will definitely do the same with the new ones. Aaahh the dreaded fight to get in the carrier, I'm looking forward to that haha!
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Post by puddycats on Sept 3, 2015 10:59:08 GMT
I have always had kittens and mostly in pairs. It's lovely to see them growing up together but the time goes so quickly and it is not long before they are adults. My two are a nightmare going to the vets but they were okay as kittens. I tend to think they remember where they are going now!
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Post by lotsofcats on Sept 3, 2015 14:30:45 GMT
I have always had kittens and mostly in pairs. It's lovely to see them growing up together but the time goes so quickly and it is not long before they are adults. My two are a nightmare going to the vets but they were okay as kittens. I tend to think they remember where they are going now! You're right there - they are not kittens for long. They certainly remember where they are going once they see the cat carrier. As I have a large cat carrier I always squeeze Blackberry and Willow in together.
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Post by jess on Sept 5, 2015 10:29:49 GMT
My mum mentioned we were looking for some kittens at her work and one of her colleagues said she had some ready to go to new homes in a few weeks so in a lovely twist of events we are off to visit these 3 cuties tomorrow! So excited! We still have some of Oscar's old stuff like his bed and a climbing cat scratch, is it best to get rid of these for the new arrivals or can we reuse them? And how long do we have to keep them indoors to get them used to our home before they can start venturing outdoors? I've not had kittens in over 10 years I've forgotten how to do it haha!
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Post by scallywag on Sept 5, 2015 12:41:52 GMT
Oooo how adorable are they. Are you taking all 3 jess best of luck with your new family, sorry no advise from me I am from the other side LOL BUT there's plenty on here with experience . Lovely photo
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Post by jess on Sept 5, 2015 13:05:54 GMT
Oooo how adorable are they. Are you taking all 3 jess best of luck with your new family, sorry no advise from me I am from the other side LOL BUT there's plenty on here with experience . Lovely photo Haha no problem at all! I wish we could take all 3 but it'll just be 2, we'd definitely like the black one and then it's just deciding between the two torties. Really looking forward to cuddles tomorrow!
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Post by smilesbetter on Sept 5, 2015 13:44:46 GMT
Ooh what beauties, wouldn't wanna be in your position having to pick between them though haha I'd end up taking them all!
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Post by jess on Sept 6, 2015 20:44:43 GMT
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Post by tonib on Sept 6, 2015 21:38:59 GMT
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