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Question about when you take in 2 kittens at once

1681 Views 18 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  Black Frost
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Ten days ago, we brought home our two new British Short air kittens (17 weeks old, full siblings).
It's been great for them to have each other through the difficult transition of a new place and a 700 mile car trip. The are fast friends and do most everything together.

They are friendly, well-adjusted kittens who really like my hubby & I.....but they LOVE each other!

My question is this: should we seperate them for a couple hours each day for some alone time, followed by the playful/affectionate presence of my husband or me? Then after "people" time, we put them right back together.

The thought being - let them crave company - and when they are looking for company - the company they grt will be "their people."

It also seems difficult to teach them to respond to their names when they are always together.

What are your thoughts? What have you done when you've gotten two at once?

...and because this thread is useless without pictured -

Cooper








Penny






Together -
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I brought the twins home when they were almost 10 weeks old. Inseparable doesn't even begin to describe them. They learned their names just fine. Mostly by "Charlee, stop it!" "Cali, that's not food!" :grin:

I don't know how your kits would react, but mine HATE being separated, even now. They'll bond with you on their own schedule. They'll also go through phases, where sometimes they're snuggly and clingy, and sometimes they're just not that into you.

(If you click on the line under my signature, you'll see their Petfinder kitten pictures I fell in love with.)
Great! That's what I was hoping...things are al ready complicated enough with slow introductions! It seems like a game of "kitty chess" in this house!!

Big hug for all your time today!
O.M.G! They are both adorable but I just want to attack Penny with hugs and kisses. She is just too cute to be real......
Thanks, guys! We just love them!

Penny turns heads wherever we go! She was the breder's pick-of-the-litter to keep/show - so we MAY show her...got to find a local mentor, though...
They are gorgeous! I'd be inclined to not give them time apart.
Wait a minute... I recognize those kittens.... LOL!!!
Wait a minute... I recognize those kittens.... LOL!!!
Ha! Do I know you from one of my other forums? Such a small world!
Ha! Do I know you from one of my other forums? Such a small world!
We have been talking cats on BYC for a better part of the day :)
I. Am. A. Complete. Moron!!

However - I knew I liked you!
Sent you a friend request here. :) Thanks for all your great help!

I didn't even "go there" with the food stuff here...there are 50+ pages for me to read! But you took something overwhelming & made it very easy to understand!
I figured if I can improve the lives of kitties and people, I will do my darndest. Especially when I can do it from the warmth of my house with a kitty on my lap :)
'Like" but to!

Alright - I'm off for the night, o I'll be utterly useless tomorrow!

Thanks everyone!
Apple & Pedro came to me at the same time. Pedro's name was the same name he'd first received when rescued so he knew his name within a few days here. Apple's name I changed from something else so she was nearly 6 weeks before she knew. However, I called them both "Kitties" or "Fluffies" and they would both turn and look at me which was ultimately all I needed. The were always together for the first 3-4 months with me. Apple LOVES LOVES LOVES her big brother so much that when they first arrived she would run circles around, over, and under him whenever they walked anywhere for the first few weeks. They are not littermates, but were rescued within 6 days of one another so had been indoors together almost their entire indoor life.

It was about 4-6 weeks before either of them sought me out for pets or any manner of snuggling, but then they are from feral backgrounds. As you get to know them and they get to know you and you household they will pick their people. I think you mentioned intros with the other kitties are still ongoing so there is household learning still happening. It might be after all of that is sorted before the really bond with their people since their already engaged in learning one type of interaction.

At about 18 & 20 months old they do enjoy snuggling and sleeping together. Lots of rough & tumble play. The chase one another all the time. They also do all of those separately.

I think it is important for them to have the security of one another so that they can learn secure attachments to their people and perhaps even eventually to your other kitties. Time and patience!
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Ok, I've been thinking about this and I 've decided I don't think it's healthy. They should't be so bonded to each other and I think the ONLY real logical solution is for you to go ahead and ship Penny here until she's properly matured and ready to go back with her brother....




..... in about 15-25 years. :kittyturn
LOL Krissy

When I rescued a feral litter, they were about 5 months old. Two were tamed right away, so I got them adopted out. Disco also tamed right away, but Zinny stayed pretty skittish...and they were so attached, that I decided not to adopt out Disco, so that maybe Zinny would learn from her that humans aren't so bad.
Zinny got individual time with me...but that's when I had to bring her into the bathroom (so she didn't have anywhere to run and hide) when I gave her medicines twice a day when she was recovering from pneumonia.
It worked...she started trusting me to the point I can handle her MOST of the time if I'm slow and quiet.
Unfortunately, right about the time Zinny started being better about letting me handle her, my dad got really upset about "all the d*m cats in the house" and made me kick them out into the yard again. They both would still come up to me for petting and snuggling when I went out to the feeding station. Disco would roll over and want belly rubs... Zinny wouldn't come out into the open yard, and would stay in the bushes - but didn't totally run away from me, and I could pet her if I was slow and quiet and gave her time to come to me at the edge of the thicket.
Disco disappeared in March. I'm assuming, since they were so inseparable, that something bad happened to her like a raccoon attack or hit by a car or something. I think that if she had just wandered off to new territory, that Zinny would have gone with her.
Since I'm so attached to Zinny, I decided I would keep her safe from whatever dangers are outside, and made her an indoor pet permanently. My dad is not happy at all, but oh well... at least he hasn't kicked ME out (yet).
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There's only one down side to them being so closely bonded, if something happens to one the survivor will be devastated.
I belong to a pet bereavement forum and one of the mods elderly father had 2 elderly Rat Terriers.
One of the dog got ill and died, the Man's health quickly declined and he passed away right before Christmas, not the poor surviving dog is heart broken, he's lost his best friend and his human is a short period of time.
The Man's wife is in frail health too so the daughter is taking in the dog, he seems to really like her husband so there's hope he can be pulled from his depression.
Non pet lovers think that pets don't mourn when they lose a love one, but they do.
Not much you can do but make sure the kitties bond with a human as well as their sibling.
The consensus here - and my other forums - is not to seperate them. I'm really glad I asked!

Mow Mow - you made my husband and I laugh out loud! Hugs!
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