Adopt Two Kittens Instead of Just One

Posted on October 18, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Thinking of adopting a kitten?The kids have been asking for one. You have two older cats but this should be good for them – wake them up a bit. Why not adopt two kittens instead of just one? Wait a minute, you say: isn’t one enough?

why adopt two kittens instead of just one

Kittens have lots of energy

Kittens have boundless energy. They literally can play for hours. They are curious about their world and they find getting into some small nook or cranny irresistible. They are light and agile so climbing your drapes or hanging from a chandelier is easy for them. What does a rambunctious kitten need to work off some energy? Another kitten!

protection for older resident cats

Say you have two cats – a 10 year old female and a 7 year old male who get along . An energetic kitten may be more than they want to deal with. The newcomer may or may not be accepted whole-heartedly into this older social group. You may end up dealing with two social groups – your older cats and the kitten.

Adopt two kittens instead of just one, ideally from the same litter. They will form their own rough and tumble social club and the older cats will not need to join the fracas unless they want to (Reference 1).

easier adjustment to the new home

Coming to a new home with a sibling or friend is a lot less intimidating then going on your own. In her new home, the kitten may feel fear (new places can be scary). The kitten may feel lost and cut off from the family group she left behind.

Adopt two kittens instead of just one- it will be easier for the kitten to engage in positive, feel-good activities such as play and exploration with a family member.

social and emotional development – Littermates are important

Adoption can interrupt a kitten’s social and emotional development. Here are the stages in “Learning How to Cat” (Reference 2).

Stages of Kitten Development	Age	What happens
Socialization Period	2-7 weeks	The kitten’s senses mature. Walking begins, and kittens start interacting actively with littermates and humans.
Most Active Play Period	7-14 weeks	The kitten’s physical coordination and social skills grow as she plays with her littermates and toys. She also learns by observing her mother and littermates .
Ranking Period	3-6 months	The kitten starts to test social boundaries and find her place in the social hierarchy of the household. She may stalk or pounce on other pets or nip at humans when they play with her. She also seeks reassurance by purring, kneading or sleeping on humans.
Adolescence	6-18 months	The adolescent cat continues to test limits, challenging humans and other pets. If not spayed or neutered, the young cat experiences beginnings of sexual behavior.

Many kittens are adopted at 8 weeks old, which is the standard minimum age allowed by many animal shelters and rescues in the United States… (Reference 3)

Be smart! Look at the chart above – kittens still have a lot to learn at 8 weeks of age!

Vets and behavior experts feel that waiting until 10-12 weeks of age gives you a better chance of having a well-adjusted adult cat in the future. Kittens that stay with their mother and littermates until 12 weeks of age…

Have better social skills
They know how hard they can bite
They don’t tend to nurse or suck on blankets or clothing.

If you wait until 12 weeks, the core vaccines (rabies and FVRCP) will most likely have been given!

the takeway

Adopt two kittens – they can keep each other occupied
The older cats can join in the fun if they want
Easier transition to the home for the newcomers
Adopt kittens of 12 weeks of age or older – you are more likely to have well-adjusted cats in the future!

references

Meyer, Phyllis. “Introducing Kittens to Older Cats”. The Feline Purrspective. July 24, 2022. https://www.felinepurrspective.com/introducing-kittens-to-older-cats/
“Understanding Your Kitten’s Behavior and Development”, Pets for Life Behavior Series, Adapted from material originally developed by applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado.©2000 Dumb Friends League. https://www.sa.gov/files/assets/main/v/1/acs/documents/understanding-kittens.pdf
Ahola MK, Vapalahti K, Lohi H. Early weaning increases aggression and stereotypic behaviour in cats. Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 4;7(1):10412. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11173-5. PMID: 28871130; PMCID: PMC5583233.

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Can the kitten raised by humans make a good pet?

Posted on March 27, 2022 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Gentle handling between 2-7 weeks helps kittens build trust with humans.

We will soon be entering “kitten season” in Colorado. Although cats indoors can breed at any time of the year, the wild cat population typically mates in January and February. The kittens will be born in April and May, during warmer temperatures when prey is more abundant.

Like any other baby animal, kittens depend on their mothers for survival. What happens if the mother is killed or trapped? What if the mother abandons her kittens?

If part of a cat colony, the mother’s sisters would take over the care of the kittens. The females in the colony share the role of parenting the kittens. Females of the same social group who give birth around the same time will nurse each other’s kittens, allowing each other a chance to go off and hunt.

Not all cats live in colonies – some live a more solitary existence. If something happens to the solitary mother, her kittens’ outlook for survival is bleak. With human intervention, some of these kittens will survive. Will the kitten raised by humans make a good pet?

Raising kittens – the role of the mother cat

Kittens are born helpless, unable to regulate their own temperature. Their eyes won’t open until they are a week old. They are dependent on their mother for warmth and round-the-clock feedings. She must lick them to stimulate urination and defecation until they are about 3 weeks old. (Bringing up a litter of kittens)

time to grow up and learn to hunt

When the kittens are 3-4 weeks old, the mother cat begins to bring back “dead” prey to them
In the next few weeks, mom brings back fatigued or injured prey. The kittens start to practice their hunting skills.
If a kitten loses control of the prey, mom is there to recapture it.
The kittens see their mother eating the prey so they eat the prey.
The mother cat shows the kittens how to bury urine and feces at this time. (Veterian Key)

weaning

As the kittens begin to eat solid food, the mother starts to restrict their nursing.

she leaves the nest for longer periods of time
she makes it harder for the kittens to nurse by crouching or lying on her stomach
she may hiss or growl at them when they try to nurse
she climbs out of their reach for extended periods of time.

This is a frustrating time for the kitten – he or she is hungry but cannot have milk and must find other food to eat; this frustration encourages the kitten to turn his attention to his hunting and survival skills. His first prey may be a crunchy insect!

the kitten RAISED BY HUMANS

Fosters of pre-weaned orphan kittens are some of the unsung heroes of the animal rescue world. In addition to feeding kittens up to 10 times in 24 hours, keeping them warm, and stimulating them to urinate and defecate before and after feeding, fosters must try to mimic the social stimulation (see below) that the mother would provide. (Hand-rearing kittens)

A kitten is brushed with a soft toothbrush.

Mother cats lick their kittens overall to clean them, provoke urination and suckling, provide comfort, and strengthen their social bond. Human caregivers may use brushing to mimic grooming by the mother cat.
Fosters must show kittens how to use the litter tray at 3-4 weeks.
Fosters must wean the kittens and transition them to solid food.
Fosters should expose the kittens to a variety of people and friendly pets.

The “Tarzan” kitten – The kitten raised by humans

A human caregiver cannot replace a kitten’s mother – after all, we are not cats. For example, how does a human foster mimic the frustration accompanying weaning that encourages the kitten to get his own food? Kittens raised without their mothers and siblings are prone to behavioral issues – they don’t know how to deal with frustration; early separation from the mother may cause changes in brain function.

Some behavior problems commonly seen in orphaned kittens:

fear and aggression toward people and other cats
fear of new things
lack of social skills
overly dependent on caregiver
lack of bite inhibition – the kitten does not know how hard to bite
“wool sucking” – sucking on fabric, other kittens or human earlobes. The kitten could hurt the litter mate or person or ingest something harmful.

(Maddie’s Fund)

These behaviors often can be managed with gentle handling and training.

tips for adopting the kitten raised by humans

Adopt a kitten that was raised with her litter mates or other adult cats – she will learn how hard to bite, since her litter mates will bite back; older cats will also offer a response to inappropriate play behavior.
Adopt 2 kittens around the same age, from the same litter if possible
Choose kitten(s) that were exposed to a variety of people when they were 2-7 weeks old
Ask if the kitten(s) had different environmental experiences: car rides, television, vacuum cleaners.

Whichever kitten(s) you choose, please consider training your kitten(s).

Training allows you to communicate with your kitten
Training gives you a way of managing undesirable behaviors, potentially replacing them with appropriate behaviors
Training has been shown to improve socialization in shelter cats, making them more adoptable.

Patience, gentle handling, and training can help the kitten raised by humans become a valued member of your household.

Kitten season can be overwhelming for rescue organizations.

Want to help?

Adopt
Foster
Donate

What if you find a litter of kittens by themselves?

Keep an eye on them – the mother could be out hunting
Contact your local cat rescue
If she does not return after several hours or the kittens are in danger, you may need to act

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Nature and Nurture: What makes a good pet cat

Posted on February 20, 2022May 4, 2022 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Kittens at Kndergarten — Kittens at “kitten kindergarten” session

What makes A good pet cat?

We will soon be entering “kitten season” in Colorado. Although cats indoors can breed at any time of the year, the wild cat population typically mates in January and February. The kittens will be born about 2 months later, during warmer temperatures when prey is more abundant.

Many of these wild kittens will end up at the shelter; some may be adoptable.

How do I know if a cat will be a good pet cat?

Nature and nurture are parts of the puzzle that determine how a cat will behave towards people.

Nature:

Nature is the genetic makeup of a cat
Studies show that kittens of friendly fathers are more friendly
There are breeds of cats known for their good dispositions

Nurture:

Nurture: how the environment affects gene expression
A kitten’s physical surroundings, his experiences, and diet affect his development

The science of epigenetics studies modifications to our DNA that don’t change the DNA sequence. The epigenome refers to chemical compounds that are attached to your DNA. Exposure to pollutants, what you eat and stress are some things that can result in certain compounds attaching to your DNA and turning particular genes on or off. These changes can remain as cells divide and may pass from generation to generation.

Nurture : The “Sensitive Period” in kittens

Kittens learn most efficiently when they are 2-7 weeks old. This time is called the “sensitive period”, when rapid growth of neural cells makes learning easier. The learning that happens during the “sensitive period” prepares a kitten for the social and physical environment she is born into. A cat who will be a good pet cat needs to be exposed to humans and where humans live during her “sensitive period”.

Human contact

Kittens who are handled kindly and gently by a variety of humans during the “sensitive period” quickly learn to accept people and enjoy being with them. The positively socialized kitten generalizes what he learns about individual people to people in general.

Rough, insensitive handling during the “sensitive period” can make a kitten aggressive and fearful of people for life.

Exposure to Human households

Kittens exposed to the environment in human homes during the “sensitive period” adapt quickly to electronic devices and appliances, other animals, and living indoors. For example, they learn that the noise of the vacuum cleaner, although unpleasant, is not life threatening.

Diet

Kittens are more willing to try new foods at this time, although they follow their mother’s lead (if she is there) in choosing what to eat. Good nutrition helps a kitten’s brain and body develop – malnutrition early in life has been linked to epigenetic changes.

the end of the “sensitive period”

At 7 weeks, this “golden time” of learning closes – the fear reaction becomes established in the kitten. She will become more cautious and careful from now on. Caution and wariness are crucial to her development in the wild as a solitary hunter. She will continue to learn and develop socially but will not be as open to new experiences.

socialization after the “sensitive period”

By the time the sensitive period ends, kittens have been weaned and are eating solid food. In a wild cat colony, they will continue to play with other kittens and interact with adults. The kitten will learn how hard he can bite when playing- his litter mates will bite back! This is when he will learn the body language of adult cats, how to approach other cats, and improve his hunting skills by observing other cats.

thinking of adopting a kitten?

Think about adopting 2 – they can keep each other occupied and cats that grow up together often form strong bonds and a social group.
If possible, adopt kittens who are at least 12 weeks of age. These kittens will have spent some time with their mothers and litter mates, learning how hard they can bite when playing. They should also recognize some basic social signals given by adult cats (important if you are bringing them into a multi-cat home).
Above all – try to adopt kittens that were handled gently and kindly by people during their “sensitive period”. They are familiar with humans and enjoy being with them. Ask the adoption center about the kittens’ experiences when they were 2-7 weeks old!

If you opt to introduce kittens to older cats, SUPERVISE AT ALL TIMES. Make sure your older cats are vaccinated for upper respiratory diseases and feline leukemia (if they go outdoors). Gradual introduction is still recommended. A pair of kittens may still be your best bet in this situation and give you time to introduce all the cats at their own pace.

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