Picking great cat(s), adopting 2 cats?

[Anonymous]

Please tell me about how you picked a great shelter cat, or 2 cats.

We recently had to say goodbye to our 16 year old cat, who i picked at a shelter as a kitten because he was the cutest. I now know kittens are basically a grab bag of wildly unpredictable temperament, so we are leaning towards adult cats.

I permanently work from home, unless I change jobs but not anticipating that. But we were thinking getting 2 cats could be good for them to keep each other company. When we travel, we have a pet sitter come twice a day, so we think two cats would be better for that and not feeling guilty.

How did you pick a cat that was a great fit for your family? Did you mostly talk to the shelter/rescue staff and tell them what you were looking for and get their insight? Did you do any sort of foster/trial period?

Advice on adopting 2 welcome as well. I'd say I'm 25% open to kittens (because duh, and my spouse has never had a kitten/gotten to pick their own pet), since we are considering 2, but ultimately adult cats seem like the better bet for good personalities if we can find a fit.

[Anonymous]

I took my then 5 year old son to the shelter with me. We adopted the cat that really took to him. The kid is now 16 and that cat is still his best buddy and the best cat ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please tell me about how you picked a great shelter cat, or 2 cats.

We recently had to say goodbye to our 16 year old cat, who i picked at a shelter as a kitten because he was the cutest. I now know kittens are basically a grab bag of wildly unpredictable temperament, so we are leaning towards adult cats.

I permanently work from home, unless I change jobs but not anticipating that. But we were thinking getting 2 cats could be good for them to keep each other company. When we travel, we have a pet sitter come twice a day, so we think two cats would be better for that and not feeling guilty.

How did you pick a cat that was a great fit for your family? Did you mostly talk to the shelter/rescue staff and tell them what you were looking for and get their insight? Did you do any sort of foster/trial period?

Advice on adopting 2 welcome as well. I'd say I'm 25% open to kittens (because duh, and my spouse has never had a kitten/gotten to pick their own pet), since we are considering 2, but ultimately adult cats seem like the better bet for good personalities if we can find a fit.

Hi OP! All of your ideas are good - talking to rescue/shelter staff is a great start. I'd lean toward rescue since they often have cats living in homes and exhibiting their true personalities, but shelters have cats in home foster programs, too. After receiving a recommendation from the rescue/shelter based on the needs you described, you can visit the cat(s) and see if you have that spark. Foster-to-adopt is also a great option that many rescue organizations offer.

If you decide on two cats, you'd be looking for a bonded pair. When you bring them home, bring them home at the SAME time with carriers right next to each other in the car (seat belted in of course). We have occasionally in our rescue had families take home a bonded pair separately, and due to the stress of the whole situation, they don't recognize each other when they get home. It's a mess.

[Anonymous]

OMG I've adopted two adult cats and one kitten and I will never adopt another adult cat again. So much more hassle and problems than the kitten although I loved/love them dearly. They were clearly re-homed for a reason. (Think litter box and other issues.) Also their personalities did change over the time I knew them. The first cat was extremely clingy at first and become much more independent. And the second hid under the sink for at least the first 6 months. She also cringed every time I reached out to pet her (I think she had been abused). It took years but she now is a super snuggly cat.

I guess if you can find two bonded adult cats then that is ok- otherwise go with two kittens.

Definitely do not adopt two adult cats at separate times (I made the mistake of doing this due to rules of my apartment building) and ended up adopting a kitten off craiglist who sorted the situation out. My kitten criteria were at least 12 weeks (Proper socialization and weaning) and markings similar to my second cat. (I figured if someone in the apartment came by they would only see two cats and as long as she looked similar to the one I had registered it would be fine. No rescue since only allowed 2 adult cats in my apartment and they would have checked with my landlord) In any case it worked out. My first cat was orphaned and bottle fed and I don't recommend that kind of history (my cat ate as if he were still starving and diet/food were issues. Also and he was not well socialized to other cats although he did well with a kitten since his cat socialization seemed to have stopped when he was one so he related to other cats like a 16 pound kitten.

Going to a shelter and falling in love also work for many - just haven't done that.

[Anonymous]

We have adopted adult cats from the shelter twice with good results, but the two cats did not overlap (got the second after the first one died). The first we went to the shelter and picked a cat that was feisty and fun. She was kind of an a-hole but I loved her. She was never super cuddly and kind of hated a lot of outsiders but she loved our family and was great with my babies and toddlers when they were born. She showed a previously unknown gentleness and patience with them. The second was adopted when we had two small children so we all went to the shelter and met various cats in one of their little rooms. The cat that showed interest in the children was the one we took home and he's been great. No litter box or behavioral issues with either cat, fwiw.

[Anonymous]

I recommend talking with Northern Virginia SPCA. The cats live in foster homes so their personality is more known. I think it's generally harder to adopt two bonded cats (as opposed to kittens).

[Anonymous]

We got 2 kittens that were in the same cage at the shelter. They weren't related (one was a tabby, the other a tortoiseshell) but they believed they were.

I wouldn't adopt adult cats separately. People claim there is a way to do it but I firmly believe some cats (especially females) just will not get along. With one set it was an uneasy truce punctuated by border skirmishes, and with another it was all out warfare for 18 months to the point that we rehomed to an extended family member where she would be the sole cat. She thrived.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thank you so much! This is all very interesting and helpful. I have seen a couple of bonded pairs on Petfinder/rescues, but as some others said... reading between the lines of the descriptions, a lot of times it seems like there is a reason that isn't just an owner dying or being unable to care for them.

Of course the idea of adopting 2 kittens is SO FUN. I agree if I could find some that were with mom to at least 12 weeks that would be ideal. I just figured adult cats are harder to find homes for, and a little more known personality. But not so if they aren't already paired.

There is a great rescue in our area that I bet can help us find a fit, and we also have a great cat-only vet i may put the word out with. The rescue has a few of their cats at Petsmart near us but most are in foster homes. We also have considered fostering.

Covid definitely seems to be making things harder to go check out cats, and that is understandable. Almost all of the shelters near me are closed unless you have an appointment for a specific animal.

[Anonymous]

If getting an an adult, I recommend the shelter. A family member adopted an adult cat years ago and he was the sweetest boy. Kittens are cute, but VERY active. I remember my kitten literally climbed in up my leg/body to get my attention. This happened more than 1x. Those little claws as he quickly ran up my body! He was cute though

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend the Partnership for Animal Welfare. Their cats are very well socialized with fosters, and they'll tell you what they know about temperament etc. Best to get two already bonded cats.

Their website is not usually up-to-date so I'd email to ask about the cats available:

https://paw-rescue.org/cats/

[Anonymous]

tuxedo and piebald cats are the most fiesty and aggressive so if you can get a plain black or grey (blue) cat or a white one you're better off in terms of underlying temperament.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend going to the shelter or talking to the shelter and asking for the most affectionate, outgoing cats they have.

I've had plenty of adult cats come into the fold and generally it goes very well. In fact we found a stray a couple of weeks ago and she fit right in with our other 2 cats. a good sign is that I, as a stranger, could walk right up to her and pick her up, and she started purring immediately. That's the sign of a good cat.

[Anonymous]

One of our adult cats we adopted, because we went to an adoption fair and she just picked us. She reached out of her kennel to touch me, then when I sat with her in my lap she purred like crazy and let me know that I was her person.

So, if you want to pick out a cat or cats in person, I highly recommend going to a shelter or adoption fair and seeing who you make a connection with.

We've also adopted three kittens - at separate times - who all started off extremely fearful, but after a couple of weeks settled into our home perfectly (or...purrfectly). They took their cues from us and just mellowed right into being happy little family members, after a few weeks of adjustment.

In other cases, you can adopt a cat who is a little shy in the shelter and give them a safe place to blossom.

Basically, what I mean to say is that there's no wrong way to do this. You can fall in love with cats online, you can fall in love with them in person in the shelter, or you can take home some skittish shy animals whose personalities you don't know well and let them flourish in your home.

[Anonymous]

Tabby cats (especially males) tend to have really friendly personalities. They're almost like dogs. Love attention, love to be pet, very friendly, especially with kids. I grew up with tabbies--had two at different points during my childhood and both were just amazing cats. We just had to say goodbye to our cat after 20 years, but he and his brother were both tabbies. The sweetest cats ever. I set out to adopt one cat, but when I got the shelter (this was 20 yrs ago before we had kids and were married), one cat had been returned so I ended up taking both home. Best decision ever. They kept each other company and were great companions, until one died a few years ago. I did notice that once one passed away, the other cat really began decline. I think he was lonely, but still I think it's nice to have two cats so they can keep each other company and spend time together.