mommyto4 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Our family has been discussing getting a pet. I am a cat person, and have finally convinced my husband that a kitten would be best! One day, when we were looking at kittens, my husband said that perhaps we should get two! Cat people, is getting two a good idea? We have four children, who are quite good around animals, and we have a pretty big house. I am wondering if two are double the work, though. Any advice would be great... Oh, and one last thing, what is the best way to check for allergies, or do you just hope no one is allergic?!? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 If I had the option, I'd get two. Kittens usually go through a biting phase when they're teething, and I'd much rather have them take it out on each other than on my feet. :D Two wouldn't be any more work than one. It'll take you an extra minute to clean out the litter box, but that's about it. Of course, two will cost more financially with double the food, shots, etc. As for the allergies, do you have a friend with cats? Half an hour in a house with cats and you should have a good idea if anyone in your family has allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Two are not twice the work, just twice the bet bills! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 We have one and I've debated getting two. What keeps me from it, is that he would definitely not appreciate another cat in the house. The cats I've had over the years general do not appreciate the company of another cat. With that being said, if you want a 2nd cat, now would probably be the time to get one...before they get used to being alone. :lol: I agree, two cats aren't much more work, but they are 2x the food, vet bills, etc. Most places now require rabies vaccines each year...even for indoor cats. Our kitty is also neutered and declawed on his front claws. If you choose not to neuter, they will most likely urinate all over the house. We had him declawed because he was constantly tearing up furniture and digging his claws into my leg. These procedures cost quite a bit, but is a one-time thing...I think we spent $100 to declaw/neuter and that was a very inexpensive vet. I also just spent $80 on his vaccines/check-up which is an annual cost. The pros...our kids love him (as do I). We found an incredibly tolerant kitty, which is very necessary in a house full of small kids! He's much easier to take care of than our dog. We can go on short trips (2-3 days tops) and not have to kennel him (just leave extra food/water). Keep his litter clean, feed twice a day, lots of loves and he's very happy! :001_wub: As far as allergies, I'm actually allergic, but I have to be petting him for a long time or have him right in my face to have any reaction...Usually it's just itchy, watery eyes. Maybe visit a friend with a cat or two and see how they react? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I have heard it's better to have two because they have company. My cats always bonded with each other and would lay together and groom one another. Cats are herd animals, right? At one time, we had 4. The only bad parts were lots of litter pan cleaning and vet expenses. Eventually all of our kitties passed away. I felt so sorry for the last one. She was elderly and just stayed in my son's room all the time. I think she preferred his company. I miss having cats. We have two dogs now. Now THAT is a handful of work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 (edited) Two years ago we got two kittens from a litter. Best move we've ever made. We'd always had single cats, but two litter mates are awesome! - They play together at night so you don't have to. - There is a lot less fighting over the kittens by the children, and the kittens get more breathing space from excited kids because there are two of them to go around. - They curl up and sleep together (until they get too big to both fit on the chair) - They groom each other - Cats require very little vet attention after the initial neutering/spaying. It's completely different than dogs. I've never, ever heard of any vaccines for cats. Sounds crazy, unless your by-law officer can sniff you out and fine you. - Cat food isn't expensive. You can always go the food scraps route, too. - The litter box does fill up quicker, so keep on top of it. Edited July 24, 2012 by wintermom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 We got 2 kittens from the same litter years ago. 2 can be a lot of fun, but at some point, one went crazy and started trying to kill the other one. They were fine and fun as kittens, and then who knows what happened. ANYWAY, it was HORRIBLE. The cat was so crazy, the vet actually told us to put him down. Then the other one was all abused acting after that. So, people will tell you that if you get neutered siblings as kittens and raise them together, they won't have those aggression issues. But it's not true. I think 2 kittens are a lot of fun, but you are taking a risk. 2 animals in one house are always going to have some dominance issues, and sometimes it can get ugly. I'm sure we're an extreme example, but it does happen. At the very least don't get 2 because you think they need company, because they may end up hating each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 One more thing, as far as allergies go you don't always know until you have a cat living in the house. The worst thing is sleeping in a room with a cat, so if you can keep the cat out of bedrooms at all times, it's a good thing. But...good luck with that :lol:! Do your kids have ANY allergies at all? Because then they are more likely to be allergic to animals too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto4 Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. They are all so helpful. I think we will try to go and play with some kittens to see about allergies (my kids have no known allergies, so that may be a good sign!) and I think two is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 I'd go with two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniBlondes Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Definitely go with 2. Instead of driving you crazy when they're trying to play, they will play with each other. It's a huge help. I would recommend 2 litter boxes though. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 You might consider making a trip to your local pound and spend a while in the cat room. That could very well give you an idea if your kids have allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Actually, according to several veterinary behaviorists (the ones that are veterinarians, then go on and get additional schooling in animal behavior...there are only a limited number in the country actually), the VERY best thing to do is to get a Mama cat and her kitten. That will almost totally eliminate any behavioral problems in the kitten, because the mama cat will teach the kitten how to act. So you avoid the crazy biting phase, etc that kittens go through because mama teaches them manners for you. EVERY behaviorist I've spoken to (and I was attending a lot of behavior lectures for a number of years) suggests this as the ideal way to go. Plus, you get to feel good about adopting the mama too, as most people just want the kittens. Cats have a matriarchal society, so this really does work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 We've always had 2 cats. I would definitely get litter mates if you could! How fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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