Why Adopting Two Kittens is Better Than One: Twice the Love for Less Work
PUBLISHED July 18th, 2020 05:00 am | UPDATED July 23rd, 2020 10:00 am
Our friends at Project LUNI typically put kittens up for adoption in pairs – to the disappointment of potential adopters looking to only adopt one. If you’re wondering why – besides potentially saving another life since not every kitten finds her fur-ever home right away – here’s the story:
Socialisation: Learning How to Cat
Kittens go through their socialisation phase in the first three to four months of life; this is when they learn to distinguish good from bad on all levels. They mostly learn from their mom and siblings how to be a “proper” cat – how to groom each other, how to play and “hunt”, how hard (not) to bite, how to play wrestle and chase each other, and how to be comfortable with other animals and humans. Fosterers at Project LUNI try to expose them to different situations: noises, adults, children, potentially dogs, so they learn to be familiar with them. However, the most important is contact with their litter mates.
While kittens are weaned at around eight weeks and seem very independent, their development is far from over! Another cat gives them something humans can never supply – someone of their own species that understands how they like to play, a buddy to chase through the house, a warm friend to snuggle up to when they are left alone at home during the day or during holidays, and a furry sibling to groom them in places they cannot reach themselves.
In apartments, where they have no chance to be part of another social cat group, they will be much happier and balanced if they can get adopted with a litter mate or even a kitten from another litter.
Keeping Each Other Stimulated (and Entertained)
Kittens taken too early from their mom or siblings and then living alone in a household, may ask for a lot of attention, which may take an aggressive or annoying turn. We have heard of cats chasing and attacking feet and hands or meowing excessively for attention – leading to unhappy humans and many problems down the road.
Plus, watching two kittens play is hilarious and because they entertain each other, there’s less work for us humans. There’s also less guilt on days we’re out at work, shopping, or just want to go to bed without a play session (as much as they should be part of a daily routine).
Mums Need Love Too
Another option that the folks at Project LUNI hope more potential adopters will consider is adopting a mum-kitten pair. How great is it that you get a babysitter included?
Unfortunately, it’s more often than not that people are more than happy to take the kittens but not the mum when pregnant cats or cats with newborns are taken in – which is terribly sad. At Project LUNI, the rule of thumb is that the mum would get adopted with her last kitten – resulting in a longer wait. During the last few months, they took in seven mums and their kittens, and six of them are still with the non-profit organisation.
One thing to know is that most of the mothers themselves are under a year old and barely out of kittenhood.
For those who’d really like to adopt one cat, Project LUNI has several sweet adult strays that seem to be very happy to chill out at home alone. Some older kittens (over the age of six months) that have an independent streak and seem to be happier with humans than other kittens can also be adopted alone if the fosterer thinks it suits their character.
Project LUNI is a Singapore-registered non-profit organization that has been saving street cats and kittens since 2017. Founded by Nina Heusler-Astolfi and Lukas Heusler, the project focuses on four pillars: Rehoming kittens, daily feeding of street cats, Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) and medical care for street cats. Together with a passionate team of volunteers they successfully rehomed 117 cats in 2019 and have also sterilised more than 400 cats since their inception.
All of Project LUNI’s kittens and cats are vaccinated, dewormed and treated against fleas and mites if necessary. They have visited a vet for at least one full health check and will give you the vaccination booklet at the adoption date. Mostly, Project LUNI understands how important it is to socialise and shower them with love so they will make a perfect family member and are happy to live in a home before putting them up for adoption.
Check out the latest adoption posts on their Facebook and Instagram pages and in our weekly newsletter. Project LUNI also provides regular tips on how to care for your felines on their socials, so you’re welcome to drop them a message if you have any questions.
Images courtesy of @marzelphoto.
