So, I still intend to adopt a cat/kitten. But because of summer finances, I’ve had to postpone it a little while.
Now this other opportunity has come up: a friend currently has 3 cats. Two have always been inside cats, and are fixed, declawed (so they cannot become outdoor cats in any way), trained and the like. They are about 2 years old, have all shots, and will be taken to the vet for a checkup before they are adopted by anyone. If I don’t take them, she doesn’t know yet if they will end up at the shelter or what.
Her other cat she got as a kitten this spring as a gift for her fiance. Well, turns out that he’s allergic to cats. The newest one, still having his claws (and because they will be living on a farm), can be be an outside cat. But she is going to have to get rid of the older two.
These two are from the same litter, they’ve always been together. If I decide to take them, what can I expect when trying to adjust them to a new home?
I know that adult cats are calmer than kittens, so that may be better for me (since I’m now postponing until after fall classes start, and I won’t necessarily have large amounts of time to spend with a kitten). It does, however, mean taking on 2 cats instead of just one. Seriously though, advice on adopting adult cats? Will they always miss her or will they get attached to me?
Two cats is good. In many ways it’s better than one, because they provide companionship and entertainment for one another. Ordinary two new adults would fight a lot in the first few weeks as they get to know each other, but if these two already know each other then there’ll be a lot less of that. You avoid the craziness and destruction of a kitten (you wouldn’t believe how many things a two-pound ball of fluff can get into). They’ll miss their old home for a little while, but they should adapt to the new and warm up to you.
I’ve adopted adult cats in the past and they’ve worked out very well and happily. I’ve always had cats, so in general I’ve been bringing new cats into a household with existing cats which has taken a bit more adjustment, so I doubt that bringing two cats who already know each other into a new place without existing cats is likely to be difficult.
It takes adult cats a bit longer than kittens to adjust to changes, and depending on the personality of the cats involved it might take a few weeks. But if they’ve been happy with their previous owner they can be happy with you. Yes, they’ll probably miss her, but cats are very adaptable, and if you give them space and time to make the adjustment it could work out very well. Because there are two of them it might take them longer to bond with you, because they will have each other to rely on, so you might have to make a concious effort to spend some time with each cat separately to help you get to know each other. Despite the prevailing theories on the subject, I tend to think that cats are better with some cat company, they only pretend to be loners, so I think two cats is a good idea.
The only thing I would say though is make sure you actually like the cats in question, cats are individuals and if you’re not attracted to their personalities you’re going to be stuck with them for a good long time.
And depending on the type of cat, I wouldn’t necessarily rely on two-year olds being that much calmer than a kitten.
Good luck, it could work out very well for you and the cats.
Very good advice from the others. Are the cats friendly to you when you visit them? Do they have any current medical problems?
If you take them, they may have a period of adjustment to their new circumstances; it’s a good idea to keep them in a small section of the house (a guest bedroom, for example) for several days, until they can become accustomed to the new noises and smells of the house. Pamper them for awhile, giving them little treats at mealtime. Don’t push affection on them: sit in the room sometimes, maybe reading on the bed or something, but let them come to you if they want to be stroked. And don’t leave anything in the room that you don’t want to be peed on: although they may have no litterbox issues, you don’t want to bet your heirloom quilt on that.
A cat behavior expert once told me that cats were like your sixty-year-old autistic Aunt Mabel: they are obsessive about their routine, friendly and calm unless the unexpected happens. Moving will definitely be unexpected, and you should be prepared for readjustment. Eventually, though, they should get used to their new home; and if you’re as loving and caring toward them as their previous owners were, they should return the favor.
