Adopting Two Cat Siblings

One big advantage of adopting two cat siblings is that you the cats will provide each other companionship as they transition into a new environment. This is especially important if you plan to keep your cats indoors, because a lone cat may get bored in a new house while you are at work. Boredom can lead to destructive behaviors, so adopting two sibling cats can help protect your furniture from scratches and your shoes from being chewed. In addition to keeping each other from getting bored, sibling cats also tend to groom each other, so your cats may stay cleaner than they otherwise would.

Taking care of two cats is more expensive than taking care of a single cat, of course, since everything from vet bills to food costs will be essentially double. However, you may end up spending less money overall on some aspects of care because your two cats are likely to be healthier than a lone cat would be. Having another cat around gives each cat more opportunities for exercise, so feline obesity is less likely to be a problem. Sibling cats are more comfortable sharing toys and attention than unrelated cats are, and you don't have to worry about negotiating introductions between two unrelated cats.

If your two cats are different sexes, have them spayed and neutered as soon as possible. Cats do not avoid mating just because they are siblings, so you could end up with a pregnant female cat if you put off getting the cats fixed. Inbred cats can develop health problems, so it is especially important to prevent this possibility.

If one of your cats develops health problems, have the sibling checked for similar problems because some disorders run in families. However, don't make the mistake of thinking your two cat siblings will be alike in personality: In many cases, one sibling cat will be more dominant than the other, especially since they probably established a hierarchy of dominance with their other littermates shortly after birth.