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[psychdiva]

We may be adopting a kitten (or two) this week. There is a litter in a foster home near us - five kitties, age 8-9 weeks, plus the mama cat. Some sources on the Internet recommend waiting until the kitty is at least 12-14 weeks to adopt, to allow for sufficient exposure to mother and siblings, while others say that 8 weeks is old enough. Cat mavens, what are your thoughts about the optimal age for adoption?

A few other questions:

 - Has anyone bought one of those new-fangled automatic litterboxes that you hook into the house's plumbing system? Any reviews?

 - Our vet recommended keeping them in one room of the house for a few weeks until they get used to their new surroundings, and then gradually letting them have the run of larger and larger portions of the house - so they don't get lost and/or unable to retrace their steps back to their food and litterbox. So I'm trying to decide which room to use. Carpeted bathroom? Carpeted home office with bookshelves, plants and knic-knacks? (It's been so long since I had a kitten that I don't remember whether they tear the place apart...)

 - Beloved Kitty (now deceased) slept on my pillow every night. If we get two kitties, will they be OK sleeping together in a room other than our bedroom until they have the run of the house?

Any other advice would be appreciated.

[dept_geek]

Any other advice would be appreciated

Post pictures :-)   and have fun.. It's too easy to get stressed over the "right" thing with a kitten(s).

The room - some place that feels safe.. little traffic, a place that can get to regardless (of age, time, etc) if they feel stressed.

The kitties will sleep where they feel safe.

My cats just love their litter box.. they feel obligated to dig and make a mess often..

As to age, I adopted on at 14 weeks, the other at 6. No problems that I noticed. Much depends on you.

[systeme_d_]

I've always been told that waiting until 12 weeks to adopt gives the kitten sufficient time to develop his/her immune system, and learn how to interact with other cats.  I've also always heard that it is absolutely best to adopt kittens in pairs.

- I have no information about automatic litterboxes.

- I am sure they'll do fine in their own room.  (I don't let our little guy in our bedroom to sleep and he's always been fine with that.)

[gennimom]

I rescued my 15 (nearly 16) year old cat when she was 4 days old. Other cats have been adopted at various ages. If you adopt two, I think they'll keep each other company and can be adopted younger. When we adopted Gilly and Obie, they had the run of the house from the start. The main problem for them was getting used to the other older cats. Toufe was kept upstairs just until she received a clean bill of health from the vet. After that she was only kept upstairs for a few days during the time we were gone from home.

I think this is something you need to play by ear. See what your kitties like!

[kedves]

I think a larger room would be better than a small one--as long as there are no nooks and crannies that one could get stuck in or fall into.  (A kitten of mine got stuck in the pipe opening behind the stand of a pedestal sink on his first night in his new home, so I'm always concerned about that sort of thing.)  They will have more room to explore and play.  You could also change rooms in a few days to.  A few weeks in one room sounds like a long time to me, but do whatever you feel comfortable with.  If you have two, they will have each other for company, and you can provide yarn, paper bags to hide in, the things that kittens like. 

With the litterboxes, I looked into the automatic-flush version at one time and decided against it.  They are expensive and the reviews on Amazon were mixed.  This one looks good to me and it's what I plan to buy if I add a cat. 

Have fun!

[oseph]

I've also always heard that it is absolutely best to adopt kittens in pairs.

Perhaps the truest statement of all time.

Don't forget that kitties, young and old, love to chew.  Wires, earplugs, iPod earphones, yum, yum, yum.

I highly recommend Soft Paws (Google it) if you have furniture you don't watch scratched to pieces.  They actually work if you are vigilant about replacing them as they fall off.

[sonnet_sequence]

When we got our second kitty, we kept him in our large bathroom to start. He was happy to be in a small space for a few days, with his own blankie to snuggle in, but after a couple of days he got curious and slipped under the bathroom door (the door had an 1 1/2 gap at the bottom) and under the bedroom door to break free. I do think you just go with what kitty wants!

[msparticularity]

Back when we had a rescue mom cat with kittens, our vet told us 8-10 weeks if they were going together, or 12+ if they would be separated. 

And with new kittens we've generally let them sleep with someone from the start--us or Daughter. The only exception was Sophie, who came to us completely feral. We kept her in our master bathroom for about 3 weeks, until she settled down enough to allow into the bedroom as well as the bathroom.

[psychdiva]

Thanks so much for your posts - this is so helpful.

Another question...

Beloved Kitty was a spayed female. She had the most wonderful smell, like warm summer air. If we get boy kitties, they will be neutered when old enough to have the operation. The only boy cats I've known were unneutered males and they had an unpleasantly funky odor, urine-like but with a touch of rotting musk or perhaps road-kill skunk. I don't know whether that was particular to those intact boys or related to their intact state or just what boy cats smell like. Do neutered males necessarily smell, um, hormonally ripe?

[wilbrish]

I have only had neutered males and they do not smell.  The one I had who groomed constantly was fresh as a daisy.  He does do one funny thing: He "pretends" to spray.  Stands by furniture, tail goes up, wiggles, scary!  But nothing comes out.

[systeme_d_]

Our little (neutered) dude does not have a musky or urine-y odor at all.
(Well, his breath reeked once, but that turned out to be because he was sick.)

[geonerd]

I have 2 male cats. The funky smell went away after they were neutered.

[collegekidsmom]

No male cat I've had(all neutered )has ever had an odor. I have never seen one pretend to spay. Also, we do not lets cats sleep in the bedroom and they are perfectly happy. We now have one male cat(got him at 12 weeks) and he seems perfectly happy as an "only." However, he is attached to me and runs to the door when I get home and sometimes just looks at me and purrs. So, maybe if he had a friend he wouldn't revolve his world around me(or so it seems). He wants me to play with him or talk to him, etc.  He acts more like a dog that way.

 So, as far as one or two -or where they sleep, that is up to you, and what kind of cats they end up being in terms of personality. Also, vet bills seem to cost a lot these days and might be a factor for some people in making decisions about numbers of pets.

[jackalope]

I've also always heard that it is absolutely best to adopt kittens in pairs.

Perhaps the truest statement of all time.

Third. The cats entertain one another and generally behave better even when older.

[scheherazade]

I've also always heard that it is absolutely best to adopt kittens in pairs.

Perhaps the truest statement of all time.

Third. The cats entertain one another and generally behave better even when older.

Yes.  Especially since you have the opportunity to adopt littermates, which is the best possible scenario.  They will already be bonded and you won't have to go through the introduction drama.

Before I got our kitties (we have littermates, a boy and a girl), I did a bit of research to help me decide whether to get one or two.  The research came down firmly on the side of two.  They socialize better, they are calmer, less needy, happier, less likely to pee outside the litterbox, less likely to scratch up furniture, handle human absences better (for work, vacations, etc.)...you name it.

Once upon a time we had a single male cat.  He was needy and neurotic, despite our very best efforts.  Now we have two, and our male cat is very much like our former cat in inclination - he has the potential to be extra needy and crazy - but when he gets that way, he seeks out his sister for wrestling, grooming, or whatever makes him feel better.  Plus, it's just fun to watch two play!

I don't use the SoftPaws, but I do clip their claws regularly.  Start doing it a week after you get them, and continue to do it once a week or so, so they will allow you to do it when they get older.

Have at least two litterboxes for them when they get the run of the house.  That should head off most elimination problems.