My Pet World: What to do when the 'quick' is at the end of the nail

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Jul 27, 2022

I have two male kittens that are around 14 to 15 weeks old. I would say they are bonded, but I have been thinking of giving one to someone since it has been hard to find a place to live with two. They do sleep together, but is there any possibility they could be separated?

— Talan, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Dear Talan,

I am so glad you are thinking about the impact this decision will have on your felines. People often think cats like to be alone, but they are actually social animals who often want to be in the company of other felines.

If your cats had lived together for many months or years, I would say please leave them together; a sudden separation could cause behavior issues and depression for both cats. They would suddenly feel lost without the other. To them, it would feel as if the other one had died. For this reason, animal shelters and rescue groups work very hard to place bonded pairs together.

Since they are both still kittens (under six months), they will likely adjust more easily to being separated. They will still miss each other, but they tend to adjust better at this age to new life circumstances. (Like humans, change is easier to handle in our youth.)

Having said that, I am a big advocate of having at least two pets, so they have a companion when you’re not home. So, before you decide, call around to potential rental spaces to determine their policies on having two cats. Most rentals accept two pets these days. It’s when you have three pets or more that you usually begin having problems renting a home with pets.

========

(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)