Getting 2 12 Week Old Kittens

[altairose]

I'm still trying to decide what type of cat(s) would fit me best.

I have a friend who has a litter of kittens, and they are 12-13 weeks right now. I'm thinking about getting 2 of them.

1) Any difference between boy/boy, boy/girl and girl/girl pairings?

2) Do you need 2 of everything? - 2 litterboxes, 2 water bowls, 2 food bowls, etc.

3) Feeding schedule - I've heard 3 times a day is best. Would this work? Morning (6-8am), Evening (6pm), Night (11pm) meals of wet cat food (how much?) and leaving dry kibble available either freely or in puzzles during the daytime.

 

[LTS3]

Twelve week old kittens are rapidly growing so they eat a lot of food. And they have little tummies. It's best to free feed kittens as much as they want to eat. Most people leave a bowl of dry food out and also provide canned food meals.

The general rule is one litter box for each cat plus one extra. So for 2 cats you should have three litter boxes. If you live in a very small place, you might be able to get away with just one box as long as you scoop at least twice daily.

Each cat should have their own food bowls. They may decide to eat out of the same bowl They can share one large water bowl.

Toys can be shared.

You need a carrier for each cat.

Any kitten in need of a home is best A lot of people are dead set on a specific breed for various reasons but there's nothing wrong at all with a domestic cat. If you're not into dealing with long fur maintenance, a short haired cat would be best.

 

[She's a witch]

Ask your friend which pair of kittens get along the best so far, or spend some time in their presence and observe for yourself, it doesn’t really matter if they’re 2boys/2girls etc. But if you choose a boy and a girl make sure they are spayed/neutered as early as possible. Neutering is cheaper than spaying if money is a factor.

When it comes to feeding schedule, well it depends on your kittens and to what they are accustomed now, but as a general rule they have to eat as much as possible without limitation until they stop growing. 3 times a day of wet and available dry sound great. Ask your friend what do they currently get and feed that, then gradually change into what you want.
My female cat will only eat small portions of wet food so even if they are adults, I still feed them 5 times a day (7am, 10am, 6pm, 8pm and 11pm) as I don’t feed dry at all. So you will need to see what works the best for you and your kittens.

I started with 2 litter boxes but reduced to one as they’re doing great with one, but cats have their own preferences so you need to observe and react.

 

[altairose]

Also, I'm concerned that if I get 2 bonded littermates, they'll have bonded to each other and will be hard to bond to me and my significant other... Thoughts?

 

[nunnc84]

Also, I'm concerned that if I get 2 bonded littermates, they'll have bonded to each other and will be hard to bond to me and my significant other... Thoughts?

Hmm..The kittens will always have each other..yes. They will both have you. I agree with the comments above. Spend time with them, male/male, female/female, male/female...follow your heart.

 

[basschick]

Also, I'm concerned that if I get 2 bonded littermates, they'll have bonded to each other and will be hard to bond to me and my significant other... Thoughts?

i've had pairs of cats before, and they loved me, too. and unless you're home all the time - as in one of you works at home and you never take vacations together - it would probably be better for the cats if you adopted littermates.

btw, i've had better luck with f/f cat pairs - in my experience, which may not apply to you, there's less jockeying to be top cat in the pecking order. not none, but definitely less.

 

[marmoset]

Just go and observe. We adopt out pairs of siblings very frequently at the shelter and the results are so good. A bonded pair or even a pair of young kittens being introduced tends to go over better than adopting a single kitten because they keep each other entertained when humans do the things they need to do...like sleep!!!

I'd recommend having a litter box on each floor of the home and if it's a one-level home have two for now. You might want to add a third later. At this age kittens are prone to diarrhea and making a big mess with litter. Kittens are messy and stay that way until they reach 6 or 7 months old.

Keep in mind you will have two teething cats so prepare now before you bring them home- put cord protectors on your computer cords, invest in steel wrapped iphone charging cables etc.

Those first two years can be a lot to handle but enjoy it as best you can because they grow out of it eventually and you will miss all the mischievousness.