Hi
We had a cat for 17 years which we lost in March. And we feel that were ready to get a new one, well two, now.
We want to get two female kittens. Weve found somewhere with a litter of 4 male kittens and 1 female. Theyre all absolutely gorgeous, and the female one in particular is perfect. The problem is she is the runt of the litter and therefore really tiny. The guy wont let her go on her own, he says she wouldnt survive on her own, and says if we want her we have to take one of the boys aswell. We dont really want a boy as weve heard they spray all over the house, and also were worried they might try and mate with each other...
Is this case? or are we worrying about nothing and should just get them??
Does have them neutered, which we would, solve these problems?
Thanks for any help
Ben
Help with brother and sister kittens
Re: Help with brother and sister kittens
How young is young? Ideally a kitten should be weaned and not taken from it's mama until 12 weeks of age ... at the very least.
I would strongly suggest taking two kittens together. There's already a bond between them being littermates and having another cat as a playmate helps with proper behavior and growth.
Definitely, without a doubt, get them spayed and neutered when the time comes. The chances of a neutered male cat spraying are slim, unless there are underlying health reasons. Follow this link below and read up on our kitten health suggestions.
http://www.cathelp-online.com/health
I would strongly suggest taking two kittens together. There's already a bond between them being littermates and having another cat as a playmate helps with proper behavior and growth.
Definitely, without a doubt, get them spayed and neutered when the time comes. The chances of a neutered male cat spraying are slim, unless there are underlying health reasons. Follow this link below and read up on our kitten health suggestions.
http://www.cathelp-online.com/health
Re: Help with brother and sister kittens
How old are the kittens? (they should not be adopted out until at least 12 weeks of age).
Both males and females can spray/mark, both due to stress, territorial issues, inappropriate diet, and health problems. If you followup on their health checkups with your vet, there is little chance for problems.
Neutering will of course, curb the behavior in males.
As for mating, the male can be neutered first, at an age recommended by your vet. Ideally, they should both be spayed/neutered at the same time, and at appropriate ages...I recommend at 6 months of age, but some vets will spay/neuter earlier...I do NOT recommend spaying/neutering before 4-5 months of age, the kittens should be near full development prior to spaying/neutering and at appropriate weights, have an excellent health status, etc.
How small is the female?
As soon as you adopt them, take them IMMEDIATELY to your vet for full health exams (new kitten exams are fairly reasonable in costs, and your vet can give you kitten packs which contain educational material, samples of food, etc). They should be tested for FELV/FIV and their first boosters for vaccinations (depending on their age), dewormed by your vet, etc. Your vet can then discuss their nutritional needs, etc with you.
Having pairs, or sometimes more, affords the cats more comfort, companionship, health and longevity. If the female is really tiny, you will want to watch the male to ensure he isn't too rough with her, etc....your vet can tell you more based on their exams, weights, growth and development, etc.
Both males and females can spray/mark, both due to stress, territorial issues, inappropriate diet, and health problems. If you followup on their health checkups with your vet, there is little chance for problems.
Neutering will of course, curb the behavior in males.
As for mating, the male can be neutered first, at an age recommended by your vet. Ideally, they should both be spayed/neutered at the same time, and at appropriate ages...I recommend at 6 months of age, but some vets will spay/neuter earlier...I do NOT recommend spaying/neutering before 4-5 months of age, the kittens should be near full development prior to spaying/neutering and at appropriate weights, have an excellent health status, etc.
How small is the female?
As soon as you adopt them, take them IMMEDIATELY to your vet for full health exams (new kitten exams are fairly reasonable in costs, and your vet can give you kitten packs which contain educational material, samples of food, etc). They should be tested for FELV/FIV and their first boosters for vaccinations (depending on their age), dewormed by your vet, etc. Your vet can then discuss their nutritional needs, etc with you.
Having pairs, or sometimes more, affords the cats more comfort, companionship, health and longevity. If the female is really tiny, you will want to watch the male to ensure he isn't too rough with her, etc....your vet can tell you more based on their exams, weights, growth and development, etc.
..........Traci
Re: Help with brother and sister kittens
I have four males, none of them spray. My sister has one male and three females and she has caught every single on of them marking her place.
Through all of the many cats I've had... And mind you, this is just my personal experience and may not be the rule overall... I've found male cats to be generally friendlier, better behaved, and LESS LIKELY to spray than females.
In fact, the only cat I have ever personally lived with who sprayed on belongings inside the house was a female cat.
So I definitely wouldn't worry about the male on that account. Personality and upbringing are much much bigger factors in problems like that than gender is.
Absolutely get them both fixed. It will be better for both them and you in every way. And they WILL try to mate with each other at a certain point if you don't. :P
I also reccommend six months of age for fixing cats. That's generally when I first start seeing *beep* behavior, especially from males.
In fact, the only cat I have ever personally lived with who sprayed on belongings inside the house was a female cat.
So I definitely wouldn't worry about the male on that account. Personality and upbringing are much much bigger factors in problems like that than gender is.
Absolutely get them both fixed. It will be better for both them and you in every way. And they WILL try to mate with each other at a certain point if you don't. :P
I also reccommend six months of age for fixing cats. That's generally when I first start seeing *beep* behavior, especially from males.