Adopting siblings a bad idea?

[Freedom]

I have Tommy and Tuppence, from the same litter.

Over the weekend, I attended the RI Pet Expo, and was chatting with someone from one of the larger cat rescues in our area. They NEVER permit litter mates to be adopted together, as they tend to fight as they age. Doesn't matter same or opposite sex, no exceptions, litter mates can NOT stay together.

I'd never heard or read this. Anyone else?

[pomtzu]

I NEVER heard anything like that before. :confused: My son adopted twin girls from Petsmart, and they never fight, and they're about 6 years old now. They have very different personalities, but they get along just fine. :D

[GILL]

That is the crazest thing I have ever heard.
Our Mits and Peak are litter mates. Sweety is the mother and Boots is from a 2nd litter.
These two never fight. A friend has 3 from the same litter. NO PROBLEMS at all.

[Coda'sMommy]

I've also NEVER heard of this! I'd say it's a load of HOOEY! I had 2 of Coda's Aunt's for about 4 yrs. They were from the same litter but looked SOOOOOOOO different you wouldn't think they were even related. Sugar was a calico and Babe was a Siamese mix, both females. They were even feral until they were about 5-6 weeks old. They loved each other! Though they stayed semi-feral. They did end up getting attached to my ex-boyfriend who they still live with. The other sibbling pair I had were Double and Trouble, male and female. The bond between them was so strong that when Double disappeared, Trouble only stayed about a week then ran away (they were inside/outside kitties out on the farm). Trouble missed her so bad he decided not to stay without her.

[Prairie Purrs]

Lily and Hagrid have some minor issues from time to time (he'll stare at her, she'll hiss and growl, he'll chase her upstairs), but nothing serious happens. And they're almost nine years old. I've never noticed their little spats being any more frequent or more serious than those that occur between any other pair of cats around here.

Most of the time, no worries. It's part of Lily's morning ritual to insist that Hagrid lick the top of her head.

[sasvermont]

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d726b3127ccec25a0570bb0300000010O00IZuWzNo3bsQ e3nwI/cC/f%3D0/ps%3D50/r%3D0/rx%3D550/ry%3D400/

Gee, I have never heard of siblings having problems. Graemer and Miley, in the photo were brother and sister, same litter, and were best of friends. Both are RB kitties now, sorry to say.

[catmandu]

I have read many Pet Talkers accounts of having Cats from the same litters and they are great pals , and theres no more fighting than there is between Cats that are not related.
This sounds like an old wives tale to me!!!
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[lvpets2002]

:eek: What What that is Crazy.. We do Adoptions all the time with LitterMates.. I have never heard that before..

[orangemm]

We adopted Archy & Binky from Petsmart, too. They were advertised as "brothers", but I'm not sure about that. They are close as brothers and we've never had a problem with them. Sure they have their little skirmishes, but nothing major; just normal scuffling.

We had female littermates and they got along fine; both lived until they were 17.

[Taz_Zoee]

Yes, siblings fight. I know I did with mine.
But that's just silly to not adopt them out together. The shelter I work with adopts out kittens from the same litter together.

[happylabs]

Nope. Never heard that one before. Tinky and Mack are brother and sister and Mamma is their natural mom. They don't fight at all. Every now and then a swat over food bowls or a toy but that is it.

[kuhio98]

I'm so glad that the rescue we adopted Willy and Willow from don't feel that way. They are the best of friends. I don't know what Willy would do without Willow. He adores her and relies on her for comfort when he's feeling scared.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/kuhio98/Willow%20and%20Willy/April019.jpg

[DJFyrewolf36]

My parents had littermates when I was younger. Tiggus and Crybaby never got into nothing more than a minor cat spat and dad was convinced they plotted things together lol. They both lived to be over 18 yrs old too! I think if two cats are going to get along, they'll get along and if they won't then they wont. I do think cats are social creatures and if they are with another cat from the start I think the odds are better that theyll get along.

Maybe they figure not adopting out littermates together is a way to prevent hoarding too :confused:

[carole]

I think it just depends on their purssonalitys really, i have rescued a mother and daughter, and sadly the mother is always fighting with her sweet daughter, she will go and attack her while sleeping just for the heck of it, it is as if she wants her to leave,it is not constant, but annoying at times, i often have to rescue poor Nikki, mother has bitten her on the nose before and bottom, she does fight back, and is a bigger cat than her mother, but she just seems to let mother be the boss.

However my uncle has two siblings a girl and a boy cat and they are the best of mates, so it just depends on the individual kitty i guess.

[Freedom]

Thanks for the reality check, everyone. I thought I was losing my mind, I had never heard of this either.

I can't imagine why they do this, and as I say, they are one of the larger cat rescues in this area. Hmmm. I may pursue this with them, after I have a "fight" with my brother, and break up Tommy and Tuppence's snug fest. :D

[kitten645]

Calvin & Hobbes are brofurs. I think it's like any siblings. Sometimes they get along and snuggle. Sometimes they just want their personal space. I think putting up silly barriers like this wouldn't encourage multiple adoptions and hurt the kitties trying to find furever homes. I would think it would be harder for two cats that are "strangers" to learn to get along.
Claudia

[Catlady711]

I haven't read all the replies, but I've never heard of someone not adopting out sibs before.

I have Pooky & Bear (brothers I got at 4 weeks old) and they sometimes get on each other's nerves but I wouldn't say they fight. Bear is a cuddler and will snuggle up with Pooky and nap.

I have the 3 sibs (Sassy, Sabrina, Josh) 2 females, 1 male. They do sometimes actually fight. Mostly when someone goes to the vet and smells different. The fighting is usually instigated by Sabrina (named at 2 weeks old after a witch mind you since she's a torti) and Josh (who is just a bully when he's upset). None of the 3 of them ever truly cuddle, but will sometimes wash each other, or lay next to each other without incident. They do play together but sometimes it gets too rough and I have to break it up.

I think it's more of a personality thing myself.

[Medusa]

My first "official" rescues were Peeka and Boo, sister and brother. They were like one cat, inseparable. Peeka went to the Bridge at age 14 w/acute renal failure and Boo (now 18) was so protective and comforting to her that it made me cry. I said to him once "Go comfort your sister; she needs some cuddling" and he immediately went to her, laid down next to her, put his arm around her and from that point didn't leave her side. When I took her in to make her trip to the Bridge, Boo was simply lost and he looked for her for days and would sit in the middle of the room and just stare. If I was still actively involved in rescue/adoption, I'd take in siblings in a heartbeat. You give and receive twice as much happiness that way. :)

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

This sounds like an old wives tale to me!!!
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I agree 100%!! That was my first thought too :rolleyes:

[emily_the_spoiled]

I adopted a pair of brother (Ptolemy and Newton). Ptolemy is blind in one eye and only has 70% vision in the other eye and when they first came to me, Newton would act as a "seeing eye cat". Even when I have adopted other blind kittens, Newton will play the same role with them until the adjust to the place.

[Grace]

My son and d-i-l adopted a brother and sister 5 years ago. They don't quarrel anymore or less than unrelated cats might.

Sounds like a lot of hooey to me :confused:

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've never heard of this either. I've actually heard of many rescue groups that prefer to adopt siblings together because sometimes one of them is very shy and they need to remain with their sibling to help them feel more secure.

I've never adopted siblings but my Storm and Pearl used to be inseparable and now they only seem to tolerate each other. They used to cuddle all the time but now this is very rare.

[catnapper]

I've never heard of any such thing. Abby and Harry are littermates and are perfectly fine together. They don't fight at all. Never. Ever. Very odd thing for them to do.

[Catty1]

I hope that lady can get a copy of this thread. Who knows how much easier it would be for the org to find good furrever homes if they threw this nonsense out?

[smokey the elder]

My rescue group has adopted out many pairs over the last 8 years. Sure, sometimes they fight. Minnie and Diva (not the CH one; new owner's names) were adopted together.

[Lilith Cherry]

I currently have two 7 yr old cat sisters who are lost and heartbroken without each other.. they occassionally disagree but not for long and soon are loving again. In the past I had two brothers from the same litter who were also just as loving and attached as my girls.. The boys lived to 18 and 20 and the one left behind was really distressed by his brothers death. I think the rescue is talking rubbish!

[catmandu]

And I soon will be taking in Ebony Beau Tubster the son of Tubster Panther.
I am more sure of the lineage as they are both black with brown undercoating.
They fight a bit now , but that make change with Ebony Beau Tubsters surgery.:eek::eek::eek: Dont remind me croies Ebony Beau Tubster.:eek::eek:

[CultureJunky]

I've never heard of that before either, seems an odd thing to say. Often rescues try to encourage you to take more than one so they have eachother for company. Jack and Sunny were related and loved eachother to bits. I'd always take two from the same litter, they may develop different personalities but I've never heard of litter mates not liking eachother and fighting to the point where it's stressful and causes problems.

[phesina]

I've never heard of that either, Sandie. Which rescue was it? I wonder if that was just an idea the person you spoke with had or if it is an actual policy of the rescue (and if it is, WHY?).

[moosmom]

That is THE most absurd thing I have ever heard of. Littermates have a bond. Like any cats, there are spats. But a bad idea??? Heck no!!

[Zippy]

Never heard of that.I have heard that it is better to adopt siblings.Zippy and her brother Tiger(RB)got along great.Better then her and Pumpkin do.