Single Kitten Syndrome

The dreaded single kitten syndrome

Every rescue has a story like this one: a kitten gets adopted and then returned because it is wild! Bitey! Pouncy! Shreddy! And it happened to us too… but this one is a bit different.

A kitten named Vince got adopted. Two weeks later, the adopters texted the rescue (and this is why we always keep in touch with the adopters) to report that our sweet, shy Vince became an aggressive, predatory nightmare: he hunted children (literally laid in wait for them to attack their feet), and jumped on the adults. He tore a rug. He broke every breakable thing he could reach. Yet somehow he was still finding time to bite his humans as they tried to sleep. Yes, he was getting plenty of playtime. Yes, they only used toys to play with him.

Animals get returned; but we found that if the adopters are willing to work with their animal and have the support of rescues, the returns become less frequent. Most people love their pets and don’t want to give up on them; they only do so when they feel there’s no choice. And most behavioral issues can be improved— but everyone needs to be committed to change.

Thankfully, Vince’s family was down! We talked about feline enrichment (we will be writing more about that in another post!), food-dispensing toys, predatory drive and how to satisfy it… and then we broached the topic. How about another kitten?

Was it risky? Sure; they could have two violent hobgoblins running around! So we settled on a trial: they could foster a kitten, and if it didn’t go well, we would seek an adoption for it elsewhere. But deep down we knew…

And another two weeks later they signed a second adoption contract! Vince and his new sister Betty would stage battle royales, and then nap adorably on their human siblings. No more scratches, no more carpets ripped up by zoomies! No more biting sleeping people!

And if this story didn’t convince you, here’s a great article on why two kittens are better than one!

-Kat

https://www.petplace.com/article/cats/pet-care/should-you-adopt-kittens-in-pairs/