Adopting Just One Kitten

Truth be told, I’m usually surprised when someone wants to adopt just one kitten … especially when they don’t have any other cats in their home.

How can you pick out just one of these cutie pies?

 

And practically speaking, wouldn’t you want another fur-ball to use up some of that kitten energy? Otherwise, that’s all on YOU … at 6 am, 11 am, 3 pm, 7 pm, 11 pm (hello kitten crazy time!) and then, yes again at 3 am!

Recently, however, I’m starting to see the lure of just having one kitten. Many of you know that I am fostering little Kandy … the FeLV and FIV positive, ball of energy and cuteness, with a ginormous will to live, cutie-pie.

She has to be kept separate from all the other cats in the house (FeLV is communicable through saliva amongst other bodily fluids). So, sweet Kandy has her own room in the house … a room in the basement that we use for storage, etc. … but, hey, it’s a room with a window and plenty of toys and beds to keep her sorta occupied.

I spend time with her every day. This is where that adopting-just-one-kitten thing comes around again. When I’m in her room there isn’t anything else to do but pay attention to her – no computer, no TV, no laundry, no dirty kitchen … OK, fine, sometimes the iPhone does go with me. Still, this alone-time may result in her being known as Princess Kandy because I can only pay attention to her while I’m there – all 2.5 lbs of her.

Anyway, I start to notice things like:

• She moves her whiskers more than any cat I’ve observed. No, really – up, down, forward, backward … and they have this huge, beautiful span … like her own personal fan.

• Most things scare her at first (more than a “regular” kitten) – and she’ll RUN to her safety spot (under a bookshelf).
• She won’t eat wet food with turkey in it … not even if you add sardines or tuna to it. And she’ll delay eating any wet food unless it has some NutraCal on top.
• She drinks from the water bowl with her paws … and therefore makes a mess every single day. Silly kitten.
• Her legs are super long … I guess this is probably a growth spurt – but sometimes she just looks funny … with a funny little run because those legs cover more distance than her body/brain thought possible. Ha! Love it!
• She’ll run and jump and then look around. Almost like she is looking for her fur-ball friend to join her. *sigh*

So, I ask, why would you only want one of these amazing little beings?

Now, clearly, I’m not advocating that everyone go out and adopt every kitten they can find. But, consider what joy you’d bring to a kitten (or cat!) if you had at least two.

Double the whiskers, double the running, double the water-bowl antics, double the funny kitten run when their legs get too long, and double the purring/cuddling/love time. And, there may not be anything better than a cat/kitten on each side of you while you drift off to sleep (after they are done with the 3 am kitten-crazies, of course).

So, while I respect individual situations – please consider a pair of kittens the next time you are ready to add the tiny-fur-ball kind to your household.

I’m pretty sure you’ll thank me later. 🙂