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A litter can have longhaired and shorthaired cats, tabbies and calicoes, a random mix or a kitten who looks a lot like a purebred parent. Each kitten has an equal potential to be a delightful companion. But it also means that littermates are not necessarily well matched.
Getting two siblings, even from a purebred litter, will not guarantee that we will have two cat buddies. There are many disappointed people who thought getting siblings would help cat compatibility, only to discover they have two mismatched cats.
Growing up together from a young age will usually result in cats who at least tolerate each other, if only because of familiarity. But not always. The random mixing of traits can create cats with differing management styles, differing energy levels, and differing concepts of what is fun.
My two older cats, Mr. Bond and Puffy, became my cats because of this variable expression of traits. They were the rejected kittens from their litter. Their siblings were cuddly, friendly, and appealing right away. Mr. Bond and Puffy needed a little help to show their true, lovely, nature.
This is because genes are only tendencies. It’s the environment that will activate them. Mr. Bond and Puffy needed socialization training, which allowed them to acquire what their littermates had already achieved. But it couldn’t, and didn’t, change their essential nature. Mr. Bond, a Beta, can make friends with other compatible cats, and be friendly with visitors. Puffy, a Gamma, prefers to hide from all new beings he encounters. Yet both managed to find a happy niche with the many other cats they lived with during their formative years.
So don’t take home siblings to be companions unless we have other reasons to think these cats would get along. For help in figuring this out, read my articles about cat types, and once we find our favorite type, then we can bring home two kittens.
With confidence.
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My two sibling cats tended to totally ignore each other. They woiuld sleep in diffderent parts of the house and apart from meal times were rarely in the same room. However, when one of them died recently the other seemed lost and went around the house looking for the other cat.
Hello. I have a somewhat small problem. I have 2 cats and 3 kittens. My 2 cats came from the same litter and I think they bred and created my 3 kittens. I was always sure that my boy and girl had different fathers because they are different breeds. Kiara (the girl) is a tortoise shell tabby looking cat and Umbrion (the boy) is a tuxedo. Their Mother was grey. My kittens seem healthy (though they are only a few days old) but one is grey, one is whole black and one is white with black patches (like a cow). None look like the Kiara but do have the colours of Umbrion. Also I am quite familiar with the cats in my neighbourhood and none are male black and white. Will my kittens have problems if Kiara and Umbrion did…do the nasty? Would I know by now? Is this normal? (Normal for siblings to breed). Thank you in advance for your input. Sincerly, Krystelle.
Hello Krystelle,
Since they are siblings, the genetic mix would not be as varied as it would be if they didn’t share half their genes. I wouldn’t be enthused about breeding them.
Cats have a lot of genes for how the coat colors and patterns are expressed. These genes can “lurk” and come out when they find a new mix of genetic material to work from, even from their grandparents or great-grandparents.
As much as you love them, I would avoid breeding them. Get them fixed, and if you want more kittens, there are plenty to choose from.
I took in a stray female and she had a litter, six total, two gray, one amber tabby and three black tabbies.
My ? is what is the likelyhood of the brother/sister of this litter. one of the grey and the amber tabby have the same white marking on the nose, can I assume they are from the same male? Also the other grey very differnet in structure, almost seems alot more delicate then the others, can I assume he has a different father?
Well, it’s hard to tell, but similar markings can indicate similar parentage. And a kitten markedly different from the siblings would suggest a big infusion of Some Other Genes.
It is always amazing to me how strong breed traits show up in cats with decidedly mixed pedigrees. In nature, breeds regress to reflect “the original state.” Dogs wind up looking like a medium-sized yellow jackal type quite often, and cats drift towards the brown tabby.
It would seem that plenty of breeds or half-breeds are allowed to roam around unaltered, for shelters to wind up with such a variety of cats with recognizable breed indicators. Which is sad. One would think that a person who paid money for a breed of cat would be more cognizant of good cat care.
But it certainly creates a variety to choose from. Best wishes for getting everyone homes! You might want to check out my Cat Types to help the new adopters have a better idea of the Cat They Will Become.
And bless you for taking in a cat who sure needed you.
i just just wondering my cat had 6 babys her first litter 2 died fast like when they were just born and then the rest died a week later i dont think she was licking there behind good well she got out while in heat for 2 days and i was wondering if she’ll have more this litter or less?
If cats are not fixed, they can be too young at their first heat, and have health problems as you described.
They will get out when they are in heat. It would be best to have your cat spayed; it’s better for her health, too.
We took in a complete litter once, and have done so again. Both times, it was pretty clear that two siblings had the same father, probably not the same as the others. In the latest group, the 2 extremely similar kittens are quite close, often moving as a side-by-side pair in various activities. I would love for the “twins”, as I refer to them, to be adopted, but I would not separate them. Still, these two are clearly divided in their preferences for my husband vs. me as their “primary human”. I wonder why that is?
For those that wonder about a cat and how long she can be in labor. Well i have witnessed with my Lil Wit that they can be in labor for days. She was in labor for over 24 hours. The first two were born at 7am on June 30th and the next kitten was born at exactly 7am on July 1st and following 2 hours later the fourth kitten was born. All kittens and mother are completely healthy and i have been told that Lil Wit had not one litter but two. And all have different fathers,
So I have a cat that just gave birth yesterday to her first litter of kittens. There were 4 kittens. I swear I still feel 1 maybe 2 ‘lumps’ in her belly, the lump feels like a baby kitten. My question is can my cat still have more kittens to deliver, or is it possible that she had 2 different litters and the babies aren’t ready to come out?
There’s any number of problems that could be going on. I would consult a vet.
Thank You. My friend and I disagreed on this issue and you clarified it for us. I win.