Posted 12-15-2022 04:54 PM
This thread really got me to think about the felines at the facility I work for. After reading everyone's replies, I asked my supervisor if we have a policy for bonded cat pairs; come to find out we do not, only bonded dog pairs. I'll probably get to work on that after reading everyone's suggestions.
All cat adoptions at my facility are "adopt one get one free", kittens to seniors. We have never bonded kittens but highly recommend getting two, either littermates or of similar age, to keep them company and avoid common kitten behavior concerns. I would say our facility doesn't enjoy bonded pairs of any kind. Especially our adoption department because an adopter will normally show interest in one cat, but maybe doesn't want two cats or already has a cat at home.
Typically, if two older cats or cats have been together since kittenhood, with a good history together, we're more likely to bond them together. As mentioned by Vicky, pairs are normally behaviorally different, one is more confident/social than the other. We take that into account for our adopters. If one cat is more fearful, not able to be touched, and has a history of being less social, I'd say we feel it's unfair for an adopter to be "burdened" with a cat that they would not get to enjoy. If the social cat has a better chance of getting a home more quickly, we wouldn't want to hold that back from an opportunity. For the fearful cat, we'd highly recommend other social cats in the home to help them be comfortable if they enjoy other cats. Medically, if one will need a special diet or daily medication, we'd be less likely to bond them.
A recent bonded pair example. Two older gentlemen, 12 years old, surrendered, and littermates were bonded after intake. Come to find out both boys have hyperthyroid disease and are vision impaired. Their medical needs and age have made it even more difficult to get them adopted. They were with us for about two months, when we tested some separation. As others mentioned, medically looking for diet change, grooming, and overall attitude. Sometime after being placed back together, one started bullying the other when food was involved. We're these cats truly bonded? We sent them to foster to give them a break from shelter life, which also helped us learn more about them in a home. They are still looking for a home that can manage their medical needs but the foster is thankfully in no rush to send them off. Overall it's been 7 months since their intake, but for their golden years, we'd like to see them in the same home.
It'll be nice to take everyone's input to create a structured plan for our cats so we aren't winging it or overlooking the cat's needs.
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Alexsis Studer
Behavior Coordinator
Capital Area Humane Society
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