Kittens who have been separated during the early weeks of life tend to forget each other. Young kittens often miss their mom and siblings and show signs of separation anxiety after being taken into the new home. However, it doesn't take them too long to adapt to the new home and develop bonds with their new family.
They may grow up to be aggressive
Kittens who are separated from their mother and littermates too early aren't properly socialized, so they don't learn how to interact with other cats properly. Without mom there keeping a watchful eye on her roughhousing kittens, they may bite or scratch too hard.
Cats get very attached to their families. When left alone, they can get lonely, depressed, and even anxious. It's a misconception that cats aren't social beings. They need their daily dose of love and attention to stay happy and healthy.
If two bonded cats were to be separated from each other, they would likely end up suffering from depression, leading to other behavior issues.
If they're very attached to each other-always stay together, sleep snuggled up against each other, have the same behavior habits, etc. -I'd say they're close pals and shouldn't be separated. It would take a great deal of adjustment for each cat to adjust to life without his best friend.
Related cats tend to get on better than those that are not, so if you want to have more than one cat, then it's a good idea to take on littermates. However, to ensure their relationship is as harmonious as possible, you'll still need to make sure your home is set up in a way that will keep them happy.
Separating a kitten from its mother is often necessary for adoption. But taking a kitten away from its littermates can delay his development emotionally, socially and physically. Kittens who remain with a littermate or a similarly-aged companion are healthier, happier and better socialized.
Cats can form very tight feline friendships, and a bonded pair can be difficult to separate. Bonded cats that have been together for many years may suffer depression or behavior issues when separated. That's why animal shelters that receive a pair of bonded cats work hard to place them together.
The short answer is yes, cats do experience separation anxiety. However, there's more to learn about the way cats process separation and the symptoms they may display if they have separation anxiety, too. Read through the article below to find out more about cat separation anxiety and how it may be affecting your pet.
Kitten-Proof Your Home
Kittens between two and four months of age should only be left alone four to six hours at a time, not a full workday. When they're a little older, around six months, you can be gone all day. But they'll certainly be happier if you can check in on them at lunchtime or ask a friend to stop by.
Cats are emotional and can get stressed or depressed. The most common signs of an unhappy cat are cowering, hissing, and fleeing. But sometimes your cat may not show obvious signs of stress. This is why as a pet owner you should have knowledge of how cats behave when they're depressed.
This suggests that kittens might retain a memory of the scent of their mother for up to one year. Whether they recognize the smell as their mother, or as just familiar, is unknown, but they clearly responded differently when presented with her scent compared to that of an unknown cat!!
It is a common misconception that kittens can be separated from their mothers as early as 8 weeks old. However, kittens separated at this time are still at risk for developmental, social, and health issues. Instead, kittens should remain with their mothers until they are 12-14 weeks old.
Single kitten syndrome is the idea that young kittens, when raised with other young kittens and cats and then adopted into a home by themselves, can become aggressive, anxious, stressed, and even develop behavioral issues like inappropriate chewing/scratching and inappropriately using the litterbox.
So kittens taken away from their mothers too soon may become timid, shy, and fearful of other animals—including humans. Fearful kittens will often run away when approached by someone they don't know.
Turn on Some Music
Whether you decide to play music, put on a TV show or even play an audiobook, this can help give your kitten some engagement and distraction. In addition, hearing a human voice can make her feel less alone.
Though they may seem antisocial at times, the fact of the matter is that your cat LOVES you, and really hates it when you're gone. Leaving your kitty alone for an extended period of time will likely cause serious anxiety, which can lead to destructive behavior.
If your cats had lived together for many months or years, I would say please leave them together; a sudden separation could cause behavior issues and depression for both cats. They would suddenly feel lost without the other. To them, it would feel as if the other one had died.
In fact, when separated, bonded pairs often fail to thrive. Adoption centers recognize these helpful feline relationships and aim to promote adoption of bonded pairs. It's important to understand that even though overcrowding is an issue, well run shelters don't randomly house cats together to save space.
Orphaned kittens, or those weaned too soon, are more likely to exhibit inappropriate suckling behaviors later in life. Ideally, kittens should stay with their littermates (or other role-model cats) for at least 12 weeks.
It's not uncommon for bonded cats to hiss or fight, just like human siblings and friends do. But they will revert back to their bond in no time. If you were to separate the cats (for example, to take one to the vet or when one passes away), you may notice the cat's behavior change.
Your kittens might enjoy having an affectionate grooming and napping partner. As well as having someone to play with and learn from, siblings can also offer affection to each other. By rehoming in pairs, your new kitten will have someone to clean or to clean them as well as someone to cuddle during nap time.
Both kittens will learn how to behave socially and will be more well-adjusted! Cats learn how to “speak” cat by interacting with other cats, so raising your kittens together ensures they will learn how hard to play, how to share territory, how to communicate their needs and many other crucial social skills.
If you have a young cat at home and want a second, consider adopting one kitten of the opposite sex, as same-sex cats are much more prone to fight each other for dominance. Your resident cat will still be young enough to recall having fun with her littermates, and the new kitten will be more than happy to oblige.