What Are Bonded Pair Cats?
A bonded pair of cats is two cats who would not cope emotionally without each other. Disrupting a bond can cause behavioral and health problems. These cats can be related, but they donât have to be for a bond to form.
How Bonded Pairs Form and Why They Stay Together
According to VCA hospitals, cats are family-oriented. This means the easiest bonding is when they are littermates and get adopted together, but kittens or juvenile cats raised together can bond, too. While it takes longer, adult cats who live together and spend a lot of time together can become bonded, but this is not a guarantee, and if it does happen, it will require more time and patience.
The Benefits of Adopting Bonded Pair Cats
Cat bonds can enrich the lives of both cats, as well as the lives of their humans.
Emotional Well-being for Cats
According to VCA hospitals, bonded pair cats may cope with life stressors, such as transitioning to a new home or going to a vet, more easily than alone. Being in a pair means they have another animal that âspeaks their languageâ to lean on as they go through these events.
Reduced Behavioral Issues
Bonded kittens are generally more socialized with better play skills and bite inhibition than singleton kittens. They are also less prone to destructive behavior as they entertain each other as opposed to entertaining themselves by shredding the couch.
Benefits for Cat Owners
Not only will happier cats make a happier owner, with us humans benefiting from reduced behavioral issues, but there can be benefits for our peace of mind and our wallets. Cats tend to be much happier to share toys, food, or sometimes litter boxes (although always make sure you still have enough) when in a cat bonded pair. Cats will also be less reliant on human interaction so if you have to take an important phone call or canât be interrupted, itâs much easier to have that when the cats are bonded and can seek out each other.
Challenges of Adopting a Bonded Pair
As with everything when it comes to owning cats, there are upsides and downsides. Taking on a cat couple can be a really special experience, but it wonât always be perfect.
Special Care Requirements
Paired cats will need to stay together when boarded while youâre on vacation, or at the vet's office. This would be the same situation as if you had bonded pair dogs, but facilities need to be made aware of the fact your cats are in a bond.
Managing Health and Feeding
Mealtimes can be stressful if you have one cat who is a voracious eater and one who does not eat as fast. Sometimes one cat can eat too much food or take food from the other one, meaning that one cat can become overweight and the other can become underweight. Monitoring their weight and toileting habits can help you know for sure that both of your cats get the food and nutrition that they need.
Balancing Attention Between the Pair
Having twice the cats means twice as much love to receive, but also, you have twice as many cats to love. Balancing both so that there is little chance of jealousy and to make sure that there is little chance of them fighting for your affection. Making time for both and finding what they like to do or where to go as individuals is very important. It can be easy to think of them as a unit, but these are two individuals, so finding their individual likes and loves will help you build individual bonds.
Tips for Successfully Adopting and Integrating a Bonded Pair
Keeping the cats together in a room for the first few days allows them to adjust together. As does keeping items that smell of both of them, such as blankets, around the house to help start forming a group scent.
Signs of a Healthy Bonded Pair
Healthy bonds are great for your catsâ well-being, so here are some signs to look out for!
Positive Interactions
The more friendly interactions the cats have and reciprocate together, the more likely it is they have a happy and healthy bond.
Play and Grooming Behavior
Playing and grooming are incredibly important behaviors for cats. If your cats do these activities often with each other itâs a good sign.
Myth-Busting: Common Misconceptions About Bonded Cats
Myth: The only way to get bonded pair cats is to have them together from kittens.
Fact: While kittens may bond quicker and easier, adult cats are perfectly capable of bonding.
Myth: Cats in bonds are double the work of single cats.
Fact: Bonded groups often take on some of the work by being each otherâs snuggle buddies and emotional support.
Myth: Bonded animals cannot get separation anxiety.
Fact: Separation anxiety can affect any animal and while a friend could help, you may just end up with two cats that both have separation anxiety. A cat could also develop separation anxiety towards their bonded friend, if anything happens to them.
Separating Bonded Cats: Fact or Fiction?
If your cats are bonded and then are later separated, they can experience emotional distress and behavioral symptoms like separation anxiety. If they are separated or if one passes away, they can recover, but it will take a lot of care and attention from the humans in their lives. If a separation has to happen, discuss this with your vet or local behavior expert to make a plan.
Will Bonded Cats Accept Other Pets?
Your cats may or may not allow other animals into their bond. It will depend on the temperament of the cats, and their experiences with other animals. If you think your current cats could get on with other pets, discuss it with your local behavior expert and plan introductions ahead.
Dispelling Adoption Hesitations
If you are concerned about adopting a bonded cat or two because you think it will be twice the work, you might be surprised that some organizations would say the opposite. With a single cat you may be the sole interaction they get on a daily basis as well as their provider, playmate, and friend. People with pairs often find that their cats will entertain each other as well as take on a lot of the emotional work that would otherwise be left to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if you separate bonded cats?
Separating bonded cats can lead to anxiety and behavioral issues.
Is there a difference between cats being âbondedâ rather than just getting along well and being comfortable with each other?
There is - while cats who are friendly might be close to each other often, the ones that are bonded want to be in each otherâs space more, play with each other more, and eat together.
Do cat shelters have more difficulty adopting out bonded animals or a single cat that must be adopted alone?
Some shelters do as not everyone has enough space for multiple cats. In fact, these cats often have the most trouble being adopted.
Do two cats who are bonded ever choose to "break up"?
It is unlikely that cats would ever choose to break up, but the bond may be broken by stressful events or being separated.
