“I didn’t realise I was lonely until Covid,” Michelle told us. “But I live by myself and lockdown wasn’t kind to my mental health. As soon as the restrictions lifted, I went out to adopt a cat – little did I know I’d be returning home with two!”
At first, Michelle said she had feared that two cats would mean double the trouble. But when she’d visited the adoption centre, she fell in love with two black siblings, Shakespeare and Hathaway, and didn’t have it in her heart to separate them.
Now, Michelle says she couldn’t imagine having just one. “Two cats is twice the love, twice the fun, and twice the cuddles,” she told us. “And they keep each other company now that I’m back at the office.”
At Lort Smith, our Adoption Centre staff and volunteers are very aware that our animals can develop strong relationships with one another, just as they do with humans, and we always aim to respect and celebrate that bond.
In practical terms, this means that if cats arrive at the shelter together, the staff aim to rehome them together. If a single cat is surrendered and the staff are told it is used to living with other cats, they try to find them a friend in the shelter. And if the cat develops a strong bond with that new friend, they try to rehome the two of them together, or at least find them homes where there are existing pets.
There are many benefits to having two pets in your home, whether you adopt them at the same time, or introduce them (carefully) to one another at a later date. These include:
The biggest barrier for some in keeping two pets is the cost of vet bills, food, and flea and worm treatments: there’s no getting around it that you’ll need to pay twice for these, so be sure you are comfortable that you can afford them before taking on a second pet. On the other hand, they can probably share their toys, beds, grooming products and water bowls, so not everything is doubled.
The other challenge to be mindful of is the amount of space you have in your home. This applies as much for cats and rabbits (do you have room for two litter-trays, scratch-towers, or tunnels?) as it does for dogs (is there room for two to run around in the back yard, or co-exist inside your house?).
Finally, do be aware that taking on twice as many animals means you will carry twice as many responsibilities. Both pets still need feeding, grooming, love, exercise, worming and vaccinations.
But if you have the capacity for this responsibility, the rewards are tremendous. Adopting two pets means you are giving twice as many animals the opportunity to have a safe and loving home with you, and there is twice as much love and fun to go around.
