Hello,

I will be picking up two British Shorthair kittens next month and would be grateful for some advice as this is my first time owning cats. My partner and I will be driving around 4 hours to get the first kitten (boy), then another hour to get the second one (girl) on the same day (I wasn't able to get two of the ones I wanted from the same breeder). There will then be another 4 hour drive to get them both home.

1. Should I get separate cat carriers, beds, litter trays, and food/drink bowls?
2. Do the kittens need to stay in the cat carriers for the whole journey or can I try to sit with them in the back of the car with them in a bed?
3. How should I handle toilet breaks? e.g. should I keep a litter tray inside the car as well?
4. Do you have any tips for getting the two cats accustomed to each other quickly?

Thanks.

Please please please NEVER let a cat go free in a car - when cats are frightened they tend to bolt to the smallest darkest place for safety - which just happens to be under the feet of the driver behind the pedals! Really NOT a good idea. Keep them in separate carriers for the journey - I place puppy pads in the bottom of the carriers so if they wee it gets soaked up - only ever had a cat poop if it wasn't well. I'd personally, not stop and just get them straight home. No litter tray in the back of the car. We did Scotland to Surrey and each leg of the trip was 6 hours - the cats never wet once. They would have been to stressed to go in a litter tray if we had had it out - they would have just been looking for a way out of the car.

We found that two kittens just got on with it - no need for introductions - but there is a thread for introducing cats on the behaviour section.

Good luck and piccies please.

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

Personally I would be inclined to delay the collection of one of the kittens by a week if possible rather than bring two in from two breeders on the same day - if one of them is perhaps carrying a virus, or is perhaps a little under the weather then you may not know which one brought it in so to speak and or it may pass it on to the other. I guess separating them for a week may be the next best thing.

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Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving

Spid, thanks I will get two carriers and puppy pads.

ChinaBlue, unfortunately I cannot take the long trip to get the 2nd one at a later date again so need to pick them both up on the same day.

what age wil they be? each, i guess!

journey - puppy pads in seperate carriers for sure ( my ones only had 'accidents' in carrier post spaying -totally forgivable! ) but yours are going for a while while younger, so pads for sure!

if both v young -(8- 16 weeks) wont need much introducing, there are threads on intros, but most- including mine, are larger age gaps

Hi Broccoli. They will be 13 & 15 weeks old.

Picking up two like this isn't ideal but I do understand your issues with undertaking the journey twice. Picking up a kitten takes longer than you think, I tell my buyers to allow a minimum of an hour to go through all paperwork, care plans etc. Does each breeder know your full plans for the day? Make sure they do and try to get as much sorted out with them as you can in advance. This is especially important with the second kitten you pick up as the first will already be in the car and will have to stay there.

Hi Havoc, the 2nd breeder knows that I will already have a kitten in the car waiting. My boyfriend will be able to sit with the kitten while I'm with the second breeder.

All, here is a photo of the two kittens!

Attached Images

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