Why Two Kittens Are Better Than One

1. One kitten can become lonely.
   A kitten left alone during the day can become lonely and bored, which sometimes can lead to mischief. Two kittens will never be lonely, especially if they are siblings. In fact, you'll often find situations in shelters and rescue group adoption where a cage will contain two kittens with a sign, "These kittens may be adopted only as a pair." Shelter volunteers recognize that siblings really need to stay together.
2. Two kittens will "self-train."
   Kittens learn by copying. If one kitten is quick to learn appropriate litter box use, the other will be likely to copy. They also help each other with grooming; wash-up after meals soon becomes a ritual with two kittens.

3. They help each other burn off energy.
   Even the most devoted cat parent can quickly become exhausted by trying to keep up with the energy of a single kitten. Two kittens will wear each other out, leaving their human free to just enjoy watching them.
4. Fewer behavior problems with two kittens.
   Many people who experience behavior problems with kittens find that some of them go away when they adopt another playmate. What may be perceived as mischief is often just the result of boredom. Much like their human counterparts, kittens sometimes misbehave because "negative attention is better than no attention".
5. Curiosity overcomes "food finickyness."
   If one kitten is finicky about food, the belligerence is often overcome by curiosity at what its sibling is eating. (Feed one cat Same Old, the other cat New Stuff, and they both end up tasting the new stuff.)
6. One kitten can just drive an older cat nuts.
   Although it might sound contrary, an older, established cat will probably accept two kittens better than one. One kitten will seek out the older cat as a playmate, or worse, tease and pester the senior cat which can cause stress to an older cat. The kitten in return, will be "rewarded" for his playful efforts with hisses and swats. Two kittens will expend their energy in play with each other, leaving their older "uncle" to relax in peace.
7. You'll save two lives instead of one.
   If it's kitten season, that's one more kitten that will get a home instead of growing into an adult which will decrease its chance of getting adopted. It is entirely true the 15-month-old cat you see in the shelter today is very likely a holdover from last year's crop of kittens. Another way of looking at it is that it's better to get all the kittens adopted out right away, to give the older cats a better chance at finding homes.

And, of course, let's not forget that having two kittens is insanely fun. They are just so much darn entertaining to watch!