# Re-uniting brother and sister for a play date? Undecided....



## Bert-Stare (Oct 24, 2010)

backstory: I used to live with roommates who one day adopted a 10 week old girl kitty, and when I found out she had a brother at the adoption center I went back the next day and adopted him myself. For about a year they lived together and they got along very well, cuddling, licking, playing, sleeping together. Sometimes their playing would get a little too intense, but that was rare and they would always be back to their usual great relationship within minutes. They lived together from last October up until 2 months ago, so almost a full year.

On September 1st I moved out of that house and naturally took my kitty with me, which means the brother and sister have been separated. They are both doing fine and as a result they just want more attention from humans, they are still very kind and have adjusted to living life without the other.

Would it be a bad idea to have play date for them? My concern is NOT that they will fight, this is not a thread about that and I don't want it to get derailed into a de-clawing debate. My concern is emotional - would it be cruel to reunite them for a few hours and then take them apart again? Reminding them that they don't live together anymore? Or would it be beneficial for them to play with each other and be reassured that the other is still OK?

I have been going back and forth and can't make a decision, so hopefully I can get some good responses here. Thanks!

here is a picture of them when they were little babies together, my guy is on the left.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Your biggest problem will be that, after a two-month separation, they will not know each other or remember each other. Thus, you likely won't be able to just put them together for a few hours and, if you try to do so, you will simply be subjecting both of them to needless stress. Also, cats don't have family ties the way people do (i.e., cats don't worry about whether their littermates are OK once they are separated from them). Since the two cats are both doing fine as is, I would suggest you not upset the apple cart, especially since no purpose would be served by a play date.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I think they will remember each other, but it's not likely to be immediate...so getting them together for a few hours will just likely cause a stressful situation. The cat who's territory is being infringed upon will be defensive, if even only mildly. Their memory of each other would likely serve you well if you were moving back in, the re-introduction would probably go very quickly but it still would take a re-introduction process which is why a play date isn't a good idea.


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## Jack&Harley (Nov 2, 2008)

I brought Pepper in from her momma at 8 weeks old. She did not see her momma for at least 4 months after that, except for maybe through a window. When we moved, I started taking Pepper outside on a leash and her and Ginger immediately took to each other and obviously know each other. Ginger cleans Pepper and they play. Pepper continues to see Ginger outside, although sometimes its weeks between and they still run to each other like long lost friends.

Thought that might help. I think it would be interesting to see how they react. I have often wanted to reunite Ginger with her son and Pepper her brother. A good friend has him and they live closeby.

Leslie


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

I don't think you should plan "playdates." More than likely they will not remember eachother (I think it is different from Leslie's situation above because her indoor & outdoor cats can probably still smell eachother), and a few hours would not be long enough for the cats to relax and enjoy eachother's company. However, your friend might be a great option for cat-sitting and vice-versa. My friend's cat Yoshi and my kittens don't remember eachother, but whenever he comes over for an extended stay (a week or more) they start to play well together after a few days. My friend likes to refer to Yoshi's visits as his "vacation" because I have extra space, toys and treats


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## fishyhelper288 (Oct 23, 2010)

idk... I went through a situation where i rescued 5 cats at once, they were all bonded, we already had our kittens, then ended up with another rescue, we believe it to be our kittens mother as she has veeeery similar markings to my female kitten, they are unusual white markings... anyway... after a bit i had a friend come take a look at them, she had a barn in need of mousers, she took three....

several months went by and I ended up moving in with said friend for a short time, the moment my cats were released into the house, the cats sought eachother out and it was like a family reunion, no fighting, they started cleaning and playing, and naturlally, they all loaded themselves onto my bed lol

I do think cats remember, maybe perhaps not by sight, but with a scent memory bank, every cat has a unique scent, and sort of like how we can smell the difference between similar things, and remember what they are, I think its similar to that


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## kwarendorf (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm in the camp with those who think that, while they may eventually 'remember' each other, it's not likely to happen in a couple of hours. Franny (on the right in my Avatar) actually nursed Franklin when he was born, though she is not his mother. I took Franklin home and 8 months later went back for Franny. They are incredibly bonded now, but she spent the first 5 days under the couch. It's also hard to say whether their bond is based on memory or just that they are the same breed and very social.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

I would suggest that all cats are not the same memorywise,or pschologically, so a playdate might go well, and might not. However, I do not see much point in it. Would this be a regular occurance, or just a one time thing? Which cat will be the visiting cat that needs to make a possibly disturbing journey? 

All in all, unless there is a really good reason to have the playdate other than a human feeling it would be fun, then I could not say it was a good thing.

I had a neighbour one time with a kitten that had wonderful fun with the kitten next door, including sliding down a pile of dirt and then rushing back up to the top to do it again. When the neighbour moved away the kids (both families) decided that the kittens should have a visit. These two young cats, who had been such great friends, could not tolerate each other.


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