Hi, Sorry for the urgency but I have to make a decision quickly and not sure what is best to do.
We have two bengal boys (9 months old), we recently lost their sister at 7 months, we were and are still distraught, and one of the boys is suffering quite badly - he was her partner in crime, they played together all day, slept together all night, and even 2 months later he is struggling - he seems to have lost his passion for life (as anthropomorphic as that may be). His brother is the alpha and is not a cat's cat - he is very aloof and independent of Tiggi and rather than play and sleep with him, he prefers to dominate and ignore him unless it suits him, meaning Tiggi is spending most of his time alone, wandering around trying to pass his time, looking for his playmate, sleeping alone.
The breeder they came from is having her last ever litter - same mum and dad, and we have the chance to rehome a kitten from this litter. They are currently not old enough but will be able to leave mum in early February. We heard this and immediately considered whether, with the correct introductios, another kitten may be what is needed to bring out the happiness in Tiggi again. of course, it could also go all wrong and he may not accept a new kitten, however he seems to be seeking companionship ( and not from us, he tolerates being picked up and touched but much prefers cat company to ours).
When I contacted the breeder, I was told there was a single girl and boy kitten remaining, immediately we thought it best to consider the girl, to keep the variables the same - we are concerned that introduction of a third male cat may disrupt the balance, whereas they had known living with a girl before. Maybe it is worth mentioning here that both original boys are neutered and do not spray as of yet. So I went to visit them this evening to meet the little girl, but here comes the spanner.
The girl is lovely, don't get me wrong, I would have her in an instant. But the male kitten... oh he is a lovely boy. And not only that but he is very affectionate and fell asleep on the breeders lap and lay on mine almost immediately as I arrived. We have waited and waited for our current bengals to do this (but accepting it may not happen), and when I saw his personality I just melted. The girl is amazing - playful and lively but not affectionate (but our girl that we lost was the same until spayed, then she really began to settle and mature well, and she was turning into a lovely cat, so this girl could be the same).
I'm so lost - I went with no expectation of anything but to meet the girl, now I am torn between rehoming the girl, who is more rambunctious, more playful, more outgoing (and female), or the boy who is more laid back, more affectionate, more soft (and male). If the introductions go well, which kitten would be better for tiggi? The girl would be playful, but the boy is playful still, so I wonder if he would be best. But if the introductions dont go well and they merely tolerate each other, which would cope best with that? The girl is more self-assured, would she be better at being a loner? Or would the boy be better as he would seek our attention and not feel lonesome?
Considering I plan to follow the guide on here to introduce them, and the kitten can be kept separated by solid doors until they are happy, would it really upset the balance to home the boy?
Please help, I am lost and there is another person who wants the other kitten and is waiting on me to make the decision so they know which they are having - the breeder is prioritising us as they know us.
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