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From: barb@oliven.UUCP (Barbara Jernigan)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: net.pets
Message-ID: <483@oliven.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-Jan-86 16:14:23 EST
Article-I.D.: oliven.483
Posted: Tue Jan 21 16:14:23 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jan-86 21:14:46 EST
References: <338@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 42

> 
> from Bill Abrams,
> Subj: Kittens getting along
> ...Katrina [the female]
> preferred more dainty forms of play, like strings and twist ties.

That's more a matter of personality than gender.  Fat Cat was female,
and she and her sister beat up German Shepherds for kicks (really).

Klaus ignoring Katrina could have been as much a matter of jealousy
as of personality ---- Phantom must have a lot of charisma.

> Sorry I can't say anything about kittens from the same litter, but I've
> heard it's a good idea... Anyone else?

It's an o.k. idea (and often easier in the kitten selection).  The problem 
is there is a lot more 'political' interplay between litter mates (the 
aggressive become more so, the meek become more so).  I've done it both 
ways -- if I had my druthers I'd have six or more cats.  The litter mates 
got along equally as well as non-litter mates.  I agree, males get along 
with males a bit better than females with males and females with females 
-- some sort of bachelor camadarie, I assume ;-)  But that has little to
do with my kitten "selection" -- see below.

Males *tend* to roam a bit more, and, if not fixed soon enough, spray the 
furniture (although I have heard of females showing the same tendency).  The 
males I had also tended to get into more fights (though I know of equally 
inclined females).  Females run the risk of getting pregnant before getting
fixed.  (Actually, I feel one pregnancy is good for the cat's emotional
development.)

Personally, when picking kittens, I rarely cared for male-female options.
My method is to sit in the midst of a litter, and the one who falls asleep
in my lap (or is always there when I turn around -- my all-time favorite
kitty was picked that way) comes home with me.  You could say the cat has
as much or more say in the selection process than I do.  Anne McCaffrey calls 
this 'Impression'.  I call it successful ;-).  (Although, if the entire
litter falls asleep in your lap, you may be in trouble!!!)

Hope this helps, 

Barb