Tears at Photo of Kitten Upset Her Sister Got Adopted Without Her

Animal shelters sometimes seek adopters to come forward and bring home not one, but two animals who are considered a bonded pair. Because these animals thrive together, shelters want to ensure they go to the same house, but unfortunately, it doesn't always happen that way.

Cats labeled as a bonded pair have a special relationship, providing each other with comfort and companionship. VCA Hospitals reported that bonded cats are more likely to thrive in their adopted homes if they remain together. These animals are often siblings, but unrelated cats can also develop a tight bond meant to be together forever.

Unfortunately, bonded pairs might get separated if adopters do not have enough room or if two pets are too much for them. One Reddit user known as u/MeestersKeeters sent out a plea last week encouraging adopters to keep a bonded pair of cats together after one cat of a dynamic duo was left alone at the shelter.

The post shared to the subreddit channel r/cats on May 1 showed the harsh reality of what happens when a bonded pair is split up. A kitten sat down, looking at the ground with a broken heart. Her sister was adopted without her. Part of the caption reads: "One could argue they are actually EASIER to take care of because they entertain each other."

The poor little kitten couldn't believe her other half was gone. Terrified, she was alone for likely the first time in her life surrounded by the loud and stressful shelter environment.

Each year 6.3 million pets enter U.S. shelters, an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January 2023, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet "Shelter Watch Report" found.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

Newsweek reached out to MeestersKeesters via Reddit for additional information.

The Reddit post quickly gathered attention, reaching over 13,000 upvotes and 662 comments as of Tuesday. Heartbroken, many users were sharing their experiences with bonded pairs.

"This just makes me so sad," a comment reads.

"Yep, I went to get a kitten last week and came home with Mama too. She kept trying to get in the carrier, then just sat by me quietly and patiently for 5 minutes and I'm like, fine!" said one user.

Another added: "Aaaaand this is why I have 3 cats instead of the 2 I intended... Give the sad little one some cuddles, please."

A third person called getting a bonded pair the "cat tax."

Someone else who worked at shelters chimed in: "...But you can't force someone to adopt two cats, unfortunately. The first shelter I worked at would only adopt out bonded pairs together. If the adopters only wanted one cat, bonded pairs weren't available to them."

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