Animal Welfare Professionals

Does anyone have any information/research on bonded pairs and separating them?

We have a pair at our shelter that went to an adoptive home. The family wanted to return one of them due to her being more reactive. They brought her back to the shelter - she is not eating, going to the bathroom, is pacing, crying. 

Some of the shelter staff want to give her medication to "calm" her, but I want to provide more information to them about the importance of keeping bonded pairs together.

Thank you in advance!

#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment

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Karee
Foster/Volunteer
VA
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We have several bonded pairs in our rescue. Sometimes we are able to separate them and they act fine without each other. A lot of times they aren't truly bonded, but they do need another animal with them. It sounds like separating your pair has caused a decline in the health of the one that was returned and that they are truly bonded. We do our best to keep bonded pairs together and only adopt them out together if they do better with each other. Good luck and I hope you can find a solution to this as it sounds like the pair needs each other.

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Stefanie Schmidt
Animal Welfare Specialist
Hearts Alive Village
NV
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If there is no possibility of getting her back together with her BFF, try introducing her to a cat similar to the BFF.  We did this once successfully when the BFF died.  If you can talk to the adopters, tell them that generally the more social one will teach the other some people skills.  Also, pairs quite often have a more social/less social member; in fact, I think that is one reason they bonded in the first place.  Finally, is the cat that was not returned doing well in the home?  Showing stress at losing its BFF?

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Anne Bookout
Brandywine Valley SPCA
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The research discussed in this webcast may be helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ5LrLJCM9M&t=1s

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Kelly Duer
Senior Shelter Solutions Specialist
Maddie's Fund
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I had bonded cats and when one died the other roamed my house crying all day and night.  It was awful.  I adopted a kitten and while she didn't "like" him, she stopped crying.  At our shelter we advertise bonded cats as a pair that must be adopted together.  Do any other shelters discount adoption fees for bonded pairs?  What are some creative ways to encourage adopters for bonded pairs?

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Mara Kudrick
Shelter Staff
Fur All Kittys
PA
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