Is there such a thing? Does a single cat in a household suffer? Are they missing out on something valuable to their health and happiness?
Well, I read an article recently saying that kittens that grow up in a home without cat companionship are likely to develop behavior problems such as biting, refusing
to use the litter box, clawing furniture, and being too dependent on humans. The articles I read indicate that when 2 kittens are adopted together they grow up more well-adjusted.
Olivia is an only cat now since we lost our older cat, Sophie. And I have to say she seems to be more dependent on us than almost any cat we’ve ever had.
We’ve always had multiple cats—at one time it was four. Through most of the years it was at least two. We found two to be ideal. But now we’re down to one and we’re not planning to add to our household. After reading these articles about the single cat syndrome,
though, I’m wondering if we’re doing a disservice to Olivia.
She’s grown now and seems to be quite well-adjusted. She enjoys her quiet time in solitude, but she is also great company and often seeks us out to play, to cuddle, or just 
to hang out in our presence.
Is single cat syndrome real? Apparently it is. I found numerous articles about it. Some shelters will not adopt a single kitten. If you want one, you must take two. I read that single kittens are the most commonly returned cats, generally because of the 
obnoxious behavior they develop. They often become destructive and extremely vocal and demanding.
I have not experienced this, maybe because we always had cats in the house when we adopted a kitten, as was the case with Olivia. After reading about the single kitten 
syndrome, I have more closely watched Olivia, who will be three this year. Yes, she is more clingy since our older cat, Sophie, crossed over the rainbow bridge. She claws some of the furniture, and she meows at me when she wants me out of my office and in the living room to play or cuddle with her. She demands I open a window for her every morning around 10 in my office so she can watch and hear and smell the birds at the feeder.
Are these symptoms of Only Kitten Syndrome or is it Olivia just being a cat—a smart cat who knows what she wants and how to get it?
That’s interesting. I too, have a cat (Zoey) who is suddenly an only cat. She has also become more clingy and demanding of me. Her step sister before her (Lucy) was an only for 4 years before we adopted Zoey. Lucy was 8-9 months old when we adopted her and she was a biter, and more likely to not use the litter box, especially fi it wasn’t
up to her expectations. Again, don’t know if those are affects or personality traits. It’s definitely interesting.
Being removed from their littermates too early (different opinions on when this would be) interrupt a kitten’s socialization too.