adopting an older cat and a kitten

I will be a new home owner in a few short months. i have always wanted to adopt cats from a shelter, one older one and a kitten. what should i know when adopting 2 cats with a few years age difference? Should i adopt them at the same time? should they be of the same sex? what would i have to do to make them both feel more comfortable and adapt to our new place? any tips would be appreciated! thanks
   
~Cat Lady Grad Student

If they already know each other & get along, it's half the battle - no adaption period necessary.
   
Unrelated cats who haven't lived together often do best if one's male & one's female. Females are territorial against ea.other, more than males, & hold grudges longer, I think. Males battle regularly but often get along most of the time.
   
A mother cat & one of her kittens is usually a good combination regardless of the sex of the kitten, as the mother is already in charge & can tell the kid what to do. Make sure both are spayed.
   
Don't stay wedded to one younger & one older; you may find a pair the same age that you fall in love with, you never know (I went to adopt a 2-yr-old male & found myself w/a 9-yr-old female...Unexpected)
   
Ask the shelter if they've got any cats turned in that are already paired from a previous home; consider taking them together. With all the foreclosures, many people have to give up their family pets. Multiple cats from the same home are often adopted separately. If they can go home together, they'll be less nervous.
   
Start them in one room, to explore first. See how they do. If they're fairly calm & curious, let them out into the whole house. Apt's can be treated as one big room. Take your cue from the cats. Don't be surprised if one or both hide under the couch, this is common. They'll come out eventually, even if you have to feed them under the couch a few days (for me it was a week of Kyle under the bed).
   
Put some pads or folded blankets in corners for them to sleep on. Put their food not too near their litter box, but in the area. Get a scratching post & a cat tree; you can buy second hand or build one (surf for building plans). Small cardboard houses are a good first substitute.
   
Post again when you have the critters in hand.
   

I have to completely agree with the male and female pairing. Two unrelated females have a very hard time ever getting along. I have two that after 6 years do not get along at all.
   
Another thing I would add is have multiple litter boxes so that each may clam their own to ehlp ease some tension