Cat or Kitten ?

Kittens are cute. I mean really, really cute. Whenever I bring a kitten on television with me, just about everyone on the set has to come by for a closer look. Kittens are definitely smiling magnets, but before you fall in love with that adorable little bundle of fur, take the time to understand what’ll be required of you as the owner of a kitten.

You need to kitten-proof your home if you decide on a youngster. You have to patrol for dangling electrical cords, dangerous cleaners, poisons, etc. (Even if you decide on an adult cat you’ll have to safeguard him from these things as well, but kittens seem bound and determined to get into trouble.)

Basically, you have to know where your kitten is at all times to prevent him from hurting himself. Kitten-proofing a home isn’t that difficult, but for some people, it’s not possible. For instance, an artist friend of mine lives in a one bedroom apartment.

She wanted the companionship of a feline but knew that getting a kitten would surely result in spilled paint. Not only would that be messy, but it would cause a serious health risk to a curious little kitty.

The artist chose to adopt an adult cat who had a quiet personality. Aside from one incident when the cat accidentally walked across Sonia’s palette and left a trail of fuchsia paw prints on the carpet, they have a very compatible relationship.

A family with young children should reconsider the idea of a very young kitten and opt for an older one (at least six months old). Kittens are very fragile and can easily be injured by exuberant young children.

An older cat can still be injured, but he is better able to escape from a child’s grasp. If you or anyone in your family is unsure of his footing, a kitten zooming underfoot through the house could create a danger. Consider how much time you have to devote to a kitten.

They require more supervision and can’t be left alone as long as an adult cat. If you adopt a kitten, it affords you the opportunity to have a greater effect on shaping his personality than you might have on an adult cat.

By exposing him to a variety of novel stimuli, you stand a good chance of raising a cat who is comfortable around strangers, not afraid of unfamiliar surroundings, adapted to travel, etc.
So why would you want to miss all the fun and get a grown-up?

One of the best reasons to choose an adult cat is that you know just what you’re getting. You can also get a good sense of his temperament whether he’s active, nervous, docile, sociable, very vocal, quiet, etc. Because all kittens tend to be fuzzy little race cars, you don’t know which ones will actually stay that way and which ones will calm down.

If you want to be sure of a specific readymade temperament or personality, go for an adult cat. Keep in mind, though, that an adult cat who is timid or nervous can be worked with. There’s so much you can do to help an adult cat blossom.

You also have to take the cat’s current surroundings and history into consideration, and how the cat may change in a new environment combined with your thoughts like a cat training approach. For example, a shelter cat may initially appear very timid or defensive in that stressful environment.

Once he becomes acclimated to your home and family he’ll begin to show his true personality and feel comfortable enough to trust. A cat at the shelter may have been relinquished by his previous owner because he had behavior problems.

It doesn’t mean the problem isn’t workable, but you have to be prepared to address whatever situation does arise. Very often, the problem may have been connected with the circumstances of that previous environment and won’t continue in the cat’s new surroundings.

 An adult cat doesn’t need the seemingly constant supervision that a kitten does. If you truly have the love and desire to share your life with a cat, adopting an adult could literally save his life.

Whether kittens are brought to shelters, found in alleys, or given away outside of grocery stores, they stand a better chance of being adopted than the adult cats.

By taking that four-year-old tabby, you might be saving him from a life behind bars or worse, death. Financially, an adult cat is often less expensive than a kitten. Kittens require a series of vaccinations and the cost of neutering or spaying.

Adopting an adult cat from another family or from a shelter often means the cat is up-to-date on vaccinations or at least had the first in the series, and in some cases, already spayed or neutered.