# If you want a shelter kitten...



## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

When kitten season rolls around, shelters get inundated. It's a great time for those adopters who are looking for young kittens. Here are some tips that apply to the shelter where I volunteer, and may or may not apply to your local ones...

1. Often, the kittens come so fast and get adopted so fast that their pics are not kept up-to-date on the website in a timely manner. It is better to visit (or call) the shelter in person to ask statuses and new arrivals.

2. Kittens are often kept in foster homes during the time until they are weaned and sometimes until they are spayed/neutered. But they may still be spoken for. Ask the shelter if a particular foster home allows visits for you to meet and interact with the youngsters.

3. Never be afraid to ask questions at the shelter. That's what volunteers are trained for. And if they don't know the answer they will find someone who does. So often, people want a kitten but go away dissatisfied because they didn't see any in the shelter or on the website when the fact may be they are being displayed at a local Petsmart or Petco or in a foster home, but completely adoptable. I, personally, don't know all the kittens we currently have in foster because I only interact with the in-house kitties, but I won't be afraid to ask for you and I won't be offended if you ask me to ask someone else, just to make sure.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

That's really good advice, NebraskaCat! Thanks for posting it. 

I would also add, please don't feel like adopting a kitten is less worthy than adopting any other pet. Kittens are put to sleep for lack of space, too, so you may be saving a life. (When I adopted Zephyr - a cute, healthy baby - he was literally less than an hour from being put to sleep.) Even if that's not the case for the particular kitten you're looking at, every time you adopt it opens up shelter space so they can help another cat in need.

I hope we get to see some cute kitten pics soon.


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## violina (Jan 28, 2013)

Great advice! Your first item is something we hadn't taken into consideration. We were aiming to adopt two black kittens (sisters) that we found on Petfinder and we inquired about them via email. We hadn't heard anything back as this was around Christmas and it turned out that they got split up and neither was at the facility. Hiro and Shiva were there though and we ended up adopting them immediately -- turns out they were just back from their foster home and weren't fully in the system yet. While we waited for them to be neutered, a waiting list had formed in case we didn't show up.

I would like to add though that one ought not discount the kitten(s) and take into consideration their environment and what they are going through. One that appears scared or even outgoing might end up changing as they get more settled in.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Also, don't be afraid to be persistent and ask them to double check facts. I saw the twins' pictures on Petfinder:

Charlee












Cali










I fell in love with their pictures, but I wanted sisters or bonded littermates, and I read that they had different birth dates listed and I was told they weren't littermates and were being fostered in separate homes. I couldn't get them out of my mind, so I sent several emails asking more questions about them. Turns out they were sisters and were at the same foster home. :grin:


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

I tell people that kittens aren't good for homes with toddlers or young kids. When I think of the stuff I put my kitten through when I was little; it's no wonder she turned out all crazy. 

Kittens develop social skills when they're quite young. Tossing a neck-grabbing, body-dragging kid into the mix and you tend to get a none too friendly kitty!


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

mumof7kitties said:


> I tell people that kittens aren't good for homes with toddlers or young kids. When I think of the stuff I put my kitten through when I was little; it's no wonder she turned out all crazy.
> 
> Kittens develop social skills when they're quite young. Tossing a neck-grabbing, body-dragging kid into the mix and you tend to get a none too friendly kitty!
> 
> ...


I hear ya. I had bunnies growing up, and now I look back and regret how I was with them. But back then, I was just a kid who didn't know better. Poor things were probably terrorized by me


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

Ummm - in a straight choice between sorting my behaviour and the welfare of an animal when I was little (a dwt as we say round here!), I would have come off a poor second. We had young animals here all the time (some of them wild) and I don't remember the time when I didn't know the boundaries.


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## mumof7kitties (Jan 27, 2013)

I never tortured any of them. But I know I was certainly rougher than I should have been with puppies and kittens. And toddlers honestly are still learning boundaries so it's that much more difficult. 


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

My daughter picked up my cat by the tail once years ago and our reaction was so extreme that it never happened again. She has 3 rescued cats as an adult.


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## Lilykit (Nov 12, 2012)

I adopted a 5 month old calico kitten at my local shelter back in November 8, 2012 and I simply am over joyed I got her from there because she is our lovable pretty Lily.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

Another thing for those thinking of adopting...

Shelters and rescues are filled to the brim right now, and in desperate need of foster homes. Offering to foster a littler or a new mama will get you a "free ride" for a few weeks, taking care of babies on the rescue's dime.

Who knows, you might "test drive" a perfect fit for your home. 

I know many people that took in foster kittens, and ended up keeping mama.


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## Dicesmom (Feb 28, 2012)

Just thought jd say this. Make sure it is a kitten you want. So get to know them and ask questions. Don't just go by looks. I like crazy energetic cats /kittens. I love Albert but that is what my next kitten will be. So if you want a calmer kitten/cat you don't want a super energetic one and also the opposite of that!
Around me that is a reason cats and kittens are returned for "not being what they were looking for"
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## Jakiepoo (Jan 5, 2013)

If you are looking for specific personality traits you might be better off looking at an adult cat (1-2 years old) as they're more of a guarantee. Though even with shelter workers who know the cats you can never be sure what will happen when you bring a fur baby home. Our kitty turned out the exact opposite of what the shelter workers said!

But kittens are definitely a good choice for people who want to see their baby grow up and watch their crazy antics! 

Either way, you'll never be short a few laughs with fur babies around! Hope we get to see plenty of kitten pictures!


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## Charlotte (May 23, 2013)

So, what would your personal recommendation be? Go for the Kittens? or get the Cats? I kinda feel that Cats are in more need to get a home since they're older and it must be hard for them to see how Kittens are taken home while they stay and stay.

But at the same time, I fear that if I adopt a Cat I won't be able to bond as strong as I would with a Kitten.

It is a really hard decision, mostly because all the factors I have to take into consideration: my roomie's cats, the time I have to spend with him or her, health attention, etc.

So, in your very personal opinion, would you go for the kittens or the cats?


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

I'd adopt a cat rather than a kitten. 

But I think the most important criterion is selecting a cat/kitten who picks you. If you go to a shelter (I'm using the term "shelter" but can also mean sanctuary, rescue, foster home) and you are petting the cats and one kind of gives you a little more attention or that certain look like they know you're the one, trust their instincts.

Don't be worried about the bond not being as strong. If you and a cat pick each other and spend time with each other, the bond will be incredibly strong.

Definitely work with the shelter volunteers to find a cat who will be good with other cats if the roomie has some cats also. 

Wish you well. The selection process is one of the most fun. Visit several times. Sometimes a cat can be 'off' one day, but lovin' you up the next or vice versa. The more trips you make, the better you can kind of understand the dynamics of the shelter and you can narrow down your list each time.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

NebraskaCat said:


> But I think the most important criterion is selecting a cat/kitten who picks you.


Can't emphasize this enough. When we went to the rescue, I had my heart set on bringing home a 4+ year old tuxie boy. In my mind, I wanted the aloof, graceful, gentle lad, that would warm up to me hopefully over a few years.

I came home with a spitfire torbie, the most gregarious and sassiest, mood-swinging cat I've ever met and a bucket of trouble. But when I saw her in her cage (because she didn't get along with the other cats), and she looked at me and immediately flopped onto her back, I fell in love.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

Charlotte, I mentioned this in the thread you started, but I don't think there's necessarily a difference in bonding with an adult cat versus a kitten.

I've done both, so I feel like I can compare. I've adopted a 6.5 week old kitten and an adult cat. The bond with Zephyr (the kitten) was pretty much instant, and the bond with Maisie (the one who was older) took some time, but now that it's years later, I have and equally strong bond with both of them. It's worth giving an older cat that extra time, in my opinion.

If the personality match is good, you'll bond. You may have to work a little harder when the cat has a past, but you won't regret it if you do. 

Personally, I loved raising a kitten, but they are soooo much work. At this point in my life I would not want to do the baby stage again. So that's something to consider - kittens are fun but they can take a lot out of you.


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## Charlotte (May 23, 2013)

Once again, thanks! I think I'll take your advice and start visiting my city's shelter to get to meet the cats there and learn about their personalities. 

Thank You All!


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## Manue (Jan 3, 2013)

We adopted an adult cat 6 months ago (she was about 1 year old) and we couldn't be happier. We wanted an outgoing, friendly cat and that's exactly what we got. She comes right out to greet people when they arrive and is very social and chatty. Our bond is very strong already; she's basically within a few feet of us at all times. There was something very special about bringing her into our home after she'd been found outside in the winter and she'd been in a cage for a few weeks.
Now that I have adopted an adult cat, I think I would even consider adopting an older cat next time around. Up to 2 years old, they really still have kitten energy.


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## Lotu (Apr 26, 2013)

We were originally only going to get one kitten, but got 2 kittens (11 weeks old at the time) about 2 1/2 weeks ago from a rescue. So, they were born at a shelter and within a couple days taken to a foster care home, then transferred to another foster home just before we took them in. They adapted to our home well and I think it is because they were familiar with a home environment. When we filled out the application for the kitten, I didn't know what to put down for the personalities we were looking for because we are a family of four with children ages 12/10 and everyone had different ideas. So, we were able to roll the dice and see what these 2 will turn out to be like in the future. So far one seems to be more of a lap-sitter but is leary of my husband (who adores the cats!) and the one who isn't as quick to sit on the rest of our laps actually went up to my husband today to sit on him. My husband would have been happy with any cat-color/age/size, etc. I was the one who liked the idea of raising a kitten (and now 2). It is nice that you are open and a rescue (shelter too?) would probably be able to talk to you about your specific situation/concerns and suggest the right cat or kitten(s) for you.


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Jakiepoo said:


> Our kitty turned out the exact opposite of what the shelter workers said!


Cats are copyists. They copy the traits of their carers. If they're young enough, they'll try to copy the trait of their carers giving you a different personality from the one you saw at their last place; and if Missy is anything to go by, they'll try to please their carers if they understand what's wanted, and it doesn't clash with something they want more. Force they don't like. 

(Generalities.)


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