Adopting An Adult Cat

Ever Consider Adopting an Adult Cat?

There are many advantages to adopting an ADULT CAT instead of a kitten.

Adopting an adult cat is calmer and less energetic. By two years old, they have clearly developed personalities. Then you really get to see what kind of cat you’ve got.

Adopting an adult cat is a better choice for homes with young children who don’t know their size and strength – as kittens can be rather fragile. You’re more likely to have a successful experience with both cat and kids if the cat is an adult.

Adopting an Adult Cat can be a wonderful experience for you and your family. Consider Adopting an Adult Cat. An adult cat is calmer and less energetic than a kitten. Adopting an Adult Cat shows life-long love and devotion.

The playfulness of kittens is part of their charm, but has its downside:

You have to be able to live with what we call the kitten-zoomies, says Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA’s Adoption Center and Mobile Clinic in New York. Kittens have very high energy levels. They can be trained, but be warned: “It’s like telling a teenager to chill out,” she says.

Bringing any new animal into your household requires some adjustments, of course. But babies of any species require more “child-proofing,” and often have an inconvenient concept of the daily schedule.

If you have plants, rugs, things that can be knocked over – all of those things are going to be changed,” says Buchwald. “These antics are cute, but maybe at five in the morning when you’re trying to sleep you don’t want the blankets pulled off.”

If someone wants a playful cat, it’s hard to judge that trait in a kitten. “All cats are playful as kittens, but you don’t really know what you’re getting later on. With a mature cat, we really see what this cat is going to be like as a companion,” she says.

Still, those little balls of fluff sell themselves, and despite all the rational arguments, you may decide you want a kitten after all. If so, take two – they’re small. “If someone wants to adopt a kitten, we encourage them to take two. They can entertain each other, which keeps them out of the pet owner’s hair,” Buchwald says.

Kittens also help raise each other. They learn bite inhibition when playing roughly, backing off when their playmate squeals. “They teach each other that very well when adopted out in pairs,” and then can apply it to their human companions as well. Without this mutual education, “a playful love bite can break the skin.”

Raising a kitten is less complicated than raising a puppy – no need for housebreaking or teaching polite behavior in public. But, “frequently people have misconceptions about what it takes to entertain and be the caregiver for a kitten,” says Buchwald. “People will bring a kitten back to the shelter and say ‘There’s something wrong with him, he never calms down, he runs around all night.’ We say, ‘Diagnosis: Kitten.’ “

Of course, kittens don’t stay kittens forever. On the bright side, they grow up into better, calmer companions. But they also lose their baby cuteness – and many end up back at shelters, where the ASPCA estimates that 70 percent euthanized.