So, you’re thinking about getting a kitten – congratulations, you won’t regret it! There are many animals in shelters in need of a loving home and kitten adoption is a fantastic route to take.
However, the selection process can be tough. While you may walk into the shelter and want to take all of the animals home, you need to find the one that is the perfect fit for you.
There are many considerations you must take into account before kitten adoption, and we’ve got some helpful advice to help make the process a little easier.
Personality
When undertaking the process of kitten adoption, make sure you take into consideration the kitten’s personality. Experiences in kittenhood can influence how it behaves in later life.
Much of their personality development would have already taken place before you take them home.[1] Your kitten learning to interact with humans takes place in the first eight weeks. Kittens have no fear at this age and their mind is open to forming new bonds.
Personality development takes place in the first few months of a kitten’s life. It depends on a number of factors, including:
- How the mother reacts to humans
- How much the kitten is handled prior to eight weeks old
- It’s hereditary disposition to independence or shyness
Despite the influence of genetics and early socialisation, young cats continue to be very adaptable. Behaviour experts advise that careful training with your pet can be used to develop confidence and build better relationships which work for them.
Breed
Many people give up kittens as they aren’t what they expected. When looking into kitten adoption, be realistic about the time and budget you have for your new family member, and chose a breed that fits with your lifestyle.
If you’re considering adopting a long-haired cat, make sure you’re aware of the upkeep. In terms of grooming, long-haired cats can require more maintenance than short-haired breeds. This can be a factor that leads some owners to surrender their pets.
Make sure you’re fully aware of the adult size, grooming needs and potential medical issues of your chosen breed of kitten before adopting. We have a number of breed reviews to help you out.
Ownership after kitten adoption
While the idea of having a kitten in the home seems great, have you fully considered the time and energy needed for the new household member?
Kittens have tonnes of energy and are always in the mood to play. They do not have set routines and take a while to settle into one, regularly staying up through the night.
Kittens tend to dislike being alone, so make sure someone is always around to keep them company. If you have to leave them for the day to work, think about adopting two in a pair to keep each other company.
Make sure you kitten proof your home and keep any valuables well out of the way. You’ll be surprised where they’ll reach with a little determination! We’ve got some tips on how to do this. (link to kitten proofing your home blog once live)
It’s also your job to teach your kitten how to behave. While they won’t be learning tricks like a puppy, they’ll need guidance on even the most basic things at first. Litter training, learning how to use a scratch post and proper play habits will come from you, so make sure you have plenty of time to teach them.
Make sure your new kitten is insured in case of any mishaps. Visit www.argospetinsurance.co.uk for information about our various policies.
Argos Limited is an Appointed Representative of Home Retail Group Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated as an insurance intermediary by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Cats are the cutest.
Indeed 🙂
The cost of pets is the one thing most people fail to realize when they meet that really, really cute little furball for the first time.
To care properly for a cat or dog involves a huge investment in time as well as money, though, and the saddest thing of all is a pet allowed to fend for itself or spend a life tied up in the backyard.
I think your post today addresses the topic especially well! Better not to have the cat than to have it and neglect it.
I especially agree with the need to have a companion cat when you will spend lots of time away from the home. I think you need to be sure the companion cat is acceptable to the other cat, though because they likely will be together for life. (My neighbors had a brother-sister pair that were total enemies, and the sister regularly got beat up by the twice as large brother. My two, brothers, are very compatible, but they have a brother and sister that another family adopted. Those two hate each other, making for a very unpleasant home.
That brings up a question: How do you make sure you have two compatible kitties? I have few ideas other than to watch littermate kittens at play and how they interact with each other. My brothers played well together, a fact noticed by the person who owned the mother, and her recommendation proved valuable when it came to which kitten should I have for the first one’s companion.
Thank you! It’s one of those topics that has to be touched upon hence why we chose it. 🙂
And yeah it’s not always easy to find compatible cat friends. We are lucky that our four get on well tho there are certain circumstances one of them will not share what they would share with one of the others. It’s interesting to watch the dynamics. 😉
If you have a good charity, cat behaviourist or breeder (obviously we would recommend to adopt but that’s not always possible for everyone especially when trying to find a good match) they are normally very good at identifying cats with a temperament / personality that will work with your existing cat if introduced the right way. I.e: we got Freya from a friend specifically to balance out our trio (Rennie had the idea that Nubia has to be his purrsonal pillow which she didn’t appreciate!) and luckily she perfectly estimated which cat in her litter would be a great match to Rennie without upsetting her royal highness Nubia. 🙂
Ha! It is an art matching cat personalities to existing residents that take exception to furniture changes, let alone new kitties! Anyway, as always, your blog was full of excellent advice. It’s easily my favorite for this sort of thing.
🙂 thank you
“Kittens tend to dislike being alone, so make sure someone is always around to keep them company. If you have to leave them for the day to work, think about adopting two in a pair to keep each other company.”
This is how my kitten chose me instead of the other way around. I was working at Petco (never shop there, please) and someone had adopted a kitten’s siblings and left her behind one Sunday night while I wasn’t there. The next morning, I walked in and she was crying so loudly enough I could hear her in the back of the store. I paid $125 I didn’t really have to adopt her, and she went home with me that night. People should read this post from The Dodo about separating kittens:
https://www.thedodo.com/close-to-home/cat-wont-stop-meowing-for-sister?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dodo
Thanks for sharing that post. Sadly many people don’t realise that bonded cats should not be separated. 🙁
Very true and valuable words. I think if ever the time came again I would definitely go for an older cat. x????
🙂
I love kitten
😀
I do k ow it’s good to adopt an older cat but this did not dissuade me from adopting a kitten. Cheers,H
Kittens are just too adorable 🙂 and the thing in our local rescue is that they normally have more kittens than older cats
???
Thank you 🙂
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Great article I foster so usually try and introduce a new cat over a long weekend at least because as you say younger cats don’t like being alone. How so much noise can come from one tiny mite I have no idea.
Yeah we introduced all of ours over long weekends. 🙂
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this was really helpful, thank you
You are welcome 🙂