Thinking of adopting a cat? Trying to find out where to start? Or what to know before you adopt? I may have the answer. Please read on…..
Recently a friend of mine (let’s call her Ria for the sake of privacy) reached out to me after about 6 years. Well we had been passively in touch on social media meanwhile, but had not connected personally – our lives had drifted us into two totally different geographical regions.
When Ria called, one of the updates in our life that caught her eye was our feline companion(s). Ria had two little ones and wanted to know how to go about getting a cat. She also wanted help to decide if they should get a kitten or an adult cat.
Here are five things you may want to keep in mind when deciding to get a feline furry little one:
- Other family members: I state this first for two reasons; of course if there are other adults helping to make decisions for the household, you may want to have a discussion first. Second, if there are little ones at home, we want to make sure our furry friend would be compatible with them.
- Kids below 6 years old: an adult cat especially who has been around families with kids would be preferable
- Kids 6-13 years old: definitely adult cat, hit or miss with kittens
2. Age of the cat: Besides the details above, kittens have different growth stages too like kids. That takes importance for:
- Food: Kittens have to shed their baby teeth and get adult ones; besides, their ability to digest food matures with age, so they may need different types of kitten food (formula if very young) and have to be weaned to the adult cat food within their first year
- Vaccinations: Most of the routine infant shots are done by 4-5 months
- Potty training: I’m sure no one would overlook this aspect
3. Finances: Planning for a cat is in a way like planning for a child, minus school and bus tuition. Let’s make sure you have thought of your family’s ability to provide for a kitten, mainly:
- food and water
- shots
- microchipping (so they can find their way home if they get lost, God forbid!)
- deworming
- flea treatment/ prevention
- spaying if you prefer
- occasional cat-sitting if you need it for family vacations
- toys: yes they need intellectual stimulation too like children
- grooming: especially if you have a medium/ long haired kitty
4. Other pets in the house: Pets can be territorial and protective of you and yours. Naturally, your new pet on her first day home may seem like an intruder to the resident pet. If they are self-contained, like fish in a bowl, it is relatively easier: just make sure your furry friend is not on the prowl for them. In general most families with cats and fish coexist peacefully, quite contrary to their legendary hunter-and-prey depiction. A lid on the fish tank may help ensure the safety of all 😉
5. Where to find your kitty:
- Shelters: There’s something humane about adopting cat from shelters. Those li’l ones may otherwise have not had a safe home. Maybe they were in unsafe home and you may be their passport to love and safety. Some shelters may not have capacity to keep pets beyond a certain time, so they may end up getting killed if not adopted: you would literally be saving their life. Besides a good portion of the intense care they need may be already taken care of at the shelter: weaning, food stage transitioning, spaying, shots, microchipping, deworming, flea prevention, potty training etc. Shelters may have vet services too, saving the need to find a vet (did I forget to say it may cut the vet bill too 😉 )
- Websites: like www.gokitty.com, www.furkids.org, www.petfinder.com, www.bestfriends.org; some of these have kitties for sale by owner, others link you back to shelters and foster homes.
They say your cat finds you! If a furry friend follows you home from the street, pay heed: you may be the chosen one!
Congrats on your new furry li’l one!!!