Sure they are cute but that is for a short period of time. Here’s a list of questions you might want to ask yourself before purchasing/adopting a cat or kitten!
Who doesn't love a kitten? There’s nothing wrong with wanting one. Just consider that kittens are high energy that need plenty of attention and someone (preferably another cat) to play/socialize with. They are also nocturnal so don't be surprised when you bring them home and they decide to wrestle most of the night on or under your bed. Other nights they will spend chasing each other up and down the stairs or across the hardwood floor. They may be little kittens but they run like elephants. So, if you’re a light sleeper and/or you have a busy lifestyle and can’t afford a playmate for your kitten then you might want to consider an older cat.
Kittens may not be suitable for young children under the age of 5. Yes, kids can be very gentle and caring but there's a big size difference between a kitten and a child. If a thirty pound child falls on a two pound kitten, it will result in a horrifying outcome. Kids can have a tough time remembering how to hold cats properly (plus, their hands are tiny), they can be unintentionally rough, and can also be very loud and excitable which can be frightening to a young kitten. Kittens (or cats) will scratch or bite if they’re scared or unhappy about being held and your child could get hurt. Remember, kittens are fragile and you can't supervise them with your children every minute.
Another consideration is personality. Kittens seem to change identities from week to week. Bold ones become shy and vice versa. With an older cat, what you see is generally what you get. So, if you want a cat that likes to snuggle, or gets along with dogs and children, or loves watching reality shows on the couch with you, that’s what you look for and you can usually find a cat that’s a good fit. Cats can be older than a year and still be very playful and kittenish if that’s what you want. Also, a kitten’s adult physical appearance is a mystery but there are some stunningly beautiful adult cats available for forever homes in all sizes and colours.
If you want to improve your karma even more…consider a senior cat. Most senior cats are lovely pets that just want a comfy spot to call their own for their remaining years. Unfortunately their owners may have passed away or moved into a retirement facility where they cannot keep their pets. These poor cats are difficult to place because most people desire younger animals. It’s sad to think a cat may end its days in a metal cage after being a loving pet in a warm home for so many years.
It's very surprising to see how many people are wanting/offering very young kittens (8 weeks or under) on Kijiji. There are many articles online that outline the difficulties (health, socialization) that can arise when you separate kittens too soon from their mother and litter mates. Gen
This is a tough question because no one can predict the future.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to think about a few things…
Are you renting? Go to Kijiji and see how many people are dumping their cats because they’re moving. I’m not saying that you can’t own a cat if you rent but you’ll have to be more careful. What happens if you suddenly have to move and don’t have the time to find a pet friendly new place? What if you have to move in with family or friends, will they let you bring your cat? Home owners should think about this as well. Maybe you’ll get a new job and need to move out of province, who knows? Ideally, you’ll be in a fairly permanent and stable home before bringing home a new family member.
Are you thinking about having a baby in the future? Here’s another common cat dumping excuse. Many people are uncomfortable having cats in the house with a newborn. Yes, they can co-exist with certain precautions but do your research. If you decide it’s too much of a hassle or you’re just too fearful, then please do not get a cat. Goldfish are quite pretty.
Are you looking for love? Okay, this one is a little extreme but what will you do if Mr or Ms Right shows up and they don’t like cats or they have an allergy (or maybe their kids do). It’s never too soon to have a backup plan in case you do have to rehome your cat…for any reason, not just a love connection. Or perhaps you bought a cat with your partner…what happens if your relationship ends? Who gets Fluffy?
This can be a tricky question. I certainly don’t want to suggest that people with lower incomes can’t have a cat. However, you have to be prepared (as much as you can be) for unexpected expenses. Food, litter, vaccinations, spaying/neutering and micro-chipping can be budgeted for. (and reputable rescues will include that last three in their adoption fee). It’s the vet bills for illness that’ll surprise you. Vet emergencies can be expensive even it if is just a cold. You should consider having an emergency fund and/or pet insurance if that kind of expense will give you a small heart attack. If you plan to euthanize or dump a cat if it requires veterinary care, you really shouldn’t get one.
Drag yourself, your kids, anyone who will live with this adorable furball to the house of a cat owning friend. Or hit a local shelter or local adoption events and get some physical contact with some kitties. Another thing to consider…do any of your regular visitors have cat allergies? If you babysit your grandkids you’ll want to make sure they’ll be comfortable in your home. If the allergies aren’t too severe then you may have options. Google is your friend!
This question is for every kind of pet owner. Litter boxes can be messy, cats can scratch things you don’t want scratched (wallpaper, furniture, wood trim, curtains/blinds), leave hair everywhere, get sick and vomit on your floors or have diarrhea, cough up a lovely hairball on your bed, rub their moist cat food mouth on your leg or couch, rip up paper products and can do much, much more. It might not be that bad but neat freaks should be prepared!
Dogs and cats can live together but you may need to do a careful introduction. There are articles online (as well as this blog) that detail how to do so. If you’re introducing a second cat, you should be careful of any age extremes. Your 10 year old cat might not be too thrilled with a 12 week old kitten bouncing off his/her back and wanting to play all night! You might also want to be careful with rodents and birds.
“I just don’t have the time to give my cat the attention that he/she deserves.” That one pops up a lot. It is not a valid excuse because, in our experience, cats are one of the most low maintenance pets around. They’re perfect for the working stiff because they snooze all day and you only need a few minutes to feed them and scoop their litter. Add a dash of ear rubbing, a lap in front of the tv and some space at the foot of your bed at night and you have a contented cat. Kittens definitely need a bit more time but you can solve that problem by adopting two! Same goes for adult cats. If you’re really worried that your cat is home alone too much…adopt a bonded pair! Many rescues have cats that can’t be split up and they’d be thrilled if you’d give them a new home. There are also plenty of kitties that must be the only cat in the house (they don’t get along with their own kind) so you can adopt just one cat guilt-free.
Yes!!!! You may have to pay more money upfront but you pay less overall. Most rescues have their cats/kittens vet checked, vaccinated, de-wormed, treated for fleas, spayed and neutered if age appropriate and some even do micro-chipping. There’s usually some short term free pet insurance thrown in as well. Prices can range from $100 to $200 depending on the rescue. Cats come in all ages and colours, domestics and exotics, mixed and purebreds. Rescues are generally anti-declawing but they do occasionally have declawed cats come into the program if that’s your preference.
Every cat/kitten adopted means another one can be rescued from the streets or animal control shelter. Please support organizations that stop the cycle of breeding unwanted cats and not irresponsible cat owners that don't fix their pets. Seriously, do you want to encourage these people that let their cats breed indiscriminately? Their unfixed cats get out and come home pregnant…they think Fluffy will be unfulfilled if she doesn’t have at least one litter…they want their kids to experience a litter being born in the house…etc.
Hey, you want to experience raising teeny tiny kittens? Contact your local cat rescue and tell them you're interested in fostering a pregnant cat or a mother cat with newborns. If you have an extra room or quiet corner of your house, that would be great. You'll be helping a cat in need and maybe you'll decide to adopt a kitten or two (or the mommy cat). Being a cat foster parent is a wonderful and easy way to give something back to your community. It is volunteer work that you can do at home...you can't beat that! 🙂 Plus expenses are paid for!!
Another thing to consider…is that online poster being truthful about why he/she is getting rid of Fluffy? Rescues do their best to find a good cat/kitten for your family. I’m not saying foster parents can’t be a bit blind to the faults of their charges but we don’t want adopters to be unhappy with their new friend or with the rescue. A rescue does not want a reputation as an organization that dumps problem cats on unsuspecting people. Now you may take your new cat home and find out (after a natural adjustment period) that it’s not going to work. The rescue may be able to exchange that cat for one that would be a better fit. These cats have unknown histories so we can only tell you what we see while the cats are in our care. Now, if you get a cat from John Shmuck off the internet and things don’t work out, you could be stuck. You might be in for an unpleasant surprise when it turns out Fluffy (who was described as the sweetest cat in the world) loves to wake you up by attaching himself to your face and doing his best to dig the eyeballs out of your skull. Strangely enough, John Shmuck won’t answer your calls. Hmm…and Fluffy also prefers to pee on the floor instead of in the litter box. Odd, since John Shmuck said he was only giving away his much beloved cat because he was moving, had allergies, couldn’t afford the cat and didn’t have the time to love him the way he deserved to be loved.
Rescues usually require that any adopted cat is strictly an indoor cat. Outdoor cats can be injured by cars, other animals, suffer from exposure, pick up some nasty diseases and the list of dangers goes on. Plus, depending on your municipality there may be a by-law that states your cat cannot roam free. Letting your cat wander outdoors can make it very difficult for caring citizens to differentiate between lost cats, strays and an owned cat that lives one street over. You want to get strays (quite likely unfixed) off the street but you don’t want to drop a cat off at animal control only to have its owner knock on your door three days later asking if you’ve seen Fluffy.
No.
Okay, that’s a little short. Noooooooooo! That’s much better! 🙂
Yes, you know the gift receiver is a wonderful person who has owned 6 cats that all lived 103 years and you know exactly what kind of cat she wants and she has all the cat stuff and told you how much she wanted a new pet and how she would love to find a friend under the ol’ Christmas tree, blah, blah, blah. Humane societies, rescues, and decent breeders don’t allow this. You must
let the cat owner choose their own pet and make a conscious decision to take on that responsibility. As much as a single person may bemoan their aloneness, a good friend won’t just show up with a husband or baby and say, “Surprise!”
Create a lovely coupon that says something like, “This coupon entitles you to a free furry companion!” Stick it on a plush, toy cat or a litter box full of cat accessories and let your “someone special” unwrap that. Then you can drive them to a humane society, cat adoptathon or local pet store that has rescued cats and kittens available. Or you can snuggle in front of your laptop and look at all the kitties online at the various rescues. She may have always declared her desire for a longhaired orange tabby but she may lock eyes with a gorgeous adult black cat and “Wham!”…love at first sight. I’ve seen it happen.
It’s great that you want to pay for a companion for someone, but let her experience the joy of finding the right furry friend to love for years and years.
Please do not offer your kitten for free. It should be vet checked, treated for fleas, dewormed, vaccinated and priced accordingly. It should also be sold with a non-breeding contract. If it’s over 6 months old, it should be spayed or neutered. A cat with a price tag is less likely to be purchased on a whim. It's sad to say but a free cat is also less likely to be valued. The owner may not feel it's worth putting any serious money into a free pet. Yes, there are wonderful people who would take great care of a cat, free or not but there are so many others who will dump that cat when it's not longer convenient for them to own it. No money invested...no big loss. It's unfortunate but true. Plus, abusers and dog fighters seeking bait go after the "free to good home" ads and you will not be able to recognize them as they are very savvy. Believe us! Oh, did you also know that some people who own large snakes look for young kittens to use as snake food?
If these kittens are from an unexpected breeding (my cat got out) or maybe you rescued some cats from the street and you can't afford the vet cost, try contacting a cat rescue. If you're willing to provide a temporary foster home for these cats, they might be able to help with not only the medical costs but finding permanent homes for them as well. As well, please check out blog post on re-homing for tips.
In conclusion, kittens are great. But they can be a lot to manage. Think about what you want outside of the cuteness and you will make the right decision.
