Is a Kitten Right for You?

Considerations for Yourself

• You want a pet that is full of energy and will love to play, and entertain you.
• You are willing to spend time playing with your pet, tossing pom poms or balls, and playing with feathers on poles.
• You are home a lot and want to spend a lot of time with your pet.

• You have patience to deal with caring for a young animal (similar to caring for a baby). You are willing to clean up splattered poo on walls. You are willing to clean up litter thrown outside of the litterbox.
• You are willing to clean up soft cat food off the floor, where the kitten may track it after stepping in the food.You can offer a kitten consistent training.

• You are willing to train the kitten to only scratch designated areas (scratching posts), to not jump on tables and counters, etc.
• You want a pet to lavish with love and attention.
• You prefer a pet that doesn't need to be walked every day.
• You want a young pet that will bond with you as it grows and ages with you.
• You are willing to get your pet vaccinated, spayed/neutered, de-wormed, etc.

Considerations for Other People in the Home

• You have older children (around 5 or six or older) who can handle a pet gently, and who want a pet to play with and give attention to a pet, a kitten may be a good option.
• If you have very young children, and older cat might be a better option because adult cats aren't as fragile as kittens in the hands of young people who haven't yet learned how to be gentle.

Considerations for Other Pets in the Home

• You have existing cat(s) in your house, and you'd like to add a new pet. Kittens are often easier to introduce to full grown cats, because cats don't view kittens as a threat. Some cats will even "mother" the kitten, regardless of whether the adult is a male or female. The adult will often take up bathing (licking) the kitten from time to time.
• You are considering adopting two (or three) pets at once. If you adopt multiple kittens, each kitten will have someone to play with (besides you) so they will have a way to keep themselves entertained much of the time.
• You have pets such as dogs, rabbits, hamsters, etc. Kittens are usually easy to introduce to other pets.

If you think a kitten sounds like a good option, consider adopting from your local animal shelter or rescue agency. Those are my favorite options.

My favorite places for browsing for new pets, are Petfinder and Craigslist. Petfinder is a searchable listing of available pets. You can filter your search by type of pet, location, age and some other great options.

Craigslist has adoptable pet listings from rescues as well as individuals and breeders. Be sure you know who you're adopting from and what is included with the adoption. "Free" may not be the best option if you still need to take the kitten to the veterinarian for a check-up, vaccinations, spay/neuter, flea treatment and de-worming. Those are usually the minimal amount of items you should have done with any new kitten.