Thoughts/rant About (almost) Never Getting A Kitten

[FelisCatus]

I just wanted to put my thoughts out there and see what everyone else thinks....

All but one of my kitty cats, I adopted as a rescue when they were older (1.5yo+... latest one was 6yo). I know it’s good to go for older cats since they are less likely to be adopted but I feel like I keep missing out on a portion of their life.... seeing their parents and going through their (albeit short) kitten months. Whenever I ask the person I adopt the cats from they never have kitty pics to share or when I go through shelters they of course do not.

One of my bucket list items is to have a bunch of kittens hanging out and crawling all over me. I got close to this at a cat cafe but it was with strangers around and not the same....

I once posted on the local Criagslist asking anyone if I can hang out with their kittens for a few hours and I would offer a small donation (during the kitten booming months) all I got were weird replies saying “freak” and such.... these people are giving away free kittens but wouldn’t even take my money just so I could pet and play with their kittens for a few hours... not like I would have eaten them.

 

[RajaNMizu]

I'm sure you've considered fostering, that would be an easier way to hang out with some kittens but not be housing them permanently. I know the staff at my shelter very well and they love volunteers. Maybe offer to babysit for a few hours for one of the foster families? Most of them work from home and would probably welcome a break even for a short period of time.

 

[FelisCatus]

I'm sure you've considered fostering, that would be an easier way to hang out with some kittens but not be housing them permanently. I know the staff at my shelter very well and they love volunteers. Maybe offer to babysit for a few hours for one of the foster families? Most of them work from home and would probably welcome a break even for a short period of time.

Yes, I already do plan to foster when I am much older and all of my current cats leave this world (hopefully in 15+ more years).... but who knows what will happen to me by then.

 

[Lari]

The TNR I got Lelia from does adoption events. Last summer when I wanted to hold a kitten, I volunteered to help out at one of them. It wasn't quite kittens crawling over me, but I did get to aww and play and hold for a couple hours. Is there something like that you could do?

 

[Willowy]

Some shelters/rescues might be accommodating, especially if you're able to volunteer to socialize them on a regular basis.

But let me say. . .it's a bit overrated. Especially if those kittens are hungry. . .

 

[jcat]

Fostering is probably your best bet if you want to experience young kittens (which can be very strenuous!). We have litters at the shelter, but visitors aren't allowed contact with them till they've had at least two rounds of kitten shots. Even then interaction is limited to people who are seriously considering adopting them. There's just too much risk for the kittens. Even staff members wear disposable protective clothing, tend to the kittens first, and can't reenter their rooms after they've been in other cat rooms.

As much as I love little kittens, after getting our last cat at 10 weeks and barely getting any sleep for months, I much prefer getting my kitten fixes at the shelter, where my own responsibility isn't 24/7 and there's often a mama cat.

 

[Kat0121]

I just wanted to put my thoughts out there and see what everyone else thinks....

All but one of my kitty cats, I adopted as a rescue when they were older (1.5yo+... latest one was 6yo). I know it’s good to go for older cats since they are less likely to be adopted but I feel like I keep missing out on a portion of their life.... seeing their parents and going through their (albeit short) kitten months. Whenever I ask the person I adopt the cats from they never have kitty pics to share or when I go through shelters they of course do not.

One of my bucket list items is to have a bunch of kittens hanging out and crawling all over me. I got close to this at a cat cafe but it was with strangers around and not the same....

I once posted on the local Criagslist asking anyone if I can hang out with their kittens for a few hours and I would offer a small donation (during the kitten booming months) all I got were weird replies saying “freak” and such.... these people are giving away free kittens but wouldn’t even take my money just so I could pet and play with their kittens for a few hours... not like I would have eaten them.

I understand 100% where you're coming from. There is nothing on earth or anywhere else cuter than kittens. Nothing even comes close. You know how some women (and men too) get baby fever? I have kitten fever. I want one SO bad. My girls were grown when I got them. I was never able to have a kitten when I was growing up because mom doesn't like cats and DH was allergic. To be in a room with a bunch of kittens is the best. Some shelters and rescues to let people volunteer to be cat cuddlers. You basically play with them and help socialize them. If they have a kitten room, you could just go in there and they usually already have plenty of toys and treats there. That's kind of like being a grandparent. You hang out with them and play with them and when they start getting out of hand you go home.

I think I might get a kitten (or two since they do better in pairs ) at some point in my life but not now. I really don't know how the girls would feel about that and I have to take their feelings into consideration since they live here too. Our house is quiet. It's just the 3 of us. I don't know how they would handle that kind of unbridled energy. Especially if it was just one trying to demand their attention. I doubt they'd find it as cute as I do.

 

[Winchester]

OK, let me tell you that it's wonderful! Many, many moons ago, a cat came into our lives. Turns out she was pregnant. And she had five kittens, three girls and two boys. We went from having three cats in the house to eight.

Watching those kids grow up was one of the best things that ever happened to us. Oh sure, they did some really bad things from time to time: Ms. Pepe put huge holes in our living curtains, trying to climb up the drapes, Pepe also ate my computer mouse. One morning Rick came home from work and, somehow, the cats not only knocked down the Christmas tree, but they also got it down the steps to the front door! We still don't know how that happened; thankfully it was not decorated yet. Oh, and BooBoo ate a spider one time; the spider bit the inside of his throat and we had to make an emergency vet visit. Boo spent the night in an oxygen tent, but the next morning, the vet tech called me and said, "Pam, could you come down and take Boo home? He's here screaming. He wants to go home!" And I went right down and got him.

I was laid-off from work for a few months, so I really got to see the babies grow into "toddlers" and then into youngsters. I watched them explore the house, I watched them tear into each other when they were playing. I saw them sleep in clumps, all of them together. They slept in a clothesbasket back in the bedroom and, every morning, I'd bring them in to the living room and "let them loose". It was incredible. Once they got older, they could climb into bed and the kittens learned how to share our bed with us.

At night, Rick would come home and we would spend time with the cats in the living room, playing with them, and cuddling with them. Who needed the TV when there were kittens in the house? It was more fun to lie on the living room floor and let the kids run all over us. We had a blast.

Meal times were a bit of a hoot. There were eight cats wanting food and they weren't shy about letting us know. I remember my GF would visit; she lived in New Jersey and she'd come for the weekend from time to time. She was used to one cat, so having all these cats was a treat for her. She loved to feed them.

Now? I don't know that I'd have the patience for five kittens. We only have one "kitten" left from that litter. Ms. Pepe will be 23 years old in February. We have five cats, but Pepe is the only one still here from those kittens.

So that's my take on living with kittens. We loved it....but I'm not sure we'd want to repeat it!

That being said, we brought Mollipop home when she was seven weeks old. We brought Tabby in when she was about 4-5 weeks old; she was a stray. Mollipop came home and pretty much took over the house. Tabby was in a crate in the computer room for about a month or so before she joined the kids.

 

[kittyluv387]

OK, let me tell you that it's wonderful! Many, many moons ago, a cat came into our lives. Turns out she was pregnant. And she had five kittens, three girls and two boys. We went from having three cats in the house to eight.

Watching those kids grow up was one of the best things that ever happened to us. Oh sure, they did some really bad things from time to time: Ms. Pepe put huge holes in our living curtains, trying to climb up the drapes, Pepe also ate my computer mouse. One morning Rick came home from work and, somehow, the cats not only knocked down the Christmas tree, but they also got it down the steps to the front door! We still don't know how that happened; thankfully it was not decorated yet. Oh, and BooBoo ate a spider one time; the spider bit the inside of his throat and we had to make an emergency vet visit. Boo spent the night in an oxygen tent, but the next morning, the vet tech called me and said, "Pam, could you come down and take Boo home? He's here screaming. He wants to go home!" And I went right down and got him.

I was laid-off from work for a few months, so I really got to see the babies grow into "toddlers" and then into youngsters. I watched them explore the house, I watched them tear into each other when they were playing. I saw them sleep in clumps, all of them together. They slept in a clothesbasket back in the bedroom and, every morning, I'd bring them in to the living room and "let them loose". It was incredible. Once they got older, they could climb into bed and the kittens learned how to share our bed with us.

At night, Rick would come home and we would spend time with the cats in the living room, playing with them, and cuddling with them. Who needed the TV when there were kittens in the house? It was more fun to lie on the living room floor and let the kids run all over us. We had a blast.

Meal times were a bit of a hoot. There were eight cats wanting food and they weren't shy about letting us know. I remember my GF would visit; she lived in New Jersey and she'd come for the weekend from time to time. She was used to one cat, so having all these cats was a treat for her. She loved to feed them.

Now? I don't know that I'd have the patience for five kittens. We only have one "kitten" left from that litter. Ms. Pepe will be 23 years old in February. We have five cats, but Pepe is the only one still here from those kittens.

So that's my take on living with kittens. We loved it....but I'm not sure we'd want to repeat it!

That being said, we brought Mollipop home when she was seven weeks old. We brought Tabby in when she was about 4-5 weeks old; she was a stray. Mollipop came home and pretty much took over the house. Tabby was in a crate in the computer room for about a month or so before she joined the kids.

Thanks for sharing!! Feel like I got to experience kittens a little by reading.

 

[kashmir64]

As much as I love little kittens, after getting our last cat at 10 weeks and barely getting any sleep for months, I much prefer getting my kitten fixes at the shelter, where my own responsibility isn't 24/7 and there's often a mama cat.

I totally agree with you there. I have done a lot of fostering for orphaned kittens. Between no sleep (feeding and wiping butts every two hours) to having to kitten proof every inch of my house and even having to break up 'kitten fights' at 3 am. With the two I have now, I take pride in saying I've had them from 10 days old, I much prefer them now that they are 22 months. They still get the frenzies but at least I'm getting sleep. Kittens are cute, but they are a lot of work.

 

[rgwanner]

As someone who has fostered almost continually for 4 or 5 years I have to recommend it. You can get only 2. You can get them when they are eating solid food . Bottle feeding is a whole other thing. If it gets too much the shelter will take them back. Fostering is the best thing.

I come home from a bad day, sit down on the bed and 4 little ones come up purring and crawling all over me. I have to smile.

Yes you have to do meds, and clean an extra box and keep records, but you have unlimited access to babies!! And you are helping save their lives since many come from kill shelters.

The biggest downfall is that you are susceptible to becoming a Foster Fail - not being able to let them go. I am a member of that club also.

You don't need a huge space - a large bathroom is fine until they get their second shots and can "mingle".

And as I said, there is no commitment to keep them if it just does not work out.

If you want a kitten fix without the expense, consider fostering.

Let us know what you decide.

 

[FelisCatus]

All of these responses were great! I had already thought about fostering later in life so I will try and be a pregnant cat foster.

Win/Win/Win

I'll have lots of time to learn all I need to know before any of this gets put in motion either way.