What Should I Look For When Adopting A Cat?

[EggSandwich]

Hey!

We'll just have to hope I'm posting this in the correct section..

For the few of you that know me, tonight will be my 6th night in the new house and that means we're getting closer to adoption time!
Anyways, I'm just wondering.. When I am looking at all the cats in the shelter, what signs should I look for from the cats to determine if they want to be with me or not? I have a pretty good idea.. But I'd rather have reassurance.

If you got your cat(s) at the shelter, did it pick you? How do you know.. What did it do?

 

[maggiedemi]

If they let you interact with the cats out of the cage, I would look for a lap cat. I had a wonderful tuxedo male cat when I was a child that loved to be held. What kind/color cat do you think you will get? Male or female? I would probably get a male tuxedo or female tortie/calico.

 

[EggSandwich]

If they let you interact with the cats out of the cage, I would look for a lap cat. I had a wonderful tuxedo male cat when I was a child that loved to be held. What kind/color cat do you think you will get? Male or female? I would probably get a male tuxedo or female tortie/calico.

A male lapcat who loves to cuddle would be great! (It would be awesome to have a shoulder-rider, too ) as far as fur patterns go, I'm down for anything.. But my favorite fur pattern would have to be those white cats that have random splotches of color (sometimes tabby splotches.) Another thing I like are white males with ginger lynx-points.. (I've spent a lot of time looking at American bobtail kittens I gusss, haha)

 

[huxleysmom]

I would make sure to make a list of what you are looking for in a cat? High energy/mellow, kitten/adult/senior, lap cat/independent, friendly/ more reserved, color. I would make sure to spend time and interact with the cat for a long period of time. Sit on the floor, see if you can pick him/her up and handle her/him easily. Most importantly, I would ask to see his/her medical history and study it carefully. The shelter I got Huxley from downplayed a lot of his medical issues to me. I had never owned a cat before and was not really aware of specific feline illnesses and believed it when they told me he was healthy. Turns out he is not. Don't get me wrong, I love my boy and have never regretted adopting him, and I by no means suggest that cats with medical issues do not deserve to get adopted, but you want to make sure that you are fully aware as to what you are signing up for, and how expensive it would be to care for that particular cat's medical needs(especially if your finances would not allow for big medical expenses). However, like in most cases, the cat will probably end up chosing you!

 

[danteshuman]

I would suggest #1 healthy & socialized to people has a wee kitten. Unforgettably if you get a pure bread cat (unless from a reputable breeder) there is always a chance that your kitten came from a breeding farm. If that is so, the chances of inbred genetic defects is high (lately they have started to use staging homes/breeders to pretend they were raised in a home and listing on craigslist among other places. So if you are not 100% sure about the breeder, a mixed breed is probably your best bet. Pure breeds from good breeders cost $$$ so expect a big price tag and for them to interview you.

Personally I have never gone wrong with a grey tabby (though my current grey/white one is an adorable hyper punk.) Next I would look for how the kitten interacts with you. Purring is always a good sign as is snuggling. Lastly how does the kitten interact with you/other kittens. Is it shy? Playful? Daring? I would recommend looking for a cat in the middle of the spectrum but what kind of personality you want is completely up to you. (Again in all fairness my hyper punk was a blind adoption, the only blind one I have ever done .... and yes I still love him to pieces I only stipulated he had to be a grey tabby.)

 

[MeganLLB]

Like mentioned I would definitely make sure you know about its medical history. I have had 4 cats all with very different personalities. Freddy was so gentle and cool. He let us dress him up in costumes and push him around in a baby stroller when we were kids. Pansey played fetch like a dog, begged for food, would come running at the sound of a cheese stick wrapper. Little Kitty is a bitc..great cat. Luna is literally nuts, runs around the house, climbs the curtains, bounces off the furniture, eats my people food, jumps on the dog, screams at me like a siamese, and then sleeps like an angel .

All so very different. Decide what you are looking for. And if you get a kitten, sometimes their personalities change as they get older. They calm down a bit. I would look for one that seems interested in you.

 

[abyeb]

Be sure to spend at least 15 minutes with each cat, enough time for the cat to get over their original shyness to be able to interact with you. When you're walking through he shelter, a cat that comes to the front of the cage when you walk by will certainly be friendly. Also note that kittens personality can change, they can become less active or more or less cuddly or friendly as they get older. So, if you want to be sure that you know what the personality of the cat you're getting, I'd reccommend getting a cat who is at least a year old. Adult cats are also easier for first-time cat owners, because they're easier to train. But, of course, kittens are super cute, and certainly a fun experience (although they can be a handful), so if you have the time and patience, adopting a kitten is great too! Also, note that the shelter volunteers really know the personality of each cat, so if you know what you're looking for personality-wise, a shelter staff member could point out some cats who might be a good match. Please don't read too much into the appearance of a cat (i.e., fur color, hair length), actually get to know the cat. Additionally, often times shelters will incorrectly label cats as purebreds, either because it's a genuine mistake or because they're trying to make them look more attractive to potential adopters. So, if you see a cat labeled as "Russian Blue", for example, more often than not, it will be a blue Domestic Shorthair. Mixed-breed cats make absolutely wonderful pets, but I just want to point out that you should get to know a cat, instead of assuming a personality based off of a breed label given by the shelter. Good luck, and keep us updated!

 

[Wags]

Until I got Nikita (pictured) I always went to the rescue shelter for cats. My last two were exceptional pets. Both were respectively around 6 months when adopted and came to the cage door when I was looking out them, both purred and cuddled into my shoulder. The bigger shelters here have a bigger play room where you can interact with a cat and see how they go with activity etc.
I loved them both to bits, they were quite different but the same in some ways. I had them one at a time (consecutively) - they both loved the human family and hated other animals. I think just possesive of us but who knows. You just need to do all of the above suggestions from everyone but ultimately it's a feeling and then training/rule making when home - like with any relationship there will probably be one (or a couple) of really annoying traits but we love them unconditionally anyway

 

[StefanZ]

You shall have your wish list prepared. Dont expect you meet an ideal one, though.
But. Be prepared you will choose someone spontaneously. Perhaps one whom picks you. It may be someone totally else. For example, you want a kitten, and find a senior citizen...

Such adoptions by instinct, gut and heart, are often the best.

Have also your eyes open for a pair of good friends. And as hinted, dont be afraid of adults. The do bind nicely them too, if you are kind to them, so they do bind. Also a little shy cats do bind to you and your family. They may be shy to visitors, but they will bind to the residents.

 

[MeganLLB]

"The wand chooses the wizard, Harry."

 

[lalagimp]

Your cat might just find you. All the ideas are great, but I didn't spend more than 5 minutes watching my cat to know he was coming home with me. I've been in the cat sections of the stores before,where the cats are waiting adoption. They call out to you. They reach for you. Or they do nothing, with no interest in anything while being in that cage.
Not this guy.
He was almost 3 months old and was playing with his tail on the shelf. He made eye contact with me like Hey lady what's up, I'll ttyl. Then he kept playing with his tail and fell of the shelf. He'd jump back up and start doing it again. His paperwork said he was neutered 2 days earlier, but he wasn't upset about that either. Nothing about being stuck in that little cage seemed like a bad time for him, whether I stayed to try to talk to him or not. He was totally cool just being a Tommy.
I had to run to the office for two hours and then I was driving him home and he wanted to see what was going on from inside his box so I opened the end, but he managed to escape in the car, and he was just checking out everything, not really needing to talk to me.
I got him home and he started to explore the apartment right away. By comparison, my other cat resident had been hiding in the closet her first three days with me a few months before. SHE WAS MAD AT HIM FOR COMING INTO HER HOUSE. After he settled in a day or two later he started hanging out nearby the people in the apartment. Because unless he was playing with the guinea pigs, we were where the action was. So his last name is Gargoyle.

So I was looking for a different kind of cat and I found my love. This month is 8 years since he moved in. I even have his paw prints tattooed on me. He runs a house with three other cats.