We have decided to get a kitten. Neither hubby nor I have grown up with a cat and we have a 4yr old so this is overwhelming for us. Just wanted to get some advice about where and how to find a kitten, what's the concensus on pet stores and what are we in store for?
We live in an apartment and would prefer a cat with minimal shedding. Advice?!
So honestly, I'd go for a cat vs a kitten. Pet stores are horrid places so I'd look at rescues and shelters. For cats, rescues are great because they can often tell you the personality like 'likes kids'. And I know this is going to sound strange, but I also recommend a bonded pair of cats. Cats keep themselves busy and tend to be less destructive as a pair. 2 cats is also not much more work than 1 cat.
Shelters are full of kittens this time of year. Kittens need a lot of attention though and I wasn't really willing to get a kitten myself and again, get 2 if you get any. Our first cat was from the shelter, she was 9 months old. Our other cat was from a rescue, she was 2 years old. My biggest regret though was not getting 2 at the same time when we could've.
For minimal shedding, you'll want the standard domestic short hair. Brushing them weekly also helps keep shedding down.
I am personally against purchasing animals just because there are sooo many available through shelters. Do you have a shelter in your area? Maybe you could visit one to get their feedback, find out the process, and meet some kitties.
As far as shedding, I'm not sure there really is a breed of cat that is nonshedding in the way that dogs can be, but definitely look for a short hair cat. Some long hairs don't shed that much, but I don't think there is a way to tell unless it's an older cat and the shelter can tell you!
Kittens are exhausting, and in my experience are still exhausting until they are a year or two old. I spent many a night crying when my cat was about 6-8 months old and would not leave me alone (but I also did not have any working doors in my apartment at the time!) But at the same time, kittens are rewarding. If you're up for it, great! But otherwise, you may want to just get a two+ year old.
Buy a ton of scratching posts, a spray bottle, and catnip, and start training right away to make sure s/he doesn't get into bad habits. Make sure to spend a lot of time playing - that will reduce behavioral problems down the line. Start trimming their claws when they are small so they get used to it, and keep up with it.
Just my two cents from personal experience!
Last edited by nonameslob; 04-30-2015 at 12:15 PM.
Some shelters will have cats available for adoption at Petsmart or Petco. We've gotten a couple (older kittens usually) this way. It was great. Be sure you handle the kitten before you get it.
On the other hand, we do have a couple of cats that we bought from breeders. For those cats I wanted a specific breed with a specific temperament. Yes, mixed breed cats from shelters are great (I have a couple). But one advantage of going to a reputable breeder who shows cats is that you get a cat that is a good example of the breed and you have a much better chance of finding a cat of the specific temperament you are looking for. With a shelter cat, you are more like to get a cat whose temperament may not match what you want. With a cat of a specific breed from a reputable breeder, you are far more likely to get a cat whose temperament matches what you want.
That said, a cat from a reputable breeder will cost several hundred dollars while a shelter cat will usually have a much lower cost adoption fee and neutering fee.
On the other hand, we do have a couple of cats that we bought from breeders. For those cats I wanted a specific breed with a specific temperament. Yes, mixed breed cats from shelters are great (I have a couple). But one advantage of going to a reputable breeder who shows cats is that you get a cat that is a good example of the breed and you have a much better chance of finding a cat of the specific temperament you are looking for. With a shelter cat, you are more like to get a cat whose temperament may not match what you want. With a cat of a specific breed from a reputable breeder, you are far more likely to get a cat whose temperament matches what you want.
That isn't true. Rescues are great places to know the temperament of the cat you get and even for specific breeds. I got a Siamese from a rescue without knowing much of anything about Siamese but I was able to talk to the foster mom about her. Now I'm in love with Siamese but they aren't for everyone and I know which rescues have them. My cat talks a lot and sheds a lot but I love talker cats (our tortie is a talker too)
Never buy a dog or cat (or any other mammal) from a "pet store". As a veterinarian, I cannot emphasize this strongly enough. Rescues, shelters and breeders are ALL generally more acceptable, for a number of reasons including zoonotic infectious disease exposure. Personally I favor the rescue and shelter route.
I've used double-sided tape and similar sticky things on counters; cats hate when their paws get sticky so they usually remember. Or any thing that makes a loud noise when they jump up and hit it - there are commercial products for this, but I haven't tried them. We built little teepees of silverware, filled top-heavy plastic cups with pennies etc. anything that scares them enough to make them jump off. It didn't take too long for the lesson to sink in. But cats (and dogs) are situatuonal learners so you'll need to train for every counter etc. that you don't want them on; and if you move you will likely have to do it again.
What makes kittens more work? High energy. I mean, seriously high energy! I don't know about little bitty kittens as I've never had a cat younger than 4 months, but man....
And I've never figured out how to keep them off counters. If someone knows the secret, do let me know. Instead, I've just cat proofed my house... I think it's possible but it takes a lot of due diligence.
In fact, I have their cat beds above my kitchen cabinets. They jump up on the counter, to the top of the fridge, and up to their beds. Otherwise they generally aren't interested.
Last edited by nonameslob; 05-01-2015 at 09:38 AM.
Yeah kittens are just high energy and need lots more attention. But as I said, two kittens may be less work than 1 kitten. You also have to watch them more, like I wouldn't leave a kitten at home for more than a couple hours.
My cat was really good about staying off counters and tables but I've heard that tin foil works well to prevent them from wanting to be there. Supposedly, they don't like the feel of it on their paws.
Kittens are a bit more work as they like to get into trouble (just like kids lol). An older cat will probably be more calm and be an easier adjustment if you haven't ever had a cat before. As far as counters go, cats are harder to train than dogs but not impossible. My cats don't go on the counters hardly at all despite never training them to stay off. Instead, I give them other areas that they want to hang out in so they have no need to go on the counters. Most cats like heights so a cat tree is a good, but expensive buy. They last practically forever though. I still have one that I bought 10 years ago. They also love windows so having something for them to sit on near the windows is another plus. They like to watch the birds and such. Heights + windowvision = happy cat.
I adopted from the humane society (and always will) but I got an older cat that was already fixed and litter trained. I don't have the patience for kittens and puppies anymore, it's almost like having an infant. Plus most people don't want the older animals so a lot of them never get adopted.
A kitten is definitely work for a little while but if you're up for the challenge then go for it. More than anything avoid pet stores like the others have already said.
Quick note: many pet suppy stores deal exclusively in cats from the Humane Society. Check out where the cats/kittens are from. Often the cats featured at these stores are having a "last chance" to be seen. Our PetSmart and our Global Pet stores feature cats only from the Humane Society, as does one independent Pet Supply store downtown. http://pets.petsmart.com/adoptions/
At Global and downtown, the cats are residents until they are adopted.
As for kittens -- you'll have to kitten-proof a house, and if no one is home during the day, perhaps a room can be kitten-proofed until he/she is old enough to roam free during the day.
Everyone adopts the kittens. Few adopt the cats. The hardest cases are older cats. Many of them belonged to seniors who have passed away and they have been put in a Shelter in the hopes of adoption. This after years of a stable home. Please look into the older cats -- they have nothing but love to give.
Quick note: many pet suppy stores deal exclusively in cats from the Humane Society. Check out where the cats/kittens are from. Often the cats featured at these stores are having a "last chance" to be seen. Our PetSmart and our Global Pet stores feature cats only from the Humane Society, as does one independent Pet Supply store downtown. At Global and downtown, the cats are residents until they are adopted.
As for kittens -- you'll have to kitten-proof a house, and if no one is home during the day, perhaps a room can be kitten-proofed until he/she is old enough to roam free during the day.
Everyone adopts the kittens. Few adopt the cats. The hardest cases are older cats. Many of them belonged to seniors who have passed away and they have been put in a Shelter in the hopes of adoption. This after years of a stable home. Please look into the older cats -- they have nothing but love to give.
We should clarify that petsmart and potentially petco may sell small animals and birds but the cats may be from a rescue. The only thing is I don't think they keep kittens at the stores due to needing more attention. Spring, being prime time for kittens means the shelters will be full of them.
Cat advice
More than anything avoid pet stores like the others have already said.