3 Reasons To Adopt An Adult Cat Instead Of A Kitten
Posted on: 12 November 2015
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Cats are one of the most popular pets for households of all sizes. But many prospective pet owners only consider kittens, which contributes to the number of older cats in adoption centers throughout the world.
While each home is different and a kitten could be right for you, here are three reasons why you might be better off adopting a fully grown cat.
1. Established Habits
By the time a cat reaches adulthood, it has established grooming, social, and play behaviors. Most adult cats already have litter box training and a pattern of behavior for interacting with children and other pets.
Young kittens, on the other hand, often don't even know how to groom themselves yet. Unless you have an older cat to teach your newest family member the ropes, your kitten may not learn important health and social habits.
2. Identifiable Personality
Most kittens appear to have the same personality. And while a tiny, cute ball of fur is adorable, many pet owners who opt to adopt kittens later find that the cat their kitten grows up to be doesn't have a personality compatible with their home and family circumstances.
Adult cats, on the other hand, will exhibit key elements of their personalities as soon as you meet them. When you interact with an adult cat, you quickly learn if the cat is friendly, tactile, or standoffish. This knowledge improves the chances that you leave a pet adoption center with a companion that you can have a simple, symbiotic relationship with.
3. Stable Health
When you see an adult cat in an adoption center, you also gain access to a brief medical history. This history usually includes the cats immunizations, any recent illnesses, and any everyday health concerns. For many pet owners, detailed health information is an important factor when adopting since it affects their ability to afford to care properly for their feline friend.
Just as kittens may not yet exhibit fully developed personalities, they may not be in stable health either. Kittens are more susceptible to minor illness, especially kittens who are still teething and therefore putting many foreign objects in their mouths. Additionally, many kittens up for adoption aren't old enough to have received all their vaccines yet and many have not yet been fixed. These medical considerations can raise the cost of adoption significantly.
As you begin the adoption process, look for adult cats who could become the perfect addition to your family.
To learn more about pet adoptions, contact a company like Pilot Knob Animal Hospital.