It’s often said that you don’t choose a cat, the cat chooses you. While that may be true to some extent, choosing a cat to adopt is a matter to be taken seriously. After all, you’re taking home a new family member that could spend the next 20 years with you – one that’s already experienced abandonment and heartache.
Around 7-20% of adopted animals are returned to shelters for various reasons, but the most common reason given is behavioral issues. If you’re wondering how to pick the right cat for you, these tips will help prepare you for a successful cat adoption!
1. Evaluate your home and lifestyle
Be honest about what your lifestyle entails and what relationship you want with your cat. Here are some questions to think about:
- Do you live alone and work 9-5? A more laidback cat might be more suitable than an adventurous one – or a bonded pair might be better than a single cat.
- Do you travel frequently? Cats don’t do well with changes in their environment, so having other family members or a sitter is far preferable to cat boarding.
- Do you have children and/or other pets? You’ll need to put in extra time to make sure everyone gets along.
- Do you have allergies? A longhair cat is probably out of the question, and you’ll need to invest more time and money in keeping your home dander-free.
- Do you live in an apartment? You’ll need to mesh your windows to prevent your cat from falling.
- Do you have lots of plants, art/craft materials, or love scents? Many household objects are toxic to cats and you may need to change your home layout or even lifestyle to accommodate this.
2. Consider age and personality
Another common dilemma is whether to get a kitten versus an older cat. Kittens are cute and will have many more years with you, but they’re also very high-energy and require lots of supervision, enrichment, and training. Depending on their age, you’ll need to get them vaccinated, sterilized, and properly socialized (which is why two kittens are better than one!)
Kittens also have insatiable curiosity, so be prepared for some destruction in your home regardless of how much cat-proofing you’ve done.
Older cats are more set in their ways, which is great if you’re busy and/or prefer a cat with a certain temperament. MEOW Foundation in Calgary assigns overall personality types and even shyness levels to their cats!
Finally, if breed is a consideration for you, know that cats with certain breed characteristics come with their own challenges. For instance, Bengal cats (descended from hybrids with the wild Asian leopard cat) have a strong prey drive and require intense exercise – something few owners are capable of handling. Siamese cats may be more vocal, while Ragdolls are predisposed to heart disease.
That said, a cat is officially a Domestic Shorthair/Longhair (in other words, a moggie or mix) unless it comes with pedigree papers. Don’t be tricked by cats “up for adoption” online that are labeled a certain breed. These are often unethical backyard breeders looking to make a quick buck.
3. Interact with the cats
The next step in choosing a cat to adopt is heading down to the shelter/rescue. If you have recommendations from friends, fantastic! Otherwise (or even so), look around at a few places. Allow plenty of time for your visit and approach every cat with an open mind. You might surprise yourself with how a cat may just appeal to you regardless of appearance!
It’s hard to get a feel of a cat’s personality through a shelter cage, which is why most shelters have visitation rooms where you can spend time getting to interact with different cats in relative peace and quiet. Instead of trying to pet or pick up each cat right away, remain calm and see if the cat will approach you. See if you feel any connection, and gauge if they will be a good fit for your home – especially if you have children and/or other pets.
Some cities or regions may also have independent rescue-and-foster networks, which means you might go to a fosterer’s home or a cat café to view potential adoptees! The upside of this is that the cats are usually more comfortable and socialized.
4. Determine the cats’ health
Besides checking out the personalities of the cats you meet, you should also check if they’re in good health. While most shelters and rescues invest vast amounts of time and money to get cats healthy (one reason not to balk at an adoption fee), it’s hard to keep track of every single cat’s condition. Check for:
- Alert and responsive demeanor, even if they’re quiet
- Clean eyes and nose with no discharge, inflammation, squinting
- Clean, soft coat – slight greasiness is fine, but there should be no bald patches, bumps, redness, or swelling
- Ears should be clean with no redness, discharge, or smell
- Paws should be clean with no sores or overgrown claws
If you detect signs of poor health in the cat, ask the shelter for more information. Each cat should also have an immunization record, neuter status, and FIV/FeLV status.
5. Talk with shelter staff
While viewing potential cats to adopt, talk to the shelter personnel as much as possible. Ask questions about the cats that interest you, and be honest about your situation and preferences.
The shelter/rescue will be able to help you find suitable cats and share more about their history: whether they are vocal, better as an only pet or with buddies, have special medical needs, and so on. This will also give you a good idea of the shelter’s philosophy and practices.
Most importantly at this point, don’t feel obliged to adopt if you don’t feel sure about any of the cats you’ve met, even if you’ve spent lots of time looking. A good shelter/rescue will not pressure you into making a decision, and may even help you find a cat that you can connect better with next time. Trust the process!
6. Be patient with adjusting to home life
So you’ve found The One and brought your new cat home – now the work of adjusting to a new environment begins. Ideally, you’ve already cat-proofed your home or even “catified” it, but you’ll want to keep your new cat in a small and cozy space – such as a bathroom – for the first few days. This helps it to feel more secure as it gets used to all the new scents and sounds of your home.
To minimize change, try giving your new cat the same food and feeding/playing routines until it’s more comfortable and confident. You’ll know this when it starts getting curious about exploring the rest of your house.
If you have other pets at home, all this is vital for helping all your furry pals to adjust to each other’s presence before a proper introduction.
7. Seek help if needed
No matter how well-behaved a cat may seem at first, it won’t behave exactly the way you want, especially since rescue cats may have a history of abandonment or abuse. Read more about common issues when bringing home a new cat.
Instead of considering a return, ask your shelter or rescuer for advice – they’re most familiar with the cat and most committed to making your adoption a success. There are also tons of online resources that can help.
That special bond with a cat never comes easy: you’ll need to train it with patience, build its trust, and shower it with lots of love. But when they curl up in your lap and start purring in contentment? It makes everything worthwhile.