Pros of bringing home a kitten:
- Kittens can be trained more easily, but keep in mind that they will probably have a few accidents before they start responding in the way you want.
- You will be able to see your kitten grow up, which I think, strengthens the relationship!
- Both the new kitten and other existing animals (dogs or cats) are more likely to accept each other.
- Kittens bring laughter! Go on youtube and search "kitten." You'll know exactly what I mean.
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| My two kittens, Jiji (left) and Kiki (right), were already friends after five days of meeting each other! |
Cons of bringing home a kitten:
- You need to have all the patience in the world. Think human baby, and how much attention is needed. Now you have a smaller, much more active, jumpy, cat-baby that wants to explore every inch of space in your house.
- A kitten is very health-sensitive. Kittens are more likely to get sick when they are in a new environment (stress and what-nots), so be and the watch-out, and be prepared to take your new furry friend to the vet.
- Safety issues need to be addressed. The toilet lid should always be kept down to prevent drowning (it happens a lot more than you think), food should never be lying around, holes should be blocked, sharp objects should not be around, and etc.
- Some kittens need to be litter box trained. But if you are lucky, your kitten will already be trained. Some come with litter-box instinct; they just know how to do it!
- Kittens have health issues that need to be dealt with. They need to be spayed/neutered, dewormed, checked for feline leukemia, and etc.
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| Jiji (3 months) got sick the day he came to my house and had to be rushed to the emergency center the next day. Although I don't regret bringing him home from the shelter, it did cost me some time and lots and lots of money! Be prepared to pay the costs! |
- Cats are calmer. They need less attention regarding safety, and will probably be less prone to climbing your highest furniture.
- Cats will probably make better lap cats if that is what you are looking for (although this may highly vary depending on personality).
- Although depending on the case, a previously well looked after cat will probably already be spayed/neutered.
Cons of bringing home a cat:
- Adult cats take much longer to adjust to new environments. The cat might take days, weeks, and well over a month to finally stop hissing at you. This means that you really have to be committed to the cat; you have to have be the one trying to create a bond, since the cat will probably NOT want to make contact with you at all in the first few days.
- The new cat, as well as pre-existing animals in your home, may never come to tolerate each other. If they do be prepared to keep the new cat separate from the others for well over a month, and to have daily monitored sessions everyday where they can bond.
- Cats are lazier! (Although this highly varies.) What I mean is that, usually cats get fatter when they are lazier, and sometimes it takes some effort on your side to get your cat to play (to keep weight in check).
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| Simba, an adult cat of a friend that I took in for 3 months, never really adjusted to the new environment and was never friends with Kiki (my preexisting kitten). |
- If you are planning to bring home a kitten, he/she should be at least 9 weeks of age, and 12 weeks is the most ideal.
- All the information above concerning personality and health is only a generality; it may be highly varied between different cat breeds, environments, individual personality and medical history.
So, with all this information in mind, think over your personal situation--how much time you can spend with your kitten/cat, how much you can spend financially on your kitten/cat's health issues, and etc. It is an important choice to make, so don't rush your decision! :)
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