Six Qualities to Consider When Selecting a Kitten From a Litter

Six Qualities to Consider When Selecting a Kitten From a Litter

Six Qualities to Consider When Selecting a Kitten From a Litter

Adopting a kitten can change your life. Hopefully, the young feline you bring home today will be with you for the next eighteen years. Therefore, choosing a cat that is a good fit for you and your house is crucial. You should think about how much time you have to nurture a kitten, what personality traits you’re looking for, and how to balance the demands of other family members and pets in the house when choosing which cat or kitten to bring home.

Six Qualities to Consider When Selecting a Kitten From a Litter

Cat Selection

Selecting kittens can be similar to selecting your favorite star from the night sky. Every cute face appears to be the ideal fit at first glance. The hardest part of adopting a kitten will actually be leaving with just one.

Before being adopted, kittens should be at least 9–12 weeks old, while 12 weeks or older is preferable. They miss out on valuable time with their mother and siblings to learn proper feline behavior if they are taken sooner. After 12 weeks, kittens’ immune systems are also more robust.

Every prospective cat owner struggles with the following fundamental questions when adopting a kitten:

Male or Female?

This is a matter of preference. So long as you spay or neuter your cat, there is no noticeable difference in personality or temperament between genders.

Long-haired or short-haired?

Again, a matter of preference. Be warned—cat care rule #1 is that all cats shed. However, long-haired cats release more hair and require daily brushing to keep away tangles and knots.

Purebred or Domestic?

Domestic simply means “mixed breed.” Most cats found in shelters or “free to a good home” are domestic cats. If you decide you want a purebred kitten, you’ll need to connect with a reputable breeder. One advantage to adopting a purebred cat is knowing ahead of time the personality traits of different breeds. However, domestic cats make wonderful pets, and selecting a cat from a shelter means you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve saved a life.

Color

Although you may have your heart set on adopting a kitten of a specific color, make this your last consideration. Instead, the top-ranking concerns when choosing kittens should be personality and health.

Personality

Personality (or purr-sonality) as a kitten is the most telling sign of the kind of cat your kitten will grow into. To determine personality, you’ll want to:

1. Observe A Litter: Observe how “your” kitten interacts with siblings. Is she the instigator? Is he more reserved? These behaviors are important to note, especially if you already have pets in the home. Shy kittens may not be happy in a house filled with dogs and children but may thrive in a calmer environment. By nature, kittens should be playful and interactive. Inquisitiveness is a good sign. Hissing and/or hiding indicate a kitten is not well socialized and may have trouble adjusting in the home.

2. Pick Them Up: Most kittens will purr when held. Some will instantly cuddle into you, others will attempt to wriggle free, and still others will endeavor to use you as a climbing post. Decide if you’re looking for a lap cat or one with more energy and choose accordingly.

3. Get A Look At Mom: Kittens learn to trust and fear from their mothers. If Mom is comfortable around people and being handled, chances are strong her offspring will be the same. However, don’t rule out adopting a kitten taken in from a feral mom. With proper attention, these kittens reveal themselves as lifelong, affectionate companions. Getting a look at Mom also means you’ll have a chance to inspect the environment in which the kitten has been raised. The more kittens are handled when young, the friendlier they’ll be. Also, kittens raised “underfoot” in homes tend to be calmer about things like doorbells, vacuum cleaners, and foot traffic.

Health

Whether choosing kittens from a breeder, rescue, or want ad, health should be your top concern. Inspect the kitten for clear eyes, a clear nose (no mucus or wheezing), pink inner ears, a clean ccoat,and no odors.

Bare patches of fur could mean ringworm or other diseases. Small specks of black dirt in the ffur—especially nearthe ttail—meanfleas. Dried black specks inside the ears indicate ear mites. Do a quick check of the kitten’s rump for cleanliness and no evidence of diarrhea.

Ask the seller if you may have the kitten examined by your vet. Reputable breeders/sellers won’t refuse. Also, ask for a health and vaccination history. After health and personality, selecting a cat/kitten often comes down to a special feeling. Many people swear their cats picked them. In which case, you want to be sure to be on your best behavior.

Read also: Why do cats like to play at night?