Convincing People to Adopt Adult Cats...

ilovecats4ever

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It seems like anyone I talk to, that is considering adopting a cat, wants a kitten. I know kittens are so adorable but so are adult cats, I get so angry when people say I want a kitten, I guess I just think of how sad it is that so many adults get passed up. I adopted Coffy from a shelter 7 years ago and he was estimated to be about 2 years old at the time, he has been a dream cat, I LOVE this cat so much. I love my cats like I love my two children, they are my children.

On Thanksgiving I was talking to a family friend who lives alone and is older, he was saying how he was thinking of getting a kitty to keep him company, I spent over an hour telling him how he should get an adult because everyone wants the kittens, he saw my point and said he never thought about that, I told him how the adults are sitting in the cages so sad and alone and how if he wants a kitten too, then get one for the adult to have for a companion. I plan on trying to convince people to give the adults a chance, the kittens most likely will get adopted right away over the adults.

I am going today to look at an adult cat and hope she likes us, I will have such a hard time with all the other ones there. Please tell your family to go out and and adopt an adult cat today
 

breal76

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I always try to convince people to adopt adult cats. They are WAY better than kittens. They don't poke you in your eyes while you are sleeping at 2 am in the morning. You know what you are going to get personality wise. Kittens are like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get. An adult cat has a personality, is it a lap cat? Is it a crazy cat, ect...I adopted Forest when he was 9 months old, but I thought he was older because of huge he was.

My ex boyfriend adopted a five year old adult cat that is the best cat in the world (besides mine). He loves him so much and cat believe what a sweet cat he got.

It's the same thing on trying to get people to adopt male cats. "Oh they spray" um no they don't. I have only owned 3 female cats and the rest about 9 male cats. Males get along better with eachother. (Something my vet told me) which I am not sure why. And I have never had a spraying problem with any male cat I have owned. Surely I can't be THAT lucky! lol..

I think people who want a kitten for the sole purpose of being a kitten should look into fostering.

And it's not that I think kittens don't deserve homes. Quite the opposite. But when you see people only wanting to look at kittens when there are so many cool adult cats in a cattery...Well it makes you just a bit sad.
 

mrblanche

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We almost always have some adult cats at the shelter. Right now we have a tortie who is 10 years old. How could someone just take her to the shelter? And I just paid to have a big tom neutered. I named him "Mako," because of his huge head. But what a sweet cat!

And Jackie, who shows so badly in a cage, but is just the perfect cat in the back room, where we let her stay uncaged. She comes out as far as the lobby door when she hears my voice. She LOVES attention!

Ask someone at the shelter for a recommendation; they often know things that aren't apparent. I try to put notes on the cage tag for anyone else.
 

catsknowme

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What scares me is that some people who want kittens are those same ones who think puppies and kittens are "disposable" - that once they are no longer cute & cuddly, it's time to move onto a newer model
The only comfort I get from that thought is that maybe (although statistics show otherwise) the now-adult animal will find a truly loving home. I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must be to live with people who love only babies
 

lucara

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I have to admit that when it came to getting a companion for Mya, I was looking for a young kitten. Kittens seems to be accepted easier by other cats than adults. I agree that theres nothing wrong with adult cats. Petsmart had a STUNNING 8yr male cat that I couldnt keep my eyes off of. =( Unfortunately hes terrified of dogs. =(
 

krz

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I totally agree with adopting older cats. I am currently fostering a 7 year old male, and I am going to adopt him. He is just a delight-so sweet and lovable. I was going to foster another cat but this guy came down with an URI so I brought him here and we all fell in love with him.

Recently a 12 year old male was brought into the shelter. He had been a "business office cat" and the business closed so they took him to the shelter. He was sent to a Petco and all volunteers really pushed for him to find a forever home. Thankfully, he was recently adopted!! I am so happy for him.

My dream one day is to have a small place where I could take older unwanted cats and let them live their lives out as they should. Not sure if I will ever be able to make it happen, but I would love it.
 

girlsetsfiyah

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I know exactly what you mean! Don't get me wrong, I love kittens, but when you work in a shelter and see the amount of adult cats that are there for so long, and can provide wonderful companionship, it breaks my heart.

I made a vow to myself that any other cats we adopt will be seniors, as it just kills me to see them live out the rest of their life in a cage. Mind you, it's hard to say I wouldn't take another cat in need who isn't a senior, because I would. I think I would just sway more to the oldies
 

kluchetta

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I'm very happy that we adopted Tigger at 14, and that was 5 years ago. Except for needing to be fed at 5 a.m., she is a perfect cat!


I would tell people also regarding kittens that they tend to be a lot naughtier than adult cats (as far as running around, climbing the curtains, etc.)
 

lovemykitty3

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I feel the same way. I may add a second cat to my family sometime in the next year and will consider an adult cat. The shelter I go to always has so many there. It's very sad because they're so beautiful and sweet and often get passed up for the kittens.
 

white cat lover

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At an adoption day today - I was able to help a couple see the benefits of adopting an adult cat & they chose one girl we've had for 4 months now. She was an "ugly" tabby/white girl - already spayed/front declawed only a few years old. Of course - it helped the only "kitten" there that was 12 weeks old bit her & drew blood - and left fangholes. (Taken from mommy FAR too early). I'm thankful these people saw the benefits of an older cat - as I doubt a kitten would've worked for them.
 

laureen227

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i adopted Chip as an adult [my 1st cat that i didn't raise from a kitten] & he's the most loving of my current cats - he's like
Mouse, but a black boy instead of a blue girl!
 

sharky

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I tend to want adolencents .. Zoey was 8-10 months ( thou I was told 2-4 yrs ) , Sylvie was 6 months and Pj and Punky were 15 months ... My latest addition is a lovely 4 year old semi feral named Dahlia Moria.. I like the "older" kitten since they arent as apt to bite ,scratch and there personalities are developed ... I would consider an older one in the future but my RB
Kandie has only been gone 18 months
 

booktigger

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I wish more people would consider adults, some of my fosters have been waiting months - a 2yo I took on was waiting 3 months, it was ridiculous. Most of the people who ring for kittens I do try and persuade them to have an adult, especially when we dont have any kittens - someone last year rang for a pair of kittens and took a 13yo, purely on colour!! I am currently trying to find a home for a 10yo, but I Think she will be here a while, bless her. I only adopt oldies, so at least the oldies that come into our rescue are fine, as they tend to come here and have a home environment (nobody under the age of 10 at the moment here!!)

ETA - I forgot to post this earlier, but everytime i foster kittens, I Am reminded as to why I dont want one - although still trying to work out who causes me most housework, the last young foster (4mo) or the disabled cat! !
 

addiebee

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Boy. Ditto to everything everyone else here has said. I go through the same song and dance with folks looking for a cat and insist they want a kitten. I think people who COME to our events or to Petsmart looking for an adult are special folks. Especially when they take older cats, paired cats or black cats. Or special needs cats.

Those kinds of adoptions really do my heart good.

On the doggie side of things - it's the same. People want puppies. But we were able to place a BLIND chocolate cocker spaniel. She was the absolute sweetest thing!
 

icklemiss21

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We have been fairly lucky lately that people are looking past the kitten issue and thinking about the cost of spays and boosters and taking adult cats because all of their health care is done.

Matt found Magnum and Bumper as kittens but chose Boomer as a kitten from a neighbour - Scully was 9 when we got him and Autumn was 3-4. Personally, as much as I love snuggling the kittens, it is the adults I fall in love with. There have only been 4 cats at the shelter that I really wanted to take home and didn't and the youngest was around a year old, the others were all 3-5 years old
 

snake_lady

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Please don't shoot me.

I understand completely why adult cats are good adoptee's. I understand the benefits to adopting an older cat. BUT.....

While on my search for my kitty, I went to a local shelter to view their kitties. They had 6 that were available, and all were older cats. I was approached by this big beautiful black male cat, who won my heart. He was personable, he was gorgeous, and he was huge (I like bigger cats).

The reason I did not adopt him: He was 10yrs old. That's 10yrs of his life that I would not be able to experience. That is 10yrs less, that I would be able to own him
I was sad to not adopt him, but I wanted a kitty that I could potentially have for 20yrs... not one that would only give me 5-10yrs. I wanted a long term companion.

It is for those reasons, that I was looking for a cat aged 2yrs old or younger. I might have even taken a 3 yr old. But not a 10yr old, a kitty who is done half of its life already, a kitty who is firmly set in his/her ways.

I'm not being mean, or rude, and I HOPE my words do NOT come out seeming that way. I just wanted to explain my reasonings for wanting a younger cat rather than one who is 5yrs +.

It may be a reason others have as well.
 

bob'smom

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I have adopted adult cats. I didn't set out to do this initially. Bob was a stray, the vet said somewhere between 3-4. My other cats have been private adoptions. When Freckles came along I just had to take him in. He was 8 and I knew the chances of him being adopted from a shelter were low even though he was one of the sweetest cats I ever met. Bickford was also 8 when I adopted him. There is no way he would have survived in the shelter. He would have been miserable in a cage, and if you don't get to know him you might deem him anti-social and unable to be adopted. The girls are only 2 but I took them because it was kitten season back in the spring and many shelters were already full. There's no guarantee how long we get on Earth. A kitten can fall ill just as easily as an adult. Freckles passed away 15 months after I got him, but I don't regret a moment of it.
 

rahma

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We started looking for an adult cat at first because our apartment requires declawed (I've tried to argue with them on this for years, but no luck, it was either declawed or no cat), and I didn't want to declaw a cat. So, by happenstance, we were looking at adult cats.

However, if I ever had to adopt again with no restrictions, I'd get an older cat again. I know the kittens will most likely be snapped up quickly, but I've seen adults in the cage at the humane society for months. Plus, I'm selfish and want a cat who will sit on my lap, not run around the house like a little race car


my 4 year old sweetie
 

momofmany

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I have too many cats to adopt any more now, but by the time I lose all of mine to the bridge, I will personally be old enough that I would prefer to adopt an "oldest" to give them some quality time in their golden years, rather than starting all over again with kittens. So yes, the next cat I adopt will be fully mature.

I have seen senior citizens (as in people) in shelters trying to adopt kittens, and you know that the kitten will outlive them. We always try to steer these adoptors to cats of an age that matches them.
 
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