Cher

Our cat died in February, we are just now feeling ready to adopt a new cat.  My cat hospital doesn't have any at the moment.  Do you think a shelter would be a good place to adopt a cat from?  I don't feel like getting a "free" kitten would be a great idea, I'd want my kitten to be spayed or neutered and checked for any type of cat disease.  Is this the way to go?

I am very sorry for your loss earlier this year.

I love getting my animals from good, reputable shelters. When I was growing up, I was gifted with two amazing dogs this way. And just three weeks ago, my BF and I went to a shelter and brought home our second kitty, an affectionate, playful girl who's been stuck there for a whole year poor lovie! (She was also spayed, up to date on all shots, and in good health... other than the obesity she developed sitting in a cage for a year. Now that she's home, she's already starting to slim down!) The volunteers were able to tell us about her personality (as was she!!!), though there were a few surprises (Volunteer: "I have never heard her make any noise." Kitty, immediately upon arriving home and exiting her cage: "Squeak! Squeak, squeak, squeak!").

I am so grateful for the shelters who took in my animals in their time of great need, who took such good care with them and who helped us find the ones who would be good fits for our home.

When adopting from a shelter, though the shelter has deemed the cat healthy, it is still important to take Kitty to the vet upon getting them home; if they've been in the shelter a long time, they may not have seen a vet for awhile. A good shelter will encourage this- telling you to get a wellness check, talj to your vet about the best diet, etc. Also, some shelter cats will come with pre-existing health conditions, so ask about that and be aware of it. Again, good shelters are upfront about this too. A friend of mine adopted a cancer survivor. As I've mentioned, I brought home someone with an obesity problem.

 I think that can be a great way to get a cat that comes already neutered,  vaccinated,  de-wormed,  vet checked , tested for FIV and FeLV,  treated for any URI etc.  and  at many shelters the workers or volunteers  are good at telling you about the animals and what they've observed about them.  ( Of course you should also spend time with a few cats there yourself so you get an idea of their personality --  which , btw,  is much easier to tell in adult cats.   Of course in  a shelter they won't be totally themselves,  and that can especially hurt some shy cats ,  or cats who don't really like other cats.    Just keep in mind that however they seem in the shelter, they are usually even better once settled into a loving home.  )  

 I have had some wonderful shelter cats.

For example,  one was an 11 yr old seal point,    His family who had had him since he was a kitten,  gave him up because their kid went to college and they didn't want to bother with pets!  .  But it was lucky for us!    He was just the most loving cat , very cuddly, very loyal,  good with kids, smart,   no behavior problems,  very healthy until at age 18. 

Thanks for your input.  I think this will be what we will do.  I checked one shelter, recommended by my vet, and they have quite a few kittens from 2 months to 7 months, plus quite a few older cats.  We saw two, brothers, we have our eyes on.  My Grandson decided to name them Sully, however, he's got to come up with one other name.  I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks to all of you who replied, this confirms my feeling about shelters.  I can't  wait to go and pick our new kitty(s)!

I'm so excited for you!