How did you choose your shelter cat?

Hello, I wanted to get a cat ever since seeing a British Bombay cat a little while ago, and have since then browsed this website for information about cats in general, I had thought to visit a shelter, but the British Bombay cats are rare from what I have recently read.

I still want to get a cat from a Shelter but now dont know how I will choose, I am guessing I will choose based on which cats choose me, but I would like the best chance possible for a cat that loves me back, how did you choose, and do you have any tips?

Thanks.

P.S Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I spent a bit of time trying to decide which forum to post this and still unsure.

I work for a rescue, so here are some things we like people to think about when deciding to adopt.

1.) Age of cat. Do you want a baby/young kitten that you will raise/train? Are you at home to feed/tend to a young cat.
Or, do you want an adult cat (1 yr+)? These cats may have been at the shelter for some time, or may have had a home at some point.

Please know that an Adult cat can/will bond with you just like a kitten will.

2.) Temperament (this is most important.)
Do you want a lap cat who will relax on the couch with you, a social butterfly who will carry on conversations with you, an active cat who loves to play and will keep you entertained?

3.) Can you only adopt one cat or are you open to adopting 2? Personally, I feel *most* cats do well with a buddy (and it can help with transition.) However, I know financially this is not always an option.

I think if you can have a general idea of temperament and discuss this with the shelter, they should be able to direct you to some cats that would be a good match.

Good luck and thank you for adopting a new furry companion!

Snez said:

 
Hello, I wanted to get a cat ever since seeing a British Bombay cat a little while ago, and have since then browsed this website for information about cats in general, I had thought to visit a shelter, but the British Bombay cats are rare from what I have recently read.

I still want to get a cat from a Shelter but now dont know how I will choose, I am guessing I will choose based on which cats choose me, but I would like the best chance possible for a cat that loves me back, how did you choose, and do you have any tips?

Thanks.

P.S Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, I spent a bit of time trying to decide which forum to post this and still unsure.

Click to expand...

CatPack gave some really good suggestions.

If this is your first cat, I would suggest aiming for a cat who's going to be relatively "easy."

What I mean by "easy" is at least a young adult (already litter trained, not a total danger maniac, doesn't need to be fed 5 times a day), previously lived with humans (at least somewhat socialized), and no serious health or psychological issues.

Fortunately, there are TONS of cats like this at shelters!

Contrary to popular belief, shelter animals are not "bad" animals. They are perfectly wonderful animals whose previous humans ran into bad luck (or in some cases, just didn't care about them).

If you like the look of a Bombay, you're in even more luck. Black cats are some of the least likely to get adopted, due to some people's superstitious beliefs. You may not find a pedigreed Bombay, but you will certainly find plenty of gorgeous, wonderful black cats at just about any shelter.

As far as personality, here is another good reason to look at adult cats: they are going to show their personality more clearly than a kitten. Not only are adult cats a lot less demanding and/or destructive, but they are a bit more "settled" in who they are. A kitten could turn out to be a very different cat. You're pretty different from when you were a kid, right?

There are tons of young, strapping "teenage" cats in the range of about 1 to 2 years old at most shelters. They will still be energetic and playful, but they will also have a lot of the advantages of more mature adult cats too. And of course, if you fall in love with a middle aged or senior cat, you could still have many years with them in addition to doing a truly wonderful thing for a cat with low odds of finding a home.

A cat of any age can bond with a human who shows them love. Animals are pure like that. However, due to their own unique personalities and histories, they will all display it differently.

I certainly wouldn't discourage you from going for the cat who comes right up to you purring and wanting pets.

But don't overlook the shy ones.

This is actually how I picked my kitty at the shelter. She was a 1 1/2 year old domestic shorthair, and the moment I laid eyes on her, I just fell in love. I don't know why.

She was extremely anxious and depressed in the shelter. She stayed huddled up in the back of her kennel the whole time I was visiting with her. But I just... had a feeling.

A few months later, she's in my lap all the time, following me around the apartment, and she's even doing better with strangers. As I speak, she's on my chair nuzzling me while I type.

I took a chance, because I just had a feeling. And it paid off wonderfully. She's a wonderful cat.

If you have that feeling, don't be afraid to take a closer look at a cat who maybe isn't going to walk right up to you, or doesn't seem obviously loving. A lot of them come out of their shells great with time.

I was prepared to take on almost any issues she might have had because I've had cats all my life and I know some cat pros. But if you fall for a kitty like this, ask about their history and if they have any behavioral/aggression issues you should know about. As much as every cat deserves a loving home, you have to make sure you can handle what you're getting. It's not worth it to bite off more than you can chew and then have to put them back in the shelter.

Best of luck!

Thankyou both for your advice, I think I would suit a cat who is at least a year old since it will be my first, and I wont be able to be in the house all day to train and feed a kitten.

Cant wait to be nuzzled, thankyou