Getting a kitten in an apartment.. How can I prepare, what should I know?

cgibsong002

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Hi everyone. First time here. I'm currently in a new city and living by myself, and considering getting a kitten for some company. I've had pets my whole life, but this will be my first on my own. I generally know how to take care of animals, but I want to do my research first and be sure I'm ready/prepared.

My concerns that I can think of initially are:

1. Can a kitten be alone during the day? I work standard hours, so it would be alone during the day. Would a crate be feasible until it's old enough and properly trained/adapted?

2. Kind of going with that is, I frequently fly back home to visit my girlfriend. I've read that you should avoid flying with cats unless absolutely necessary. I'm unsure how true this is.. and why? I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable leaving him/her alone for 3 days at a time, but I also hear that many people do.

3. I've always had cats that grew up with dogs. And I always seemed to love their personalities.. more dog like. I get very frustrated by anti-social cats. I want fun and playful! I'd be worried that raising a kitten alone and in an apartment could make it anti-social. Is there anything I can do? Certain breeds? Simply giving it enough play?

4. Interested to hear litter box suggestions and what else I can expect, damage wise, bringing up a kitten. I'll be moving to a very nice apartment, brand new, and I don't want to cause damage. 

Thank you! If there are other points that you feel I should know that could easily be overlooked, please let me know! It seems to me cats are pretty low maintenance. Clean their litter, play with them, get them plenty of toys and good scratching posts, and they pretty much are good. Is that fairly accurate?
 

MoochNNoodles

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First off; kudos on doing your research first. 
I think the best way to have a cat be social is to socialize them; both through interacting with you but also through visits from others.  At the end of the day; it may still be just not the cat's personality to be super social.  It's hard to predict.  Because you average shelter cat is "no breed" it's just not easy to say.  Cats are very different from dogs in how you can just look at them and tell what sort of dogs are likely  in their ancestry.  My 2 are litter mates and very different personalities.  Mooch is friendly with some company, ignores others, but insists on being in my lap whenever I'm on the couch and follows me around the house a lot.  She also talks to me and loves to play fetch.  Noodles; I call her my resident grumpy cat.  She can be very sweet and cuddly with me but it has to be on her terms.  After 9 years she still has to smell our hands before we can pet her.  She sometimes bops us just for walking by her cat tree.  I've learned to love her quirks.  

As far as toys; you can try a variety of them out.  Some for unsupervised play (make sure they are safe, some cats will eat ribbon/string/feathers) and some for interactive play.   You will want a good sturdy scratching post.  I recommend a good cat tree if you can afford one.  Mine has sisal posts for scratching; but it also gives them a place to get out their climbing and surveying instincts.  Our tree is at least 7 years old now and in great shape!  It's almost constantly in use.  


I hope I answered most of your questions without overwhelming you.  


Good luck with your decision!
 
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cgibsong002

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Thank you! To start with travel... it's usually once a month or month and a half. Sometimes twice a month. Not 'frequent' but it'll be something I'll have to plan for. I'm hoping I can find friends in the new place that could watch the kitten for me while I'm gone if it's not a good idea to take them.

I do like the crate idea. I'll be in a studio, so the only confined place could be the bathroom, and I don't want that. Also that's a good idea about 2.. that was my original plan a while ago and I hadn't even considered that again. I suppose with cats, having a second isn't all that much extra work than 1 is it? And I would certainly feel better knowing they had a friend when I'm away at work. 

I would be getting them at a shelter, so is there any signs or traits to look for? I'd imagine look for the playful ones, but I don't know if there's any other 'standard' behavior to look for.

Also, as far as toys, litter boxes, posts, etc, to be honest I'm really excited about how nice this place will be, and I do want to keep it looking classy. It's also not big being a studio, so it might be hard to get a tree in there without it sticking out like a sore thumb. Maybe just a larger post.. but I guess I'd have to look into it more. The place also has very nice slate/wood style floors. Could this be a problem? Or do they not tend to scratch the ground?
 

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In terms of aesthetic, there are cat towers/perches to go with different decor.

Check these out:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GWSJGG/?tag=&tag=thecatsite

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BA6LSK/?tag=&tag=thecatsite

I personally don't like these type of perches simply because it doesn't allow for the cat to *climb* them.

This is probably my favorite tree that I have purchased...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KDWZBY/?tag=&tag=thecatsite


Because you are very concerned about furniture, etc being damaged, you absolutely will need to invest in pieces specifically for the cats.

One of the best investments for me was the SmartCat Ultimate Scratching Post.

 

csts

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May I suggest looking at adopting an adult cat (6 months old and up) instead of a kitten? It sounds to me like an adult will be a better match for your lifestyle than a kitten. Kittens need a lot of supervision, for one. An adult (or multiple adults will handle being left alone during the day while you are at work much better than a kitten would since they will sleep or occupy their time with solo toys or window-watching. You can give adult cats the run of the house and not worry too much. Adult cats are also very WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) in both personality and appearance while kittens may change as they grow up. The process of an adult cat joining your household is very seamless most of the time since they already know how to use a litter box, scratching post, etc. The shelter personnel and/or volunteers should be able to tell you if the particular cat has any behavior problems or ongoing issues in advance. They also would know if they gets along with other cats, gets along with dogs, are more playful or sedentary, etc. Sometimes they have bonded pairs and can give you a discount on the adoption fees if you take both of them home.

I will admit that I am partial about endorsing adult cats since I used to volunteer at an animal shelter. There, I saw that it is really true that the grown-ups take longer to get adopted out, for no other reason than that they are not babies anymore. Some of them were even adopted as kittens but brought back to the shelter as adults for some reason or another.

I haven't noticed cats being interested in scratching non-carpeted floors, but you should still get them a few scratchers just in case. When you go out of town, you can leave your cat at a pet hotel or boarding house if you don't know anyone that can have your cats stay with them or come over to your house. I do know that PetSmart has a pet hotel in their stores. Some veterinary offices also offer boarding services. I'm afraid I can't say much else about these kinds of services, since I have never used them.
 

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It's great that you're doing your research first. One thing you haven't mentioned is whether your rental/lease agreement allows pets. You need to be clear on that before you get a kitten or cat. Also make sure that if cats are allowed that there is no requirement to declaw them.

If you do get a small kitten (or kittens) and want to use the wire crate you can expand their territory by putting in shelves for them to climb on. That way they can get away from the litter and food to sleep if they want to.

This is the setup I had last year when I fostered a litter of 5 kittens. The crate is 24"W x 36"L x 27"H. And no, they never got the hang of drinking from the water bottle.
 
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cgibsong002

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May I suggest looking at adopting an adult cat (6 months old and up) instead of a kitten? It sounds to me like an adult will be a better match for your lifestyle than a kitten. Kittens need a lot of supervision, for one. An adult (or multiple adults will handle being left alone during the day while you are at work much better than a kitten would since they will sleep or occupy their time with solo toys or window-watching. You can give adult cats the run of the house and not worry too much. Adult cats are also very WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) in both personality and appearance while kittens may change as they grow up. The process of an adult cat joining your household is very seamless most of the time since they already know how to use a litter box, scratching post, etc. The shelter personnel and/or volunteers should be able to tell you if the particular cat has any behavior problems or ongoing issues in advance. They also would know if they gets along with other cats, gets along with dogs, are more playful or sedentary, etc. Sometimes they have bonded pairs and can give you a discount on the adoption fees if you take both of them home.

I will admit that I am partial about endorsing adult cats since I used to volunteer at an animal shelter. There, I saw that it is really true that the grown-ups take longer to get adopted out, for no other reason than that they are not babies anymore. Some of them were even adopted as kittens but brought back to the shelter as adults for some reason or another.

I haven't noticed cats being interested in scratching non-carpeted floors, but you should still get them a few scratchers just in case. When you go out of town, you can leave your cat at a pet hotel or boarding house if you don't know anyone that can have your cats stay with them or come over to your house. I do know that PetSmart has a pet hotel in their stores. Some veterinary offices also offer boarding services. I'm afraid I can't say much else about these kinds of services, since I have never used them.
Yeah.. I'm not completely opposed to an adult cat or pair. I really do want a kitten though. What about a kitten, plus an adult? I'd think the adult would help the young one out. And that's good to hear about the floors. I'll definitely at least get a post. I move in next week so I'll see what I'm working with.
It's great that you're doing your research first. One thing you haven't mentioned is whether your rental/lease agreement allows pets. You need to be clear on that before you get a kitten or cat. Also make sure that if cats are allowed that there is no requirement to declaw them.

If you do get a small kitten (or kittens) and want to use the wire crate you can expand their territory by putting in shelves for them to climb on. That way they can get away from the litter and food to sleep if they want to.

This is the setup I had last year when I fostered a litter of 5 kittens. The crate is 24"W x 36"L x 27"H. And no, they never got the hang of drinking from the water bottle.
 
Yeah, my lease does allow pets. It's a $300 deposit and $300 fee. The price is definitely tough, but you know.. if I'm going to get pets they're going to be worth it. It just sucks that up-front costs are so tough.

Also, those kittens and that crate is adorable. That looks so fun for them! But I'm sure it also cost a good amount. I'll have to maybe check on craigslist for good crates if I do end up getting a kitten. 
 

GoldyCat

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Also, those kittens and that crate is adorable. That looks so fun for them! But I'm sure it also cost a good amount. I'll have to maybe check on craigslist for good crates if I do end up getting a kitten. 
Dog crates are on sale right now on petco.com. It's online only and I don't know how long the sale will last. You wouldn't necessarily have to get one that big, either. Mine held 5 kittens easily. I got the corner shelves from a vendor at a cat show, but they are easy enough to make yourself from a piece of plywood. You can glue scrap carpet on them or even just throw a towel across them.
 

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What a great topic - love love love that you are doing your research.  Let me share a few resources that I think are so helpful:

http://catstuff4aussies.weebly.com/equipment--furniture/what-a-cat-needs-part-one  

http://catstuff4aussies.weebly.com/equipment--furniture/what-a-cat-needs-part-two

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cat-types

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/find-it/find-a-cat/adding-a-new-cat  (talks about the traits cat types might exhibit in a shelter situation so you can pick the type that matches you best, as well as a completely awesome 'how to' of bringing a new cat home)

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/clues-for-personality/198

http://www.selectsmart.com/plus/select.php?url=catmatch  (what cat personality will be a good match for you quiz - awesome)

I totally agree that you will need 2 cats.  It is SO much easier.  Also, with working a lot and travelling, you probably don't want a high energy cat ('Alpha' in the above description methodology) - let me tell you from personal experience, it took 4-6hrs EVERY DAY of play and walking and attention to wear our terror out (of course, we made the mistake of also only getting one - we learned; we now have two and its about 1hr a day now for the both of them together).  The way of cats blog that I have so many links to is exceptional for every single particular of raising and enjoying cats; it saved me from making terrible mistakes when I thought my adolescent cat just didnt love me (he did, but he had acute 'adolescence' from about 9months to 3years of age - because I didn't give up and despair and used the tips from this blog, he is now the most faithful cat who curls up with me every night, showers me in cat kisses, stays with me and looks after me all day when I'm sick etc..He is finally adult now at 4years.)

I would caution being away from a kitten, or even a adolescent/unsettled cat though.  You may want to give a good 6 months of no travel to help their transition and lay the foundation of your relationship.  An adult will cope better though, but again, don't do an immediate absence.

Best wishes!!
 

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Oh, and re travelling with a cat.  My conclusion after training and flying several times with my cat when he was our only cat, is that we don't want to do this anymore.  We put in the legwork and did a lot of training - short 10min car rides several times a week, advancing to longer car rides in incremental stages.  The result is we can happily travel in a car - a HUGE bonus when we need to shift, or go to the vet.  It also laid the foundation for longer trips via plane.  The problem is, that our flights were long, and as the rules here are different to America, our cat was separated from us, in the care of the baggage people (who don't really care), and for an extended time as cats have to check in 2hrs ahead of humans, and are offloaded and available for collection later than humans - adding 3-4hrs to any plane flight.  Plus all the animals are put in the same berth (separate cages), but you have barking dogs right next to terrified cats.

Even in America, the circumstances of travel (you get to take your cat as hand luggage) will be quite foreign and potentially terrifying for any but the most docile and outgoing type of cat.  It will be noisy, not their territory, with constant people and other animals (lots of people could be travelling with pets as hand luggage - so you won't be separated from a yapping dog).

I really did try to do the flying thing, and did every bit of training/equipment/feliway trick there is -  but its not something I can bear to subject him to again, except in a situation of absolute need.  We now have a second cat in any case, so they are much happier to stay at home with a pet sitter and each other as comfort on the rare occasions we need to travel.  We don't have the type of cats that do well with their people absent, so we try not to be absent as they are our responsibility.  And if you want a social cat...well, they need company (you as well as their feline friend), so bear that in mind when you choose - you will need to adapt your life.  But it is a joy :)
 

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1st off..welcome! 
 
My concerns that I can think of initially are:

1. Can a kitten be alone during the day? I work standard hours, so it would be alone during the day.  -  

i dont believe you will need a crate while you are at work, but a good thing to do is keep the kitten confined to one room while at work. maybe your bedroom? make sure kitty has litter with plenty of water and picking food. when your home he can roam freely under your supervision. i would also suggest keepin kitty in your room while you sleep.

2. Kind of going with that is, I frequently fly back home to visit my girlfriend. I've read that you should avoid flying with cats unless absolutely necessary. I'm unsure how true this is.. and why? I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable leaving him/her alone for 3 days at a time, but I also hear that many people do.

2 days for leaving my cat is the most ill do. with a kitten especially i would keep him confined to a room, and DEFINETLY have a relative or trusted neighbor check up everyday. when i got one of my kitties i went away alot on the weekend but my mom was very good about checking everyday to give fresh food, water and litter

3. I've always had cats that grew up with dogs. And I always seemed to love their personalities.. more dog like. I get very frustrated by anti-social cats. I want fun and playful! I'd be worried that raising a kitten alone and in an apartment could make it anti-social. Is there anything I can do? Certain breeds? Simply giving it enough play? 

i think if you are only getting 1 kitten you have a much better chance of kitty wanting all his attention from you. make sure you play with kitty every day when you come home from work and in general give kitty lots of love when you are home. lots of cuddles etc.....ive always given my cats alot of attention since kittenhood and as adults they still love attention and cuddling!

4. Interested to hear litter box suggestions and what else I can expect, damage wise, bringing up a kitten. I'll be moving to a very nice apartment, brand new, and I don't want to cause damage. 

this is tough. kittens and cats in general are going to scratch, you can get a cat tree, leave alot of toys around the house....as for me i never invest alot of money in furniture. i always get 2nd hand and stuff i wont be sick about if the cats scratch it up a little bit. id much rather the feline companionship than nice furniture. there are some amazing people on this site who i think can gicve you great advice about this question.

some more things

******kitten proof your home almost like childproofing your home, kittens can and will get into everything, they are small and can squeeze thru spaces more tiny than you can imagine. make sure there are no places in your house that the kitten can escape from. 

also kitten are VERY good at entertaining themselves. i do play with my kitten but he will make his own ways to play with toys and running around, so dont feel bad about leaving kitty while at work, just make sure you have some toys, balls, toy mice, ...etc
 
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cgibsong002

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Thanks again for the links and advice. As far as traveling, not doing so isn't an option. Are they any better traveling if there are two of them to keep each other company? Hopefully after they get acclimated to my place I'll be able to leave them and just have someone check on them during the weekend. 

Also, as I said it's a studio so leaving them in a bedroom won't be an option. Maybe crate them, or leave them in a bathroom just for a few weeks until they learn the place and are comfortable?

Would a cat have any interest in scratching up a leather couch? Or should I be good?

And finally did anyone have any opinions on the adult plus kitten option? I'm thinking like a 2-3 month old and a 6-12 month old. 
 

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IMO, getting litter mates or two bonded cats is ideal when adopting two. Otherwise you have to go through not only acclimating the cats to a new home, but also doing proper cat-to-cat introductions.

As far as the leather couch goes, it totally depends on the cat. We had a former cat that was obsessed with leather. He wasn't introduced to leather until he was an adult; but, he would scratch and bite the leather chair we had...would leave all the other furniture alone. On the other hand, the cats I have now are uninterested in leather.

I am going to agree with a previous poster and encourage you to look at cats/kittens that are 6 mo and older. Talk to the shelter workers and find out which cats would best suit you. At 6 mo, they are still very playful, but most are over the crazy neurotic kitten stage of climbing EVERYTHING (this happens between 3-6 mo old age and is the time kittens are *most* destructive.) Even if there is an older cat around, kittens still go through this phase.
 
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bonepicker

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Hi everyone. First time here. I'm currently in a new city and living by myself, and considering getting a kitten for some company. I've had pets my whole life, but this will be my first on my own. I generally know how to take care of animals, but I want to do my research first and be sure I'm ready/prepared.

My concerns that I can think of initially are:

1. Can a kitten be alone during the day? I work standard hours, so it would be alone during the day. Would a crate be feasible until it's old enough and properly trained/adapted?

2. Kind of going with that is, I frequently fly back home to visit my girlfriend. I've read that you should avoid flying with cats unless absolutely necessary. I'm unsure how true this is.. and why? I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable leaving him/her alone for 3 days at a time, but I also hear that many people do.

3. I've always had cats that grew up with dogs. And I always seemed to love their personalities.. more dog like. I get very frustrated by anti-social cats. I want fun and playful! I'd be worried that raising a kitten alone and in an apartment could make it anti-social. Is there anything I can do? Certain breeds? Simply giving it enough play?

4. Interested to hear litter box suggestions and what else I can expect, damage wise, bringing up a kitten. I'll be moving to a very nice apartment, brand new, and I don't want to cause damage. 

Thank you! If there are other points that you feel I should know that could easily be overlooked, please let me know! It seems to me cats are pretty low maintenance. Clean their litter, play with them, get them plenty of toys and good scratching posts, and they pretty much are good. Is that fairly accurate?
Feed canned grain free food as kibble causes expensive health issues as time goes on. If you will be flying a lot without a cat sitter I would not get a cat right now.
 
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cgibsong002

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IMO, getting litter mates or two bonded cats is ideal when adopting two. Otherwise you have to go through not only acclimating the cats to a new home, but also doing proper cat-to-cat introductions.

As far as the leather couch goes, it totally depends on the cat. We had a former cat that was obsessed with leather. He wasn't introduced to leather until he was an adult; but, he would scratch and bite the leather chair we had...would leave all the other furniture alone. On the other hand, the cats I have now are uninterested in leather.

I am going to agree with a previous poster and encourage you to look at cats/kittens that are 6 mo and older. Talk to the shelter workers and find out which cats would best suit you. At 6 mo, they are still very playful, but most are over the crazy neurotic kitten stage of climbing EVERYTHING (this happens between 3-6 mo old age and is the time kittens are *most* destructive.) Even if there is an older cat around, kittens still go through this phase.
That does make sense, and I think that's what I was getting at. Ultimately, I think I'll make the decision when I actually see the pair I'm interested in, whether they're 3 months or a year. As for kittens, I do understand they'll be extra work. But, aside from work, I can give them my complete attention. I'm getting them to play with and have fun with, not just let them roam around alone. If I'm keeping them in a crate or confined room during the day while I'm gone, do you really see kittens as being all that much extra of an issue? Most kittens over 3 months tend to be pretty good on using the litter already, right? 
Feed canned grain free food as kibble causes expensive health issues as time goes on. If you will be flying a lot without a cat sitter I would not get a cat right now.
Not really sure what any of that meant.. 
 

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In theory, yes, kittens 12 weeks of age older *should* be litter box trained, though if they have always lived in a cage there may be more accidents when you expand their territory. And, the younger they are, the more likely they are to have the occasional accident...it happens, especially if diarrhea is involved. =\

My biggest reason for encouraging you to go with older kittens or young adults is simply because you seem extremely concerned about things being scratched and/or torn up. I've been down that road with an adopter before and it resulted in the cat coming back to me (the cat got scared when a maintance worker came into the apartment when the owner was at work...the cat (2 at the time) got up inside a chair, ripping a portion of the fabric underneath...it was the owner's first apartment and the furniture was new...)
 

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I have an older spayed male cat that is a happy cuddler.  He took very well to the kittens, even brought some kitten out in him.  He became their "guide". When they were to wild for his liking he tapped them on the head with his giant paw.   You will not know a cats personality until they are older.  Our little girl we call "princess" because we are her servants.  She is very aloof, sleeps by herself. She never cuddles unless we come to her domain.  Our boys are all over us. The kitten that was the sweetest when he was little is the most aggressive one as an adult. The  3 "kittens are now 18 months old and they each have developed their own personalities. Ask the shelter they usually have paired cats.
 

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1.  The food comment is about fit nutrition for felines - you'll want to find out about this, so have a look at the nutrition thread while you are doing your research

2.  Not travelling for a little while is not an option...consider if now is the time for pets, or whether you should wait.  I waited and it was a good call.  Otherwise, think about how you might find a way to NOT travel for a little while - like, if its to visit your girlfriend, could you pay for her flights to visit you instead of you going to her (just for a while - she may be amenable for the 'good cause'....plus she'll get lots of time with your little ones).  Life does change with pets, and cats are not low maintenance like a goldfish(for a start, with a kitten and you gone, you will need a petsitter 3-4 times per day for their 3-4 meals a day, plus they need lots of human company and play, and protection from doing themselves harm from curiousity in an empty apartment), so its good to know creative ways around things that cant change, and know the parameters that would need to be considered in a best cat-match.  Do have a look at those links (especially the cat match and cat types links).

3.  Kitten 'work'.  It's not just litter.  Kittens are high energy and don't know 'the rules' - what to scratch and what not to, what not to chew on and what they can chew (remember teething is around 6months), what is 'too rough' for humans, how to sleep through the night, and again just the 'scrapes' they get into as they test the world (like falling off things, getting into everything etc - and you will need to kitten proof).  You will need wisdom and patience in teaching the tiny forgetful brain, especially in a manner that does not negatively impact your relationship or their trust.  Adult cats have far more memory, and already know most of the rules.  They can also teach you - whereas if you are new to cats, there is a risk that you can make mistakes with a kitten http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/first-cat-avoid-beginner-mistakes/3863

4.  Cat ages.  Kitten to about 6-9 months.  Adolescence until 3 years (depending on breed type).  Adulthood 3-4years plus (we have a slow to mature 'eternal kitten' type of cat, so its only really now at 4 we can see adult traits).  Just so you know - the adolescent can be a lot of work too.  My boy was way more work as an adolescent and needed so much more time and wisdom - he's just too smart!.  They do have more memory for teaching, but they are also testing the boundaries like human teenagers.  BUT you DO want to match two cats with the same interests and energy...so an adolescent and a kitten would work just fine.  If you get a senior cat (slowing down now -  and not interested in flying tackles), this can be a bad match with a kitten, whose high energy will be too much.

Again, well done on wanting to do the research - you are a long way ahead of a lot of pet owners, and it can only lead to a GREAT home for your little ones :)
 

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Oops, forgot to address the leather couch question.  Probably avoid it.  Even unintentionally, a cat leaping off scared or just doing a wild run-around in happiness can lead to scratches in leather.  In my opinion and experience, microfibre (with a scotch guard) is the best.  We have no scratches in ours, plus it is easy to clean and doesnt particularly attract hair.  It has also successfully survived two pee-on-the-couch episodes and the subsequent cleaning I subjected it to.  Some water stains (I soaked it repeatedly in urine-off, complete rinse throughs with water, and vinegar), but zero smell and otherwise fine.  Also, the fibre is so close that there is nothing 'hairy' to chase (like a loose thread) as in material covered couches.
 
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