Guilt Over Adopting Young Cat?

[littlecatt]

I've been plagued by this for a while and wanted to get it off my chest! I'm a first year graduate student and when I moved to a new area I knew I wanted to get a cat. I've grown up with cats and they're now seniors, and I was really looking forward to getting a cat of my own. When I went to visit the shelter, Finn (my cat) just stood out. My dad absolutely fell in love with him. He was seven months (a year and a half now), vocal and affectionate, and just wanted to rub up against people. When my adoption application was approved I took him home. He's a massive sweetheart and we're bonded. He comes when called and loves playing fetch. He's a shoulder cat and loves riding around and observing while I make dinner or clean. He purrs like a motorboat and I've never had a cat that is so adamant about sitting on laps. He had a pretty gnarly case of URI and bacteria overgrowth in his intestine when I got him, but he's got a clean bill of health now. Here's him right now on my lap while I type this.

However I always get really guilty over the fact I adopted a sweet seven month cat. I've joined this site and realized how hard it is to adopt out cats that are older and have behavioral problems. The shelter is no-kill, though I'm sure if I hadn't adopted Finn he would have gotten snapped up fast by someone else -- he's so young and charming. I love him so much, but I feel sad that I didn't give a less adoptable cat a chance to leave the shelter and come home. Is it silly to be carrying this around? I want to adopt another cat in the future, and maybe then can find one that's been overlooked.

 

[orange&white]

No, don't feel guilty. It is a sad fact that there are more cats than there are adopters, so of course the youngest healthiest friendliest cats get adopted first. Look at it this way: If everyone adopted the oldest least adoptable cats, then the friendliest youngest cats would be the ones without homes.

Having said that, I have one friendly domestic senior and in February I brought in a TNR feral kitten who will probably always be a little skittish. She was slotted to be either an outdoor barncat or released back to her feral colony.

For my own emotional satisfaction and enjoyment, I need a friendly cat around. Once that need is satisfied, I have room for "one more". So I think your idea of getting a less adoptable cat later is admirable.

Adopt a cat, any cat, and the world has one less homeless cat.

 

[lalagimp]

I wouldn't feel guilty. you found your cat and your house may be open to others later on in your life. I found Tommy and he was 2-3 months old. I got his sister Yue a few months earlier as a stray around 3 months old and brought her in before breeding season. Then later I brought in a 6 year old stray. Later on we found this 10 month old un-neutered stray. We also adopted an old cat for a few years until his arthritis got to be too much.
You found your cat regardless of his age and if it would have turned out he was there and was 10 years old instead you still would have brought him home.
Those kittens I had are now 8 years old. The 10 month old is 5... And he did turn out to be not adoptable so he's living a lot longer than he would have as a kitten in the shelter.

 

[daisyd]

You've given a cat a good home and got him from the shelter so you rescued him ! Enjoy your time together but he's glad you picked him

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

If - when you say that he's massively affectionate - you mean that he even gives kitty kissed, then the answer here is obvious - you're suffering from









































cat lick guilt.

You have a great Heart; enjoy your new Friend - you're young, and there's plenty of time to save others as well. Good for you !

.

 

[abyeb]

You gave a sweet kitty a wonderful home and that's what's important. Finn is very handsome.

 

[cassiopea]

Please don't feel guilty! Just giving a kitty a much needed home is wonderful enough as it is.

People in general should never guilt you or force you into adopting a certain type of cat just because of some sort of societal pressures or "in" thing to do, or whatever you want to call it.

It wouldn't be fair for you or the cats. Clearly it was a match made in heaven, and both of you are very happy. That is the actual goal of the shelters and adoption process.

If you were pressured into adopting another cat instead of Finn, just because of guilt/force/negative response, but the cat and you don't match whatsoever, then that would just lead to unhappiness for the both of you anyway. And who knows where Finn might have ended up instead of you? Maybe an owner that wouldn't have fit with him either.


Like you said, you are looking into another cat in the future. Adopting Finn was not a contract or a set in stone kind of thing. There will be more opportunities in the future to adopt a senior or 'problematic' cat and I guarantee it will be a wonderful thing, because that old cat and you will be made for each other as well.




In any case, don't overthink, and enjoy each other


P.S A young, easygoing cat works out well with a Graduate Student anyway. Graduate school is busy and consuming on so many levels, so perhaps a cat that would have needed waaaay more special attention likely wouldn't have suited your circumstantial lifestyle anyway. So again, looks like a match made in heaven.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Please don't feel guilty for adopting him. No matter how old he is.. you shouldn't feel guilty at all. Young cats need homes, too. You've given him a chance at a great life, and who knows who he would have ended up with. I adopted Miagi when he was 9 months and Tiger when he was 5. I had Miagi almost 14 years (he was my first cat) and Tiger almost 10 years. I got Angel when she was 8 weeks and I never felt guilty for it. She's 8 now and my best friend.

It's always nice to have a pet to come home to that loves you as much as you love them. <3

 

[jcat]

At seven months, Finn was already "too old" for a lot of adopters, believe it or not. Most young shelter kittens up to the age of 3 or 4 months find homes quickly. Past that age, they often have to wait months, even a year. It's rather strange, because they're less strenuous than the really young ones, but still kittens. We've had people ask what's "wrong with them", since they were "rejected" by other potential adopters when they were little.

 

[abyeb]

At seven months, Finn was already "too old" for a lot of adopters, believe it or not. Most young shelter kittens up to the age of 3 or 4 months find homes quickly. Past that age, they often have to wait months, even a year. It's rather strange, because they're less strenuous than the really young ones, but still kittens. We've had people ask what's "wrong with them", since they were "rejected" by other potential adopters when they were little.

Charlie was six months old when I adopted him. I think lots of people passed up his cage for that reason (he had two siblings, but as a new cat owner, I didn't have the experience to take more than one kitten home). The shelter I adopted Charlie from had a policy that foster families had to give the kittens to the shelter once they reached two pounds which resulted in many six-week-old kittens ending up in the shelter, who has been separated from their mother too early. These kittens were frightened (to the point of shaking), and under socialized, preferring to hide in the back corners of the cage, in contrast to Charlie who, whenever someone would walk by, climbed up the side of the cage, and reaching his little paw out to greet them and say, "I've been here for months... will you be my human?" However, people passed up his cage to adopt one of the frightened six-week-olds. I have no idea why Charlie and his siblings weren't also snapped up at that age, but I knew that he was the most social, sweet, and adorable cat in the shelter, so that's why I took him home. My point is, that people often just want tiny kittens because they're "so cute", regardless of their personality, so as jcat said, your sweet Finn was likely passed up by other potential adopters for this reason. I can tell you and Finn are a perfect match, so you should be glad about that!