Strange trip to the shelter. . .

[jcat]

Originally Posted by Breal76

Exactly! And as the person walks out the door and says "no kittens" I always say "We have adult cats that are just in need of a home!"

I don't understand what the point of adopting from a shelter if it is not to save a life. You know, people want lap cats, ect. Kittens are like boxes of chocolate, you don't know what you are going to get! Cats have personalities because they are grown up. They are lap cats, ect.

You know what I hate most about kitten season. Is it will come and leave the adult cats in the dust. They will sit and they will wait longer to get a home. Everybody will want a kitten. Can you imagine day after day watching kitten after kitten leave. Just sitting there thinking " I am just as worthy!"

Argh..Okay can't talk about this anymore.

I know what you mean. A lot of people underestimate how much work a young kitten means, too. Jamie is the first cat I've/we've ever had since kittenhood, and was a real learning experience his first two or three years.

Our shelter currently has the sweetest 6-year-old you could imagine. He'd be perfect for anybody who wants just one indoor-only cat, and is definitely a laid-back lap cat. He loves to snuggle. The only problem is he's FIV+. That's pretty rare in this area, and doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to become ill and run up vet bills. It hurts that absolutely nobody has been willing to take him.

 

[booktigger]

We hve sometimes managed to home adults in kitten season, but they are few and far between. I sometimes wonder if kittens are the best thing for first time cat owners, they can be hard work, and take a lot more adjustments than some age groups. Although I can understand why people want to see them grow up, as someone else pointed, you have no idea of their personalities, and someone wanting a lap cat etc could end up disappointed, whereas an adult you know.

 

[jcat]

Originally Posted by booktigger

We hve sometimes managed to home adults in kitten season, but they are few and far between. I sometimes wonder if kittens are the best thing for first time cat owners, they can be hard work, and take a lot more adjustments than some age groups. Although I can understand why people want to see them grow up, as someone else pointed, you have no idea of their personalities, and someone wanting a lap cat etc could end up disappointed, whereas an adult you know.

Exactly! Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that they can "train" a kitten to be the "perfect cat" for them.

 

[laureen227]

Originally Posted by Breal76

Adult cats rule.

got Chip as an adult - wonderful decision!

 

[bemyonlyone]

Honestly, kittens are a lot of trouble. And nobody has a good reason for wanting them except "they're cute."

My sister's cat, who is nearly 9, is as cute as when she was a kitten. I see very few cats that I don't think are beautiful. I'd take mature cat beauty over kitten cuteness any day. I'm totally kittened out. I've been through the kittenhood of all of my sister's cats. Kittens have a lot of energy, they run around, jump on things, you have to be very careful to make sure a kitten doesn't get underfoot, they often have diarrhea and other problems when they're very young. I think people don't see the reality of having a kitten. My sister's kittens had fleas and had to be treated. It was really really gross. And anyone who's ever been around really really young kittens know that often they're not socialized and aren't into being petted or held by people. So while I admit kittens are cute, I also have enough experience to know that they are a lot of work and not for everybody. I also think people's reasons for getting kittens are not always sound.

 

[lionessrampant]

Adult cats do rule.

All 3 of mine were adults when I adopted them...best decision ever.

WHat I don't get is why shelters will let kittens go by themselves. A person with a normal job or family schedule simply CANNOT give a kitten the stimulation it needs. The result is shredded blinds and cats who a) become shy and hide a lot or b) are overstimulated and/or aggressive and have biting behaviors when stimulated by people. I get calls about it all the time. Our rescue will only let kittens go in pairs, which we take a TON of crap about...but we have fewer returns on kittens than any other shelter.

 

[catlady810]

If if I could take in more cats, I would adopt either a kitten or a adult. I got Stormy as an adult and she's the best cat ever to me. She is shy and will decide who she likes and doesn't. But she my baby, and she my best lap cat ever. I love her so much. She knows when I am upset and crying and will place her paw on my arm as if to ask if I need a hug. I couldn't of ask for a better cat than her.

Cuddles I got at 3 months. We could tell her personally when we got her. She was hyper but she also knew when she wanted to cuddle. She's 2 now and still jumps off walls when she runs at full blast. She's the teacher to Sushi when Sushi was a kitten.

Sushi I got at 3 weeks. She as abonded kitten by the mother. Someone found her under their car. Oh my god that was work. Teaching her where the litter was. How to cover her poopoos. How to eat correctly (she would shove her face into the food.), having to clean her mouth. Always checking where she was and what she's doing. WOW she's almost a year old this may. And we had to keep her in one room with toys till the other cats came custom to her and even than we did it till she was big enough we didn't have to worry. Watching what she was chewing on, eatting, chasing. Believe me they are like toddlers you never ever know what their gonna get into it.

If your friend hasn't had a kitten in a long time, I recommend getting an adult cat, that way she can take time to get to know the critter and see what their personality is like.