9 reasons to adopt an adult cat and 6 reasons not to adopt a kitten

He jumped out of the cage and grabbed me by the shoulders. My surprise quickly turned to amazement. He hadn’t sunk his claws into me! My thought was, “This cat definitely knows manners. Someone has worked with him.” I looked at the ticket on the cage door. It read: “Morgan, male, 14 years old.”

14 years? I doubted. That was pretty old. I put him back in the cage and walked around the shelter, looking at the other cats. There were many cute ones, as well as some kittens.

But my mind kept going back to Morgan and I realized that I had, in fact, joined him. Despite being fourteen years old, we had become friends.

THE SENIOR CAT SITUATION

One of the saddest things you will see at Animal Shelters is the number of senior cats waiting to be adopted. In general, people are looking for kittens.

Older cats languish, many from happy homes where they were loved and cared for, but brought to the shelter for some reason known only to owner and cat.

Many people, who do not like older cats, like kittens. Kittens are cute, cuddly and funny. They are pleasant pets, but they lose their “playfulness” when they grow up, and with it the “love” of their owners.

Someone once said that the mark of a true cat lover is to want adult cats rather than kittens.

A KITTEN IS NOT ALWAYS WHERE IT IS

Many people don’t think about the consequences of adopting a kitten, or taking a kitten or two from a litter a friend is trying to get rid of, or bringing home one that they’ve left on their doorstep.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before adopting a kitten:

1. Take care of themselves. Kittens are pretty marginal when it comes to taking care of themselves, especially when it comes to using a litter box. Do you have time to educate your kitten at home?

2. Young children. Do you have small children in the house? A child of 2 or 3 years can kill a kitten without realizing it. Older children should be taught to play with them and should be closely supervised.

3. Other pets. Bringing a kitten into a home with other older pets? Make sure you have time to introduce and acclimate your pets to kitty (and vice versa)

4. Domestic hazards. Is there something dangerous in your house that could harm a kitten? If you’re not home during the day, have you made sure your kitty is safe without supervision?

5. Adoptions other than from an animal shelter. If you’re adopting a kitten from a friend, or taking one from a mother cat’s litter, are you prepared to spay or neuter the kitten and give her the vaccinations she needs?

6. Vaccinations. A kitten receives all the vaccinations from him over a period of time. You want to make sure you have the time and interest to get her the full regimen.

ADOPTION OF THE SENIOR CAT

Someone once said that cats are like shoes: one size does not fit all. Still, there are some possibly general reasons to adopt a mature cat instead of a kitten:

1. An older cat is easier to care for. In fact, to a large extent, an older cat can take care of itself. Great for the working person who can’t be home during the day.

2. Older cats tend to be calmer than younger cats and adapt more easily to a new environment.

3. Older cats usually come with their shots and spayed or neutered. A kitten, even adopted from a shelter, will need a series of vaccinations.

4. Older cats are better with young children than a kitten. It is better to get a larger animal that can defend itself.

5. Older cats are usually domesticated. You will have to train a kitten.

6. Older cats can feed and care for themselves, while a kitten may need your help, which is not good for a busy working person.

7. An older cat can “fend off” other family pets (like the dog) better than a kitten. Unless you are there to defend him, certain situations in life are not good for a new kitten.

8. Older cats can handle a move better if you relocate your home. The only thing you have to make sure is that your cat recognizes your new location as his “his lair” and doesn’t try to go back to your old place.

9. And finally, older cats catch mice. In these days of smarter mice avoiding all known mousetraps, a mature cat can be invaluable.

THE JOY OF HAVING AN OLDER CAT

Well, his name was “Morgan”, but I renamed him “Tab” because he had the typical markings of a Tabby. Tab and I finally learned to respect each other, and he, though he was a tough old alley cat, was finally enjoying sitting on my lap while his battered ears were petted.

He lived five more years and died at the ripe old age of 19. During that time she was my companion during two years of unemployment, giving me a lot of understanding, comfort and love.

One day he definitely “earned his keep.” I found a dead rat in the living room, its neck nearly bitten in half. The rat was almost as big as Tab, but he had knocked it down and killed it.

So much for adopting kittens. He’d rather have a tough old stray cat any day of the week.