Congratulations! You've decided to get your new cat from the shelter. There are few feelings better than knowing you've saved a life - and few feelings worse than realizing you made the wrong choice and cannot offer the cat a permanent home. Here are some tips on picking the purrfect cat.
What is it like at your house? Do you live alone, or with a partner, or with your partner and five children? Is your house noisy or quiet? Do you have other pets? Is someone home a lot, or is your apartment a place you show up to sleep and shower? Thinking about the answers to these questions will help you choose the ideal cat for your household.
An active family with other pets and children needs an outgoing cat, who doesn't have a lot of fears. Look for the cat who, despite the scary shelter environment, is up at the bars of the cage trying to reach out to you for attention and purring up a storm. A cat like this isn't easily intimidated by noise and craziness, and he'll fit in perfectly at your chaotic household.
Conversely, if you're a hardworking graduate student or a retiree who spends her time at home studying, doing crafts or watching television, with few visitors, consider giving a home to a cat who is more skittish - hiding under the newspaper in his cage or cowering at the back. Find out his or her history. Many cats are abandoned when their elderly owners die. After a lifetime of a quiet household, the shelter is terrifying for them and they panic and do their best to hide. Their chances of being adopted are very poor and they often face being euthanized. Once back in a quiet household, they relax and in a month's time revert back to being friendly lap cats. If you have the right kind of home, consider rescuing one or more of these sweet, shy kitties.
Not home much, but enjoy snuggling with a kitty at night? Pick a pair! Frequently, two or more cats from the same household are left at the shelter together. If you pick up a pre-bonded pair like this, you know you have two who get along and will have no problem keeping each other company while you're away from home.
If your choice is a kitten, remember that kittens are also best acquired in pairs. Without another kitten to roughhouse with, he may sharpen his claws on your nose at 2 A.M. Single kittens develop a host of bad behaviors including scratching, clawing and biting. They need other cats to teach them how to play nicely - and grow into wonderful pets.
Do you want to feel like you've really rescued a kitty who would not have made it out of the shelter without you? Pick a black cat, a black and white cat, an overweight cat or a senior cat. These cats are least likely to be adopted, no matter how wonderful their personalities are. If you bring one home, you can rest assured you've done your good deed for the year!
Speaking of senior cats, don't let age scare you. Like people, cats are living longer these days. A ten year old cat may have ten more years left. Some breeds, such as Siamese, are particularly long-lived. If you don't relish the idea of coming home to find shredded toilet paper decorating three rooms of your house, pass the kitten by and take the senior cat home.
Now that you have some guidelines, head down to your local shelter and give a deserving kitty a second chance at a loving home - yours.
