Animal Rescue & Care Fund, Inc

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If you think you want a kitten ....

Everyone wants to have the experience of having a baby kitten. But kittens grow up rapidly. At six months they are not nearly as cute as they were at eight weeks, and they are fully grown at one year. Ask yourself the following questions.

“Am I willing to commit the next 20 years of my life to this animal?”

“Can I afford to take it to the vet not only in case of emergency, but each year for a check up and vaccines?”

Here are some things to keep in mind when thinking about adopting a kitten.

Kittens are all hormones, energy and curiosity. They are like toddlers who go great guns for many hours throughout the day and then crash to recover and start all over.
Kittens are into everything and know no bounds. If you have precious items you don’t want destroyed, put them away until they have grown up and have become calmer.
Kittens require A LOT of attention. In order to develop their social skills, you must handle and play with them each and every day for several hours.
Cats and kittens are very bright and need to exercise their brains as well as their bodies. They will constantly think of things to keep themselves busy.
If you get just one kitten (and have no other pets), you will find that your new kitten will demand attention from you throughout much of the day. If you work or go to school all day, they will not rest until they have your undivided attention when you return home.

That is when you may realize your little one needs a buddy to keep them company while you are away, and also to give you some peace and quiet when you need to get other things done. Now you have the task of finding just the right fit for your feline companion. You have to be patient and smart about the introduction of the new cat and hope all goes well. And all of this can be avoided if you get a bonded pair in the beginning. They do not have to come from the same litter as many kittens introduced at a young age will naturally become bonded playmates as well as nap mates. If they are bonded, it does not matter whether they are two females or males or one of each.

Another thing to keep in mind when you are adopting a kitten under the age of four months is that you do not know what personality you are getting in your cat. Again, hormones and energy drive their activities. Everyone is boss to them at that age and everything is play. As they age, they develop their own individual agenda and personality which is when you will be able to see if they are laid back, independent, if they have “catitude,” if they are cuddly, etc.

Parts of your cat’s personality are “hard-wired.” You can influence your cat’s behavior, but there is absolutely no guarantee that they will develop a specific personality or that you will have any influence in your new kitten’s likes or dislikes as they grow up.

If you still think kittens are the right choice for you, you can fill out our “I’m interested” form and tell us about the kitten(s) you want and the kind of home you have for them.

Recently Adopted • Spotlight Cat • Adoption Application • About Adopting • Success Stories