Choosing a kitten

It’s kitten time again, most cats give birth in the spring, although the maternity wing does seem to be filling up later this year.   The weather has a lot to do with kitten births and the hard winter meant that pregnancies have been later.    We have several litters of varying ages and all sorts of colours.  It must be very difficult to choose – which is the one?

How old – should kittens be when they can go to their new home?    We think that eight weeks would be the minimum and that nine to twelve weeks is to be preferred.   Alright, they are eating well by six weeks and lots of kits are offered for sale at this age.   It’s too young though, they are more susceptible to disease and won’t have been vaccinated so they are vulnerable.   Also they will still have a strong emotional attachment to their mother, and she to them, so it’s too soon to part them.

Vaccinations – kittens should have their first vaccination at nine weeks, which is followed by a second vaccination a few weeks later, your vet will advise the exact date.   This will protect them against cat flu and feline enteritis.    It would not be advisable to take a kitten who had not been vaccinated, especially if you already have a cat.  If all the kittens in the litter you are looking at have been wormed, vaccinated and had a health check, then it’s up to you and which one to choose?

Pedigree or a dolly mixture? The pure bred cats are fascinating and come in all shapes, colours and sizes.   If it is a pedigree cat you want, choose the breed and find kittens for sale in advertisements in cat magazines, the Ad-Mag or on the internet.   You will rarely if ever find a pedigree kitten on offer in an animal sanctuary.     You will have to pay a considerable amount for a purebred kitten and even more if you want one that is ‘show quality’.    Breeders often sell kittens with slight faults for less money – it might be the wrong colour or markings or some slight difference in conformation.   They keep the best kittens for themselves and the show ring.    Showing cats is a very popular hobby but it doesn’t mean that the less than perfect kits aren’t just as desirable – to people who have little interest in winning prizes.

A pedigree cat will be true to type -you’ll know what you are getting, although all cats have their own personalities.    A mixed breed cat will come in a myriad different colours, shapes and sizes and they are full of individuality.   We have had some exceptionally beautiful kittens born at the sanctuary, beiges, champagnes, apricot tabbies, pure whites, Norwegian Forest Look-alikes, faux russian blues etc. etc.  So there is a lot of choice.    Although most animal shelters require a donation for the kitten (which helps with vaccination fees and cat care) it will be much cheaper than buying a pedigree.

It’s true that occasionally pedigree cats are fussy eaters and they can be neurotic and show obsessive behaviour – this is rarely found in the street-wize world of the ‘ordinary’ cat.    Whilst it’s true that no one wants to see hordes of unwanted kittens, it’s also worth considering that if all cats are neutered and spayed, the natural species will die out and we’ll be left with only the captive bred cats.   This would not be good for the cat world.   The diversity of the gene pool is what makes cats so hardy and resourceful, attractive and appealing – they choose a mate for themselves!

Decisions, decisions! Sometimes a kitten will choose you – left on the doorstep perhaps or one will follow you home.    If you go out to pick one it’s really a matter of personal preference.   Some people love ginger boys and girls.  Other folk think they are trouble!    My experience is that they can be quirky (are you listening Peaches?) but I still love them.   A pure black cat is a fine creature to have around – they are lucky and also said to absorb all the negative vibes.     I always like a black cat and have one called InkyPinky who is a wonderfully laid back boy cat who just appeared here one day and decided to stay.

Persians are beautiful cats but are a lot of work and we often get them brought in with their coats all matted.   They have to be groomed every day and all the tangles taken out of their coat.  If you miss and it gets knotted then it will hurt the cat next time you try to groom and this is a downward spiral.    The knots can cause the skin to pull away and must be very uncomfortable if not painful.   The only answer is to take the cat to the vet who will anaesthetize him and then shave all the hair off.   It’s not very pleasant and quite expensive.   Repeated aneasthetics can’t be good for the cat either.   So forget the persians unless you have lots of spare time and like grooming.

Semi-fluffy cats are the best of both worlds, they are very pretty but don’t tangle like the persians.   A semi-long coated cat is attractive in any colour – we have calicos,  tabbies and a couple that are the purest black.

White cats – are sometimes deaf and even when they are not, they seem to develop ear problems.   Our Snowy, who has been with us for a long time, has had to have operations on his ears as he has aged.   There is nothing more can be done and the vet says let him go on so long as he eats well and is not in pain.    He is not cured though.

We have another pure white cat called Henry, whose ears seem fine, but he is much younger.   It does seem to be only the pure white cats that are affected, the ones with colour, no matter how little, seem to be fine.    A deaf cat takes a lot of looking after because they cannot hear danger so they are best as indoor cats.

Calico cats and Torties – These are always female so there is no trouble sexing them.   The calicos are red, white and black and are thought to be especially lucky.   We find they are the most popular choice of all and they do grow up to be the sweetest natured cats ever.    Our Tortie is a little gem.

She’s been with us for a long time now and is getting to be quite an elderly lady.   The torties are black and ginger smudgy coloured cats, again always female and they don’t usually have so much white on them.   They are good natured and popular colours.

Temperament – it’s all down to what sort of cat you are looking for – it’s possible to pick out the different temperaments at a very early age.   Some kits are adventurers, always ready for an adventure.   These are the ones that will roam and get into scrapes.    Some kids are feisty and always first at the feed dish, they are survivors and confident.    There is usually a little timid soul in every litter so if you are looking for an indoor cat this will be the one to suit you.   Finding out about the kitten’s different natures will help you decide.    If the kittens haven’t been handled much it will be harder to sort out as they will probably hiss and spit until they become tame.

‘Kittens are convinced that the whole world is concerned with keeping them amused and entertained’  Daphne Shepherd