When you adopt a kitten it is wise to remember that cats live for over fifteen years, some much longer, so it is a long term commitment. That little bundle of fluff will soon grow bigger and need lots of attention and care. Your little bundle of fur will also cost you a lot of money over its life time with veterinary costs including inoculations and routine care, plus anything unexpected that might crop it. You also have to provide food and cat litter.
There are many other considerations when you adopt a kitten too and the most important one is to make sure that the whole family wants the kitten because your new pet will be a new family member. Then ask yourself if you have the time to give to a kitten. It will need to be cuddled, played with, groomed, fed and cleaned up after and as it grows older it will become a bit more independent but you will still have to provide affection and feed it. There is a myth that cats are completely independent but that’s not true because a cat that has been brought up with love and affection will continue to need it.
Another important consideration is where you will put your kitten when you go on holiday. Can you afford to put it into a boarding cattery, or is there someone you could trust to care for it? If you adopt a kitten you are taking on a major responsibility.
If you want to adopt a kitten you also need to decide which breed you want. Persians, Burmese and Siamese kittens are often very expensive but they have very individual characters and come in beautiful colours. Siamese cats can be brown, blue, black, gray, or mixtures of these colours and they have very distinctive oriental type eyes but Siamese kittens must be brought up properly or they can be destructive, aggressive and spiteful. Burmese kitten are more laid back and not such a challenge as bringing up a Siamese.
The other option is to adopt a kitten of what I will call ‘uncertain’ origin. These non pedigrees are often stronger and come in a huge variety of colours and patterns. Because they are not ‘designer’ kittens, and do not have pedigree certificates these kittens are easy to get from rescue centers. When I say ‘easy to get’, I do not mean that just anyone can have them. If you adopt a kitten from a rescue center your home will normally be checked out to see if it is safe and suitable for a kitten and you will be asked a number of questions.
Waiting to adopt a kitten should be an exciting time for any family and it is important to make sure that you have everything your new pet will need. When you do bring it home remember that it will be confused and upset at being in a strange environment and will need to get used to its new home.