What do you look for when choosing a kitten?

Knight of Malta: What do you look for when choosing a kitten?
I will be visiting my local shelter/humane society next week to look for a kitten and want one that is very well socialized and friendly.

Eight years ago I got a sweet kitten from the pound (I still have him and he’s neutered), but he tends to be the nervous type and is a little shy and withdrawn. He is really only comfortable around me.

What are things to look for when judging a kitten for temperament? What kinds of “tests” can I do while looking the kittens over? I know what to look for as far as health goes. Thanks!

Answers and Views:

Answer by robert c
well when getting a kittin you shoukd ask about health, and what food he/she prefers. kittins and cats are usually scared around stangers, and are only confortable around its human family.

Answer by iheartnjdevils
It’s hard to tell when you’re at a shelter. This is because they’re in rowdy enviroment.

I have 4 cats and these are the 2 things I look for.

1. Get one as YOUNG as possible. The youngest they will usually allow you to take home a kitten is 8 weeks. I would never get a kitten older than that. After 8 weeks, they’re personality really starts to develop. If you are there during this social development, they will turn out how YOU treat them.

2. This may be a personal preference but I always choose males. In the “feline” world, the females are the hunters. Because of this, I find females to be too controlled by their instincts and can be harder to “domesticate” (if that’s a word). Males have ALWAYS been the friendlier, goofier, social ones in my experience.

Good Luck!

Answer by Dean D
I think the most important thing is health. It is a good thing to get your pet from a shelter but unfortunately you end up getting a lot of diseases that end up getting spread to your other pets. I have 3 cats that i purchased from local shelters and each time they were sick a few days after i brought them home and it spread to my other pets. If you dont want your cat to end up being nervous i think you will want to look for one that is playful and as young as possible. 2 of mine we purchased right at 8 weeks and they are lap cats and love to be held. The third one was an older kitten and although he is very friendly and playful he will not sit on anyones lap and does not want to be held. The best thing you can do is socialize them as much as possible when they’re young!! Good luck!!

Answer by sham32791
make sure they’re people friendly, pick them up to see how they react with you, some will fall in love with you and some might hate you but make sure you know about they’re past b/c some kittens may have had a rough “kitten-hood” (abandoned, neglected,etc.) so make sure you’re aware of those things

Answer by Veritas
Here’s what helped me to choose the cats I have now:

1. Ask the staff to tell you about the kitten’s history. It’s best to find kittens that were with their mother for a sufficient amount of time. Ask what environment the kittens were in before arriving at the shelter. Kittens raised in a place with people nearby, and typical “family” noises, will be more socialized and relaxed. Also, ask if the kittens were handled regularly in their early weeks. You don’t want a kitten that was “hand reared” by humans (i.e. without its mother).

2. Pick a kitten from a litter. Watch how the kittens interact with each other. A kitten should be playful, but not too aggressive. Avoid kittens who hide in the corner or appear to bully their siblings.

3. A socialized kitten will be curious and be willing to approach you. Avoid a kitten that hisses or looks fearful.

4. The kitten should not shrink from your touch. Pet its head and watch to see if he “cowers” in fear.

5. Take along some string in your pocket. Pull it out and see if you can elicit some playful behavior from the kitten. Most will respond or bat the string. Be mindful that if the kitten has been playing all morning he might be tired when you get there and not want to play – that’s normal.

You might have to visit twice to get a good idea of which kitten is right for you, esp. if he was asleep when you arrived!

There are so many kittens that need special attention and TLC, and all these tips are not to say that the kittens with problems are not worthy of being adopted. But you are very clear about what kind you are looking for and I think that’s good. The best pets are those who fit our needs.

Good luck finding your friendly and fun cat buddy!

Answer by lil_sister58
If you reach towards the kitten and he/she pulls away from you then he/she is afraid of you…if he/she sniffs or rubs your hand..they are a curious cat! pick that one!!!

as far as health is concerned…if the kitten looks sluggish or has runny watery eyes…do not pick them…

Answer by xoanathema
It’s going to depend on how YOU socialize the kitten as to how outgoing it is around other people. All kittens are pretty outgoing and fearless, but if they don’t meet lots of other people and get used to many people coming in and out of your house during their kittenhood, it will grow up to be nervous and shy.

Like someone else said, it’s hard to tell their temperament when they’re in the shelter. All you’re basically going to be able to tell is if they’re active and playful (which describes pretty much all kittens). I don’t recommend a kitten that’s been sleeping, or one that you woke up to handle, as you’re not going to be able to tell much of anything about them when they’re sleepy.

Answer by D_Cartwright_99
To me, personality is the most important trait. Spend some time with several kittens at once if possible. (Maybe they have a room you could all get together in.) See which one chooses you. If you are sitting on the floor just occupying space, one may come up & decide your lap looks like the perfect place for a nap. Play with them & see who likes to play and who likes to play with everyone else. But give them lots of time because at first they may be shy around you, let them adjust to your presence before judging them.
Good luck!

Answer by Vic
I would try to find a kitten that is more outgoing than the one you have, sometimes an outgoing kitten will make a more reserved cat more outgoing. Talk to the people at the shelter, they spend the most time with the cats and kittens and can give you a good idea of what their personality is like.

Answer by icefire_22
make sure you get one that is still young. they are easier to train this way. my kitten is now a year old and is leash-trained. also, make sure you don’t get one that cries every time you pick it up. and it doesn’t matter what gender you get. someone above me said that males are more “domesticated” but that is not necessarily true. all of my cats are females, and they all have special talents. one is leash-trained, one can drink out of a water bottle… and they all taught themselves how to use the litter box. but males can’t get pregnant. so if you don’t want to hear the pitter patter of little paws, go with a male. unless you just want to spend the money to get her spayed.

Answer by crazy_cat_lady
When picking a kitten for your household try matching one that matches your life styles. If you up and moving around you might want a playful kitten. If you are more laid back type get one that is a good lap cat. Mostly you need to watch how they respond to the other kittens in a cage and normally you can tell what type of cat they will be. Just spend some time with the kittens and see how you feel about the kitten before taking it home.

Answer by fishy
ar eyou looking 4 a boy or girl that will help but the cat that looks at you 1st will bee the one look 4 what you want its up to you

Answer by sidney
see if you can take the kitten home for a few days, to see if he/she fits into your life. make sure you can give him back if he doesn’t like your cat or your cat doesn’t like him.

if you cant do that, talk to the people at the pound too see if he gets along with other cats.

always make sure your older cat comes first!
good luck!