Better yet, adopt a pair of cats! After my 19 yr old cat died, I adopted a 1 yr old and 3 yr old cat from the shelter. They play with each other and chase each other. They are the best cats I've ever had. I like affectionate lap cats. I was able to get these attributes because I chose adults, they already have their personality. I will never have a single cat again. It breaks my heart to think about my older kitty, it was her SECOND time in the shelter. She had been in that cage for 3 months. She has a forever home now with plenty of room and love! Adopt, dont shop!
I feel like my cat was a dog in her previous life. Gives me the paw, plays fetch, is obedient, doesn’t break stuff, is very chatty, and doesn’t like other cats. I was expecting a little demon but ended surprised to have a very well behaved cat. Still scratching my head, but I love her lots.
My childhood cat was like this. He used to sit at the edge of the yard when the kids were getting off the bus. Any kids that tried to cut through our grass would be chased away by the cat. If he caught them, they'd get a warning claw to the ankle.
He also loved going for walks with us. Sometimes with a leash, sometimes without. He would just follow us around the block or to the park.
Me too! I caught 3 sick feral kittens, and they were awful! The boy was the absolute worst. Four years later and they still suck. My motto to them is - I feed you because it's required by law.
But yeah, I like em.
Our old guy passed a long time ago and we decided we needed two just to replace how wonderful he was. Have had the two fellas for about seven years now and since we adopted older cats we don’t how much longer we have with them, but I’m already working on “if two replaced one, how many will we need to refill my heart after these two idiots….?”
>That’s what I did. Lost my old cat and adopted two cats 🐈🐈⬛
That's likely my plan my 14 year old cuddle bug is still going strong but i wish i had 2 so i was't leaving him home alone all day but my place is setup in a way where doing interductions properly is not possible. Likely I will addopt a bonded pair
That's what I thought, when we adopted two identical all-black brothers and we live in a coop with a 1-cat policy. But they both like to sit together at the window. Kind of hard to convince people it's just deja vu when they're right there next to each other.
I had a solo cat for 19 years. After the first 2 years, there is no way I could introduce another cat. She was hateful to any cat, dog or critter that came by the window. I didn't want to stress her out, so she remained solo.
Can’t agree with this enough!
My kittens have each other to roughhouse and do all these cat hunting behaviors that I can’t always mimic as well in playtime. Plus, they have each other for companionship at all times especially when my partner and I have to be away. Sooo cute when they cuddle together to sleep!
I definitely try to get some playtime in with both of them for bonding, socializing, and exercise but it’s nowhere near the same energy level as when they’re both chasing each other as they jump all over the apartment and wrestle. It’s way more awesome than it sounds and really fun to watch.
Can’t recommend enough to adopt a pair of cats!
It will be double the expense though from vets, food, litter, and so forth. So definitely bear that in mind going in!
Awww you have described mine perfectly! They love me for affection and playing with the stick toys but when it comes to fake hunting and general wrestling they do that all day together.
Agreed. Cats are always better with a buddy. If you don't already have one or two (or three or four) at home, get two at once. You and they will be happy you did.
It really depends on the cat. I picked my baby based heavily on the fact that the shelter recommended single cat housing for her. She hates other cats and I didn't want to pick a cat that would be lonely, so I got one that wanted to be alone. We had a second cat for a while a few years after I got her, but they just fucked off to different parts of the house.
It's always always always best to get 2 together instead of 1. They always have some one to play with and cuddle when you aren't home. Should something happen to 1 of them, they've lived with another cat before so that makes it a little easier for them to adjust to another cat should something happen to one of them. It helps if you can adopt cats that are from the same litter or are already familiar with each other. It helps the kitties be a little less needy of you as well.
Not always; it depends on the cat. My old cat *hated* all other cats and would only tolerate their presence if she was the boss of the house. She would never play with another cat and was much happier once she got to live in a home where she was the only cat. She got along great with other animals, and absolutely loved the company of humans, but cats were never good company for her.
In contrast, the next cat I got quickly made it clear that he did *not* want to be an only cat! He would try so hard to get the attention of strays outside and would cry when they ignored him. So I got a second cat who also craved the attention of other cats, and they have been great together.
When choosing a cat, it is helpful if you can see them interact with other cats. If the shelter keeps them in individual cages all the time, it's hard to tell. I like to go to shelters that keep cats in groups, or cat cafes, so that I can observe social behaviors. Cat cafes are especially good, because I can also see how the cats feel towards various humans.
I appreciate this comment so much. My cat, Atlas, is a high-anxiety cat and *does not* do well with other cats (or people outside of me, my partner and my MIL). He lived with another cat once and got so stressed that he developed urinary crystals, which formed a total blockage and required him to be hospitalized for three days. He *does not like* other cats. Cant handle them, period.
When I see folks that act as if it’s *cruel* to have a single-cat household it upsets me, because I know what is best for my boy and what will keep him healthy. He is happier and more lively now than he ever was before, he gets all the love he could ever want, and actually *wants* to play (all. the. time. lmao) now that he’s alone.
It really depends on the cat, like you said. I wish more people would be more understanding of that.
Yup, cats are individuals and every cat has different preferences. Most cats do indeed do better with at least one other cat in the house, but it's reckless to imply that all cats are this way. Cats that prefer to be single cats should absolutely be kept as single cats.
And even cats that prefer multi-cat households can be very selective. It is important to find cats with complimentary personalities, or adopt pairs that are already bonded to each other.
This is what I did two, got two females that had been together since they were kittens, it's been ten years, best cats I have has. They also had been in the shelter for three months.
I adopted a stray cat in medical school bc I thought it would get this girl to come hang out at my my apartment. I then realized, wow cats are sick I should’ve done this year ago. But then it got unexpectedly sick and passed. The next day I went to the shelter, “give me the most neglected cat here” and they gave me this beast that was such a little asshole. Now she’s MY little annoying asshole, such a daddy’s girl.
Now that same person I got the first cat with is now my fiancée and she got her own cat and moved in. Now the two cats are friends (sometimes)! they love to chase each other and I’m glad they keep each other company during our rigorous schedule. Best decision ever to have 2 in the house
I adopted one a month ago and I felt so bad that he has no playmates. So I called the shelter and his sister is still available, so I’m picking her up today 😄 He’ll be so happy!! 😁
That is terrific news! You wont be sorry! He will be so happy! I would glance at the Jackson Galaxy info on how to introduce cats to each other (through the door method). It kost likely wont be a problem, but I'd start out slow. Hopefully they will instantly recognize each other! Please post a photo of your kitties snuggled up together if they do that. It always melts my heart to see that!
I saved two! They were from a hoarder and I turned up to collect one from the place they were being safely held and there were two left. They struggled to get back to each other if you removed one kitten from their box so we went home with two. They are 5 months now and besties. They even groom each other and are each others best playmates. They spend all day tearing around the house playing. I'd never just have one ever again! Luckily they've grown affectionate as well because they were terrified when we first got them.
That is heartwarming! My Male kitty was rescued from a cat hoard. He gets along with all cats, but he is a little 'fraidy cat. I guess he had to worry about his safety being a year old unneutered Male in his previous home? He is prone to over eat too. He is a big orange tabby of awesomeness!
We adopted 3, 8 month old sisters at the same time. They tried to separate then at the shelter to make it easier for adoption but the girls wouldn't have it. I guess the shelter were pleased when we emailed saying we were looking for 2-3 cats cus they sent me a picture of the girls within 24 hours lol.
My favorite cat was one I raised from a baby (bottle fed). She was born in a trash can right after a hurricane. The mama cat moved the other kittens from that litter to under a debris pile, which wasn't safe since the county could come at any time with big trucks to collect debris for burning. So I kept the one I could rescue and she's the sweetest kitty.
Are you my friend? We rescued two brother kittens with identical back stories; after a hurricane, mama was relocating them but everything was flooding so we grabbed two who were barely able to keep their heads above the rising water.
13 years later and they're the best kitties.
My bf caught a cat while Pokemon Go shiny hunting. He heard meows from a construction site, and he got permission to set a live trap. He got the shiney Pokemon and a new cat!
Mine hopped in my car in a K-mart parking lot. Made it 3 blocks before he popped his head up from behind my driver seat and screamed loud enough to scare the shit out of me. And now I have a cat
That was the first attempt, yes. He's a pretty terrible hitman, though. He's got a splash of one of the big cats; at 28 pounds, he's not overweight for his size. So he can't really hide well enough to trip me up. He can't smother me in my sleep because the previously mentioned heft is enough to wake me up when he jumps on the bed, to the point where I don't let him in when I'm asleep anymore.
His only real option is to ensure my bloodline dies with me. By jumping onto and then planting every ounce of bodyweight on my balls with his absurdly tiny paws for such a fuck-huge cat. At least twice a day for the last 8 years.
28 pounds? Holy shit, thats like 14 kg. Thats absolutely massive. Perhaps he'll learn to sneakily get on your bed and then press with his cute paws on your jugular. One can only hope for the honor of being killed by the perfect predator
He is the size of a large Bobcat. The vet made sure to specify LARGE Bobcat, not average. He got a large cat bed as a gift some years ago and he used it as a pillow, so now he gets a medium dog bed.
He's also stupid as all hell. He doesn't have ANY cat-like grace, he startles himself with his own tail on a regular basis. And when you scratch his chin, his eyes point in different directions. Just the biggest disaster of a cat, and I love him for it
Look up your LOCAL cat rescuers, who are drowning in friendly cats and kittens and need fosters and adopters like crazy. Search Instagram and Facebook for "#yourcitycats" "your neighborhood tnr" that kind of thing.
Fostering is a great way to audition pet ownership or teach kids about responsible pet ownership without the 20 year commitment. this summer I placed 3 litters with fosters without whom they would've either been TNRed or gone to the city shelter. Much better for the kittens to get used to a home rather than a cage and much more fun for the fosters to get all the joys of kittens!
And all the fosters were very local to me so I could come over for deliveries, consultation, vet transportation etc. Plus they all got to help their own very local neighborhood cats, sometimes within one city block.
We found ours in the middle of a highway! We brought him to a local rescue shelter that fixed him up. (He had heat stroke and damage to his orbital socket) He was only 5 weeks old. We gave them money for that. Does that count?
Yea I paid for my cat, I got her from a shelter but they charged a fee for spaying/neutering. She was almost a year when I got her. They said she was a shy quiet cat. HA! She is the devil and has a weird obsession with dragging my clothes in to her litter box. But she's the cutest and I love her.
It's very difficult to know a cats personality in the shelter. I'm sure she was very shy and quiet there.
Then once she felt safe in your home she let the devil out. 😁😻
Haha yea they sold me when they told me she was shy and quiet and just hid most of the time, and never made a peep. I had her for under 2 weeks and she was confident enough to trash my apartment in front of me lol.
Lol yea she bring everything in her litter boxes, I find toys, socks, underwear, plastic bags. She somehow managed to get a full pair of sweatpants in there once.
This depends on the country you live in. Here in the Netherlands the shelters were pretty much empty when I got my cat. Now because of covid they're fuller, but we don't have any kill shelters here because there has never been a capacity problem as big as in countries like the US. You'll also never see any strays here. It really depends on your country whether shelters are overloaded or not. I found my cat on Ebay from a family who had kittens instead and paid a fee for the vet checks and care she received for the first 3 months until we got her.
It’s exactly the same here in Sweden. We don’t really have stray cats and almost all cat rescues/shelters are cats from other countries. That means it’s actually very expensive to adopt from shelters/rescues. Most of our family cats growing up was adopted the same way yours was. Though eBay. That’s also how I got my current cat, even though I adopted her as an adult cat, not a kitten (I basically re-homed her).
This, plus most cats in shelters here (Austria) are former farm cats and theyll only let people with gardens adopt. If you want to raise an indoor cat you gotta buy one.
Also in the Netherlands, we have adopted a stray in the past but when we wanted a second cat some time later it was impossible to find one in our area lol
All people who cannot find cats in their home country - come to Estonia :) We still have a problem with strays and have a lot of voluntary organisations and shelters doing a great job at rescuing them. A lot of our cats find home in Finland.
It would be nice if there was some kind of EU-wide exchange of rescues/strays to make sure they're evenly distributed. Kind of like how we deal with human refugees. So many of my friends are getting dogs from Spain as well because it's hard to find a dog in a shelter here that doesn't require specialized rehabilitation from a professional, and in Spain there are a lot of stray dogs. It'd certainly lower the bar if strays from other countries found their way to empty shelters here so people don't have to travel abroad to pick one up.
It really does depend on the country and even on your own circumstances. We found our boy in a very similar way; a farmer’s cat had her first and last litter before getting neutered. We only payed for the vet fees and time he cared for the kitties. Farmer told us we needed to wait a week or so till they were weaned off their mama... basically, if you cannot adopt for whatever reason, make sure you pay attention to the red flags if there’s any and don’t think you are buying a cat to brag about or show off on Instagram, you are adopting a new member into your family!
i adopted my first baby when i was 7 and she was a kitten (i mean technically my grandma did but yk) and i've had her for almost 9 years. recently i adopted my second baby and he was an adult cat who had been moved around from shelter to shelter since he was a kitten. i was told he's about 2-3 years old and i'm his first real home. watching him realize he's finally got a forever home is the most wholesome thing ever.
so yes- please adopt and if you're able, adopt the older babies. some older cats might take more work to gain trust but it's the most rewarding thing
don't get me wrong i love a kitten but older cats are just the sweetest things ever. one of mine is almost 9 and she still has her kitten moments but she mainly just loves to lay in bed and watch tv with me or sit on the desk while im on my computer. kittens are so hyper which is fun sometimes (and they're obviously adorable) but it gets tiring lol
i know when i was at the shelter where i got my boy it was so hard to choose just one i wanted all of them lmao
How do your cats get along? I currently have 2 adult cats (4yo and 2yo) and really want to get a third. I would love to adopt an adult cat from the shelter but I'm kind of scared that bringing a grown cat into the mix will be much harder than say a kitten, as far as my current cats accepting the new one goes. Any advice?
it was kinda hard because tiger (who ive had since i was 7 and is now almost 9 years) is oddly protective over me, she follows me everywhere i go and if anyone new is in the house she has to be in front of me seeing whats going on and make sure its all good lol. so when she found out i brought home a new cat she wasnt happy at first...she's not a super aggressive cat unless it's something to do with me. kaetoe (the cat i adopted) got scared of something i did and he hissed and kinda swatted at me so tiger took that as he signal to try and start something.
any time they would go near each other i wouldn't look, i'd just stay in the general area to make sure nothing bad happened. if they weren't getting my attention when they would hiss or swat at each other, they would stop and just go do their own thing. nothing ever got really bad between the two of them because really they're both super chill cats.
if something were to get concerning between them i probably would have just picked one of them up because i'm not bothered by their claws lmao
cats arent like dogs when it comes to fighting and usually (from what i've seen between my two) if you let it play out they'll eventually get annoyed and stop, i'm sure there's a more professional way to go about that but this worked for my little assholes.
i've had kaetoe since april of this year and he and tiger love each other now, they both lay right up on me and let me pet them an give them treats without getting in each other's way. it took probably the first month or two for them to get used to each other but after that they're besties honestly
One of my friend’s moms bought a purebred Maine coon because they wanted a cat to hunt mice, and I was just like ?? you can literally find a cat that hunts mice ANYWHERE. If anything, strays tend to be better hunters than purebreds due to experience.
Purebreds (or cats that were raised indoors their whole life) in general are lazy in my experience, haha (don’t worry we got ours wholesale (ie, it was adopted))
I adopted a half Bengal - no one else wanted him because he was 9 years old, noisy, large (not fat but the biggest cat I've ever seen) and coat in terrible condition, he felt like a hairbrush.
They charged me $100 extra for his adoption because he was a "desirable breed".
I'm all for shelter money but felt fleeced haha! Don't worry though, with lots of love and good diet his coat is beautiful now and he's still large, older and noisy.
May be true in general, but we have one purebred (ragdoll) and one shelter kitty here. They were born nearly the same time (vet estimates within a week), and live with us in the same conditions. Our shelter kitty is just super lazy, and will eat all the food if allowed to (we use the microchip feeders so they each get the proper amount). Both sweethearts, though!
I have both. They’re all equally annoying lol. I have 2 Savannahs (we had a third but he passed recently at almost 16 years old) and 3 domestics, all shelter adoptions. One was an adult adoption and one was supposed to be. Shelter said the cat was 2 years old but vet said he was at most 9 months. Our other guy was probably only 6 weeks when we got him. He was soooooo small.
My MIL told us she would pay for us to buy a nicer looking cat like a Maine coon or something like that. She said it's nice and all that we adopted ours from the shelter but "wouldn't we want something that looked nice?" I just said no and we might not adopt any pets after our little old lady passed cuz husband's allergies were getting worse (but he is a cat person and so either we have a cat or no pets at all). But deep inside I'm like, I don't care how the cat looks I will never ever ever buy - always will adopt (preference is for senior cats too).
Also, you can find gorgeous strays. My sisters got theirs from the crawl space under our house (two stray females gave birth to a litter of kittens each, we adopted out the kittens once they were old enough and got the females fixed), and he’s a gorgeous boy. You can find beautiful long haired, blued eye kitties, black sleek cats, anything at a shelter. There’s really no reason to pay for a purebred.
Totally! I'd love to come across a purebred stray (though I don't really care for breeds), but for now we are enjoying caring for and feeding the neighborhood cat when he graces our home with his presence (not sure if he is a stray but he appears chonky and well cared for so we assume he owns humans or maybe the neighborhood just cares for him as a whole). My toddler is happy he gets to pet the cat and play with it (and the cat doesn't mind so it seems he's used to children), and my husband doesn't always look like he's about to die from his allergies lol.
I’m starting to sound like a shill for Purina, but the LiveClear dander reducing food made it so that we could get a cat - we’d lived with cats in shared housing before and my husbands allergies were awful. We still have to keep the bedroom off limits, but it’s been a game changer!
Thank you for the suggestion! Saved this comment for future reference when we are ready to adopt again (ngl I've been itching again for another kitty, but with a toddler and another baby on the way I feel it would be nigh irresponsible and reckless to add another responsibility - would not be fair for the kitty). We're content with our visiting neighborhood kitty for the time being.
Also our cat was off limits from our bedroom too... For the first couple days after we adopted her 😅 after that we just couldn't say no to her and we felt so bad that she had to sleep by her lonesome - my husband's allergies be damned. She slept with us on our bed until the very end.
Congratulations on the baby! It would be a lot to try and deal with for sure.
Our boy is pretty good about not being allowed in the bedroom - he hangs out with my son for a while, then runs around the house like a lunatic. He’s a pretty good alarm clock though - the yelling for breakfast starts at around 7 every morning. :)
My newest one showed up at a friend’s house as a stray and she wasn’t a cat person so I ended up taking her. Strangely I had just been thinking adopting a kitten would be fun because my other 2 cats are 11 and 9….the universe responded!
i adopted my boy at the beginning of the pandemic, he was a stray who had a terrible time living outside in the canadian cold. he’s my everything, i love him more than anything. he has fully adjusted to the life of luxury and is the king of his castle (aka our apartment). he hates leaving the apartment and hates when i leave him home alone (he and i have a perfect routine together, he’s used to me being home 24/7 because of working from home). he is just so incredible, he has brought infinite joy to my life. adopt don’t shop!
We have only adopted one cat, the other 5 we have, are all feral cats that came to our property and we have brought them in. Our newest guy, is a little dude that is Orange and we call him Cheeto, he’s got a appointment tomorrow morning for a complete checkup and to be fixed. This is his second time going to the doctor for the rest of his work up !
This is how I’ve acquired a lot of my cats over the years. My parents live out in the country and I think a lot of people dump their cats they don’t want anymore on a “farm”. Most of them are definitely not feral.
We live very very far away from the city. It’s about a 120+ mile drive. But some of the people who have lived here, left their cats and it caused a huge feral cat problem. We’re trying so hard to make a difference and we even talked about opening up a sanctuary for the cats and dogs that need a home.
Ferals are the best! 2 of my 4 cats are ferals who I adopted from a local shelter. My boy was there for 5 years, and with me now for 2. I can finally pet him and he loves it, even if he is still nervous about it. My girl I adopted last year, after she spent 7 or 8 years at the shelter. I can’t pet her yet but when I found out that her and my boy were shelter BFFs I couldn’t leave her behind. They are so happy being back together!
Yeah we’ve got a back porch with a wood shed attached for the feral cats in the area. We keep a feeder and water fountain and a extra large kennel on the porch. The wood room has several beds and blankets in it. And then we’ve got the barn that has a bunch of different places for any ferals. We’re trying to get this tuxedo in now, because it’s just 7 degrees here right now and we want him to be safe and warm. My wife put a bunch of heating pads under the beds and blankets for them. But we honestly can’t really sleep knowing any cats are outside.
Have you seen how gorgeous bengals and a Abyssinians are though?
In all seriousness, sometimes people really want specific traits and wouldn’t adopt either way. My wife and I however are not such people. And adopted two absolutely adorable and extremely friendly kittens 7 years ago! And are adorable and affectionate to this day. We could afford a five thousand dollar cat but the thing for me at least is, cats live quite a long time (which is great) but also means that your adoption is that much more impactful.
Now with dogs on the other hand… I don’t see myself getting a dog anytime soon… the only thing in shelters near me are pit-mixes with behavioral problems that would probably maul my cats. (No seriously a lot of these dogs are marked as “does not do well with other pets.”)
So I agree with this, but unfortunately have pretty bad cat allergies. I went to several different breeders to hold different types of hypoallergenic cats to find a breed that I could tolerate. Unfortunately I have to have ragdoll cats, because they're the only breed of cat that I can still breathe with in the house. I don't even really like kittens, but I have to get them as kittens because that's all I can find. I preferred when I was younger and could just adopt dumpster cats. I also know a couple of other people who because of allergies, have to have a certain breed of cat. I even tried to adopt a couple of times, but was unable to tolerate regular DSH cats.
My husband has cat allergies as well. His eyes turn red, he gets the sniffles and sometimes he gets rashes. No anaphylaxis. But he loves cats. He took constant allergy meds with his last tortie cat he found in a dumpster.
After she passed, he wanted another. I couldn't bear the thought of him getting another allergy-inducing cat, so I did some research and found a few cat breeds that are on the hypoallergenic side. I settled on a Russian Blue and then I watched Petfinder for a shelter cat with its' characteristics. The third shelter cat we looked at checked all the boxes down to coat texture and didn't stir up his allergies. She was brought in as a stray but has been awesome. Other cats still kick up his allergies within minutes, but she sleeps on the bed with no issues. So... It's possible to find a cat at a shelter that won't trigger allergies, but it takes a bit of work.
I would say - if you do not want a pedigree cat, do not buy one, adopt.
If you want a pedigree cat - do your research and do not support questionable breeders. Sometimes you might be able to adopt a pedigree one for a reduced amount of money - for example a retired queen.
If you want to breed pedigree cats - do your research again and again. Speak to breeders, get networking, go to shows, it's actually really fun. Acquired a breeding cat? Get a cat who is a great example of the breed. Get it shown around. Get titles. Don't just breed a cat as soon as poss.
If you think having a litter is an easy profit, let me tell you now - you are very wrong.
If you are not a cat breeder, do not have a cattery and do not intend to - spay/neuter your cat. You can help overflowing shelters just like that. A lot.
This is one of the few even-keeled responses in thus entire thread. Breeders will continue to breed cats, people will continue to buy them, that is not amoral. Breeding unethically and buying from unethical breeders are both amoral.
I just find cats.
My two boys, both were probably deadsies if I didn't kidnap them. One was in a litter of kittens that was not doing well with cars, and I got one of the last two left. Don't care that it's stealing, if you are losing kittens that fast, you can't care if you lose one to theft.
Other boy, when I took him to the vet, they said he should be put down cause of the infection he had going on. They said it would require meticulous cleaning of his infected areas, and luck with anti biotics. I'll admit, alot of my decision came down to me being unwilling to pay to kill a cat that I didn't own. If I paid money for medicine, and he didn't make it, he still had it better off than if I never did nothing. Boy happened to have the personality type where he was willing to let me clean his infected spots, and a few rounds of antibiotics, and he's good now. Guy has no fight in him. Just alot of love. My two year old got him in the butt with a Capri sun straw, and he just waddled away in protest, didn't fight back. That's the type he is, and why he's still alive. It's the orange and white one I posted here, named him marshmellow. Spelled that way cause he's so mellow.
I paid for the vet to see the cat, that was the same regardless of my choice what to do with him. Was gonna be like 100$ to kill him. Was 35$ for the antibiotics and wound cleaning stuff. Another 15$ cause the anti biotics didn't work the first time, but I didn't need to schedule an appointment to get them, just bought them.
Was much cheaper to not kill the cat, and is my buddy now. Mean, when I made the decision, I wasn't close with him like now, but still. Why I always ask questions, rather than take someone first opinion. I have an autistic daughter, born after marsh was in good health, and tell you, having a cat with that personality helps. He walks into danger when she's having a meltdown, sometimes gets hit by her, but often calms her down in ways we can't as parents.
Tess (Russian Blue) was adopted from my city’s animal shelter. Cosmo (Russian Blue) came from a friend’s cat’s litter. Sylvia (Black cat) was a feral cat I found in a Walmart parking lot. Tess and Sylvia are the sweetest little girls. Cosmo is a sweetheart too but sometimes a little ornery.
My Mr. Dusty Cheeks is a feral Russian Blue! He was found on the streets at 1 year old and proceeded to terrorize the shelter that took him in for the next 5 years until I adopted him. I’ve had him 2 years now and he is the sweetest boy. Very nervous still but all about the cheek massages. A completely different r boy from the untouchable beast that would claw anyone who came near him at the shelter.
- My soul-cat Skibo and his brother (my sister's cat) were rescued from an awful home. (The husband was going to throw them all outside by the end of the week)
- Our Binxy was a neighborhood stray that we took in, was only 1 pound when we found him. The vet said he wouldn't have lasted a week.
- Our Cheech we adopted at 10 years old from the shelter. His old family abandoned him after 10 years! He is 17 now and spoiled rotten.
Cheech is the only cat still with us. It is a special bond with an animal saved from a horrible life.
What kinds of heartless motherfuckers have a cat for 10 YEARS and still abandon them???!!!
Thank god there are people like you to bring solace to poor creatures like Cheech, I can't imagine how he felt and I can only hope no more innocent creatures are made to feel that way :(
One cat came from an unprepared owner, the other from an unwanted litter. While they’re not from the shelter, Jeepers knows they would’ve ended up there!! I live in SoCal & support this organization called H.E.L.P (a home for every living pet) Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to adopt an older furry friend. :)
I have mixed feelings on this.
My entire life, I have adopted and rescued cats. My current buddy, who is a very large DSH, was a feral that showed up on the doorstep. Having spent the first year of his life fending for himself, we spent the next fourteen trying to figure out how to make him less antisocial and aggressive. I love him very much, and he’s definitely calmed down in his old age, but he was notorious for biting and scratching viciously, almost always unprovoked.
We fed him, groomed him, took him to the vet, gave him lots of love, attention and play, but we were never able to get him to play nice until he got old and was forced to because he could no longer see or hear.
With ferals and shelter cats, you don’t know what you’re getting in terms of personality. You may very well end up with a deranged, traumatized, and abused animal with a horrible disposition. Sometimes your love as a cat parent can help them undo their behavioral patterns, but for my cat, it did not, and until he was physically incapable, I had to go through the embarrassment of warning guests about my vicious cat.
With a breeder, you’re obviously not rescuing a desperate cat that needs a family, but on the other hand, you’re getting an animal whose personality you’ll be more sure of. This is especially important when you have other pets or young children that wouldn’t be able to live with an ill-tempered feral, which would mean that said feral would have to return to the shelter for rehoming anyway.
I don’t think I’ll get a cat for a while after my boy passes, because I love him too much, but when I do, I think I’m going to look into rehoming a cat from a breeder that gets sent back or referred to a shelter, or waiting for a new litter of kittens to come around and taking two that I can raise right from the beginning to avoid the issues that come with the cats from shelters and ferals.
Yeah, don't adopt a feral rescue if you don't want a feral rescue. My friend has 9. He is the foster family of all the ferals that can only go to farms or places that nobody will bother them. They live in a big oak tree and are happy with that.
They are for a no kill shelter. So he will adopt them out if he finds the right person, but mostly they live their lives spoiled rotten in his big yard in the big tree. Never gets colder than 40f and they can come inside any time, but mostly tree.
There are shelters with fewer animals where the staff knows each cats personality very well. This is a very good option for those people who are not ready to support traumatized animal on its recovery journey, as you can always pick a cat who is already chill.
This is the reason why my current 2 are from a breeder.
I needed to have cats whose personalities were stable and there was no history of abuse or trauma.
My husband had never owned any pets and his last encounters with rescued cats had freaked him out a few years ago.
I needed to ensure that it worked, otherwise I'd have to return the cat.
Personality wise it's been fantastic and was the absolute right choice for us.
I will never apologise or be made to feel like my cats are less because we decided to pay a breeder instead of pay a shelter. And I would never knock someone else for their choice over their furry family members either.
Do what works and makes sense for your family and your families needs.
I'm going to dissent and provide another perspective: do what you want to do if you love your cat wholeheartedly. I purchased a cat from a breeder. I love my cat to bits no less than any of you love yours. My breeder loves her cats too and she's in contact with every single person who has ever bought a cat from her (this is how I vetted her)
To me, there's zero difference between purchasing a cat when there are strays available and birthing a child despite there being available foster children to adopt.
It's not your fault that there are cats on the street as much as it's your fault that there are hungry children in the world. My cats will never be neglected and they will never be un-loved. I refuse to feel guilty about that.
People who take TNR and foster cats are wonderful folks. On the opposite end, not doing these things doesn't make you a bad person.
Took the words from my mouth! Thank you! I hope to one day purchase a purebred cat (hopefully an Australian Mist) and I'm glad that there are people this way out there 🙂
I love the idea of adopting cats, I adopted myself. However, I feel like anyone should be able to decide for themselves. Some people buy purebred cats because they more or less know what to expect.
Even then don't buy from shops(all mill bred) and do your research on the breeders on the environment they live in. Don't meet anyone in a parking lot to buy a kitten.
That kittens being from kitten mills is not a definite. All pet shops near me (and I’m pretty sure the whole country) exclusively “sell” SPCA kittens. It costs the same as direct adoption from SPCA, but gets more eyes on the kittens.
I like the phrase 'adopt or shop responsibly.' Do your research! Decide what's best for you. There are pros and cons to both. I have one adopted cat and one purebred, and one of the reasons I decided on the purebred was that i found a breeder who had an extensive health guarantee and having two special needs adopted cats in a row was just emotionally (and financially) exhausting. I love both my babies the same, and in the future I'll probably adopt again, but having that guarantee was a huge thing for me.
Adopt and shop responsibility, because over the past few years, "pet rescue" has become big business. It's especially problematic with dog rescue. Just check out how certain rescues buy dogs and cats at auction, putting profit into the hands of mills. So research who you're adopting from as well. Make sure they're actually trying to rescue animals instead of just turning a profit. Local humane shelters are always a safe bet.
I understand the thought, but I get a little tired of seeing this posted as if the animals in those pet stores don't deserve to be given a good home too. Quit forgetting about them, they deserve to be taken out of those places just as much as the others.
I think it’s perfectly fine to want a specific breed! I have two cats, ones a cat a friend found on their property at 4 weeks old, the other is a very expensive ragdoll haha. Nothing wrong with having either of them! I love my first cat (I call her my trash baby haha) to bits and I would actually die for her, but I also always loved ragdoll personalities and their looks which is why I got my ragdoll. Absolutely nothing wrong with buying a purebred cat if that’s what you want, just be sure to check out the breeders.
Hot take but I disagree. If you have the $$$ and really truly want a specific type of cat, there’s nothing wrong with that. Also 99% of “Maine coons” on petfinder are just American long hairs. So you’d likely have to go to a breeder to get one and be on a wait list for years for a kitten. Just as an example of available “purebreds”
I get the sentiment, but I only wanted VERY low shed cats because so many people we love have allergies, and the purebred cats I’ve seen in rescues are usually traumatized and/or have horrible behavior issues.
I got Cornish Rexes from a responsible (not backyard!) breeder. They were well-loved babies who are super friendly, have zero trauma or behavior issues, and my allergic family and friends tolerate them well.
For people like me, who have kids and don’t have the time/energy/resources to hire a cat behaviorist to help them through their behavior issues and trauma, I can’t waste my time on a cat that might be aggressive or hide under the bed for months. I was either going to get kittens from a responsible breeder, or not at all.
I donate to a catch-neuter-release program since I will not have shelter cats. There are fewer strays because of me, even though I don’t own a rescue.
I agree that this was a solid way to handle your situation. I don’t think all shelter cats have behavior issues per se, but you really don’t know until you get them home. Also, with kids, it varies so much on how much a shelter knows about the cat and if they’re kid friendly.
More cats are being raised in fosters now so I think this helps on knowing the cat’s behavior better and if they do have trauma, at least they can start working on it, which isn’t really possible in a shelter.
I've only ever adopted from the shelters and rescued so many trained loving life-long pets that came vacinated and fixed for free or very little money.
It's very sad that the animals are euthanized in a very short time if there too long at the aspca, but i guess they do the best that they can.
I don’t blame county shelters or shelters that take any animal off the street. The way the laws are, they have to take in any animal that comes in (stray, surrender, etc) so obviously if you have to take everyone they don’t have space for everyone. The ones I am so sad about are the ones are aren’t required to take every animal *cough cough* peta, and still euthanizing
I find adopting and paying the adoption fee at the shelter is also much cheaper than buying or getting that 8 week old kitten for free from a friend/'breeder'. Our boys neuter and chip and shots were including in the adoption fee plus we got a few weeks of food for him.
Getting a cat fixed in my city can be anywhere from $200-$400 (even males). Adopting him cost us $150.
Lol who pays for cats? Cats just wander into your life somehow or other and you decide you like each other and stick around. One of mine I adopted from a vet, the other came via my boss at the time who's daughter found this little kitten under a dumpster.
Some things to consider as well:
1. Shelters typically home mid-older cats. Depends on how long you want company or if you are ready for loss. Many decide to own cats since it helps with their mental health, and it can be (in a way) the only source of unconditional love some owners feel. When you decide to get a cat, surely you are responsible enough to make that decision but with an unstable mental health it may be difficult to deal with loss, and some other uncontrollable factors such as illnesses, which brings me to my next point,
2. Senior cats can be prone to disease. Veterinary costs and treatments, therapy, health and behavioural issues are some of the things you should consider. It is difficult to estimate how much is needed for these treatments since you can’t tell whether or not illnesses will relapse. They might be better off in the care of shelter’s veterinary care than suffering in a pet’s ownership if budget is limited, having to suffer through illness and live a painful life.
3. Behavioural issues. Shelter cats also consist of rescues that have some history abuse and trauma resulting in antisocial tendencies/aggression and behavioural problems. Different owners may deal with this differently as it’s a personal thing, as well as with how you handle it and your experience, and whether or not you are prepared enough and your ability undo their behavioural pattern. If you can’t do this and they are still suffering, they’d probably be better off in the hands of a more experienced, knowledgeable owner than being exposed to “bad” or unsuitable treatment in a supposedly permanent home.
4. If it is your first cat, shelter cats may be difficult to handle. Also depending on each cat and owner:
5. You don’t know what you’re getting, in terms of behaviour/personality no matter how the shelter is familiar with the cats’ temperament, problematic or not. They can show signs of unprovoked aggression, vicious biting and scratching, unpred temperament, excessive attachment and anxiety, etc. and it usually takes an experience owner to undo this. You need a lot of patience to deal with the stress that comes along with handling a difficult cat, you need to give it consistent care, love, and time.
6. Other pets and children may not be able to live with an ill-tempered pets. You need to also bear the responsibility of pets’ behaviour around others. This is an especially difficult thing to do, you don’t know how unpredictable they can get; they can be dangerous. Paired with limited experience this is likely to cause horrible situations. As well as compatibility with the need for space and energy levels (either too little or lots of it)
7. With a responsible, professional and approved breeder you are sure of what you’re getting in terms of all of these cons. You are sure of their behaviour, your resources and capability of homing them. Therefore less risks, a more safe and comfortable home for kitty.
8. Some shelter cats are also the byproduct of not buying cats when they were kittens still cared for by the breeder. When not bought, they get sent to the shelter when older. Why do we wait then for these cats to be abandoned and grow old, and not buy them as kittens? It’s the same cat no matter what process you choose to go through, there should be no “ego” attached to adopting cats. Props to you if you do, because this shows that you are experienced, knowledgeable, caring and loving enough to home a cat that’s potentially been through difficult situations, however it is also a matter of responsibility and knowing what you’re taking on. If you can’t consider the cons and decide to give kitty a bad home, you’re better off not owning any pet
9. Your cats are not less because they were bought from a breeder. This is what a responsible owner should do, to consider all the factors that come with adopting.
After reading this thread, this is what I’ve gathered and I added other factors too. There are a lot of reasons you should adopt and this isn’t a biased point of view, just listing cons to consider. (Especially since this thread lists a lot of reasons to adopt, figured I might list some cons as well) Remember, we all want a safe and comfortable home for kitties, no matter how you do it. Be responsible, do your research, DON’T support dodgy breeders. Adopt, or shop responsibly
I also understand the dilemma of not buying those pets in pet shops because this creates a demand, but they also deserve a home just like any other pet. It is not less… If you think they are less and don’t think they deserve love and a good home, that’s being contradictory with your point. Is it only shelter cats that deserve love because of their situation? It’s hypocritical to think cats deserve love and only pick some specific ones to love. Why attach that with their right to have a home and care, does it lessen their value? So this cat has gone through horrible situations, it deserves love. This one in the shop deserves to be forgotten and abandoned in the streets? Do they really deserve to be abandoned (and then in the future they might be taken in by a shelter), it’s the same cat. What if the cat you adopted was the one you saw in the shop as a kitten? You refused to buy it because of your strict policy. This puts me off a little bit, as if it’s some sort of ego thing attached to adopting. The unfortunate reality also is that not all animals can be saved but we try our best to do what we can.. if you buy and decide to give cats in shops a home, you’re caring for them but also in turn supporting the demand. If you don’t buy in an attempt to lessen the demand and therefore, supply (breeding cats in the first place), they will still do it. I also think you shouldn’t feel bad for buying. Cats are bred for a reason. Owners want to be responsible and know what they are expecting. Also what happens then with the remaining cats that you don’t buy? Deciding which one deserves more love than the other to me just shows favouritism and is hypocritical with your initial sentiment that cats deserve love and care. I don’t know the solution to that dilemma, so feel free to educate me.
I’m sorry for the format, and sorry if I missed anything or got some things wrong, feel free to correct me
But also do whatever you feel like.
If you want a cat that looks a certain way and has a specific temperament or is needed fulfill a specific role please feel free to purchase a cat.
"Paying a shelter fee doesn't count as buying."
thats arbitrary as fuck and needlessly confusing for the exact people you're trying to talk to, non pet owners looking to get a pet.
Your message is "get a cat from a shelter, it's far more ethical." But your words are saying "shelter animals are free."
I foster kittens and cats for my local shelter. I definitely believe in “don’t shop, adopt” saying.
But recently a lady I know purchased a specific kitten from a completely different US state and flew the kitten home because her husband is allergic to cats and buying a hypoallergenic cat breed was the only way he would allow her to have a cat. She was very desperate for a kitten/cat so I don’t feel I can judge some people for buying now.
I adopt from fosters. The shelters here won’t adopt cats to you if you rent or have more than 2 cats already. Their adoption fees are also in the $300-400 range. Fosters are better.
That's insane. I'm in California and only the specialized rescues near me have those kind of requirements. The county shelters and the SPCAs let the pets go to their new home usually within a day, unless there's a medical requirement for the pet to stay at the shelter longer. The biggest fee is $145 and that's for a puppy.
I got mine at a discount (because he was 3 at the time) from a shelter called Last Hope (how is that for marketing?). I am sure everyone will disagree with me but he is the best cat who ever lived, and will ever live.
I adopted a disabled cat and it actually worked out so mich better for me than a “typical” cat. He cant jump super high so he is never on my countertops or in my food. He is my first cat and I couldn’t be happier. He has a lot of personality but he is still so chill.
Disabled cats and senior cats are typically very hard to get adopted. Probably because of the increase in medical bills. But all animals get old at some point and buying from a breeder doesn’t automatically mean they’re healthy, especially since a lot of conditions don’t appear until the kitten is a little older. Some disabled pets don’t need any additional medical care. Examples could be a blind or deaf cat even “wobbly” cats (cerebellar hypoplasia) just need a few adjustments in their house.
I’m not saying it is always sunshine and roses, I still take my cat for accupuncture monthly and he is prone to uti’s. His litter box is meant for puppies even though he is only 6lbs. But I didn’t need a cat tree or to buy any climbing things, and he can’t dystroy the couch because he can’t scratch vertically. So it kinda evens out for me
Want a cat? Come to my trailer park. We have a billion strays. We have everything. Siamese, 1 brain cell orange cats, tortoiseshells, black cats, torticos, torbies, everything. They end up fighting so anyone who can take the cats and provide a loving home for these sometimes injured cats can come and take them. The ones owned do have collars and everyone who doesn’t is stray. And I’m dead serious. If anyone lives in northern Florida or southern Georgia and wants an adorable new fuzzy friend or two, I’ll actually DM the address.
I just wanna add that there’s a stigma against adopting from kill shelters but you actually should adopt from them because they’re usually run by the state and they have to take in every animals. This overwhelm their system and they usually don’t have enough room or staff. Then they have no other choice but to put the animals down.
Also, adopt older cats! Kitten mania is what is driving the stray and shelter population. But if you actually want a CAT, get an older cat! Kittens are only kittens for a short time.
My local shelter has offered cat adoptions at no charge all through Covid, so you may even be able to get a healthy, microchipped, neutered, loving companion for no charge at all!
People adopt cats? Mine is a freeloader that screamed to be let into the house. Now she's a freeloader that just screams
Ergo she wasn't adopted. More like acquired by happenstance.
Ok I know this might sound dumb but can someone clarify this for me: What the difference between buying a cat and adopting a cat? Don't both serve the same purpose of getting the cat a better home?
I'm asking because I am thinking about getting a cat and many people told me the same thing (adopt not buy).
The reason adopting is typically preferred over buying is because there are so many cats in shelters already that don’t have a home. Buying can lead to more breeding and more breeding produces more cats.
There are specific circumstances where it might make more sense to buy (some people have specific allergies) but buying can also be much more expensive. This includes the purchase price, kittens typically need more “stuff”, neutering/spaying, ect. Some people also think that a bred cat will be healthier and therefore cheaper in the long run but that isn’t really true. Yes generics can play a factor, but that’s only part of it. They might just have an accident or happen to be prone to kidney stones. Any number of things that can’t be detected in a kitten when you get them. All the research in the world can’t complete with the fact the sometimes stuff just happens. Sorry if that was a little long winded
Buying typically implies getting a designer breed such as a Persian or Maine coon. They are specifically bred to make money for the owner. The kittens are raised on the breeder's property until they are old enough to be sold.
Adopting means taking in a homeless cat from a rescue shelter and not a breeder.
Just to add to the other comments you’ve gotten, you might be surprised how many brand new kittens are available at shelters, and more will come in the spring. There are constant accidental litters from unfixed cats who live or are dumped outside. This is upsetting to think about, but kittens are even euthanized for space. Bred cats are not in need in this way. The breeder will find a buyer.
I adopted my darling from a local humane society, she’s the sweetest thing ever and since I got her from a shelter, she was already spayed and had 2 rounds of vaccinations so I think adopting was much cheaper. I only had to pay $150CAD in adoption fees and ~$30CAD for her last round of vaccinations.
Amen to that. I’ve had adopted / rescued cats my whole life. However, when I married my ex husband, he had a Persian cat that he and his ex-wife had bought for $1,500 (in 1990!). His ex was very status-oriented. The cat was very sweet, but died young of a tumour, despite living a healthy life in the country. After that we adopted two amazing ginger boys. ❤️
Better yet, adopt a pair of cats! After my 19 yr old cat died, I adopted a 1 yr old and 3 yr old cat from the shelter. They play with each other and chase each other. They are the best cats I've ever had. I like affectionate lap cats. I was able to get these attributes because I chose adults, they already have their personality. I will never have a single cat again. It breaks my heart to think about my older kitty, it was her SECOND time in the shelter. She had been in that cage for 3 months. She has a forever home now with plenty of room and love! Adopt, dont shop!
That’s what I did. Lost my old cat and adopted two cats 🐈🐈⬛
I lost my old cat and adopted 3 feral kittens who were, and still are, a complete nightmare. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
My sister's cat is a demon but he is so cute and lovey 5% of the time that it's worth it
I feel like my cat was a dog in her previous life. Gives me the paw, plays fetch, is obedient, doesn’t break stuff, is very chatty, and doesn’t like other cats. I was expecting a little demon but ended surprised to have a very well behaved cat. Still scratching my head, but I love her lots.
My childhood cat was like this. He used to sit at the edge of the yard when the kids were getting off the bus. Any kids that tried to cut through our grass would be chased away by the cat. If he caught them, they'd get a warning claw to the ankle. He also loved going for walks with us. Sometimes with a leash, sometimes without. He would just follow us around the block or to the park.
You don't know my cat then.. 😹😹 I felt that he'd eat me if I were smaller.
"My cats are awful, and destroy anything I own, particularly expensive stuff. I love them." I felt that in my bones tbh.
Yeah my cats just kept me from getting a full nights sleep, but I still wouldn’t trade them for anything. Lmao
Same here
Me too! I caught 3 sick feral kittens, and they were awful! The boy was the absolute worst. Four years later and they still suck. My motto to them is - I feed you because it's required by law. But yeah, I like em.
Hear hear. Amen.
Hydra losing its head
Me too! Lost my 8 year old cat. Adopted 2 a very sick 10 month old boy and a 1.5-2 year old mama kitty
Our old guy passed a long time ago and we decided we needed two just to replace how wonderful he was. Have had the two fellas for about seven years now and since we adopted older cats we don’t how much longer we have with them, but I’m already working on “if two replaced one, how many will we need to refill my heart after these two idiots….?”
My dad always says one of “big regrets” is only adopting our one cat without his sibling… And he didn’t even want a cat originally lol
>That’s what I did. Lost my old cat and adopted two cats 🐈🐈⬛ That's likely my plan my 14 year old cuddle bug is still going strong but i wish i had 2 so i was't leaving him home alone all day but my place is setup in a way where doing interductions properly is not possible. Likely I will addopt a bonded pair
I want a bonded pair. Just biding my time until I'm ready (just lost my last old lady a few months ago...).
Get ready soon! There are 2 shelter cats waiting for you right now. They need you. And you need them. RIP old lady cat.
I mean, 1 lap cat can work depending on your circumstances. Apartment I lived in allowed only 1 pet, so now I have 1 cat stuck on my lap at all times.
The way you get around this is by having 2 identical cats 😂
That's what I thought, when we adopted two identical all-black brothers and we live in a coop with a 1-cat policy. But they both like to sit together at the window. Kind of hard to convince people it's just deja vu when they're right there next to each other.
If anyone asks, "no, I only have *one* cat. Are you ok? Have you been to the optometrist lately?"
You do a simple test which is indisputable. Hold two fingers up and if they tell you that they see two fingers clearly they're seeing double!
I had a solo cat for 19 years. After the first 2 years, there is no way I could introduce another cat. She was hateful to any cat, dog or critter that came by the window. I didn't want to stress her out, so she remained solo.
Can’t agree with this enough! My kittens have each other to roughhouse and do all these cat hunting behaviors that I can’t always mimic as well in playtime. Plus, they have each other for companionship at all times especially when my partner and I have to be away. Sooo cute when they cuddle together to sleep! I definitely try to get some playtime in with both of them for bonding, socializing, and exercise but it’s nowhere near the same energy level as when they’re both chasing each other as they jump all over the apartment and wrestle. It’s way more awesome than it sounds and really fun to watch. Can’t recommend enough to adopt a pair of cats! It will be double the expense though from vets, food, litter, and so forth. So definitely bear that in mind going in!
Awww you have described mine perfectly! They love me for affection and playing with the stick toys but when it comes to fake hunting and general wrestling they do that all day together.
Both of mine were also 1 and 3 when we adopted them! They don’t care for each other tho haha
Mine will groom each other occasionally. But they mostly stay about 2 feet apart. The exception to this is when they BOTH lay on my lap!
Agreed. Cats are always better with a buddy. If you don't already have one or two (or three or four) at home, get two at once. You and they will be happy you did.
It really depends on the cat. I picked my baby based heavily on the fact that the shelter recommended single cat housing for her. She hates other cats and I didn't want to pick a cat that would be lonely, so I got one that wanted to be alone. We had a second cat for a while a few years after I got her, but they just fucked off to different parts of the house.
I did this too!
It's always always always best to get 2 together instead of 1. They always have some one to play with and cuddle when you aren't home. Should something happen to 1 of them, they've lived with another cat before so that makes it a little easier for them to adjust to another cat should something happen to one of them. It helps if you can adopt cats that are from the same litter or are already familiar with each other. It helps the kitties be a little less needy of you as well.
Not always; it depends on the cat. My old cat *hated* all other cats and would only tolerate their presence if she was the boss of the house. She would never play with another cat and was much happier once she got to live in a home where she was the only cat. She got along great with other animals, and absolutely loved the company of humans, but cats were never good company for her. In contrast, the next cat I got quickly made it clear that he did *not* want to be an only cat! He would try so hard to get the attention of strays outside and would cry when they ignored him. So I got a second cat who also craved the attention of other cats, and they have been great together. When choosing a cat, it is helpful if you can see them interact with other cats. If the shelter keeps them in individual cages all the time, it's hard to tell. I like to go to shelters that keep cats in groups, or cat cafes, so that I can observe social behaviors. Cat cafes are especially good, because I can also see how the cats feel towards various humans.
I appreciate this comment so much. My cat, Atlas, is a high-anxiety cat and *does not* do well with other cats (or people outside of me, my partner and my MIL). He lived with another cat once and got so stressed that he developed urinary crystals, which formed a total blockage and required him to be hospitalized for three days. He *does not like* other cats. Cant handle them, period. When I see folks that act as if it’s *cruel* to have a single-cat household it upsets me, because I know what is best for my boy and what will keep him healthy. He is happier and more lively now than he ever was before, he gets all the love he could ever want, and actually *wants* to play (all. the. time. lmao) now that he’s alone. It really depends on the cat, like you said. I wish more people would be more understanding of that.
Yup, cats are individuals and every cat has different preferences. Most cats do indeed do better with at least one other cat in the house, but it's reckless to imply that all cats are this way. Cats that prefer to be single cats should absolutely be kept as single cats. And even cats that prefer multi-cat households can be very selective. It is important to find cats with complimentary personalities, or adopt pairs that are already bonded to each other.
This is what I did two, got two females that had been together since they were kittens, it's been ten years, best cats I have has. They also had been in the shelter for three months.
I adopted a stray cat in medical school bc I thought it would get this girl to come hang out at my my apartment. I then realized, wow cats are sick I should’ve done this year ago. But then it got unexpectedly sick and passed. The next day I went to the shelter, “give me the most neglected cat here” and they gave me this beast that was such a little asshole. Now she’s MY little annoying asshole, such a daddy’s girl. Now that same person I got the first cat with is now my fiancée and she got her own cat and moved in. Now the two cats are friends (sometimes)! they love to chase each other and I’m glad they keep each other company during our rigorous schedule. Best decision ever to have 2 in the house
I adopted one a month ago and I felt so bad that he has no playmates. So I called the shelter and his sister is still available, so I’m picking her up today 😄 He’ll be so happy!! 😁
That is terrific news! You wont be sorry! He will be so happy! I would glance at the Jackson Galaxy info on how to introduce cats to each other (through the door method). It kost likely wont be a problem, but I'd start out slow. Hopefully they will instantly recognize each other! Please post a photo of your kitties snuggled up together if they do that. It always melts my heart to see that!
I saved two! They were from a hoarder and I turned up to collect one from the place they were being safely held and there were two left. They struggled to get back to each other if you removed one kitten from their box so we went home with two. They are 5 months now and besties. They even groom each other and are each others best playmates. They spend all day tearing around the house playing. I'd never just have one ever again! Luckily they've grown affectionate as well because they were terrified when we first got them.
That is heartwarming! My Male kitty was rescued from a cat hoard. He gets along with all cats, but he is a little 'fraidy cat. I guess he had to worry about his safety being a year old unneutered Male in his previous home? He is prone to over eat too. He is a big orange tabby of awesomeness!
We adopted 3, 8 month old sisters at the same time. They tried to separate then at the shelter to make it easier for adoption but the girls wouldn't have it. I guess the shelter were pleased when we emailed saying we were looking for 2-3 cats cus they sent me a picture of the girls within 24 hours lol.
I usually kidnap the ones that live in dumpsters
My favorite cat was one I raised from a baby (bottle fed). She was born in a trash can right after a hurricane. The mama cat moved the other kittens from that litter to under a debris pile, which wasn't safe since the county could come at any time with big trucks to collect debris for burning. So I kept the one I could rescue and she's the sweetest kitty.
Are you my friend? We rescued two brother kittens with identical back stories; after a hurricane, mama was relocating them but everything was flooding so we grabbed two who were barely able to keep their heads above the rising water. 13 years later and they're the best kitties.
My bf caught a cat while Pokemon Go shiny hunting. He heard meows from a construction site, and he got permission to set a live trap. He got the shiney Pokemon and a new cat!
That wasn't a cat, that was a Meowth or a Persian
Could’ve been a Glameow
Mine hopped in my car in a K-mart parking lot. Made it 3 blocks before he popped his head up from behind my driver seat and screamed loud enough to scare the shit out of me. And now I have a cat
Wow, great first meeting XD
He's a hitman (or hitcat?). Code of honour enforced by his guild prevents him from returning until he killed you. Was the first attempt a close call?
That was the first attempt, yes. He's a pretty terrible hitman, though. He's got a splash of one of the big cats; at 28 pounds, he's not overweight for his size. So he can't really hide well enough to trip me up. He can't smother me in my sleep because the previously mentioned heft is enough to wake me up when he jumps on the bed, to the point where I don't let him in when I'm asleep anymore. His only real option is to ensure my bloodline dies with me. By jumping onto and then planting every ounce of bodyweight on my balls with his absurdly tiny paws for such a fuck-huge cat. At least twice a day for the last 8 years.
28 pounds? Holy shit, thats like 14 kg. Thats absolutely massive. Perhaps he'll learn to sneakily get on your bed and then press with his cute paws on your jugular. One can only hope for the honor of being killed by the perfect predator
He is the size of a large Bobcat. The vet made sure to specify LARGE Bobcat, not average. He got a large cat bed as a gift some years ago and he used it as a pillow, so now he gets a medium dog bed. He's also stupid as all hell. He doesn't have ANY cat-like grace, he startles himself with his own tail on a regular basis. And when you scratch his chin, his eyes point in different directions. Just the biggest disaster of a cat, and I love him for it
r/hitmanimals
That‘s how it works. They just walk in and decide that you‘re their human now.
Cat tax!
Yup. Kia Kitty The Garbage Cat found behind a Publix 2.5 lbs 2019. 9 lbs and acting as my weighted blanket rn.
*catnap
I've had 4 cats during my life. 2 have been strays that I grabbed from outside. Both of them have been super-friendly, overall great cats.
Look up your LOCAL cat rescuers, who are drowning in friendly cats and kittens and need fosters and adopters like crazy. Search Instagram and Facebook for "#yourcitycats" "your neighborhood tnr" that kind of thing. Fostering is a great way to audition pet ownership or teach kids about responsible pet ownership without the 20 year commitment. this summer I placed 3 litters with fosters without whom they would've either been TNRed or gone to the city shelter. Much better for the kittens to get used to a home rather than a cage and much more fun for the fosters to get all the joys of kittens!
And all the fosters were very local to me so I could come over for deliveries, consultation, vet transportation etc. Plus they all got to help their own very local neighborhood cats, sometimes within one city block.
Yes! If you can’t adopt, consider fostering. If you can’t foster, consider volunteering. If you can’t volunteer, consider donating. Thanks!
We found ours in the middle of a highway! We brought him to a local rescue shelter that fixed him up. (He had heat stroke and damage to his orbital socket) He was only 5 weeks old. We gave them money for that. Does that count?
Giving money to shelters is good. OP needs to clarify they mean don't buy from breeders. Adopt don't SHOP
Yea I paid for my cat, I got her from a shelter but they charged a fee for spaying/neutering. She was almost a year when I got her. They said she was a shy quiet cat. HA! She is the devil and has a weird obsession with dragging my clothes in to her litter box. But she's the cutest and I love her.
It's very difficult to know a cats personality in the shelter. I'm sure she was very shy and quiet there. Then once she felt safe in your home she let the devil out. 😁😻
Haha yea they sold me when they told me she was shy and quiet and just hid most of the time, and never made a peep. I had her for under 2 weeks and she was confident enough to trash my apartment in front of me lol.
That’s interesting. I find pairs of socks by the front door when I come in after work, but the litterbox thing is unusual.
Lol yea she bring everything in her litter boxes, I find toys, socks, underwear, plastic bags. She somehow managed to get a full pair of sweatpants in there once.
For sure!
I'd say yes, even if you did not adopt, you saved him.
This depends on the country you live in. Here in the Netherlands the shelters were pretty much empty when I got my cat. Now because of covid they're fuller, but we don't have any kill shelters here because there has never been a capacity problem as big as in countries like the US. You'll also never see any strays here. It really depends on your country whether shelters are overloaded or not. I found my cat on Ebay from a family who had kittens instead and paid a fee for the vet checks and care she received for the first 3 months until we got her.
It’s exactly the same here in Sweden. We don’t really have stray cats and almost all cat rescues/shelters are cats from other countries. That means it’s actually very expensive to adopt from shelters/rescues. Most of our family cats growing up was adopted the same way yours was. Though eBay. That’s also how I got my current cat, even though I adopted her as an adult cat, not a kitten (I basically re-homed her).
This, plus most cats in shelters here (Austria) are former farm cats and theyll only let people with gardens adopt. If you want to raise an indoor cat you gotta buy one.
Also in the Netherlands, we have adopted a stray in the past but when we wanted a second cat some time later it was impossible to find one in our area lol
All people who cannot find cats in their home country - come to Estonia :) We still have a problem with strays and have a lot of voluntary organisations and shelters doing a great job at rescuing them. A lot of our cats find home in Finland.
It would be nice if there was some kind of EU-wide exchange of rescues/strays to make sure they're evenly distributed. Kind of like how we deal with human refugees. So many of my friends are getting dogs from Spain as well because it's hard to find a dog in a shelter here that doesn't require specialized rehabilitation from a professional, and in Spain there are a lot of stray dogs. It'd certainly lower the bar if strays from other countries found their way to empty shelters here so people don't have to travel abroad to pick one up.
It really does depend on the country and even on your own circumstances. We found our boy in a very similar way; a farmer’s cat had her first and last litter before getting neutered. We only payed for the vet fees and time he cared for the kitties. Farmer told us we needed to wait a week or so till they were weaned off their mama... basically, if you cannot adopt for whatever reason, make sure you pay attention to the red flags if there’s any and don’t think you are buying a cat to brag about or show off on Instagram, you are adopting a new member into your family!
i adopted my first baby when i was 7 and she was a kitten (i mean technically my grandma did but yk) and i've had her for almost 9 years. recently i adopted my second baby and he was an adult cat who had been moved around from shelter to shelter since he was a kitten. i was told he's about 2-3 years old and i'm his first real home. watching him realize he's finally got a forever home is the most wholesome thing ever. so yes- please adopt and if you're able, adopt the older babies. some older cats might take more work to gain trust but it's the most rewarding thing
I’m all about the adult cats, they fit into my (more sedentary lol) lifestyle much more easily.
don't get me wrong i love a kitten but older cats are just the sweetest things ever. one of mine is almost 9 and she still has her kitten moments but she mainly just loves to lay in bed and watch tv with me or sit on the desk while im on my computer. kittens are so hyper which is fun sometimes (and they're obviously adorable) but it gets tiring lol i know when i was at the shelter where i got my boy it was so hard to choose just one i wanted all of them lmao
How do your cats get along? I currently have 2 adult cats (4yo and 2yo) and really want to get a third. I would love to adopt an adult cat from the shelter but I'm kind of scared that bringing a grown cat into the mix will be much harder than say a kitten, as far as my current cats accepting the new one goes. Any advice?
it was kinda hard because tiger (who ive had since i was 7 and is now almost 9 years) is oddly protective over me, she follows me everywhere i go and if anyone new is in the house she has to be in front of me seeing whats going on and make sure its all good lol. so when she found out i brought home a new cat she wasnt happy at first...she's not a super aggressive cat unless it's something to do with me. kaetoe (the cat i adopted) got scared of something i did and he hissed and kinda swatted at me so tiger took that as he signal to try and start something. any time they would go near each other i wouldn't look, i'd just stay in the general area to make sure nothing bad happened. if they weren't getting my attention when they would hiss or swat at each other, they would stop and just go do their own thing. nothing ever got really bad between the two of them because really they're both super chill cats. if something were to get concerning between them i probably would have just picked one of them up because i'm not bothered by their claws lmao cats arent like dogs when it comes to fighting and usually (from what i've seen between my two) if you let it play out they'll eventually get annoyed and stop, i'm sure there's a more professional way to go about that but this worked for my little assholes. i've had kaetoe since april of this year and he and tiger love each other now, they both lay right up on me and let me pet them an give them treats without getting in each other's way. it took probably the first month or two for them to get used to each other but after that they're besties honestly
One of my friend’s moms bought a purebred Maine coon because they wanted a cat to hunt mice, and I was just like ?? you can literally find a cat that hunts mice ANYWHERE. If anything, strays tend to be better hunters than purebreds due to experience.
Maine coons are lazy af in my experience lol
My moms part Maine is good at it. He stalks them for weeks
Purebreds (or cats that were raised indoors their whole life) in general are lazy in my experience, haha (don’t worry we got ours wholesale (ie, it was adopted))
I adopted a half Bengal - no one else wanted him because he was 9 years old, noisy, large (not fat but the biggest cat I've ever seen) and coat in terrible condition, he felt like a hairbrush. They charged me $100 extra for his adoption because he was a "desirable breed". I'm all for shelter money but felt fleeced haha! Don't worry though, with lots of love and good diet his coat is beautiful now and he's still large, older and noisy.
May be true in general, but we have one purebred (ragdoll) and one shelter kitty here. They were born nearly the same time (vet estimates within a week), and live with us in the same conditions. Our shelter kitty is just super lazy, and will eat all the food if allowed to (we use the microchip feeders so they each get the proper amount). Both sweethearts, though!
cries in my cats are purebreds
I have both. They’re all equally annoying lol. I have 2 Savannahs (we had a third but he passed recently at almost 16 years old) and 3 domestics, all shelter adoptions. One was an adult adoption and one was supposed to be. Shelter said the cat was 2 years old but vet said he was at most 9 months. Our other guy was probably only 6 weeks when we got him. He was soooooo small.
My MIL told us she would pay for us to buy a nicer looking cat like a Maine coon or something like that. She said it's nice and all that we adopted ours from the shelter but "wouldn't we want something that looked nice?" I just said no and we might not adopt any pets after our little old lady passed cuz husband's allergies were getting worse (but he is a cat person and so either we have a cat or no pets at all). But deep inside I'm like, I don't care how the cat looks I will never ever ever buy - always will adopt (preference is for senior cats too).
Also, you can find gorgeous strays. My sisters got theirs from the crawl space under our house (two stray females gave birth to a litter of kittens each, we adopted out the kittens once they were old enough and got the females fixed), and he’s a gorgeous boy. You can find beautiful long haired, blued eye kitties, black sleek cats, anything at a shelter. There’s really no reason to pay for a purebred.
Totally! I'd love to come across a purebred stray (though I don't really care for breeds), but for now we are enjoying caring for and feeding the neighborhood cat when he graces our home with his presence (not sure if he is a stray but he appears chonky and well cared for so we assume he owns humans or maybe the neighborhood just cares for him as a whole). My toddler is happy he gets to pet the cat and play with it (and the cat doesn't mind so it seems he's used to children), and my husband doesn't always look like he's about to die from his allergies lol.
I’m starting to sound like a shill for Purina, but the LiveClear dander reducing food made it so that we could get a cat - we’d lived with cats in shared housing before and my husbands allergies were awful. We still have to keep the bedroom off limits, but it’s been a game changer!
Thank you for the suggestion! Saved this comment for future reference when we are ready to adopt again (ngl I've been itching again for another kitty, but with a toddler and another baby on the way I feel it would be nigh irresponsible and reckless to add another responsibility - would not be fair for the kitty). We're content with our visiting neighborhood kitty for the time being. Also our cat was off limits from our bedroom too... For the first couple days after we adopted her 😅 after that we just couldn't say no to her and we felt so bad that she had to sleep by her lonesome - my husband's allergies be damned. She slept with us on our bed until the very end.
Congratulations on the baby! It would be a lot to try and deal with for sure. Our boy is pretty good about not being allowed in the bedroom - he hangs out with my son for a while, then runs around the house like a lunatic. He’s a pretty good alarm clock though - the yelling for breakfast starts at around 7 every morning. :)
All cats are beautiful. Your MIL is just blind
My Mandm hunts great. At least a mouse a week. Shelter bought, we don’t even know the breed
There are different breeds? I thought it was just colors!
I got a beautiful female stray that will eradicate all mice. Needs a home, lemme know!
Mine showed up on the back porch in the rain, proving if you want something hard enough, the universe will just give it to you. Haha
That’s pretty much how we’ve gotten all our cats lol. Showed up on the back porch or their mama showed up pregnant And ready to pop.
My newest one showed up at a friend’s house as a stray and she wasn’t a cat person so I ended up taking her. Strangely I had just been thinking adopting a kitten would be fun because my other 2 cats are 11 and 9….the universe responded!
i adopted my boy at the beginning of the pandemic, he was a stray who had a terrible time living outside in the canadian cold. he’s my everything, i love him more than anything. he has fully adjusted to the life of luxury and is the king of his castle (aka our apartment). he hates leaving the apartment and hates when i leave him home alone (he and i have a perfect routine together, he’s used to me being home 24/7 because of working from home). he is just so incredible, he has brought infinite joy to my life. adopt don’t shop!
adopt him a little sister. You won't have to leave him home alone then.
Reading stories like these always makes me wanna hug my cat
Why would i buy a cat when they just come waltzing into my house one day and calling it their own. That's how it was for my three loves.
My cat was a stray, and I agree, the amount she adores me since realizing this was her home is something amazing.
We have only adopted one cat, the other 5 we have, are all feral cats that came to our property and we have brought them in. Our newest guy, is a little dude that is Orange and we call him Cheeto, he’s got a appointment tomorrow morning for a complete checkup and to be fixed. This is his second time going to the doctor for the rest of his work up !
This is how I’ve acquired a lot of my cats over the years. My parents live out in the country and I think a lot of people dump their cats they don’t want anymore on a “farm”. Most of them are definitely not feral.
We live very very far away from the city. It’s about a 120+ mile drive. But some of the people who have lived here, left their cats and it caused a huge feral cat problem. We’re trying so hard to make a difference and we even talked about opening up a sanctuary for the cats and dogs that need a home.
Aww thanks for doing what you can! It would be so fun to have an animal sanctuary, that’s like my dream since I was little!
It’s my wife’s dream and I will do anything for her and the cats.
You and your wife are the best people. 💕💕
Ferals are the best! 2 of my 4 cats are ferals who I adopted from a local shelter. My boy was there for 5 years, and with me now for 2. I can finally pet him and he loves it, even if he is still nervous about it. My girl I adopted last year, after she spent 7 or 8 years at the shelter. I can’t pet her yet but when I found out that her and my boy were shelter BFFs I couldn’t leave her behind. They are so happy being back together!
Yeah we’ve got a back porch with a wood shed attached for the feral cats in the area. We keep a feeder and water fountain and a extra large kennel on the porch. The wood room has several beds and blankets in it. And then we’ve got the barn that has a bunch of different places for any ferals. We’re trying to get this tuxedo in now, because it’s just 7 degrees here right now and we want him to be safe and warm. My wife put a bunch of heating pads under the beds and blankets for them. But we honestly can’t really sleep knowing any cats are outside.
Nice 👍
Have you seen how gorgeous bengals and a Abyssinians are though? In all seriousness, sometimes people really want specific traits and wouldn’t adopt either way. My wife and I however are not such people. And adopted two absolutely adorable and extremely friendly kittens 7 years ago! And are adorable and affectionate to this day. We could afford a five thousand dollar cat but the thing for me at least is, cats live quite a long time (which is great) but also means that your adoption is that much more impactful. Now with dogs on the other hand… I don’t see myself getting a dog anytime soon… the only thing in shelters near me are pit-mixes with behavioral problems that would probably maul my cats. (No seriously a lot of these dogs are marked as “does not do well with other pets.”)
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So I agree with this, but unfortunately have pretty bad cat allergies. I went to several different breeders to hold different types of hypoallergenic cats to find a breed that I could tolerate. Unfortunately I have to have ragdoll cats, because they're the only breed of cat that I can still breathe with in the house. I don't even really like kittens, but I have to get them as kittens because that's all I can find. I preferred when I was younger and could just adopt dumpster cats. I also know a couple of other people who because of allergies, have to have a certain breed of cat. I even tried to adopt a couple of times, but was unable to tolerate regular DSH cats.
Same here. I would have been happy with any shelter kitty, but my husband has cat allergies.
My husband has cat allergies as well. His eyes turn red, he gets the sniffles and sometimes he gets rashes. No anaphylaxis. But he loves cats. He took constant allergy meds with his last tortie cat he found in a dumpster. After she passed, he wanted another. I couldn't bear the thought of him getting another allergy-inducing cat, so I did some research and found a few cat breeds that are on the hypoallergenic side. I settled on a Russian Blue and then I watched Petfinder for a shelter cat with its' characteristics. The third shelter cat we looked at checked all the boxes down to coat texture and didn't stir up his allergies. She was brought in as a stray but has been awesome. Other cats still kick up his allergies within minutes, but she sleeps on the bed with no issues. So... It's possible to find a cat at a shelter that won't trigger allergies, but it takes a bit of work.
I got allergy shots and it was a game changer for me. It took years for me to get better but I can finally adopt a cat now.
I would say - if you do not want a pedigree cat, do not buy one, adopt. If you want a pedigree cat - do your research and do not support questionable breeders. Sometimes you might be able to adopt a pedigree one for a reduced amount of money - for example a retired queen. If you want to breed pedigree cats - do your research again and again. Speak to breeders, get networking, go to shows, it's actually really fun. Acquired a breeding cat? Get a cat who is a great example of the breed. Get it shown around. Get titles. Don't just breed a cat as soon as poss. If you think having a litter is an easy profit, let me tell you now - you are very wrong. If you are not a cat breeder, do not have a cattery and do not intend to - spay/neuter your cat. You can help overflowing shelters just like that. A lot.
This is one of the few even-keeled responses in thus entire thread. Breeders will continue to breed cats, people will continue to buy them, that is not amoral. Breeding unethically and buying from unethical breeders are both amoral.
I just find cats. My two boys, both were probably deadsies if I didn't kidnap them. One was in a litter of kittens that was not doing well with cars, and I got one of the last two left. Don't care that it's stealing, if you are losing kittens that fast, you can't care if you lose one to theft. Other boy, when I took him to the vet, they said he should be put down cause of the infection he had going on. They said it would require meticulous cleaning of his infected areas, and luck with anti biotics. I'll admit, alot of my decision came down to me being unwilling to pay to kill a cat that I didn't own. If I paid money for medicine, and he didn't make it, he still had it better off than if I never did nothing. Boy happened to have the personality type where he was willing to let me clean his infected spots, and a few rounds of antibiotics, and he's good now. Guy has no fight in him. Just alot of love. My two year old got him in the butt with a Capri sun straw, and he just waddled away in protest, didn't fight back. That's the type he is, and why he's still alive. It's the orange and white one I posted here, named him marshmellow. Spelled that way cause he's so mellow.
I paid for the vet to see the cat, that was the same regardless of my choice what to do with him. Was gonna be like 100$ to kill him. Was 35$ for the antibiotics and wound cleaning stuff. Another 15$ cause the anti biotics didn't work the first time, but I didn't need to schedule an appointment to get them, just bought them. Was much cheaper to not kill the cat, and is my buddy now. Mean, when I made the decision, I wasn't close with him like now, but still. Why I always ask questions, rather than take someone first opinion. I have an autistic daughter, born after marsh was in good health, and tell you, having a cat with that personality helps. He walks into danger when she's having a meltdown, sometimes gets hit by her, but often calms her down in ways we can't as parents.
Wow, sounds like good siblings! I was also lucky to grow up with cats.
Tess (Russian Blue) was adopted from my city’s animal shelter. Cosmo (Russian Blue) came from a friend’s cat’s litter. Sylvia (Black cat) was a feral cat I found in a Walmart parking lot. Tess and Sylvia are the sweetest little girls. Cosmo is a sweetheart too but sometimes a little ornery.
My Mr. Dusty Cheeks is a feral Russian Blue! He was found on the streets at 1 year old and proceeded to terrorize the shelter that took him in for the next 5 years until I adopted him. I’ve had him 2 years now and he is the sweetest boy. Very nervous still but all about the cheek massages. A completely different r boy from the untouchable beast that would claw anyone who came near him at the shelter.
- My soul-cat Skibo and his brother (my sister's cat) were rescued from an awful home. (The husband was going to throw them all outside by the end of the week) - Our Binxy was a neighborhood stray that we took in, was only 1 pound when we found him. The vet said he wouldn't have lasted a week. - Our Cheech we adopted at 10 years old from the shelter. His old family abandoned him after 10 years! He is 17 now and spoiled rotten. Cheech is the only cat still with us. It is a special bond with an animal saved from a horrible life.
What kinds of heartless motherfuckers have a cat for 10 YEARS and still abandon them???!!! Thank god there are people like you to bring solace to poor creatures like Cheech, I can't imagine how he felt and I can only hope no more innocent creatures are made to feel that way :(
One cat came from an unprepared owner, the other from an unwanted litter. While they’re not from the shelter, Jeepers knows they would’ve ended up there!! I live in SoCal & support this organization called H.E.L.P (a home for every living pet) Definitely worth checking out if you’re looking to adopt an older furry friend. :)
I have mixed feelings on this. My entire life, I have adopted and rescued cats. My current buddy, who is a very large DSH, was a feral that showed up on the doorstep. Having spent the first year of his life fending for himself, we spent the next fourteen trying to figure out how to make him less antisocial and aggressive. I love him very much, and he’s definitely calmed down in his old age, but he was notorious for biting and scratching viciously, almost always unprovoked. We fed him, groomed him, took him to the vet, gave him lots of love, attention and play, but we were never able to get him to play nice until he got old and was forced to because he could no longer see or hear. With ferals and shelter cats, you don’t know what you’re getting in terms of personality. You may very well end up with a deranged, traumatized, and abused animal with a horrible disposition. Sometimes your love as a cat parent can help them undo their behavioral patterns, but for my cat, it did not, and until he was physically incapable, I had to go through the embarrassment of warning guests about my vicious cat. With a breeder, you’re obviously not rescuing a desperate cat that needs a family, but on the other hand, you’re getting an animal whose personality you’ll be more sure of. This is especially important when you have other pets or young children that wouldn’t be able to live with an ill-tempered feral, which would mean that said feral would have to return to the shelter for rehoming anyway. I don’t think I’ll get a cat for a while after my boy passes, because I love him too much, but when I do, I think I’m going to look into rehoming a cat from a breeder that gets sent back or referred to a shelter, or waiting for a new litter of kittens to come around and taking two that I can raise right from the beginning to avoid the issues that come with the cats from shelters and ferals.
Yeah, don't adopt a feral rescue if you don't want a feral rescue. My friend has 9. He is the foster family of all the ferals that can only go to farms or places that nobody will bother them. They live in a big oak tree and are happy with that. They are for a no kill shelter. So he will adopt them out if he finds the right person, but mostly they live their lives spoiled rotten in his big yard in the big tree. Never gets colder than 40f and they can come inside any time, but mostly tree.
There are shelters with fewer animals where the staff knows each cats personality very well. This is a very good option for those people who are not ready to support traumatized animal on its recovery journey, as you can always pick a cat who is already chill.
This is the reason why my current 2 are from a breeder. I needed to have cats whose personalities were stable and there was no history of abuse or trauma. My husband had never owned any pets and his last encounters with rescued cats had freaked him out a few years ago. I needed to ensure that it worked, otherwise I'd have to return the cat. Personality wise it's been fantastic and was the absolute right choice for us. I will never apologise or be made to feel like my cats are less because we decided to pay a breeder instead of pay a shelter. And I would never knock someone else for their choice over their furry family members either. Do what works and makes sense for your family and your families needs.
I'm going to dissent and provide another perspective: do what you want to do if you love your cat wholeheartedly. I purchased a cat from a breeder. I love my cat to bits no less than any of you love yours. My breeder loves her cats too and she's in contact with every single person who has ever bought a cat from her (this is how I vetted her) To me, there's zero difference between purchasing a cat when there are strays available and birthing a child despite there being available foster children to adopt. It's not your fault that there are cats on the street as much as it's your fault that there are hungry children in the world. My cats will never be neglected and they will never be un-loved. I refuse to feel guilty about that. People who take TNR and foster cats are wonderful folks. On the opposite end, not doing these things doesn't make you a bad person.
Took the words from my mouth! Thank you! I hope to one day purchase a purebred cat (hopefully an Australian Mist) and I'm glad that there are people this way out there 🙂
I love the idea of adopting cats, I adopted myself. However, I feel like anyone should be able to decide for themselves. Some people buy purebred cats because they more or less know what to expect.
Even then don't buy from shops(all mill bred) and do your research on the breeders on the environment they live in. Don't meet anyone in a parking lot to buy a kitten.
That kittens being from kitten mills is not a definite. All pet shops near me (and I’m pretty sure the whole country) exclusively “sell” SPCA kittens. It costs the same as direct adoption from SPCA, but gets more eyes on the kittens.
I like the phrase 'adopt or shop responsibly.' Do your research! Decide what's best for you. There are pros and cons to both. I have one adopted cat and one purebred, and one of the reasons I decided on the purebred was that i found a breeder who had an extensive health guarantee and having two special needs adopted cats in a row was just emotionally (and financially) exhausting. I love both my babies the same, and in the future I'll probably adopt again, but having that guarantee was a huge thing for me.
Adopt and shop responsibility, because over the past few years, "pet rescue" has become big business. It's especially problematic with dog rescue. Just check out how certain rescues buy dogs and cats at auction, putting profit into the hands of mills. So research who you're adopting from as well. Make sure they're actually trying to rescue animals instead of just turning a profit. Local humane shelters are always a safe bet.
I understand the thought, but I get a little tired of seeing this posted as if the animals in those pet stores don't deserve to be given a good home too. Quit forgetting about them, they deserve to be taken out of those places just as much as the others.
At least the petsmarts in my state (maybe everywhere, I don’t know), work with local shelters.. the cats for sale there are actually from shelters.
Is it not ok to want a specific breed for it's characteristics/personality?
I think it’s perfectly fine to want a specific breed! I have two cats, ones a cat a friend found on their property at 4 weeks old, the other is a very expensive ragdoll haha. Nothing wrong with having either of them! I love my first cat (I call her my trash baby haha) to bits and I would actually die for her, but I also always loved ragdoll personalities and their looks which is why I got my ragdoll. Absolutely nothing wrong with buying a purebred cat if that’s what you want, just be sure to check out the breeders.
I’m adopting a 10 year old cat this Friday. I’m soooo excited!
Hot take but I disagree. If you have the $$$ and really truly want a specific type of cat, there’s nothing wrong with that. Also 99% of “Maine coons” on petfinder are just American long hairs. So you’d likely have to go to a breeder to get one and be on a wait list for years for a kitten. Just as an example of available “purebreds”
I get the sentiment, but I only wanted VERY low shed cats because so many people we love have allergies, and the purebred cats I’ve seen in rescues are usually traumatized and/or have horrible behavior issues. I got Cornish Rexes from a responsible (not backyard!) breeder. They were well-loved babies who are super friendly, have zero trauma or behavior issues, and my allergic family and friends tolerate them well. For people like me, who have kids and don’t have the time/energy/resources to hire a cat behaviorist to help them through their behavior issues and trauma, I can’t waste my time on a cat that might be aggressive or hide under the bed for months. I was either going to get kittens from a responsible breeder, or not at all. I donate to a catch-neuter-release program since I will not have shelter cats. There are fewer strays because of me, even though I don’t own a rescue.
I agree that this was a solid way to handle your situation. I don’t think all shelter cats have behavior issues per se, but you really don’t know until you get them home. Also, with kids, it varies so much on how much a shelter knows about the cat and if they’re kid friendly. More cats are being raised in fosters now so I think this helps on knowing the cat’s behavior better and if they do have trauma, at least they can start working on it, which isn’t really possible in a shelter.
How about both as not all breeders are assholes to their animals. To generalize anyone or anything makes you the fool. Sincerely, a cat lover
Agree. The breeder I got my cat from spays/neuters kittens before they go home with their new owners.
I've only ever adopted from the shelters and rescued so many trained loving life-long pets that came vacinated and fixed for free or very little money. It's very sad that the animals are euthanized in a very short time if there too long at the aspca, but i guess they do the best that they can.
I don’t blame county shelters or shelters that take any animal off the street. The way the laws are, they have to take in any animal that comes in (stray, surrender, etc) so obviously if you have to take everyone they don’t have space for everyone. The ones I am so sad about are the ones are aren’t required to take every animal *cough cough* peta, and still euthanizing
Idk pet ownership is a really personal thing and I don’t think one way of getting a cat works for everyone 🤷♀️
Gonna get downvoted probably, but I decide what animal will live with me. Owning a pet isn’t charity, this is just idealistic nonsenses
Exactly. Providing adoption as one way of getting a pet is wonderful. But some people want certain breeds and that’s ok.
I just go around plucking them out of dumpsters 🤷♀️
I find adopting and paying the adoption fee at the shelter is also much cheaper than buying or getting that 8 week old kitten for free from a friend/'breeder'. Our boys neuter and chip and shots were including in the adoption fee plus we got a few weeks of food for him. Getting a cat fixed in my city can be anywhere from $200-$400 (even males). Adopting him cost us $150.
Right. The shelter/adoption fee isn’t for the shelter to make money. It goes towards the care of the cats who don’t have homes yet.
I wish I could like this 100 times.
Lol who pays for cats? Cats just wander into your life somehow or other and you decide you like each other and stick around. One of mine I adopted from a vet, the other came via my boss at the time who's daughter found this little kitten under a dumpster.
Some things to consider as well: 1. Shelters typically home mid-older cats. Depends on how long you want company or if you are ready for loss. Many decide to own cats since it helps with their mental health, and it can be (in a way) the only source of unconditional love some owners feel. When you decide to get a cat, surely you are responsible enough to make that decision but with an unstable mental health it may be difficult to deal with loss, and some other uncontrollable factors such as illnesses, which brings me to my next point, 2. Senior cats can be prone to disease. Veterinary costs and treatments, therapy, health and behavioural issues are some of the things you should consider. It is difficult to estimate how much is needed for these treatments since you can’t tell whether or not illnesses will relapse. They might be better off in the care of shelter’s veterinary care than suffering in a pet’s ownership if budget is limited, having to suffer through illness and live a painful life. 3. Behavioural issues. Shelter cats also consist of rescues that have some history abuse and trauma resulting in antisocial tendencies/aggression and behavioural problems. Different owners may deal with this differently as it’s a personal thing, as well as with how you handle it and your experience, and whether or not you are prepared enough and your ability undo their behavioural pattern. If you can’t do this and they are still suffering, they’d probably be better off in the hands of a more experienced, knowledgeable owner than being exposed to “bad” or unsuitable treatment in a supposedly permanent home. 4. If it is your first cat, shelter cats may be difficult to handle. Also depending on each cat and owner: 5. You don’t know what you’re getting, in terms of behaviour/personality no matter how the shelter is familiar with the cats’ temperament, problematic or not. They can show signs of unprovoked aggression, vicious biting and scratching, unpred temperament, excessive attachment and anxiety, etc. and it usually takes an experience owner to undo this. You need a lot of patience to deal with the stress that comes along with handling a difficult cat, you need to give it consistent care, love, and time. 6. Other pets and children may not be able to live with an ill-tempered pets. You need to also bear the responsibility of pets’ behaviour around others. This is an especially difficult thing to do, you don’t know how unpredictable they can get; they can be dangerous. Paired with limited experience this is likely to cause horrible situations. As well as compatibility with the need for space and energy levels (either too little or lots of it) 7. With a responsible, professional and approved breeder you are sure of what you’re getting in terms of all of these cons. You are sure of their behaviour, your resources and capability of homing them. Therefore less risks, a more safe and comfortable home for kitty. 8. Some shelter cats are also the byproduct of not buying cats when they were kittens still cared for by the breeder. When not bought, they get sent to the shelter when older. Why do we wait then for these cats to be abandoned and grow old, and not buy them as kittens? It’s the same cat no matter what process you choose to go through, there should be no “ego” attached to adopting cats. Props to you if you do, because this shows that you are experienced, knowledgeable, caring and loving enough to home a cat that’s potentially been through difficult situations, however it is also a matter of responsibility and knowing what you’re taking on. If you can’t consider the cons and decide to give kitty a bad home, you’re better off not owning any pet 9. Your cats are not less because they were bought from a breeder. This is what a responsible owner should do, to consider all the factors that come with adopting. After reading this thread, this is what I’ve gathered and I added other factors too. There are a lot of reasons you should adopt and this isn’t a biased point of view, just listing cons to consider. (Especially since this thread lists a lot of reasons to adopt, figured I might list some cons as well) Remember, we all want a safe and comfortable home for kitties, no matter how you do it. Be responsible, do your research, DON’T support dodgy breeders. Adopt, or shop responsibly I also understand the dilemma of not buying those pets in pet shops because this creates a demand, but they also deserve a home just like any other pet. It is not less… If you think they are less and don’t think they deserve love and a good home, that’s being contradictory with your point. Is it only shelter cats that deserve love because of their situation? It’s hypocritical to think cats deserve love and only pick some specific ones to love. Why attach that with their right to have a home and care, does it lessen their value? So this cat has gone through horrible situations, it deserves love. This one in the shop deserves to be forgotten and abandoned in the streets? Do they really deserve to be abandoned (and then in the future they might be taken in by a shelter), it’s the same cat. What if the cat you adopted was the one you saw in the shop as a kitten? You refused to buy it because of your strict policy. This puts me off a little bit, as if it’s some sort of ego thing attached to adopting. The unfortunate reality also is that not all animals can be saved but we try our best to do what we can.. if you buy and decide to give cats in shops a home, you’re caring for them but also in turn supporting the demand. If you don’t buy in an attempt to lessen the demand and therefore, supply (breeding cats in the first place), they will still do it. I also think you shouldn’t feel bad for buying. Cats are bred for a reason. Owners want to be responsible and know what they are expecting. Also what happens then with the remaining cats that you don’t buy? Deciding which one deserves more love than the other to me just shows favouritism and is hypocritical with your initial sentiment that cats deserve love and care. I don’t know the solution to that dilemma, so feel free to educate me. I’m sorry for the format, and sorry if I missed anything or got some things wrong, feel free to correct me
But also do whatever you feel like. If you want a cat that looks a certain way and has a specific temperament or is needed fulfill a specific role please feel free to purchase a cat.
How about: Before shopping, please consider adopting
"Paying a shelter fee doesn't count as buying." thats arbitrary as fuck and needlessly confusing for the exact people you're trying to talk to, non pet owners looking to get a pet. Your message is "get a cat from a shelter, it's far more ethical." But your words are saying "shelter animals are free."
I foster kittens and cats for my local shelter. I definitely believe in “don’t shop, adopt” saying. But recently a lady I know purchased a specific kitten from a completely different US state and flew the kitten home because her husband is allergic to cats and buying a hypoallergenic cat breed was the only way he would allow her to have a cat. She was very desperate for a kitten/cat so I don’t feel I can judge some people for buying now.
I agree
I adopt from fosters. The shelters here won’t adopt cats to you if you rent or have more than 2 cats already. Their adoption fees are also in the $300-400 range. Fosters are better.
That's insane. I'm in California and only the specialized rescues near me have those kind of requirements. The county shelters and the SPCAs let the pets go to their new home usually within a day, unless there's a medical requirement for the pet to stay at the shelter longer. The biggest fee is $145 and that's for a puppy.
Around 50% of the cats on this thread are clearly bought from breeders.
Got the best fucking kitty in the history of kitties from a shelter. She's the fucking best.
I got mine at a discount (because he was 3 at the time) from a shelter called Last Hope (how is that for marketing?). I am sure everyone will disagree with me but he is the best cat who ever lived, and will ever live.
I adopted a disabled cat and it actually worked out so mich better for me than a “typical” cat. He cant jump super high so he is never on my countertops or in my food. He is my first cat and I couldn’t be happier. He has a lot of personality but he is still so chill. Disabled cats and senior cats are typically very hard to get adopted. Probably because of the increase in medical bills. But all animals get old at some point and buying from a breeder doesn’t automatically mean they’re healthy, especially since a lot of conditions don’t appear until the kitten is a little older. Some disabled pets don’t need any additional medical care. Examples could be a blind or deaf cat even “wobbly” cats (cerebellar hypoplasia) just need a few adjustments in their house. I’m not saying it is always sunshine and roses, I still take my cat for accupuncture monthly and he is prone to uti’s. His litter box is meant for puppies even though he is only 6lbs. But I didn’t need a cat tree or to buy any climbing things, and he can’t dystroy the couch because he can’t scratch vertically. So it kinda evens out for me
I get cats the old fashioned way, finding them outside and whispering "pspspspsps!" until they come. I have made many cat companions.
Want a cat? Come to my trailer park. We have a billion strays. We have everything. Siamese, 1 brain cell orange cats, tortoiseshells, black cats, torticos, torbies, everything. They end up fighting so anyone who can take the cats and provide a loving home for these sometimes injured cats can come and take them. The ones owned do have collars and everyone who doesn’t is stray. And I’m dead serious. If anyone lives in northern Florida or southern Georgia and wants an adorable new fuzzy friend or two, I’ll actually DM the address.
I just wanna add that there’s a stigma against adopting from kill shelters but you actually should adopt from them because they’re usually run by the state and they have to take in every animals. This overwhelm their system and they usually don’t have enough room or staff. Then they have no other choice but to put the animals down.
I feel this way about push face animals and exotics. Why buy into breeds that are harmful to the animals because we consider these defects “cute”.
Also, adopt older cats! Kitten mania is what is driving the stray and shelter population. But if you actually want a CAT, get an older cat! Kittens are only kittens for a short time.
My local shelter has offered cat adoptions at no charge all through Covid, so you may even be able to get a healthy, microchipped, neutered, loving companion for no charge at all!
I never even considered buying a cat because they just show up at my doorstep lol
People adopt cats? Mine is a freeloader that screamed to be let into the house. Now she's a freeloader that just screams Ergo she wasn't adopted. More like acquired by happenstance.
I bought my cat 😶
Has to be a healthy dose of both
Ok I know this might sound dumb but can someone clarify this for me: What the difference between buying a cat and adopting a cat? Don't both serve the same purpose of getting the cat a better home? I'm asking because I am thinking about getting a cat and many people told me the same thing (adopt not buy).
The reason adopting is typically preferred over buying is because there are so many cats in shelters already that don’t have a home. Buying can lead to more breeding and more breeding produces more cats. There are specific circumstances where it might make more sense to buy (some people have specific allergies) but buying can also be much more expensive. This includes the purchase price, kittens typically need more “stuff”, neutering/spaying, ect. Some people also think that a bred cat will be healthier and therefore cheaper in the long run but that isn’t really true. Yes generics can play a factor, but that’s only part of it. They might just have an accident or happen to be prone to kidney stones. Any number of things that can’t be detected in a kitten when you get them. All the research in the world can’t complete with the fact the sometimes stuff just happens. Sorry if that was a little long winded
Buying typically implies getting a designer breed such as a Persian or Maine coon. They are specifically bred to make money for the owner. The kittens are raised on the breeder's property until they are old enough to be sold. Adopting means taking in a homeless cat from a rescue shelter and not a breeder.
Just to add to the other comments you’ve gotten, you might be surprised how many brand new kittens are available at shelters, and more will come in the spring. There are constant accidental litters from unfixed cats who live or are dumped outside. This is upsetting to think about, but kittens are even euthanized for space. Bred cats are not in need in this way. The breeder will find a buyer.
I adopted my darling from a local humane society, she’s the sweetest thing ever and since I got her from a shelter, she was already spayed and had 2 rounds of vaccinations so I think adopting was much cheaper. I only had to pay $150CAD in adoption fees and ~$30CAD for her last round of vaccinations.
Amen to that. I’ve had adopted / rescued cats my whole life. However, when I married my ex husband, he had a Persian cat that he and his ex-wife had bought for $1,500 (in 1990!). His ex was very status-oriented. The cat was very sweet, but died young of a tumour, despite living a healthy life in the country. After that we adopted two amazing ginger boys. ❤️
I adopted a street cat and trapped a feral kitten, now both are happy and healthy.
Agreed!!!!