When Adopting a Cat, think Senior!

Shelters everywhere struggle to find homes for the many adult cats that come through their doors. If you have given thought to how a cute little kitten might grace your life, think again. There are good reasons to adopt an adult cat instead.

Many adoptable shelter cats are barely out of kittenhood with years of playfulness and energy ahead of them. The good thing is that they should be past the kitten stage of chewing and destroying everything in sight. With adult cats, what you see is what you get. There won’t be changes in size or personality. Older cats are more likely to cuddle when you need a quiet friend, whereas a kitten may be too busy exploring his territory and playing to sit still for long. An adult cat may sleep with you in your bed, unlike a kitten that may run amok all night, getting into all kinds of trouble. You won’t see an older cat climbing up your leg or the curtains. Her manners are already in place. They don’t usually explore all the shelves and knock over anything in their paths, as kittens will do. In short, an older cat requires less supervision than a kitten.

Realize that in many shelters, the majority of adult cats don’t make it out alive.  Euthanasia is a fact of life for older cats, because there aren’t enough people willing to adopt them.

When an older cat loses its home, it can be devastating. Cats in shelters are frightened and confused and just want someone to rescue them. It must be terribly hard to sit in a cage and watch people coming in and then leaving with a cute little kitten. Next time you think about adding a furry friend to your family, please walk past the babies and try to find an older cat than can offer companionship, devotion and forever love.

Picture a senior citizen who has spent his or her life preparing the pet just for your companionship. For me, this makes the choice soooo much easier.  No animal should spend its senior years alone in a cage.