by L.C.

Created on: April 24, 2009

When deciding what kind of pet you should adopt, there's no right answer, as this will depend on a variety of factors. Whether you should adopt a kitten or cat might depend on your lifestyle, the size of your family, your expectations for your pet, and other key elements you should discuss as a family. Research is essential when picking any pet, especially when deciding between an older or younger cat. With that being said, I would personally recommend to anyone in the market for a new pet to buy a cat.

I have been volunteering regularly at the Humane Society for a long time, and it's no exaggeration that people always go for the kittens and ignore the older cats. I've heard many different myths about adopting adult cats, all of which are false. Some people are under the impression that older cats are at the pound because they're bad or they misbehave, so they aren't suitable for a household. This simply isn't true. Many times cats are abandoned due to a lack of motivation to take care of the pet, a family's decision to move, the death of an owner, or an inability between the cat and another pet to get along. Many older cats are also strays that irresponsible owners don't bother bringing back home.

While it is true that older cats might have certain quirks, so do kittens. When adopting a cat from the pound, they will make sure that it's the best fit possible. If a cat is terrified of other animals, and you have two dogs and three cats, it evidently isn't going to work out. Likewise, if the cat isn't good with children, you'll be warned in advance. This is a luxury you won't have when buying a kitten. No past owner has been able to warn the workers about the cat's personality, nor has the kitten fully matured and developed all of its different traits and characteristics.

Some might argue that they would rather adopt a kitten because they can socialize and train it to their liking. However, consider the fact that most owners look for the same things in a cat, and train them accordingly. They want them to use the litter box (it's rare to find a cat who doesn't use the litter box, anyway, as they naturally want to hide their waste), stay off the furniture and counters, and avoid scratching anything valuable. Most owners find that their adopted adult cats are already well-trained. If this isn't the case, you should know that abandoned cats are the most loving creatures you will ever meet in your life. These cats have been dropped off into a strange place where they

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