What You Need to Know When Adopting a Cat

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If you're looking to adopt a cat, consider adopting from a shelter rather than purchasing her from a pet store or breeder. For one thing, it's less expensive. The adoption fee usually covers the cost of a health check, vaccinations and spaying or neutering, all of which are typically done before a cat is placed up for adoption. Many shelters also evaluate cat characteristics, such as temperament, prior to making her available, and they can help you select a suitable cat for your household, personality, and lifestyle. Shelters also offer a wide range of cat characteristics, from young to old, long-haired to short-haired, varying colors, coat patterns, and temperaments. Many shelters carry a variety of purebred cats. With so many cats to choose from, however, a cat shelter can be a little overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to help you narrow your selection and make the best match.

Consider Your Lifestyle

A small tabby kitten lies on ground pawing at fuzzy cat toy.Before beginning your journey to adopt a cat, it's a good idea to decide what characteristics you want your new kitty to have. For this, it's important to consider your lifestyle and personality. Do you work full-time, travel a lot, or frequently attend social engagements in the evenings? If this sounds like you, you should probably opt for a cat that is independent and no-fuss. A cuddlebug kitty may be lonely if her human friend is always gone.


Consider your family makeup as well. If you have small children or other pets, for example, you'll need to look for an easy-going, friendly cat that is well-socialized to deal with people and other animals. It might also be best to look for an older cat, unless you're able to provide constant supervision. Kittens, while super cute, are also fragile and prone to injury from grabby little hands or impatient older animals.

Cat Characteristics to Look For

You have a number of decisions to make when the time comes to adopt a cat. Here are the main things you'll want to consider:

  • Coat color. Regardless of hair length, cats shed. If you're someone who has a pristine white or light-colored living room and wish to keep it that way, you probably wouldn't be happy with a dark-colored cat. Similarly, if your wardrobe includes a lot of black or navy and you plan to cuddle your kitty, you should probably skip a white or light-colored cat.
  • Breed. Siamese cat with big, bright blue eyes sits staring up.Purebred cats, such as the Siamese, have somewhat predictable cat characteristics based on their breed. For example, you can be certain that a Siamese will be loud and vocal, just as you can be certain that a Maine Coon will be friendly and affectionate. Before you visit the shelter, it's a good idea to research different cat breeds and their temperaments.
    Keep in mind that the majority of cats fall under the category of common domestic house cat, all of which are mixed breed. This category includes cats with distinctive coat patterns like tabbies, tuxedos, calicoes, and tortoise shells, and also includes short-haired and long-haired varieties. The temperaments of these cats can vary wildly. Even two cats who appear identical on the outside can have vastly different personalities. One benefit of their diverse gene pool is that mixed-breed cats are less prone to genetic disorders common to pure breeds, says VCA Animal Hospitals.

Selecting Your Cat

Many shelters have adoption counselors on staff who can help match you with the right cat. If no counselors are available, you can still talk to shelter staff and volunteers who have spent time with each cat and gotten to know their personalities. If you're on your own, it can be difficult to gauge a cat's true personality when meeting her for the first time in a shelter environment, as this can be a stressful situation for the cat and she may adjust her behavior accordingly.


Adopting a shelter cat is a rewarding experience. Not only does it bring the enjoyment of caring for a new companion, but it also gives you the joy of knowing you've rescued a cat, your adoption opens a space for that shelter to rescue another cat in need. Following these guidelines will help you make a match that's truly rewarding for both you and your new kitty.

Contributor Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus

Jean Marie Bauhaus


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