If You Must Adopt a Cat at Christmas : a Guide
First provide a homeless cat a home. Unless you are looking for a pure bred breed of cat, there are lots of great cats available from the local humane society, shelter, or animal rescue. Consider adopting an older cat as they will already be litter box trained and socialized. If you have to adopt a kitten; get one that has been spayed or neutered. If you adopt a smaller kitten get the cat spayed or neutered as soon as it is old enough. Many a cat owner has been surprised by kittens because they thought their cat was too young to get pregnant. Plan from the start to be a responsible pet owner and have your new cat spayed or neutered.
If you have younger children make sure they understand that the cat or kitten is a living thing not a toy. Some experts believe that older cats are better around younger children because kittens tend to nip and scotch. It all depends on the personality of the cat and the child. An energetic child and playful kitten might be a match made in heaven. Just don't leave a cat of any age unsupervised with younger children. Also note that the kitten will attach and want to be with the person in the family who pays it the most attention.
If you already have older cats or dogs take your time introducing the new cat to the house hold. Yes, there will be some kitty drama, but generally in the end it all works out. Dogs will generally adapt to cat, but if you have an aggressive breed you need to carefully monitor the situation. If the dog is overly aggressive with the cat, don't risk the cat being killed or injured. If you cannot keep an aggressive dog out of the way of the cat, it may be the wrong time to be adopting a cat. It is true that dogs and cats raised together tend to bond, but a young puppy and kitten can be a lot of work and something you will not want to take on during the hectic holidays.
If you do adopt a cat during the holiday season don't forget to have it see a veterinarian as soon as possible. You may end up having to wait a while because many veterinarian clinics are closed during the holidays. Pick your veterinarian before you bring a new cat or kitten home. Get suggestions from friends or even the shelter that you adopted the cat at. You should be able to get a fairly good history on the cat you adopt from the shelter and the cat should be healthy. Never adopt a cat or kitten that appears sickly. A reputable shelter only adopts out healthy animals and fully vets them while they are in their care.
http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2009/12/03/pets.qp-0857566.sto
http://www.iams.com/iams/pet-adoption.html
http://cats.about.com/cs/mainecoonprofile/ht/chooseshelter.htm
Published by Rebecca Furtado
I live in a small city in the midwest. I am the pet parent to four cats, two birds , and one lonely dust bunny dog named Nigel. I have two human children. They are both teenagers and I occasionally see them. View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentJust an outstanding article. We have 7 cats, we rescue, fix, give shots and homes to abandoned cats. They one on your shoulder we have one just like it and call it "Groucho" and just fell in love with her. I did an article on "Do Pets Go To Heaven?" & I'm not convinced that they do not. Who knows!? Just a fine guide that we will use in finding homes for our cat rescues ministry. I say, God loves all animals, & when we do it to the least of these (even abandoned kittens as we have found or had brought to us) are precious in His and our sight. Thanks for being an advocate for these beloved ones. : - )
Excellent considerations! I agree - any time of year EXCEPT the Holidays are better to get a new pet. But if they insist, at least do it with this article as the check list to follow as the guide!