I know there are a lot of kitties out there looking for homes, and many of you are confused. You know you want a place you can call your own, and a human or humans to supervise, but you don’t know how to choose. There you sit in your cage at the rescue, or in the common room with a bunch of other cats, or maybe you are in an enclosure at a pet store, and you see lots of humans walk by. Which one is right for you? This is a crucial decision, and not one to be taken lightly, so I want to offer a few notes about different types of humans and what you might expect out of them.
Young Single Humans
On the positive side, humans who are grown up but still young can be lots of fun. They have loads of energy and will play with you and make your life feel like an adventure. On the negative side, they tend to be less responsible and may not have as much money as older humans, which means you will probably get cheaper food and possibly inconsistent veterinary care. They are also less settled than older humans so they may move around a lot. If you are an older kitten or young adult kitty, you can probably handle the perpetual movement of a young, single human and in return you will get a companion who sees the world in much the same way you do. But be careful how you choose. Make sure the young single human is ready for a lasting commitment! You don’t want to be an impulse acquisition that they may regret later. You also don’t want the type of irresponsible human who will abandon you if he or she has to move and is having a hard time finding an apartment that allows pets. You want a human who is going to be with you for the long haul, because chances are you will be with this human through relationships, maybe a marriage and perhaps parenthood. Looks can be deceiving — a conservatively dressed young human may not be any more responsible than one that wears all black and has piercings. The best way to judge any human, young or old, is to smell them out. There is honesty in scent, and if you smell anything a little off, run in the other direction!
Families
A family can be good if you are an outgoing kitty who likes having lots of human friends. If you are shy or like a lot of privacy, hang back from parents with kids because you won’t get much peace in their household. If the children are young, say five or younger, you may not want to be part of this family if you are a young kitten yourself. You kittens want to be around children that are mature enough to understand when the grown up humans explain how to handle you. Young adult kitties or older, outgoing kitties may enjoy a family with kids of any age. But proceed with caution in any case — make sure you aren’t just a whim. If the parents are looking for a cat only because they are being nagged by one of the kids, that is not a good sign. Again, you want to make sure that this family will be committed to you for life and won’t give you up when the kid grows tired of you (as kids often do). Suss them out, and make sure the parents are as enthusiastic about you as the kids are. Remember, even with families, you will probably have one special human you gravitate towards. If you find yourself drawn to one of the adult humans, and they return the interest, then that is a good sign.
Middle-Aged Humans
These are possibly the best types of humans a kitty could wish for! They are more responsible than younger adult humans, and if they have any kids, they are probably older and don’t need as much attention as school-aged kids — this means more time for you! They usually have more money than young adult humans too, so you will get better food, more regular health care, and perks — lots of toys and treats and maybe some high-end cat furniture! If a middle-aged human is looking for a cat, they generally have given the idea a lot of thought and understand the responsibility and commitment you deserve. While they are not as energetic as younger humans, they can still handle kittens — but they also like older cats too. With middle-aged humans, there are not many downsides — it is more a matter of seeing whether your personalities mesh than anything else.
Senior Humans
These humans are the nicest to have if you are not so young yourself. Seniors are the most understanding of all humans. They will be patient with you if you are shy and if all you want to do is sun bathe most of the day, they totally understand. Senior humans aren’t the best choice if you are a kitten or an active young adult kitty, however — they won’t be able to keep up with your busy, rambunctious ways! Older humans are also more fragile and sharp kitten teeth and claws can hurt them, and they may trip over you and hurt themselves (and you) if you try to ambush them. My biggest caution for senior humans is to really check them over for any health issues. One of the worst things that can happen to a cat is to be with a devoted senior human who dies and who has not made any arrangements for you. You could wind up homeless all over again, and you do not want that to happen! For that reason, cats who are middle-aged or older are safest choosing a senior human. If the older human is accompanied by a younger one (probably a son or daughter) who seems as taken with you as the older human is, then you have less to worry about — you probably have somewhere to go if you lose your human.
No matter which human you choose, remember, it is a lifelong commitment! Picture yourself spending years with that human you are tempted to rub up against. If the thought makes you hesitate, keep looking! The right one will come along.
Wise words, indeed. Purrsonally, we three agree with you – the middle aged ones are the BEST.
Hmmmm! I am beginning to think I made the wrong choice!!
MeWowZa…what insight! Teri is as old as dirt and the oldest of us is only 13, so we didn’t know her in her younger days…but you are spot on with describing her now, hahameow! It’s good to know how we should behave though when she becomes a senior citizen!
Good advice Sparkle. Me and my Humans are getting old together.
That’s a very thoughtful post, Sparkle.
Purrs,
The Chans
great Advice Sparkle,xx Speedy
Geez, my Human was like 54 when she got me–that was nine long years ago. Good think I am getting older and calmer now as I think she would not have survived my first 2 or 3 years if she’d been this old back then. Or something. I forget. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
That’s a very useful manual to humans!
Purrs
Damn! We did everything wrong! Look at what we got!
Valuable info, thanks, Sparkle!
This is a great post, Sparkle! great advice for kitties and humans alike! none of us had much choice here but considering our circumstances, we think we did ok in our mom 😉
PIp, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
Very good advice Sparkle! It’s important to get the right human to live with furever. Isabella picked Daddy when she fell into his arms and I picked Mommy when I ran to her when I saw her. Mommy worries about the kitties who pick the college kids in town but we try to think positive and hope they all picked correctly!
Purrs,
Angel
Very good advice, Sparkle!
Great article. I didn’t want a young human cos they’re always going out pawtying and may even not come home at night to feed me. Than again, I wasn’t sure about the oldsters who I settled with. They looked really ancient but I was tired of living in a cage and the only other peeps at the ‘doption event were Frogs!! I think the best kind of human to pick is one who you can smell had cats before and may seem a little sad cos their kitty has gone OTRB. Then you know they will love you forever.
Thanks for this great advice, Sparkle! This is a must read for kitties everywhere!
Thanks, Sparkle, for this impawtant information! We’re checking our people against your info and so far, so good. We think we picked well! Purrs…
I agree with most of the statements. I was picked by two of the four cats I guard, the other two were kittens and gave grown to love me.
I think letting the cat smell you and talking to them makes a world of difference too.
Toys and treats are always a plus, but so are kisses, cuddles, pets and regular grooming by humans.
Well, I picked mine because she fed me 🙂 so far so good! when she stops feeding me I’ll follow your advice for the next one, but I don’t anticipate that coming!
Very good analysis ! But the most impawtant is that your human loves you as you are, takes care of you, and gives you what you need (food, play time, cuddles, healthcare, …), regardless his age or familial situation
Stinky and Pumpkin picked the publicist. Sherpa was picked by the male person but I think he is happy here. Harry was brought to the publicist but given his mousie hunting abilities it seems he was meant to be a Farm cat too.
great information. it is imperative to find the right human for kitties. there should be a match.com for kitties and human, right?
Wonderful advice Sparkle! Our cousin Shadow is a firecracker and keeps her Dad busy all day…you should see those two run through the house!
superb post my furiend! You gave kitties all over something to think about!
Some great advice Sparkle.
Always terrific advice Sparkle!
Great advice Sparkle………we can only hope those impulse adopters will read this and especially hoarders!! One thing great that our area rescues are doing is not releasing kittens till they are fixed and have their kitten shots! They are all chipped too….YEAH!!!!!=^Y^=
Sparkle what a great blog post!
Both of my peeps are older than dirt…but all in all I think they do a pretty good job after all I’m 11.5 so I guess we are training each other.
Hugs madi your bFFF
Sparkle, these are good stuff. 😛
This is very interestin’, Sparkle. I, myself, have a couple of peeps but seriously, they’re slackers in so many ways. I’m gonna leave your post out for ol’ peepers to see. I’m HOPIN’ it might get her to shape up. Good help is SO hard to find.
Purrs,
Nissy
This is good kitty knowledge for everyone!!!
We kitties definitely pick our humans, and as usual Sparkle, you have given us very sensible advice. We, as all our predecessors, have been very lucky to find humans who cater to our every need. We like our childless humans ’cause no small human takes time away from us. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
Excellent post Sparkle! I might also add to make sure the human you pick won’t abandon you if a new boyfriend/girlfriend comes along who doesn’t like cats. Make sure when you are interviewing humans that you find this out right away. My human always made it clear she was a package deal and came with her cats. In doing so she found a husband who likes cats as much as she does! Meow and Namaste! ~ Pippy the Feline Yogini
Yep, that is exactly how I see it too Sparkle…and I think I picked just the right humans, they just have not put me in their will…Mom Linda is still working on that, paw pats, Savvy
Pawsome advises Sparkle !
Me think I did pretty good with my choice = Middle-aged people 😛
Sparkle, that was a very good perspective of adoption from the cat’s point of view!
That was kinda sweet actually…
Well we didn’t have to choose since we were born outside and never made it to a shelter but we did all right with out old lady Mom. She plays with us some and takes good care of us. But that is a great list of things to watch out for. Take care.
We arent sure what TBT is. What is Bein at 63 in cat years?
What excellent advice, Sparkle.
Great advice! Having the right human is important to every cat’s well-being.
Great post, it is very good advice for finding the right human to live with. We agree wholeheartedly! Hope all homeless cats will find a good home like we did!
Good advice!!! It’s important to have the right human!!
The Florida Furkids
Thanks fur the info! The right hooman is critical!
Thanks for that info Sparkle now all we need to do is find her birth certificate and check her age so we know what to expect from her. Of course as she gets get older she tries to hide her wrinkles and we wondered if counting them would tell us her age like checking the rings in a tree stump.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx