Adopting a kitten is not to be taken lightly. Before launching and welcoming a cat that will accompany you for the next 10 or 15 years of your life, you have to ask yourself the right questions. Here are 5 tips to help you choose your future hairball.
1. Male or female?
The first question to ask yourself is whether you prefer to adopt a male or a female. The most important thing is to choose the sex of your kitten according to their preferences and his way of life.
Uncastrated males may, once sexually mature, want mark their territory urinating all over the house. This disadvantage can also be accompanied by running away when the females are in heat. If you live in a house with an exterior, the sterilization can be a security for the cat. Indeed, it will be less likely to start chasing a cat and thus avoid accidents.
Unsterilized females have their heat regularly from January to September. The reactions will depend on the personality of each, but they generally become outrageously affectionate and grow nagging meows all the time. If your cat can have access to an exterior, it is recommended to have her sterilized in order toavoid unwanted pregnancy. On the other hand, if you would be very happy to welcome a litter of small kittens, opt for a female.
2. Pay attention to age
Kittens are usually weaned from their mother after 2 months. Adopting a kitten before this date can make it more fragile, but also lead to certain behavioral problems adulthood. In fact, for a cat to be able to develop and blossom fully, it is necessary that the basics it received during its earliest childhood are solid.
Only the mother of the kitten or, if necessary, another cat can lay the foundations for its education. Likewise, life within the litter is a passage important for the kitten. If you realize that the kitten you have chosen has not reached two months, move on.
3. Go to qualified breeders
The animal trafficking in Europe is legion. It is therefore better to make sure that the little animal that will come into our lives has been raised in a healthy environment. The first thing to do is to go to the chosen breeding or shelter in order to see for yourself the inventory.
The premises must be clean and well maintained. In the case of purebred breeding, the breeder must be able to provide you with the pedigree of his cats, that is to say their origin and their family tree.
4. Determine health status
A sick kitten is very fragile. The care to be given to him can not only be expensive, but in addition he risks dying as soon as he arrives at your home. In order to avoid this, it is important toobserve the general condition of the cat before adopting it as well as the salubrity of its place of life.
The signs of good health to observe in the kitten are a shiny coat, clean eyes, pink gums and an invisible navel. On the other hand, a kitten that is constantly scratching, has diarrhea, irregular breathing or a runny nose is suspect.
In any case, before adopting a small feline, ask to see its health book. You will see if he has been chipped, dewormed and vaccinated in the rules and if no remarks made by the veterinarian are to be observed.
5. Analyze behavior
The last step in choosing the right kitten is to determine his personality. From an early age, it is indeed possible to roughly predict the character that your cat will have. There are several types of behavior in kittens.
If, when you approach the kitten, it comes instinctively towards you and lets itself be carried and handled without flinching, it means that you are dealing with a small feline. very well socialized. Curiosity is anything but an ugly flaw here. Indeed, this behavior is ideal, because it means from the start that the cat will have a great chance of flourishing fully in your family.
If, conversely, the kitten seems frightened when you approach, you are dealing with a reserved temperament. A kitten who seeks at all costs to hide in the slightest corner in order to avoid contact could be suitable for a single person. Family life, synonymous with noise, could be too much for this little nature to bear.
A kitten aggressive will be very difficult to educate. If, as soon as you reach out to him, he scratches you and struggles, it means that you will have to be patient to make him more docile in the future.
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