Should I adopt an older cat?
Everybody loves kittens. How can you not? They are cute, cuddly, and energetic. But kittens are a lot of work and can get into a lot of trouble. Older cats are often neglected at adoption time because everyone is attracted to the little cute kittens.
Higher mileage cats are still terrific pets. Older cats aren’t at a shelter because they are defective or worn out or ill behaved. They may have simply outlived their former owners or been unable to join them at a hospital, nursing home, or new apartment. Some cats get lost and end up at a shelter. And many are brought to a shelter after a family member develops allergies or an aversion to the family cat. (In those cases, it is the previous owner that is defective, not the cat.)
Adopting an older cat can benefit you too. They can save you energy and help maintain your sanity. Adult cats sleep more, play less frantically, require less supervision, break fewer lamps, and don’t try to pounce on your feet through the bed blankets as you turn over in the middle of the night. With an adult cat, you will sleep better, relax more, make fewer claims on your homeowner’s policy. You’ll use your own energy on things other than re-gluing your vases or re-sewing your drapes.
Kittens and children don’t always mix. Children can be rough on both cats and kittens, even when they mean no real harm. It can’t be helped. It’s just how kids are. When you tell a child that “cats always land on their feet,” the first thing the child will try to do is drop one from the top of the stairs to see if it’s true. Adult cats are better equipped to deal with pesky kids. They can generally escape from them, hide, and then contemplate revenge while the kids are asleep.
Adult cats don’t “litter” as much. Kittens play, sunbathe, build sandcastles, and even sleep in their litter boxes. Like true Canadians, they have been known to play a game called “poop-hockey,” where a piece of dried waste is removed from the box and batted around the floor until it disappears under a major appliance or piece of furniture. People who adopt older cats happily miss this stage of feline development. Adult cats understand the purpose of a litter box and will usually cooperate with your efforts to keep theirs tidy. But the most important reason to adopt an older cat is:
It might be their last chance. Many adult cats end up in shelters due to no fault of their own. Separated from their loved ones, surrounded by other strange cats, confined, confused, and sometimes frightened, many are emotionally devastated by their misfortune. Sadly for adult cats, most people who adopt gravitate toward the adorable, bouncy, big-eyed kittens. Older cats sit by and watch, as one loving family after another passes them over for a cute kitten from this season’s litter.
Kittens will always be popular, and most have no trouble attracting admirers. But for the abandoned, forgotten, and heartbroken adult cats, you just might be their last chance to have the love and warmth of a home where they can live out their years in comfort. When “kill” shelters are full, they are the first to be euthanized (especially if they are black).
Please consider adopting an older cat. When cared for properly, cats can live well into their late teens, and sometimes into their early twenties. Typically, they will remain active and playful throughout most of their lives. Some may need a little extra patience while adjusting to a new home, but once they feel safe and secure again, most will give you years of faithful companionship and unconditional love.
One of the good things about adopting an older cat is that their personalities are already developed, so therefore you kind of know what you’re getting. Now that I’m 46, next time I adopt a cat, I’ll sort of match the yrs I hopefully have left to the age of my new cat. I would like to out live my babies so I don’t leave them with no home and no “me”! I know nothing is written in stone, but adopting an older cat is the most unselfish thing you could do when we’re “getting up there” in age.
Agreed. So many people gravitate to kittens because they are super cute. But they are super mischevious and a lot of work. And they grow so fast. People should take into account the fate of their pet in case something should happen to them. Adopting an older cat helps in that regard. But in any case, regardless of your age, you should make arrangements with friends and family for your pet(s) in case you should suffer a long illness or unexpected death. If you have more than one pet, try to keep them together as dogs and cats are very emotional animals. And don’t forget to include their guardianship in your will. Otherwise, they may be sent to the pound and euthanized if not adopted quickly. You wouldn’t want that for your children, why would you want that for your loyal pet.