Many people want to raise cats, but most of them want kittens. They would rather spend money to buy a kitten than adopt an adult cat.
People think that kittens are cuter than adult cats. Cats become more lovable when they are raised from an early age. Kittens are easier to adapt to and integrate into a new family.
But is this really what people think?
Many adoption agencies will tell you that kittens are more likely to be adopted than adult cats and older cats are often not adopted. Because there are so few people adopting adult cats, many adult cats have been waiting for homes for many years, and then stay in shelters until they die.
Why don’t you want to adopt a big cat?
Samaya, a cat nanny from Ipoh Love Cat House, pointed out that many people still have the misconception that cats need to be raised from an early age before they can be kissed. People think that kittens are more affectionate and easier to adapt to and integrate into a new family than adult cats, but this is not true. Whether a cat is affectionate or not depends on its personality. Some cats have never been affectionate since they were young, while some old cats like to be clingy.
Many people who want to adopt a cat are always attracted by cute kittens first, but they may not consider that kittens need to spend more patience and time with them. For first-time cat owners, kittens may make you even more confused. Their energy and destructive capabilities will exceed your expectations. It is recommended that the first cat should be an adult cat. In addition to having a relatively stable personality and having learned some basic living habits, there are other benefits to adopting an adult cat.
Cherish the time spent with you
Adult cats are usually strays or abandoned cats. Although they will be wary of the new living environment at first, when they understand that this is a place full of love and care, they will be very grateful to know that you are letting them It restores people’s happy lives, so they will cherish the time spent with you more.
New couple adopts two Catwomen at once
Xin Ling and her husband were first-time cat owners. When they saw photos of cat-loving children in the cat house, they called to inquire and specially arranged a time to go to Ipoh to interact with the cats. There are more than 20 rescued stray cats in the cat house, waiting for kindhearted people to adopt them. They were originally interested in a black cat, but when they arrived at the cat house, the black cat was indifferent. Instead, the other two cat girls, Qiang Qiang and Lan Lan clung to them for petting. The human-cat interaction was good, so the two thought about it and decided to adopt two cats together.
Qiang Qiang and Lanlan are over four and three years old respectively, and are considered adult cats. Xin Ling admitted that she didn’t care about their ages at all at the time. “I think adopting a cat requires fate. The most important thing is the rapport and feelings between both parties. It’s not just us who choose the cat, it’s also the cat who chooses us as their family.”
With no experience in raising cats, they spent some time preparing before welcoming their two cat children home. Following the cat nanny’s advice, they sealed the doors and windows of the apartment to protect themselves and bought cat food that the cats were accustomed to eating, and daily necessities for the cats. toys etc. To be fair, they prepared one set of tools for each of the two cats, including two toenail clippers. Everything was ready, and the cat nanny personally brought the two cats from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. Xin Ling and her husband especially gave red envelopes to the nanny who was “bringing them off”.
Although the two cats have lived together in the cat house for several years, they are “classmates next door” who live in different cages and go out at different times. They need time to adapt to each other and get along with each other. Qiang Qiang, who has a stable personality, immediately integrated into her new home, while Lan Lan was nervous and unable to urinate in a strange environment. Xin Ling asked the nanny for help, followed the instructions, and took her to the veterinarian. It was diagnosed that stress had caused urethral inflammation. Fortunately, she recovered after taking medicine for a few days.
“That was a big challenge!” the new mother recalled. Her husband happened to be away on a business trip those days. She had never raised a cat before and had to feed the cat pills by herself. She hurriedly fed the cat until she broke down and cried. Both cats were petrified by her. The next moment, Lan Lan, who was struggling and refused to take medicine, turned around, meowed and licked her, and in turn comforted her crying mother. It was a considerate act of a cat’s daughter. Make her melt instantly. Qiangqiang, who was watching indifferently, then took action to hit Lanlan, as if she was scolding her “younger sister” for making her mother cry as the “eldest sister”.
After getting along for a while, my mother began to get to know the different personalities and habits of the two cat girls. Qiang Qiang is less fond of physical interaction and cannot touch her for too long, while Lan Lan loves to act coquettishly and likes to nuzzle people with her head. She also wakes up at the same time as her parents. The space at home is shared with the cat, and the mom’s sofa becomes the cat’s bed, which is a no-brainer. She doesn’t care how long she can be with the two cats in the future. “It’s normal to part ways between life and death. No matter how long they live, it’s up to us to accompany them through their lives.”
After raising cats, many people asked her why she didn’t choose to adopt kittens so she could watch them grow. She believes that adult cats also need a chance. “I won’t choose it just because it’s not young anymore.” In the future, if she is more capable and has a larger home space, she will consider trying to adopt more cats.
Regardless of whether it’s a big cat or a kitten, if you adopt it, please love it. Every cat is an angel, and they will spend their lives healing and warming you.
After the old cat was taken in, the macho man turned into a cute man
Adopter Amanda Leu shared the story of adopting an adult cat child from the “Cat Love House”. In 2020, she adopted a 4-year-old cat boy, Hoya, as a first-time cat owner. Next, in June 2020, Jimmy, a strong man who was almost 10 years old, came to her home. After Jimmy passed away in 2023, he adopted 7-year-old Ice Cream.
I adopted an adult cat as soon as I started raising cats because my cat sitter said that adult cats are easier to take care of, have a more stable personality, adapt to new environments and new things quickly, and are more suitable for first-time cat owners. In addition, the adult cats have been neutered, vaccinated, and flea-free, and there are no major problems, so she will choose to adopt adult cats next.
Some people worry that they won’t have much time to spend with old cats and that they will get sick, but Amanda didn’t think too much about it. She chose adult cats because of fate. When she first went to the Cat House to see cats, a huge creature passed by proudly, and she was deeply attracted. That was the first impression left on her by Jimmy. Although she chose Hoya at the time, when it came time to adopt a second cat, she asked the cat sitter if she could adopt the fat tabby cat. The cat sitter was surprised that she would like Jimmy. After all, he is almost 10 years old and is already considered an “old cat” by the general population. She didn’t mind how many years the cat could live, and she knew Jimmy had feline AIDS, but she just wanted to adopt him.
“Although Jimmy only lived in my home for three years before he fell ill and left, I am still grateful to have met him because he was truly unique.” Everyone said that the old cat was very happy to spend the last three years in her home. Amanda believes that she was also very lucky because Jimmy completely exceeded her imagination and brought her full of surprises and touches. In her eyes, Jimmy has a first-class personality, good looks, a first-class figure, and a first-class appetite. In the cat house, he was a dignified and macho boss, but when he came to his new home, he turned into a cute boy who wore clothes, tied bells and played with cat sticks. Friends were surprised when they saw the photo of Jimmy losing all his dominance. It also proves that love can change everything. With a family and someone to love, cats, whether kittens or old, will show their cute nature.
Last year, 13-year-old Jimmy became a little angel, and Hoya was the only one left at home. Amanda wanted to find a cat companion for him, so she adopted Ice Cream, a good-looking cat from the cat house, and later changed her name to “Beautiful Boy”. Not long after, another kitten “Dudu” who was less than one year old was adopted from Hoya’s rescuer. Now we have an adult cat and a kitten at home. Compared to the adult cat whose personality and living habits are stable, the kitten is super energetic and runs up and down every day. She has a naughty, gossipy, and mischievous personality. She couldn’t stand it at first, but she gradually accepted it. The two cat brothers reject and bully the younger brother at first, but after a while, they can finally get along peacefully, which makes their mother happy.
Amanda would like to give the following advice to people who are considering adopting a kitten or an adult cat: Kittens are still in the growing stage, and owners will face many different challenges. For example, kittens’ immune systems have not yet fully developed and stabilized, making them prone to illness and loose stools. ; Or because they have not been vaccinated, they may have problems such as cat distemper, cat ringworm, fleas, etc. The breeder may have to learn to feed and medicine, wipe buttocks, wipe vomit, etc. The process of growing up a kitten may not go smoothly, which makes people very frustrated. Some people do not know how to deal with it and cruelly abandon it. She believes that if you are a novice, it is not recommended to raise a kitten. If you do, you should not give up as soon as there is a problem.
As for adult cats that are generally healthy and disease-free, they are easier to care for and get along with. They know how to use the litter box and have fixed eating habits, so they don’t need to bother to teach them. She suggested that before adopting, you should first understand how to care for adult cats and the benefits of raising cats, and then consider kittens. You should weigh which one is more competent and confident within your abilities before making a choice. Finally, she hopes that people will adopt instead of buying. Whether they are adopted or bought, please treat them kindly throughout their lives.
Benefits of adopting an adult cat
●Adult cats are more grateful
Adopted older cats may have experienced many things that we cannot imagine. They know how to please humans and will show great tenderness and patience compared to kittens to those who treat them sincerely.
●A good companion for children and elders
Kittens are not very good at playing with humans, and if they are in the teething stage, their teeth are quite sharp, which is more dangerous for children. On the other hand, adult cats have a more stable personality and are more adaptable to getting along with humans.
●Get used to going to the toilet in cat litter
Unlike kittens, which require training, most adult cats already know how to urinate and defecate in cat litter.
●Good family life etiquette
Many adult cats for adoption have almost all been in halfway houses or been abandoned, so they have almost all been with people, so they understand how to get along with humans. Although you may be shy and scared when you first enter a new environment, once you get familiar with it, you will know how to enjoy such a life, and it will be easier to live with other cats.
●Suitable for busy people
Adult cats have relatively stable personalities. In other words, if you don’t have a lot of time to spend with your cat, they will understand that you are busy. If you have kittens, you need to spend more time playing with them to consume your energy.
●Adult cats love grooming and do not cause trouble
Usually, adult cats are already grooming experts and can take care of themselves very well, while kittens are usually too busy playing and making trouble to take care of themselves.
●Adult cats have strong immunity
Adult cats have much stronger immunity than kittens and are less susceptible to diseases.
