Cat owners

pixie76

At what age were your cats when you them? Did you buy them from a kitten or take on an older cat?Just curious!

It has been a few years since I last had a cat and really miss having one. Have been considering getting a cat for about a year now but not sure whether to rehome an older one or get a kitten.

Slinky

Mine was about 2 or 3 when I got him nearly 16 years ago from the RSPCA.

It's easier for the rescue people to find homes for kittens and younger cats, you'd be helping them so much more by adopting an older moggy.

KiKi

I got mine as kittens, but I'd go for older cats next time, simply because the cats' homes in my town are just DESPERATE for people to take older cats. Everyone wants kittens, and the poor older cats are left to grow old without love or an owner.

A friend of mine is adopting another cat in the new year (her other moggy died recently) and she's taking on one with kidney problems which has been stuck in a cats' home for over a year. No-one wants him. Poor thing is in a tiny run with no love at all. She can't wait to get him home and look after him!

KiKi

s_is_for_susan

This is another vote for an adult cat, we got our cat from the local rescue centre when he was about a year and a half (he had been straying so they didn't know exactly). He's fabulous.
They do struggle more to home adult cats than kittens.

geri1965_2

I've had one since she was a kitten (she's 13 now) and the other one is a rescue cat, about a year old (we've had him 6 weeks now). I couldn't cope with another kitten, but we wanted a younger male cat as we thought she would be more accepting of him.

Tixy

Two of mine were about 18months when I got them, and the other was around 3. I only got the third as the local rspca were full and she had been there a while with no interest in her.

If your cat is likely to be left home on their own quite a lot (while you are out at work or whatever) then an older cat will happily doze the day away. Plus if you miss a cat sitting on your lap keeping you warm then I think older cats are better at that as well

ljonski

Definately older cat .......

Tiddlywinks

I always adopt older cats as they are harder to rehome. They are house trained and known commodities - the rescue can tell you if they are good with children, other animals etc. Taking an older cat will be making a difference to their lives - giving them a home instead of them living in a pen.

The joy of my life was a big, fat black and white 12 year old (that lived on with us for another 10 years). She'd previously been owned by an old lady who had died and noone in the family could take her. At the rescue she had been in a small cage for months and everyone passed her by because of her age. She was an absolute cutey and the nicest natured cat I have ever known. I still miss her (she died last year). I now have a 12 year old (rescued aged 2) and will take on another once I've moved house and settled.

Take an oldie - kittens only stay that way for a short time.

kerri_gt

We took in an older cat (13) who has since passed away (at the grand old age of 19) and also homed a stray who was about 18mths (after about 6mths we found her original owner who no longer wanted her so were able to work out her age). tbh she's been really hard work, had zero socilaisation or trust when we took her in and it's only recently she's decided laps are compfy to sit on (she'll be 6 in April).

Kittens are cute, playful etc but I would deff prefer to rehome an older cat if we were to get another - esp as we work in the day. Although of course they need company, stimulation, care and attention - it is easy to underestimate just how much work kittens can be (and if you're fond of your sofa/carpet/curtains etc etc wave them goodbye with an excitable kitten, no matter how well behaved he/she might be!)

Plus, as said, shelters find it much harder to rehome older cats and they can find it much harder to cope with being in a shelter for periods of time than kittens.

bethie

two adopted older cats here.

male was adopted and originally estimated to be four. he is so relax and chilled out about everything. we were purposely looking for an indoor cat as our area wasn't very cat friendly! we've had him for 4 years on Wednesday.

in september we adopted a girlfriend for him. she was estimated to be between 2-4, but the vet thinks she is only about 18 months. she is really feisty and is so cuddly.


i purposely did not want a kitten, as i was afraid i would step on it! and, as the male was my first cat, i thought it would be better to get a more relaxed one as opposed to one that would wreck the house! and, i knew that older furryies can be hard to home.


(we also have a dog we adopted at 10 months - again, purposely didnt want a puppy! didn't even want one that was 10 months but when you fall in love..... ! )

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I've had the cast offs that wouldn't have made it through from the rescue centres. As I was prepared to hand feed, carry them around inside my jumper, teach them to use a litter tray, wean them, comb every single one of the 65 fleas out of their fluff as they were too small for flea treatments, etc, I got them really young, around 5 - 6 weeks. Another cat was actually bought by someone else as a present (yes, I did want a cat at the time, but I certainly didn't want them to go and buy one from a pet shop :mad) - he was around 8 or 9 weeks. And one was - well, I'm not sure. Probably about 9 months old. She's the least friendly of the lot, but is still quite sweet when she wants to be. But she had learned to bite and scratch in self defence in her previous life, which the ones I had from tiny never did.

TBH, kittens are a lot of work. I think perhaps older cats, although they can be grumpy, often realise that this is their second chance and decide that you are actually rather nice, so are slightly more appreciative of you. After all, they have chosen to be nice to you, something that thinks of you as their Mummy doesn't know any different.

And, although it could still happen, it is slightly less likely to come home from work and find the big cat has been climbing the net curtains or has gone to sleep inside the back of the gas cooker/on the satellite dish/climbed up the chimney.