First time soon to be cat owner, please help !

[noob666]

Hi

i am looking to adopt a kitten from the local humane society or pet hospital.

i have a few questions hope some of you cat owners can help :)

1. i am looking for something no more than 6 months old, is it hard to find ? i tried for the pass few weeks and no luck of seeing one.

2. should i declaw the cat ? i was thinkinig about it before but after i know what they'll do to the kitten, i am kind of feel bad about it but i am afraid it'll scratch the stuff at home.

3. Anyone know any place near markham, richmond hill area which is good for adpotion ?

Thanks

[stevelam]

Hi

i am looking to adopt a kitten from the local humane society or pet hospital.

i have a few questions hope some of you cat owners can help :)

1. i am looking for something no more than 6 months old, is it hard to find ? i tried for the pass few weeks and no luck of seeing one.

2. should i declaw the cat ? i was thinkinig about it before but after i know what they'll do to the kitten, i am kind of feel bad about it but i am afraid it'll scratch the stuff at home.

3. Anyone know any place near markham, richmond hill area which is good for adpotion ?

Thanks

1) i realize everyone wants cute kittens but please consider the 'not so cute' older ones that are in dire need of a home. if you're really set on a kitten, you can definitely find a ton on craigslist from irresponsible cat owners who don't spay/neuter their cats.

2) no you should definitely not declaw your cat. if you're scared of your home being scratched up, i would not get a cat.

3) i'm not familiar with those locations. hopefully someone else can chime in.

[originalnutta]

1) i realize everyone wants cute kittens but please consider the 'not so cute' older ones that are in dire need of a home. if you're really set on a kitten, you can definitely find a ton on craigslist from irresponsible cat owners who don't spay/neuter their cats.

2) no you should definitely not declaw your cat. if you're scared of your home being scratched up, i would not get a cat.

3) i'm not familiar with those locations. hopefully someone else can chime in.

all this.

+1

[TenzoR]

We went with Toronto Cat Rescue. And if you are looking for kitten, as long as you are strict with them for the first month or so about scratching, you'll never have to worry about it. Just remember to get them a scratching post and cut their nails!

[joeyjoejoe]

Hi

i am looking to adopt a kitten from the local humane society or pet hospital.

i have a few questions hope some of you cat owners can help :)

1. i am looking for something no more than 6 months old, is it hard to find ? i tried for the pass few weeks and no luck of seeing one.

2. should i declaw the cat ? i was thinkinig about it before but after i know what they'll do to the kitten, i am kind of feel bad about it but i am afraid it'll scratch the stuff at home.

3. Anyone know any place near markham, richmond hill area which is good for adpotion ?

Thanks

Something 6 months old is hard to find because that would mean the cat was born in November... not impossible, but outside the normal breeding cycle for cats. March/April is when cats start breeding, so there should be a bunch of 2 month old cats coming up soon. Just wait a few weeks and you will have plenty of options.

I'd stick to shelters instead of Kijiji as your first option. They will typically give the first round of shots prior to adoption. Also some give free or discounted neutering once the cat is at the correct age.

[thumper80]

So your ready for a cat to adopt you ?:D , Great advise in here already but I will add this . Let the kitten choose you , might seem hard when in a shelter but you will know the special one that steals your heart .

[penipitcher]

Think carefully before deciding if you want a kitten or a cat. Kittens can be totally energy crazy and you have to teach it like you would a child. I got mine as a kitten and it was a sheer joy to grow with her. But she's a ball of energy and hard to handle sometimes. Everyone wants a kitten so older cats are often neglected at the shelters. You might want to consider an older one because they're more laid back and stable, but you'll miss the growing up with them part. Just keep looking at the shelters. I see both kittens and cats there.

+1 for the shelters. They'll typically have the first round of shots done and if you're lucky, they'll be neutered/spayed as well.

Declawing is definitely a no. If you were adopting a dog, would you consider pulling out all its teeth because you're afraid of getting bitten? Food for thought there. As well, declawing is pretty cruel and might give you problems in the future.

Declawing info
http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

If you declaw the cat, you open yourself to a couple of potential problems.

1) The cat may become a biter. Since the claws are not there for defense, the only thing the cat has left is to bite.

2) Cat refusing to use the litterbox. The ends of the paws become more sensitive and the cat will not want to step into the litterbox.

Alternatives:
1) The traditional way is to basically teach your cat its ok to use the scratching post and NOT the drapes or furniture. I taught my cat by having her watch me scratch on the post. She knew instinctively anyways, but I re-enforced it in her mind by doing this. She was only familiar with the vertical posts so I also taught her to use a horizontal scratching pad as well for variety.

2) Soft paws
http://www.softpaws.com