Writing Break: Kitties!

May 14, 2010

As those of you who know me can attest, I am definitely a cat person. I’ve had cats since I was a baby and pretty much always will. I wouldn’t precisely call myself a crazy cat lady–for one thing I’m not really old enough yet–but I definitely do love them.

While pursuing writing, I work part time and volunteer part time. Luckily for me, I get to do both of those things in the same place–I work for my living at a transcription and word processing company whose owners also happen to be cat enthusiasts, who run the fabulous new feline rescue foundation, Tails High.

It’s currently kitten season, which means we have kittens coming out of our ears. The wonderful thing about kittens is that as fast as they come in, we find homes for them. No one can resist a kitten. But in the midst of kitten season, it’s easy for potential adopters to forget about the sometimes overlooked kitties–older cats.

This is something I’ve only come to realize lately, but I’ve made up for being a latecomer to the idea by being quite devoted to it. There are tons of reasons to adopt an older cat. Some of the top ones, for me, are:

Ease of care. Kittens take a TON of time to care for. They require constant attention, just like baby people. You need to play with them, feed them more often (and just MORE, kittens eat way more than grown-up cats), get woken up all night long by them. It’s hard to fully care for kittens if you’re not home during the day, or live with someone who is, because they get lonely and get into mischief (see property damage point), even if they’re around other cats. Adult cats are much lower-key, and can be left alone for much longer periods without going nuts. Adult cats can also be adopted one at a time, whereas most cat rescues won’t let you take a kitten by itself because it will get too lonely. So if you don’t have much space, or only room for one cat, you’re better off getting an adult cat.

Lack of property damage! This one is pretty simple. Kittens are babies, and babies make mistakes. They forget where the litter box is, they think your curtains are a climbing wall, and they thank you repeatedly for installing such wonderful scratching posts in your living room. Never mind that you also try to use said posts as a couch. Not all kittens are like this, and they learn fast, but there’s no way to really know what you’re getting. Which leads me to my next point.

Personality. As much as I love kittens (and those of you who know me KNOW I love kittens) they are all pretty much alike. They’re sweet, cuddly, attention-craving balls of fluffy fluff. They make you go AWWW and squeal and want to take twenty of them home. But the personality of a kitten does not necessarily match the personality of the cat it’ll grow into. Take my own Icarus, for example. He was a sweet, affectionate, purr-monster of a kitten–and grew into the most crotchety cat imaginable. I love him completely and wouldn’t change him–but then, he’s nice to me. With an older cat, you know what you’re getting. If you work with a rescue foundation, you can find out a lot about an adult cat’s personality. You’ll learn if he or she has any behavioral issues, any food problems, whether they’re a lap cat or more of a playful sort. With kittens, it’s pretty much a grab bag.

Gratitude. I know this sounds silly, especially if you’ve never adopted a rescue animal. But they know. They really do. This goes for dogs as well as cats, and as always, they’re all different so some will show it more than others. But adult cats, who have come from a different life, do seem to realize how lucky they are to be in their new homes. I can’t speak for all of them, but of the adult cats we’ve had come through Tails High, they’ve largely been sweet, affectionate, happy to be in a place where people are caring for them and respecting them.

Kittens will always find a home. They’re always in high demand, because they’re cute. But because it’s harder to find homes for older cats, by adopting one of them you’d be doing a wonderful thing. And it’s not just charity–taking the time to get to know the older cats at your local rescue will pay off, because you can find a cat who will be a companion for you, not just a pet. If you’ve been thinking about adopting a cat and your heart is set on kittens, I definitely won’t discourage you. I know that I’ve always adopted kittens in the past, because I didn’t realize what I was missing out on. I also know that the next cat I adopt will very likely be an older cat. But if you’re wondering about whether to get kittens or an older cat, definitely take your time with the decision. There are a ton of reasons to go with older cats — these are just a few!

And if you live in the D.C./Virginia area, definitely check out the Tails High website for the current cats available (I’ve put pictures of a couple of them below!) And if you’re someone who’s been thinking about adopting, fostering, volunteering at your local rescue, whatever, feel free to ask me questions!