Matching Temperament and Energy Level When Adopting a Cat

When you are looking into cat adoption, it's important to find a cat that not only looks beautiful, but that also has a temperament that fits in well with the household. Here are some tips when looking at potential cat adoptions. 

An owner who is working lots of hours - older cat or pair of kittens

If you spend a lot of time at work or away from home, it can be hard to spend a lot of time with your cat and a single kitten or high energy cat may become destructive if they are bored. If you are in this situation, you might want to look at getting an older cat, which is likely to have less energy or a pair of kittens who can keep each other company when you are away. A calm cat will be interested in new people but won't be jumping around their cage or climbing onto items and jumping down all the time. 

A home with younger kids - playful kittens

On the other hand, if you have a household with a lot of energy such as having energetic kids, a playful and high energy kitten can be a great option. They are usually more open to playing and interacting with the people in the house and this can help the kids to bond with the cat as well. You can try interacting with the potential cats to see if they want to play with toys and watch how they respond to human interactions. 

A home with other animals - adult cats with experience with other animals

If you already have other animals in the home, such as other cats who might like a companion or dogs, it can be worth looking for a cat that is used to dealing with a range of other animals. You can often find animals with this kind of experience in a rescue shelter or other service that adopts cats. It can be worth having a chat to the shelter and discussing the circumstances under which the cat came into the shelter and the types of animals that they have shared with before as some rescue animals may have only shared with certain species. This situation suits a cat with a relatively moderate temperament who is not too nervous and not too active either. 

Finding a cat that suits the energy and temperament of your animal is a great way to maximise the chances that you will have a long and happy life together with your new cat.