Many people think of a kitten when they are going to adopt a cat for the first time. As a “mom” to two rescues, one older and one a kitten, I believe that adopting an older cat is the way to go, especially for a first cat.
The most important thing to consider is that when you adopt an older cat, you are saving a life. Senior cats (typically cats past 10 years of age) are considered “less adoptable” and normally spend four times as long at a shelter waiting to be adopted. If you decide to take one home, it will be truly grateful.
If you decide to make an older cat a part of your family, not only are you saving a life, but there are many benefits to you. Most people don’t realize just how much work it is to have a kitten. Kittens are rambunctious at all hours; they are not aware of the difference between playtime and bedtime.
When I adopted my kitten, I didn’t realize it wouldn’t settle down at night and sleep like my first cat. Greywind, the older cat, gets into bed with me at night and lays down. Sure, she gets up in the night and sometimes plays with her toys. The kitten, Butterscotch, thinks that when I am sleeping is a great time to sneak up on me to play. He will crawl under the blanket to bite my toes. I even had to move my bed against the wall so it would give me a side of the bed where he could not sneak up on me. I love him, but he is crazy and a lot of work.
This is Butterscotch, biting my Grandma's dog's leg. Because to a kitten, everything is for biting, especially dogs.
Another benefit of having an older cat is that you already have an idea of exactly what their personality will be like and know if they are a good fit. When we got Greywind, we knew that she was a very loud and vocal cat, but also very loving. I have no idea what Butterscotch will be like when he is finished being a lunatic at all hours of the night. For instance, my mom wanted companionship once all of her kids left the house. She adopted a kitten who was very loving and always sitting on her lap. Now that the cat is grown, she won't even sit next to a person on the couch.
If you are a student or working (or both), an older cat may be a better fit. They are more relaxed and typically require less time devoted to them. With an older cat, you can leave it at home while you go to work and know that it won’t open the cupboard and destroy ten rolls of toilet paper. An older cat has most likely lived in a house with people before, so they are more likely to be aware of the rules of living in a house (such as not scratching furniture and not throwing things off of shelves) and follow them. They also have less energy than a kitten and are content to just relax in your company.
Not to say that all cats won't get into mischief sometimes. Below is Greywind, claiming the bottom shelf on the bookshelf to sit on.
You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly teach an old cat new tricks. Older cats are actually much easier to train than a kitten. Both of my cats know how to sit, stay (for at least a few minutes), ring jingle bells I’ve hung up if they need a door opened, and will let you hold them and kiss their belly without biting or scratching.
Teaching Greywind was much easier. She could pay attention to what I was trying to teach her for a long time and as soon as she figured out what I wanted she would do it. Training Butterscotch has been a very long time-consuming nightmare. He has a short attention span and is easily distracted.
To a kitten, everything is a game, especially the jingle bells that Greywind pick up on so quickly. He knows not to scratch me when I pick him up, but he sometimes uses it as an opportunity to launch an air attack against Greywind.
I love both my cats very much and am happy I have them, but I am a very strong supporter of adopting an older cat. If you are thinking of adopting a cat, consider saving the life of an older cat. You may not get as many years with an older cat, but the years they spend with you will mean the world to them.
