Find a Friendly Kitty

A friendly personable cat can be a friend for many years. Choosing which kitten to bring home from a litter of multiple cute fuzzy little faces can be an overwhelming decision. Having to make the choice between dozens of adult cats at a shelter can can leave one awestruck. This article is going to help you find the perfect furry feline to be your new friend.

Steps

 * 1) Decide if you want a kitten or an older cat. There are friendly and grumpy cats of both ages however your perception will be influenced somewhat by your expectations. Some people will never find a kitten's playful antics to be 'friendly' when claws are involved. Also, a kitten's personality may change as it ages (especially post-puberty) whereas, with an adult cat, it's more a case of what you see is what you get.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) Locate the shelter, breeder or owner of your potential pet. Acquire as much information about the cats/kittens as possible - age, health, color, sex, temperament, history, etc[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 3)  If interested, arrange to visit to observe the cats/kittens.  Determine if you can reserve one, adopt one that day or must go through an application process.
 * 4) Visit and observe the cats/kittens. Ask to take them into a room with you that will allow you to interact with each animal individually.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 5) Kittens should be bright eyed and should wake fully from sleep. You should look for an inquisitive, out-going kitten who isn't scared of you.  A kitten who plays with its siblings and isn't withdrawn.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 5.jpg|center]]
 * 6) Don't listen to old wives tales about calico cats being grumpy. It is just that genetically, calico cats are almost always female.  However, several vets have said that male gray cats tend to be the most laid back of all the cats.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 6.jpg|center]]
 * 7) If choosing an adult cat, spend a good 20-30 minutes with it so the cat can adjust to you and get comfortable. That should allow you to see closer to the real personality.  Cats, like people, get nervous in new situations.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 7.jpg|center]]
 * 8)  In either case, consult with the current owners of the cat/kittens for what the personality of the animal you are interested in is.  Good owners/breeder should know their animals well and should have been interacting with them daily.
 * 9) When you make your choice, you should have the option to return the kitty if the match really doesn't work out within the first few weeks. Do not take a kitten from its mother before it is 8 weeks old. Kittens need that time for socialization with their mother and siblings.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 9.jpg|center]]
 * 10) To keep your friendly kitty friendly - interact with it daily. Talk to her/him when you come home and when you leave.  Play daily.  Talk to him/her when you feed them and anytime you walk by each other in the house.  You wouldn't ignore another person so don't ignore kitty.[[Image:Find a Friendly Kitty Step 10.jpg|center]]

Tips

 * Boxes. Get a few cardboard boxes for the kitten.  Turn one upside down and cut a door for her to hide under.  Also, splurge on one cardboard scratch pad (less than $10) and kitty will stay happy.
 * Special cat treats now and then will make kitty feel important. Give treats as rewards for good behaviors, not as meal supplements so your kitty doesn't gain weight or want treats instead of her food.  A good time to give a treat would be after taking kitty away from someplace you don't want her to be.  Move her to a new area and distract her with a treat.  Remember, cats do not respond to punishment.
 * Give kitty as much love as you can.
 * Make feeding time one on one time - pet her and talk to her. Have a toy.
 * Keep some simple kitty toys around - they don't have to be expensive. My cat loves pipe cleaners - she bites the middle and it bends and the ends tickle her sides and she attacks it - she end up carrying them all over the house.  I can get a pack of 100 for $2 at Target.  She also loves feather boas that they sell at the craft store for $1.99 for 6 ft  - cut into pieces she has a whole bunch of critters that she carries around.  One of the other cats likes plain old plastic straws and the plastic ring from when you open the milk jug.  Toys can be inexpensive.

Warnings

 * Don't let a new cat/kitten outside. Indoor cats are safest.  All cats can adjust to being indoor cats.  If you are adamant about letting you cat out, be sure to have a collar on them with a reflective strip and a tag with your name and address.  Even if they are microchipped, cars can't see a microchip and if they are hit - no one will pick up a dead cat and take it some place to be microchipped.  If it has a tag, you might at least get a call so you know what happened and the reflective strip might help that not happen especially on dark colored cats.

Things You'll Need

 * Litter box
 * Cat food
 * Cat carrier
 * Toys
 * A bed for kitty to call her own is nice, although he/she will sleep all over.
 * A window seat/perch for indoor cats to watch the world from. This can help lessen separation anxiety when you go to work, if he/she can see you go.

Related wikiHows

 * Earn the Trust of a Stray Cat
 * Pet a Cat
 * Find a Lost Cat
 * Choose a Perfect Kitten for You
 * Raise a Cat