When I became serious about adopting a cat, I discovered the website Petfinder. You can perform detailed searches based on age (Baby, Young, Adult, Senior), breed, gender, and even size. This website is an absolutely great resource if you'd like to know what cats are available for adoption ahead of time. When you perform a search, all the cats in shelters in your area that are connected to Petfinder will show up.
I mostly used Petfinder as a way of finding shelters in my area. My problem is that I fall in love with most of the kitties I meet and feel bad for every single kitty that is in a shelter right now. I'm glad they are not out on the streets, but at the same time, no kitty should be confined to a little cage. I know most shelters take wonderful care of the animals, but still. I wish every kitty had the home they deserve.
When I first discovered Petfinder, I made the mistake of doing search after search and reading about as many cats as I possibly could. I ended up falling in love with many of them just from their picture and description. I e-mailed a shelter to see if one cat in particular was still there, and I got a reply that he had already been adopted.
Finally, I decided to pick a shelter and go there. The truth is that you just don't know what cat is perfect for you until you meet them in person. Also, there are some cats that aren't listed on shelter's websites and therefore, are not connected to Petfinder.
This was the case with the cat I eventually adopted, who was an older kitten at sixteen weeks. He wasn't on the shelter's website because he was still a kitten, but I think he had a diff
icult time getting adopted because he's a black cat and was in isolation for a week due to a kitty cold. I noticed every single older kitten that hadn't been adopted at that shelter was black; they seem to be less likely to get adopted. Also, the fact that he could have upper respiratory problems may have turned others off. I scooped him up, and he is doing just fine a month later.
icult time getting adopted because he's a black cat and was in isolation for a week due to a kitty cold. I noticed every single older kitten that hadn't been adopted at that shelter was black; they seem to be less likely to get adopted. Also, the fact that he could have upper respiratory problems may have turned others off. I scooped him up, and he is doing just fine a month later. My advice is to pick a shelter in your area and go. If you fall in love with one of the kitties, think on it for a day or two. Visit them again to make sure you are certain and then do it. I fell in love with Duncan as soon as I held him. I knew if I had continued looking at other shelters, I would end up falling in love with even more cats. And then, no matter who I chose, I would feel guilty or regret the cat I didn't adopt. If you don't fall in love with any of the kitties, then you can always go to another shelter.
But when it comes to cat adoption, I'm just not the kind of that has it in me to shop around. Once I fall in love with a cat, that's it; I gotta have them.
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