What are good things to look for when adopting a baby kitten?

Question

What steps can you take to make sure the kitten won't have any abnormal health issues?

including both physical and mental issues.

Also, do you think judging a parent is a pretty good indicator?

What training do you suggest so the cat won't be nervous and shy all the time.


thanks alot

Answer 1

Make sure it's been Vet checked for fleas, ear mites, eye infections, and all that. It should also have had it's first shots by three months, as well as been or will be spayed or neutered at three months. Kittens go into their first heat at three months.

Behavior I think is all in how YOU raise the cat. Part of it is genetic, but I have adopted a few cats in my life, and I've never had any problem with any of them. They were adopted from shelters where the parents weren't available to see.

You need to handle the kitten a lot and be attentive to playing with it or engaging it in play when it isn't sleeping. Feed it as recommended by your Vet, and take it for regular shots and checkups.

Answer 2

If you purchase a kitten from a reputable breeder, they should be able to tell you the medical history of the kitten's parents as well as a few generations back. Even if there's nothing hereditary in the kitten's line though, you can never be 100% sure the kitten won't develop some sort of illness.
As far as personality goes, it's really best to adopt an adult cat whose personality has already developed. It's next to impossible to tell how a kitten will be as an adult - and of course how you raise the kitten plays a part in it too.
Training a kitten to be outgoing is called "socialization". Basically, this means spending a lot of time with the kitten and exposing her to lots of different people. The more she's handled (in a good way), the more comfortable with people she'll be and therefore more outgoing.

Adopt a shelter kitty! Save a life! :)

Answer 3

It's hard to tell if it's healthy before you adopt it. However, I have found that if the kitten runs away or hides the first time you meet it, it will always be like that. A friendly kitty usually comes from a house where there are a lot of kids and other animals. If it lets you hold it and doesn't squirm too much that' also a good indicator.

Answer 4

First, you have to examine them closely, make sure they don't look sickly or weak. Second, watch for if they walk with a limp, or are smaller than the rest. Third, if there's a history of a particular disease on either side of the parents, there's a good chance the kitten'll have it, too. Lastly, pay attention to the kitten a lot after you've adopted it; if it's afraid of you for longer than a couple weeks, or a month, you might want to bring the kitten to the vet or something.

Answer 5

If you are adopting from the humane society you can request the kitten's history as they have vets there that have checked it and vaccinated it. If adopting from someone you may want to take it to a local vet to have it checked. Usually kittens aren't shy and if they are, once you get to feed them and hold them they come around right away then the only problem you will have is calming them down because all they will want to do is eat, play and poop.