Should I adopt an older cat?

Spoiler alert: I’m not going to make you read to the end of this blog post for an answer. YES! A resounding yes! The joys of bringing an older cat into your home are so numerous they often outweigh the delights (and challenges) of a new kitten.

According to the ASPCA, 3.2 million cats find their way into animal shelters every year.[1] Some – about 90,000 or so, are happily reunited with their owners, and 1.6 million lucky cats are adopted. But that leaves 860,000 unlucky cats who end up being euthanized. Every. Single. Year. When you adopt an older cat, you are truly saving a life.

The data scientists at Priceonomics analyzed adoption data from Petfinder.com and learned that more than 80% of kittens get adopted. Meanwhile, only 60% of adult cats (defined as over 18 months old) find their way into a loving home.[2] When you next find yourself at the shelter, keep this little factoid in the back of your mind.

First let’s dispel a few myths about senior cats

Myth #1: Older cats have expensive health issues

But age is not a disease, as my beloved vet used to remind me. Aging is a natural process and the conditions that can affect older cats can often be controlled. The key to keeping a senior cat healthy and enjoying a high quality of life (and to keep vet bills under control) seems simple: keep health risks to a minimum, detect and treat disease early, and do what you can to maintain the health of body systems.

Myth #2: Adopt an older cat and you’ll be inheriting someone else’s problem

There are many reasons that pets end up in a shelter and few, if any, are their fault. People move, people die, people change jobs and have babies, and the cat is often the victim of circumstance. Do not assume that any cat in the shelter is anything but the best friend you’ll ever have.

Myth #3:  Adopt an older cat and you’ll be saying goodbye far too soon

I always say that loving a cat is a contract with grief. No matter how young they are when you get them, they never live long enough. If all goes as planned, you will most certainly outlive them and thus live through the loss of them.

The benefits of an older cat

Oh the charms of a kitten are self-evident. But the quiet appeal of an older cat is also unmistakable when you know what you’re looking for. Here are just a few of the benefits of adopting an older cat.

An older cat will be litter trained

If you end up adopting a stray who has never seen a litter box, chances are you’ll have little trouble training her to use one. Older cats have longer attention spans than kittens, and usually catch on very quickly.

What you see is what you get

A good shelter or foster family will be able to share details about an older cat’s personality: her likes and dislikes, quirks, and routines, and you can decide, based on this information, whether the two of you are going to be a good match.

An older cat is better with children

It’s counterintuitive, isn’t it? You’d think you’d want a young cat to entertain your young children. But you’d be wrong. Kittens are easily picked up by children, but also easily dropped or squeezed too hard in a “hug.” Baby anythings are fragile and kittens can get seriously hurt by even well-meaning kids. Older cats, on the other hand, might enjoy the attentions of young children. They may be used to being petted (unlike a squirmy kitten), and a little savvier about finding an escape route before getting stepped on or loved on a bit too much.

Older cats are less trouble

Bringing an adult cat into your home is a bit like bringing an adult human into the home, as compared to a human toddler. You’d feel pretty confident that the adult human wouldn’t poop on the rug, or get stuck behind the bookshelf, or knock your favorite ceramic knickknack off the end table, right?

And the best reason of all…an older cat needs you as much you need him or her

Whatever fate befell her, it was through no fault of her own that she ended up in a shelter. And she’s there, bewildered by the strangeness and noise, not knowing what to expect next.

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Dawn LaFontaine is a lifelong animal lover who always seems to have a little pet hair in her keyboard. Her blog, Kitty Contemplations, helps cat guardians better understand and care for the special beings they share their lives and homes with. Her cat-products business, Cat in the Box, sells beautiful, well-made, and award-winning products that she designed to meet the biological needs of cats.

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FOOTNOTES

[1] “Pet Statistics.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics.

[2] “What Kinds of Pets Get Adopted?” Priceonomics, priceonomics.com/what-kinds-of-pets-get-adopted/.

[3] “The Special Needs of the Senior Cat.” Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 25 July 2018, www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/special-needs-senior-cat.