How to Find a Friendly Kitty

Trying to choose a kitten that will have a friendly personality as an adult is more challenging than selecting either a friendly adult cat or a friendly puppy. It's almost impossible to tell how a kitten's personality will develop based on one or two visits to observe him when he's little. Kittens who grow up around people are often mellow because they're exposed to noise and frequent handling by humans.

Things You'll Need

  • Notes on individual kittens
  • Camera (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Whether you're looking at kittens in a home or animal shelter, watch to see how they interact with siblings. A kitten that holds back from playing is a sign he might be sick or fearful as an adult. Kittens that tussle and tumble over each other and appear friendly tend to make better pets.

    • 2

      Kittens that are handled regularly are likely to be friendlier. Promising situations are those in which kittens are handled by various people, such as shelter volunteers or children in a family, from the time they're very young. These kittens are used to being picked up differently and handled unexpectedly. Kittens that are held several times a day while very young and played with regularly are more likely to be accepting of a new situation.

    • 3

      Look for kittens that have spent time with their mothers. Kittens benefit in many ways from being with their parent and require more time before going off on their own than puppies do. Those separated from their mothers at a young age might make fine pets, but if personality is important to you when choosing a pet, the success rate is likely to be better with a kitty that has been with its mother up to 3 months old.

    • 4

      Study the environment in which the kittens have been raised. In a home, the litter is likely to have been exposed to noises such as a vacuum, ringing telephone, doorbell, slamming doors and other common household sounds. Kittens in a shelter are exposed to the sounds of other animals, the clang of cage doors, and various people's voices and handling as they've been picked up or looked at by potential owners. Exposure to noise and uncommon situations gives these pets an advantage when it comes to adoption.

    • 5

      Get opinions from the mother cat's owner or the shelter's animal control officer. Having spent more time observing the kittens than anyone, they are the best judges of personality. Let them know personality is your primary interest. Their suggestions might help you select the kitten that's right for you.