Why Adopting An Adult Cat is So Right

Kitten energy is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for something a bit less intense, you may find your perfect match in an adult cat.

There’s no question that kittens are cute. Everything they do is adorable, even when they’re making you crazy. They’re cute when they’re sleeping, when they’re eating, when they’re climbing up your leg, when they’re swinging from your curtains, when they’re attacking your feet, when they’re using the toilet paper roll as a front-leg treadmill that leaves a pile on the floor for you to find at 3am. We forgive all of their indiscretions because the universe had the sense to make kittens tiny and cute. But “kitten energy” is a real thing, and not everyone is up for it.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to know exactly what you’re getting. That is a luxury that comes with adopting an adult cat.

For so many would-be cat parents, adult cats are, hands down, the best option for both the cat and the new parents. Since their personalities are established by this age, you know what you’re getting. They may have developed some less-than-cuddly behaviors as a result of their previous living situations, but those are just behaviors and not personality traits, and they melt away in secure, caring homes.

Once a cat understands it is not going to be hurt or abandoned or starved, it becomes more loving with each passing day. All adult cats are available through no fault of their own; they are left behind by uncaring owners, they escape abusive homes, their owners die (which a cat can only understand as abandonment) or maybe they’ve never had homes at all and were rescued from the street. There is virtually no greater feeling than knowing you have saved an adult cat from a lifetime in a shelter—or worse.

In short, adult cats are amazing pets because of the following reasons:

· They are quieter, calmer companions than kittens and more likely to want to chill with you than ask to play 24 hours a day. But they’ll play, too, and plenty.

· They tend to sleep through the night, with you if you let them, and are less likely to discover that ball with a bell in it under your bed at 2am.

· They are more emotionally mature and can be left alone for longer periods of time, requiring less supervision.

· They are more likely to show gratitude for being in a safe, loving home, because they have lived the alternative and know the difference.

· Although their personalities are established, they are still willing and able to learn new things, new tricks, new games, and how to be the best companions to you.

· They are as capable of forming deep bonds with you as kittens are, and are more motivated to do so—again, because they’ve lived the alternative.

· They aren’t as into chewing things are their adorable younger counterparts. Your chargers last longer around adult cats.

Cats are cats, young or old. They’re all quirky and funny and make great company. Do yourself a favor, and you’ll be doing those grown cats a favor, too. You’ll all be much happier for it.