Kitten or Adult?

A follow-up article from 'What kind of cat owner are you?'

Kittens take up a lot time throughout the day. He will need many, small meals, ranging from 2-hourly bottle feeding (for newborns up to 4 weeks) to 6-10 meals a day as he grows. Food costs will be higher for a kitten. He will also need a lot of your attention for play, warmth, socialisation and training. You will also need to bring him for sterilisation. The bonus is the satisfaction of watching him grow. Kittens are more entertaining because of their boundless energy. The bonding between owner and cat may be stronger when you rear him from young. You will also have more years together with him.

Adult cats are less time-consuming, and they eat less than kittens do. Their temperaments are already set, so choose wisely according to what kind of cat owner you are. Their habits, unsavoury or otherwise, will be harder to change; for example, if the cat is used to a litter box, you might not be able to change him towards peeing on the toilet floor instead if that is your preference. However, adult cats are less demanding of your time and attention. When you first meet them, what you see is pretty much what you get in terms of their character, full-grown size and physical characteristics. They will also likely already be sterilised, like Slinky was when she moved in; saved me the cost of neutering her. Any possible health problems will likely already be apparent, especially genetic disorders. Adult cats are also smaller in demand, so adopting an adult cat may very well save his life - many adults are put to sleep when they cannot be re-homed, to make space for kittens which have a higher chance of being adopted.