All About The Cats
Helping homeless cats in Bridgeport, CT and surrounding communities
All About The CatsHelping homeless cats in Bridgeport, CT and surrounding communities | |
Beyond Kittenhood – Committing for Life
By Jackie DeLuca, Treasurer, All About The Cats
To most of the world, kittens are absolutely irresistible. They’re soft balls of fluff that people love to hold and snuggle. Kittens capture enormous attention and when present at adoption events, make it hard for adult cats, even younger ones, to compete for forever homes.
It’s understandable why humans are drawn to kittens and get caught up with their appearance and cuteness but here’s the reality: the average lifespan of an indoor cat is 15 years, and with today’s advances in veterinary practices and abundance of quality food choices, it is becoming more common for a cat to live well into their teens and early 20’s.
A cat is technically a kitten up to the age of one year and, even then, it only retains its kitten cuddliness in the first six months. The disproportion is glaringly obvious between kittenhood and adulthood. Also, like humans, cats have individual personalities and the personality begins to emerge in that first year, and it may not necessarily be a pleasant one.
Rescuers have noticed a disturbing trend, in which friendly cats, usually very young, are found among feral cat colonies. This is seen particularly in urban areas, where homeless cats and feral colonies are very prevalent. It is not unreasonable to assume that these cats were initially in homes as kittens and then put out when they outgrew their kittenhood.
On the flip side, there is the adopter who seeks out kittens to have the experience but remains committed beyond kittenhood and throughout their life.
The point is this: a kitten should not be adopted solely on the basis of appearance and cuteness. This is a very brief phase in their overall life span, and an adopter needs to be aware of the time commitment. These are living, breathing beings, not to be treated like a commodity or to be heartlessly disposed of.
Prospective adopters need to be mindful of these points. Adopting a pet should seriously be considered before taking that important step.
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