Cat or Kitten?

Question

We have two young children (3 and 5) and no other pets. We'd like to add a cat to our family, but I'm not sure if an adult cat or kitten would be a better choice for our family? My primary concern is ensuring a positive relationship between the cat and the kids.

Answer 1

Kittens will needs alot of attention and work. Cats are a little older but are harder to house train. That's a hard decision i suggest when you adopt a cat find out if they are ok with children or not if they dont know introduce to the children before adopting. Sorry im not too much help with this one.

Answer 2

I think either would work fine but make sure that if you get a cat they have a history of being good with kids or let them all play together and observe how they interact with eachother.

Answer 3

a kitten... kittens will last you longer cuz well there younger

and so the kitten can get used to tyhe family at a young age

hope that helps

plus kittens are cuter n funner

Answer 4

I would suggest a cat!  Kittens are ALL cute, but you never know what their personalities will be like when they grow up.  If you find an adult cat that has a great personality, then you can be pretty sure it will stay that way.

Answer 5

Well, a kitten is more work at the beginning to get it trained and things like that, but a full grown cat will still take some work to get it used to your family and house. Honestly, something that I would do is take your family, kids included, to the shelter and just look. The cat or kitten that your kids bond with the most might be the best choice for getting a good relationship with your cat and kids.

Answer 6

KITTENS ARE BETTER FOR YOUNG CHILDREN THEY CAN BOND WITH A KITTEN, BUT A CAT IS USUALLY SET IN THERE WAYS AND A BIT MORE TRICKY. NOT IMPOSSIBLE SOME OLDER CATS ARE LOVELY WITH KIDS BUT I SAY WHY CHANCE IT....  BEST OF LUCK.

Answer 7

I would say that a kitten is best because the kids would love to see a little kitten grow up with them. And also the owners(your family) would know how the kittens behaviour is and how to handle situations later on.

Answer 8

i would pick a kitten because cats can already be prejudiced toward children and with a kitten the animal can learn to love people. i would be careful about the younger child pulling on a adult cats tail and fur, younger cats can learn to deal with it. since you do have a 3 year old get whatever you get netured, spayed, AND declawed.

Answer 9

If you go to a good animal shelter the caretakers would know each of their cats. They would best recommend which cats can hang around children. Also it does matter sometimes if it's a cat or kitten. The positive about an adult cat is that their personality is settled in so you know how the cats will behave around your family. Kittens are harder to tell. They can be fun and playful when they are young. However, a year later they can be unsociable creatures. If your family doesn't have expectation of a cat then a kitten should be fine.

Answer 10

kitten they are easy to take care of but you will have to watch your kids around it to make sure they dont get to rough with it but a kitten will get use to your kids as were a cat may not like them and stay away

Answer 11

You get to watch a kitten grow up, which is always fun, but then people always want kittens, and cats just end up in a pound and so on. I think either would be good with your kids, it's more about the cat's personality. A kitten can grow up to be a mean cat even if it is a little fluff ball, and a cat can be a mean grouch.  Or the opposites.

Answer 12

A cat that is used to children would be a better pet. A kitten has sharp teeth and pointy claws, and doesn't understand that using them HURTS. They are hyperactive, always wanting to play, will mock attack your children and use its claws/teeth without provication from your children, leading to your children fearing the cat.

I have a friend who brings her 4 year old daughter over to my house, and I have 6 cats. She is afraid of the cats, b/c on the first occasion she met them, she walked up to my 4.4 lb 2 y.o. cat who was asleep, and put a finger in one of her paws. My cat, who wouldn't hurt a person, merely extended her claws (still asleep) to 'hold' onto her finger - something we actually have allowed/encouraged her to do. It isn't painful, not a scratch or a claw, just a sleepy gesture of affection, but now the child is deathly afraid my cats may scratch her b/c she felt how sharp the claws are. A kitten would NEVER be this gentle with its claws, until it learned better and mellowed out some with age.

Also, kittens are small and that encourages small children to try to hold them. Not only does this lead to injury to the child when the kitten retaliates, but kittens are much more easily injured than cats, when dropped, stepped on, etc, we have actually had a lady on Y!A come on before when her toddler THREW a kitten accross the room when left unattended with it, breaking the poor kitties back.

An adult cat from a home with children (find a rescue group who fosters cats in homes with families, not a shelter where the adult cat may have been a street cat all its life) would be more tolerant of a small child's screechy voice, loud noises, being handled, etc, and is less likely to be injured by play with a child. Also adult cats are already settled into their personality, unlike a kitten. A kitten raised lovingly can still grow up to be antisocial, prissy cats. An adult cat that is mellow and affectionate in its foster home, you know will be mellow and affectionate in your home, after a period of readjusment. And adult kitties are harder to place than kittens and are more likey to be pts, so you'll be saving a life. A good choice for you and for kitty.

Answer 13

kitten so you can raise it the way you want it to act

Answer 14

Kitten live longer and cuter

Answer 15

head to the shelter and see what they have. both cats and kittens have personalities that will greatly differ. i would try your local shelter because they know the animals they have there and can match you with one!

Answer 16

I think a cat would be better.  If you get one from a shelter, chances are it's a surrendered pet so there'll be some history.  And hopefully part of that history is how it likes children.

Another good idea is to take the kids with you to the shelter to meet the cat, and see how they get along.

If it'll make you feel better, you can look for one that's been declawed.  But find out if the cat has any behavioral issues due to the declawing, such as litter box avoidance or a tendency to bite.

If you get a clawed cat, if it's been properly trained it won't hurt the kids except by accident or in defense.

Kittens are pure evil in fur suits.  Cute as they, and with all the advantages of getting a cat from kittenhood, I'd never do it again.  If you're young enough to have young kids you probably have more energy than I do.  But on the other hand, your kids probably use up 99% of that.  Do you have enough left over to train a kitten?

Answer 17

A kitten might be nice because it can grow up with the children and it's easier for it to adapt to a diffrent environment and lifestyle.

Answer 18

I would go for a full-grown cat. Kittens tend to be rowdy, and many of the adult cats are easy-going and mainly just want to sleep all day. I would also recommend adopting from a local shelter, as well.

Answer 19

I wouldn't get a kitten, unless you have had a talk with your kids about how to handle and care for the new addition.

I also wouldn't get an adult cat either. Manly because you don't know what all they have been through, and can't always figure out their personalities.

I would go to your local SPCA or local shelter, and see what cats they have that are in between the kitten and adult stages.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW ADDITION!!!!   ")

Answer 20

I would say an adult cat with a mellow personality from the shelter.

Kittens need to be trained... (not to bite, play too hard etc.)