Why Adopt an Older Cat The following piece was an email sent out by Siri Zwemke at Virginia Siamese Rescue. So many people want kittens. Please consider the following: A kitten is only a kitten for a short time period. Older cats often adjust quickly and easily to new situations, walking in like "been there, done that." Older cats don't climb your curtains or run the Indy 500 in the middle of the night. Older cats are more affectionate - the older they get, often the more lap time they want. Older cats have developed a good immune system. Older cats have a stronger stomach tolerance and don't get the upsets as easily as kittens. Older cats don't require constant supervision - kittens do. Older cats are TRULY appreciative that YOU have deemed them worthy of love - kittens will love everyone. People think they are going to get a kitten and then "train it" to be "just so" -- NOT SO! Each meezer's personality is unique. With older cats, you can get an idea of what that personality is like beforehand. We have these older cats in our homes, we can tell you whether they scratch the furniture, jump on the counters, like dogs, yowl at night. With a kitten, you won't know this for several years. Most folks call and ask for kittens. We don't see as many kittens because the shelters can place the kittens, and owners aren't likely to give up something they just got. We do see the most wonderful, most loving, most appreciative, often laid back young/adult/middle aged/older cat. Yes, with Rescue, sometimes they come with some emotional baggage. There truly are a number of special needs older cats -- wouldn't you be insecure if you had been moved out of your home and left alone by your family? But I TRULY, 100%, believe that these cats KNOW when they are in a temporary situation and when they are in a permanent situation. When they arrive in your home, after the initial "newness" of it wears off and they know you are going to love, honor and obey THEM (let's not forget the "obey," this is critical with meezers), they will give you such joy and companionship and unconditional love, be it for 3 years or 13 years, that it makes the reasons for living and loving all the more obvious. Please consider adding an older meezer to your household. Mamagayo, who arrived here [VA Siamese Rescue] in June of '98 and will retire here -- the vet said she was 'older than the wind,' and for those of you who've seen her, she looks it; she drools, she's blind, she leaves little presents on my pillow. And if she lives another day or another thousand days, every day that I have known her has given me love that I didn't have before. Siri Wine "I am all for adopting older cats...they know who they are, their personalities are established so you know beforehand what you are getting, and they have a lot of love to give. They are more settled, pay more attention to you as well as being better listeners, and they are grateful. I personally think there is no better companion in the animal world than an adult meezer." Jean
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