Can you tell me all I need to know about kittens please?

[WaitrosePigeon]

The good, the bad and the ugly. All the things I should be considering, especially the breeder?

Not exactly sure where to begin...

Following! Emailed our landlord today asking begging if we could get a kitten. They lived here for 10 years before we did, and the estate agent who showed us round a few months ago said he'd probably say yes. I'm checking my emails every hour

Kittens (and cats) are Awesome - that's pretty much it! :o

They are cute, fluffy, cuddly, mad, energetic, adorable, foolhardy, beautiful and 100% the boss of you.

I've only had moggies so can't help re breeder but i've always seen the kittens with their mother and gone for the boldest one.

They are pretty self sufficient and more mature than puppies. They like somewhere quiet and out of the way to sleep, they can be messy eaters at first and they are great at stealing your heart.

Contact your local rescue - they will have kittens that desperately need rehoming! I'm not up to speed on care etc as have only ever had older cats but please do consider a rescue as there are too many cats (including pedigrees if you've got your heart set on a specific breed) needing their forever home!

Good luck - cats in all shapes and forms are bloody awesome!

Why a breeder? Tonnes in rescue.
They bite and scratch and charge around the house. They shred furniture and don't know work tops are out of bounds. They need neutering and keeping inside for weeks. They are nuts.
And then suddenly they are a year old and all the above is sorted and you wouldn't be without the buggers!

They shred furniture and don't know work tops are out of bounds Incumbent cat does neither of these things - but she does bring in live mice and birds so it's not all plain sailing....

They are adorable.

Until they become 13 year old kittens, are overweight and still insist on sleeping on your breasts.

Wouldn't change him for the world though. Ill be inconsolable when i have to say goodbye.

All my kittens have been bonkers, but adorable

Didn't know rescue would have kittens - will try there.

I say breeder because I didn't know if the same checks need to be applied like with dogs. Is there such a thing as a kitten farm etc. Obviously I would want to be very careful about inadvertently supporting anything ethically questionable.

Ps not bothered about sex or breed!

They shred furniture and don't know work tops are out of bounds.

If that's true, especially work tops I'm not sure I'm so keen now...

Some cats do, mine doesn't. I've had a furniture scratcher in the past but never had one that goes on the workshop. I think outdoor cats scratch less.

Based on my last cat who decided she was going to live with me her owner was in agreement

Cat's have an inbuilt clock. My cat would wait at the top of the road at the I came home from work.

Considered it her right to sleep at the end of the bed. The hot water bottle was for her benefit alone.

No chance of a lie in, I'd get a paw smacked in the eye.

She didn't tell the kind elderly neighbours she was allergic to cows milk. The ensuing vomit was hell

At some point in her life she had broken her jaw and smacked some teeth out. This meant she brought in live mice

She didn't like my lap when I was pg. She resented DD1. She lived out her last months with my mum in peace.

If you don't particularly mind sex/colour/breed, then definitely rescue. There are times of the year when most rescues are inundated.

Even better, if you have a kitten that's about 5-6 months old, the rescue will also have neutered/spayed, thus saving you that expenses. If too young for that, the cat/kitten will have received first vaccinations, been wormed and deflead.

Beware anyone selling online/local FB groups, they're just people out to make a quick buck. They often sell kittens which are too young to be separated and have worms/fleas. Just recently spoke to a lady who bought from "a breeder" and has had pretty steep vets bills as kitten was underage and ill. She can't get insurance because of all the existing conditions.

Kittens are cute, adorable and incredibly destructive. They will be in to everything, on everything, testing their cute little claws on everything, possibly testing their sweet little teeth on everything (though unlikely to be as bad as puppies in that way), pushing things over & off surfaces.
Further to the pp above not just worktops but they don't think ANYTHING is out of bounds, and it isn't just furniture but curtains & clothes they will shred

They are sweet, loving and the most "ahhh bless" creatures in the world.

Once they grow up (anything from 8 months to 2 years) you then have a cat for another 18 years or so - my choice was to skip the destructive stage when they need constant attention, & go straight for adult cats .

Rescues are inundated with kittens this time of year.
They are more expensive than you could find from private sellers, but usually work out better value as the rescue usually pays for vaccines and neutering. Plus you know they have been health-checked etc.

If you do get them privately make sure they look in good health, are still with Mum and are more than 8 weeks minimum when you get them. (Recommendation is 12 weeks).

Kittens are very boisterous and get into everything, but settle down when about 1yr old. Once fully grown they're more like 3 year olds - cuddly, wilfully disobedient (permanent "no" and "mine" stage) and you worry when they've gone quiet.

Also meant to add - cat trees are a godsend! The only thing that stops our youngest practicing her "feral" act on our furniture, a bed she doesn't squash or get bored of and has toys attached. Plus has room for the other cats too - if only the youngest would share!

Sounds silly to mention this, but be aware that cats "act out" when stressed or ill. Mant of the cats we see rehomed are because of bad behaviour that has a solvable root cause.

OP ours are a year now and neither shred furniture or go on the work surfaces. Or try and disappear up the chimney!
Perhaps a young adult cat or two? Tiny kittens don't know "the rules" and are full on and hard work. Doesn't last for long though.

If you move in your sleep they will kill the fuck out of your feet. And subsequently hide a shrew in your sock.

Our kitten was got for me. But he pretty quickly bonded with DD instead and sleeps every night on her feet. Never wakes us up and gets up when we are ready to get up, unlike our previous cat that would leap on your face and bite your nose to wake you if he was hungry.

They climb and get everywhere. Including places you don't think they will climb.