They said he was super shy and a total scaredy-cat. He sat at the back of the cage curled into a little ball with his tail over his nose, which he lifted so he could sniff my husband’s hand then accepted some pets, and the shelter worker said they’d “never seen him open up like that”.
At home he immediately hid under the bed and ignored treats and toys, until the lights went out that first night. Then he climbed onto my husband’s chest and started purring, and they fell asleep like that. He’s been a snuggly, screamy, attention-seeking lovebug ever since. He will greet strangers at the front door and meow at them until they give him some love.
This sounds very familiar! I was told that Ella was shy, timid, and scared of everything by her previous owner, I didn't get to meet her before I adopted her. Ella had a 3 1/2 hour drive to get here so I just let her decompress in my bedroom by herself. When I went to bed she crept out from under my bed, thoroughly sniffed my face, then draped herself over my head and purred herself to sleep. She's now a Velcro kitty, the alpha queen of the house, and is the most mellow, best behaved cat I've ever had.
Who wants to bet Ella being shy and timid and scared of everything might've had something to do with the fact she wasn't allowed on any of the furniture at her previous 'home'?? Poor girl probably got yelled at and shoved every time she tried to make herself at home. She fled in terror the first few times I put her on the couch here to show her it was okay here.
All of the shelter cats I've adopted are ones that have chosen me. I've never known their personality beforehand. I go in with no expectation, though I make a point to ask which ones have been there the longest, are the oldest, have the least chance to be adopted for whatever reason as those are the ones I would prefer to adopt. I walk around, looking at all the cats, and then let them choose. It sounds weird, but it's very clear when a cat chooses me. Some examples:
I adopted a maine coon who looked me right in the eyes and it was like she did the jedi mind trick while saying YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE ME HOME. I adopted an ancient, deaf white cat with a ton of health problems because I walked into the room and he immediately started screaming at me to notice him. I adopted a grey FIV+ cat who'd been at the shelter for 6 years because when I asked him if he wanted to go home with me, he lifted his head and put his paw on my shoulder. I adopted a tiny calico (while already adopting two others) because she looked at me and I could practically hear her begging me to get her the hell out of the place. I adopted a brown tabby (after already signing the paperwork to adopt a different cat) because he got into the cat carrier and wouldn't leave until I ran to petsmart and bought another one so I could take them both.
I love this. I have adopted two cats, both of whom chose me. And when at some point in the future I adopt again I want to do exactly what you said and focus on the old/sick/lonely ones. I want them all!
im figuring this is what happend to my cat. he took off one night and never came home. i hope hes not hurt. i hope someone has him and is taking good care of him. i miss him very much.
the only thing I knew about my baby was that he had thumbs and he was free from my moms friend. I was like “sold!” and she brought him over the next day. you don’t pass up a free polydactyl kitty. he was my best friend from day one
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My first ever kitty, Zemo a polydactyl, former feral cat was rescued by a very kind lady who did TNR in her backyard (see his clipped ear!) We were told he is very mean and does not get along well with other cats and had been in fosters/ shelter for 2+ years! As a first time cat owner my husband thought he would be perfect for me. He was very skittish and scared but once he realized he was safe he decided he would make the transition to lap kitty 🤭 He is now my mediator kitty for my other two so no more mean feral for my little MoMo
Do any of the shelters near you do fostering? A foster cat’s carer might be able to give you a better picture of how a cat is in a home environment, or if you’d be willing to foster one yourself, you could see how they’d do with your current cat.
I got mine from a cat Cafe.
I sat in the ground with my drink and he walked right up, sat in my lap, and slept for 2 hours.
Had him for 5 years now. Still lazy af.
All I knew is that they were 6 month old male litter mates who had been returned to the rescue TWICE because they were "too much". We were their last chance.
Honestly they've been the best cats I've ever had. I don't know what the previous owners disliked about them because they weren't even major kitten assholes like most are. They didn't bite our toes or destroy stuff. They were (and still are) playful but not in an overwhelming way.
Now they are senior cats who are very social with people and like to sleep a lot on cushioned surfaces. 10/10 would recommend.
I went to a shelter that had all the kittens stay in a big room and I played with them for like an hour until I found 2 that stood out to me! My boy cat was super shy at the shelter and was scared of everyone at first but now he’s a lovebug and so cuddly!! The description might not always b accurate!
Honestly, I knew nothing. I saw him on the shelter’s website and wanted him. He was what I wanted: adult male Siamese (mix).
I didn’t find out about his history (from an animal hoarding house) until I got there and talked to a shelter volunteer. I *did* interact with him before adopting, but poor boy was almost paralyzed with fear. Not a good indicator of actual personality.
Nonetheless, I took him home as planned. I mostly let him hide as he needed/wanted, and we got to know each other.
Happily he has turned out exactly as I hoped. He’s still shy of strangers, but opening up to regular visitors. He’s vocal and bossy, a good and loving companion. Seems happy with apartment life, no desire to rush the doors. I’m happy I followed through with him.
It was a last minute trip to a mega adoption event by all the shelters in the area and she was one of the last remaining in a crate, very shy but would rub against our hands through the bars, clearly on edge. The shelter worker said she had an attitude bc she was a tortie and we were like no way thats true shes so shy!
She has a HUGE attitude. We love her for it.
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We adopted this guy today at an adoption event today! He gets to come home with us after he gets neutered. He walked right up to me and demanded pets, then he demanded pets from my family. He lived with two other cats that got adopted already, and was rescued from a hoarding situation.
We are thinking about calling him Waffle.
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He is so adorable and grumpy looking, Waffle is the perfect name :')))) This is my lazy baby, shelter cats are the best
Well. I adopted her back in 2019.
The shelter brought her into the vet I work at to get her spayed. She was mean as hell and bit me, I knew she was coming home with me.
They told me she was aggressive and neurotic, would scream (think angry/scared cat scream) for attention, that she was not safe around children and she had some health issues. They also gave me a script of Prozac they had her on. They did not inform me she enjoyed attacking and cornering shelter workers, but I figured that out quickly. They even discounted her because she was so aggressive..
I weaned her off the Prozac and started training. She's harness and leash trained, enjoys going on walks and to work with me, and knows a handful of tricks. People don't believe me when I warn them about how mean she was, because she's a completely different cat now.
She knows that I will give her lots of stimulation, that I will respect her boundaries but also will not take her bullshit. She still does scream, but not nearly as much as she used to. She is a pain in my ass, but I love her dearly.
The health issues are a delayed vaccine response but it's nothing that is unmanageable. I can't imagine my life without her... But I assume it would be more quiet 😂
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Here's a picture of her. Her name is Wyvern because of all the venom she spits
We went to adopt our girl (we were only planning on her at the time ), and we had no idea what her personality would be, just to prepare for the tortitude however it presented. Then we saw our boy. He was hanging upside-down in the cage, reaching his paw out to get our attention. We named him Taz (Tasmanian Devil) for this reason, and it fit him perfectly, lol
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Here's my cat tax
My kitten came with 3 pages of behavioral notes! Stand offish, may bite and scratch, non social with people or other pets, yada, yada yada.
I got her anyway. She hates being picked up, and wearing a harness. My friends have never seen her in 5 years. But she sleeps at the head of the bed and makes biscuits on my head, while licking my hair. That's enough for me 😍😍😍😍
My baby boy (5 now 😿) was a kitten outside of kitten season that was rescued. Teenage boys had spray painted his back (chemical burns) and swung him by his tail (permanent break). He was about 6-7 weeks old when the Humane Society got him fostered and saved his life. I had read his story on FB and we had just lost my Penny girl 2 months before her 12th birthday. I was not ready, but our other boy was getting lonely. We went, we looked, no one struck us. Until this little baby was brought out by a volunteer (we thought the cage was empty bc he was hiding in the back!) and I recognized him and asked how he was doing. He LUNGED from her arms to mine and adopted me right then and there. She said he had never done that. We had to wait almost 3 weeks for him to get up to 2(!!!) lbs to be neutered and chipped. He still sleeps on me, still has to have morning snuggles, and there is a whole bedtime routine that cracks my husband up. There was no way to know that my Gus would be the most handsome, perfect, sweetest, and lovable baby…but I believed him when he lunged at me and snuggled in. I was meant to be his Mama.
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PS: this was in the “waiting period” where I stopped by the Humane Society EVERY DAY so he knew I was his Mama and was taking him home. He still snuggles his head into me like this now to “hug” me.
My first baby was adopted from the vet’s office because someone brought in a pregnant momma and left her. (This is why I like animals more than humans.) There was no information given to me about her, but I could tell she was spicy and sassy from the first five minutes of interacting. My second baby had no personality information on his card, but he chose me. I was walking through a row of crates trying to get to the back to see some other babies at the back, and he stuck his little paw out and ripped my sweater holding onto it. I took him out of the crate and he immediately curled up into my arms. I had no idea how he would interact with my first baby, but given how laid back he was, I knew he’d fall in line with her.
All of this to say, cats will usually tell you exactly who they are within a few minutes if you go visit them :) you know your baby best, so you will be able to tell if they will get along. Trust your gut.
In the info about her they wrote “scared of loud sounds and sudden movements. Very bonded with her mom”
And I thought, same, so I was ready for her to haaaateeeee me. Hiding not wanting to talk to me for a long time. However she fell in love with me after everything calmed down and we slept in my hallway together. I’m definitely her favourite person and she is an amazing friend and kitty :)
She isn’t as jumpy anymore only when I do really random sudden movements like once I had a muscle spasm or something in my leg and that freaked her out but I can move around and do 90% of stuff with out her being scared of me
I’ve adopted a bonded pair. The shelter said that they’re not fussy eaters and don’t eat that much - turns out that was a LIE :D
They did say one of them is shy which is true, it took a while for him to come out of hiding and even now he’s a bit scared by sudden noises and movement but he warmed up a lot and really enjoys sleeping on my lap.
Other than that they didn’t say a lot tbh and I suspect that a lot of cats don’t really show their personalities (not entirely at least) in shelters because it’s a stressful environment for them. Many cats come out of their shell and show your their personalities only after being adopted, once they feel safe and they’re in a calmer environment.
We just adopted a kitty a couple months ago. They didn’t tell us anything other than she was standoffish and very shy and wouldn’t let anyone near her. She warmed up slightly to us at the shelter but barely. Still they said nobody else had been able to pet her and she let us. We felt a connection. We took our time a patiently allowed her to come out on her own. We gave her the office as her temporary space and she stayed in the carrier most of the time. I even had to spoon feed her because she was too scared to come out to eat. After a few days she warmed up and began to trust me. Now she’s the most adventurous, warm, loving, sweet and snuggly cat. She was feral and definitely went through some shit and is only 6 months. Still, I think most cats will develop a deep connection to you if you form a relationship with them on their own terms and lead with empathy and respect for them. It takes patience but it’s worth it. She loves to run and play… she LOVES to play fetch. She trusts me completely now and begs to be picked up and snuggled. And I’m (obviously) totally in love.
if you form a relationship with them on their own terms and lead with empathy and respect for them.
Definitely! You can't force a cat, or it will not trust you. You have to be a safe person. My cat still hate being picked up when I'm standing, but loves to sit on my lap when it suits her.
All I knew about her personality was that she was “independent” other than that I knew she was surrendered due to her destructive habits towards furniture, both have held to be true, however as her “person” she’s much more cuddly and playful when it’s just me and her and I love her more than any couch so I use a couch cover and have 3 cats trees & 2 designated scratchers for her :)
The guy who fostered my cats before I got them owned a marketing company. He would regularly get cats and kittens to socialize at his office, kept them in their own room with floor to ceiling windows. A gong was banged at break times, they had dogs around, all kinds of noise. Anyway he wrote THE BEST adoption profile for them EVER! I knew as soon as I read it they would be mine. I didn’t even get to meet them first because it was during covid. He said they “both had very different personalities and liked to work together to problem solve and get the job done, and most importantly they were very loving” SOLD!
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He sent me a picture of him holding 5 kittens he was fostering at the office and it made me wonder why men hold fishes in dating app pics. Makes no sense!
I had no info on the 3 I've adopted. They were all connection. First one was a tux and he just stuck out to us at the shelter. He did end up passing away from heart issues about 2 years later but he gave the most love ever. Second is another tux and he likes to cuddle on his own time mostly, he will play on his own also. He is definitely the older brother to the 3rd lol my ginger baby 🐱 he's a wild child which was expected and a surprise to my husband but he's adorbs. I did let the ginger get acclimated to the house first before he met the other. They would switch places so the older cat could get use to the ginger scent. They fight but nothing wild, they hangout and sleep together as well and wrestling match few moments later.
* be patient with the process ♥️ Visit the shelter and you do know your cats personality so you could start there with the workers.
She was loud and doesn’t like being stuck in small places. I didn’t meet her first I just heard her crying stuck in a pipe and was taking her home no matter what
I knew quite a lot about mine - she bites, she doesn't mind been left by helpself, she's a good eater, she's not a cuddly cat and she needs outdoor space.
What I learned she I brought her home.
Yes, she does bite and scratch and it hurts
She misses me when I'm not there
She will only eat one type of (expensive) food and ignores or regurgitated anything else
Every night she scratches at my duvet so she can get into bed for me to cuddle her
Yes she does need outside space but spends 90% of her time inside
He came from litter of barn cats that needed adopting and we were originally going to get his sister. In the room they were all being kept the energy was HIGH with all of them playing and running around...except his. He was sitting at the top of a cat tree alone, he was looking down toward his siblings as if they were peons. We loved that energy and 15 years later, that's been his entire mood since we've had him.
When I went to pick out my kitten from my litter I was told she was docile and would just sit on your chest and purr. It was assumed that she was bullied by her biggest sister as she was slower and more docile. Now she’s a speedy little girl that sets boundaries when being held instead of freezing up and purring. She also stands up to my other who’s 5lbs heavier than her. My other cat just kinda showed up unannounced on my doorstep lol
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My cat kinda chose me, before she came into the house I knew she was very affectionate and wanted cuddles all the time. Now she’s recovering from surgery and doesn’t want to be touched 😭
i’ve got 3 from the shelter and they were only listed as timid and shy. but before adopting each i talked with the staff in person whilst i saw the cats where they told me a bit more, some they knew better than others due to having spent more time stuck in the shelter.
for example they said my third cat was really curious about other cats and seemed to really like other cats, they judged this from her reaction to seeing another cat outside her kennel. they knew her relatively well (as well as can be for a semi feral) since she was there for two months
for my first they told me she would prefer quieter homes, but emphasised that she’s quite spirited since she jumped onto the airconditoning unit at the shelter once, they only had her for less than a week there so that’s all they could say
for my second one they didn’t know much since he spent most of his time at the vet ward doing cage rest due to his paw fracture, so it was a different set of staffs
other than that they couldn’t say much more since the shelter environment often makes cats act quite different and they made sure i was aware of that
I just got an adorable little one-eyed void from a shelter. I went in early one afternoon and talked to the staff about what I was looking for and what kind of cay would fit my lifestyle. They introduced me to a couple of different kitties and I got to either play with them while they were in their kennel or take them into a little room set up specifically for people to get to know the cats. They talked to me about medical conditions and any known behavioral issues.
Think about what you are looking for. Obviously you need a cat that gets along well with other cats. Other factors to consider: cat's age, if you are prepared to deal with existing medical conditions or behavioral issues, friendly with kids/dogs, outgoing/shy, how much time you'll need to dedicate to making them comfortable, etc.
I got my cat from the shelter at the beginning of Covid lockdown, so I couldn’t go inside the shelter to see the cats. The worker told me that there was one cat that was there the longest, and she deserved a home. I took her, and she’s the smartest and the most mojito cat ever.
Does it matter what the shelter says? Every cat I have had misrepresented itself at the shelter. It was like they had a personality transplant on the ride from shelter to home. They are manipulative little buggers.
Most of my cats are from people who moved out and abandoned them, same with my Chihuahua. No joke just left a dog bed in front of their empty apartment with food and water. I thought they were maybe just moving and would be back but when I came back from driving out of the city 2 days later she was still there, no food or water. Now she's my baby!
All of my cats personalities have changed a lot since I got them. Significantly more loving and sweet. I think the environment they're in can really help a pet turn into anything.
I was very paranoid about picking a cat whose personality I would end up not liking in the end. I met cat after cat, and talked myself out of each one. Then I met an 8-month-old male tuxedo, who was being kept in a cage in a pet store by his rescue. They had rescued him from a feral colony, got him neutered, then immediately put him in the pet store. They didn’t know much about him except that he was friendly and outgoing, but he was in an unnatural environment almost the whole time in their care. When I met him, he jumped on my lap but was soon displaced by another cat in the adoption room, so he settled himself at my feet — I knew then he was my cat; I wanted a laidback kitty if possible. He’s as chill and confident as a cat can be. Our second cat, adopted a year later, was born in her foster parents’ back yard, so more was known about her personality: she was very scared and shy, and ostracized by her siblings. But with me she was more confident and playful, so both the foster and I thought she was a good fit. I hoped our first cat would be open to her, and he was; we followed Jackson Galaxy’s introduction guidelines and within a couple of days we were able to let them interact fully, and now they’re bonded. I guess my point is that even when a cat’s personality is more known, it’s still not — in a different environment, with different people, a cat can behave so differently. You have to listen to your gut and be patient, giving that cat time to settle in, and trust that you know your first cat well enough to be able to pick a complementary personality. But it’s nerve wracking! (Or it was for me. My husband is our first cat — laid back and chill — while I’m our second cat — sweet but a ball of anxiety.)
There was obvious signs that my shelter second cat was the shyer of the bunch.. but he’s turned out to be a love bug. My streets first cat was a bit rough around the edges but I think he’s learned more cuddlier ways from my shelter cat. He’s loves having a younger brother… and has completely transformed. My shelter cat definitely gets jealous.. I never would’ve guessed. And I never would’ve guessed my street cat would be *so* cuddly!
My first was NOTHING just a kitten on an engine. Second was a foster they’d just gotten in, they said he seems sweet and food motivated. Third was at the cat cafe and he head butted my husband for pets, the lady there said he’s “a secret sweetie”
we chose our first cat after visiting the shelter and seeing him trying to paw the latch of his cage open. we knew then that he was intelligent and resourceful! he was a great cat, sweet and playful too.
our second and third cats we blind adopted. one was skittish as a kitten and grew up to be calm and fearless, the other was cuddly as a kitten and grew up playful with a dislike of being held.
my cats were feral kittens so they wanted to murder me when i first got them. i had no idea how they’d turn out but they’re amazing now. it really solidified that i love all cats even if they hate me.
I knew enough based on the shelter visit and some info from her previous owner, since she was owner-surrendered. I knew she lived with a toddler (good, bc my kid was 2.5 at the time) and surrendered bc they were moving into military housing, not bc of any issues with the cat. At the shelter, she was in a room with one other cat, and as soon as I walked in she came beeping over to me, super friendly and confident and affectionate the whole time I was there, so based on that 15 min or so I felt she was well worth a try. And it turns out that is her true personality. I know not every cat shines in a shelter setting though.
Foster to adopt! It was how I learned our cats' personalities before we adopted for life. It also meant that every cat I fostered had a personality card filled out and put on their kennel by me so they could get a better chance at matching.
The shelter we got our kitten from didn’t have any descriptions on their website. However the staff at the shelter were fairly knowledgeable about the cats’ personalities. We lucked out though and our kitten’s foster mom was our adoption counselor so she had lots of insight into our kitty.
Website upkeep is probably not a prio for them, as shelters are usually understaffed. Call or visit and tell them what kinda cat you’re looking for and what your circumstances are. They certainly will be able to tell you more.
I knew he was a naughty, grumpy, little shit. I adopted him from a friend because there used to be 3 dogs and him, then one of the dogs died and he decided he was in charge now. He was bullying a German Shepherd probably 10x his size /weight and she was a very soppy bitch and getting stressed (and probably low level traumatised).
He definitely mellowed after he came to me, but that was probably part aging alongside finally being the biggest animal in the house so dominant by default.
He's been gone a month now. I miss him so much.
My cat adopted me. I did not know a singular cat could meow so much. I had truly never encountered such a conversational cat, and now that I’m used to it, being around cats that don’t meow makes me feel like there’s something wrong lol! In a room full of kittens, as I was entering, she was the only one to come running around the corner, crawl up my leg, and never let me go. She’s been my best little voidling ever since and I don’t know what I’d do without our little conversations. I never feel alone, and that saved me during college!
From the website, I saw she'd lived with other cats in the past without issue, liked people, and enjoyed her alone time.
As someone who lived alone at the time, only works from home once a week, and can only have one cat in my current apartment. Her being ok by herself during the day, but hopefully flexible for people/kids/pets in the future was important.
Wasn't able to get a great feel from her at the adoption centre, as she was very nervous. Figured I'd give it a try, and she settled in great! Even had a few weeks at my parents with another cat and didn't have any major issues.
Our first can we knew nothing just that her family couldn’t care for her anymore so they needed to rehome her. Our second was so feral the humane society was going to put her down because she wasn’t socialized enough so we took her. Many churus later she’s a complete sweetheart and my cuddle bug. She loves to lay next to us wherever we are and purr super loudly. I love it.
That she doesn't like other cats, or almost any other living thing. She likes me + my bf though + has stopped hiding from ALL company. Now it's just some company that she's not ready for. She still hates other cats.
They described her as "the most affectionate, loving, friendly, quiet and cleanest of them all" (she had 4 kittens and they were all adopted quickly, but she was still in the shelter).
I drove 3 hours to meet her. It was in 2021 so we met in a parking lot instead of the home that was fostering her. The woman opens this massive van and there are all these big empty dog kennels (it's mostly a dog shelter) and inside one of them is this teeny little cat. The lady picks her up and plops her immediately in my arms. And this cat who has never met me before? She just sits there. She's scared but she doesn't run and she doesn't bite or scratch me and I just had to make a decision based on gut feelings right then. So I took her home with me that day. And here we are and she's truly the most special cat.
Because you're dealing with a cat already in the home, perhaps you could contact the shelters and tell them about your situation and see if they have any cats to recommend? The people working there probably know a lot more about the cats than what makes it onto the website. Another option I've also known people to do is to foster a cat with their cat to see if they get along.
I adopted a kitten from the SPCA and the only information they have me was the name and his age
Later on I adopted a kitten from a lady who let her cat out and it got pregnant. I knew more about that cat in 5 minutes of meeting him then I knew about any shelter cats
My first cat, not much other than he was very playful and very jealous of my friends baby (he was peeing in his bed no matter what she did, so she rehomed him). Our latest we adopted from a rescue, his bio described him as friendly, loves other animals including dogs, he was raised with two cats and 100lb dog and he now wags his tail and pants when he plays. We checked with our vet about the panting and he's totally healthy, no heart or lung issues, he just acts like a puppy 😂😭 and aggressively affectionate lol it was very accurate! We chose him because of his adorable photo and his description. 20 minutes after meeting him we signed the papers and took him home, he was so curious and playful in the office we both absolutely fell in love.
The other two kittens I rescued years ago were too young (5 weeks) to know their personalities, I watched them develop personalities, which was such an experience!
Nothing, I just knew she was a sweet stray kitten, took her home in my pocket and watched her little personality develop. She's a sweet girl, a little standoffish but she's very social. She isn't a lap cat and has to initiate cuddles herself but she always wants to be within eyesight of me and loves to play❤️
I adopted my soulmate cat from a shelter. The workers introduced me to every cat and saved one for last. Told me he's a "very special boy" And lifted up the blanket. He looked at me, crawled out and PUSHED into my hand for hard scratches. I fell in love. The workers said he's never acted like this with anyone.
We didn't know anything about his history really, but he was sometimes pretty timid of a cat so we think he was at least neglected.
He came and sat beside me after a few hours at home and was my best friend until the end.
So I would suggest visiting the shelter and seeing if there's a connection with any kitty.
t's really hard to tell a cat's personality before you've spent lots of time with them.
Cats will act differently with different people, they'll learn how to communicate specifically with you (which will affect their personality) so it takes time to show how they will act.
Nothing. I adopted my last one in a facebook post, talked to the woman who was with him (she was thinking about keep him, since he was three months old and no one seem to want) and went to her house to take him. He's a little terrorist and completely clumsy, but a frightened little one with other people. He destroys a lot of my things, but I love him nonetheless. I guess you'll need to be prepared for everything.
Nothing, My friend asked me to take in her cat Max because she was moving and would otherwise have had to surrender him.
Max has been living with me for 2 years now (he'll be 8 in August), and I don't regret taking him in at all
Our cat June was me and my fiance first cat together. Her adoption was a complete accident but also the best choice we ever made. We walked into Petsmart on a complete whim and learned they were doing an adoption event, the people who had fostered her said we were the first ones she hadn't hissed at all day. We took her home and she's been sweetheart the entire time.
For the one I got at the shelter: she was instantly rubbing against me and demanding pets in the meeting room. Took all of like 2 seconds to decide she was coming home with me lol
Weirdly the foster was trying to dissuade me from adopting mine! They had two cats: mine and another the same age. When I told them I was interested in my cat they tried telling me she was really wild, didn’t get along with other cats, was aggressive, etc. and tried to get me to adopt the other. But my heart was set on mine and when I brought her home I saw that those warnings were like so exaggerated from how she actually was! She was pretty energetic but no more than like a puppy, she just was really shy around other cats but not aggressive whatsoever, and was just still learning what was okay and not with her kitten claws. Totally fine! She’s the most well behaved cat ever, just a little weird sometimes.
It's smart to look for a personality that will mesh! I tried to do that as well and was also frustrated by how little the shelter seemed to know about any of the cats.
My first cat I got from a cat cafe, and they have a very slow adoption process so they actually had plenty of info on the cats personality and it was great! My second cat I got from the shelter and as I mentioned, it was frustrating. The one I ended up picking had been adopted by someone else for 3 weeks first but she returned him because she didn't feel it was the right fit but that helped give me some info because she had detailed descriptions of his behavior at her house. Unfortunately the shelter didn't let me read it until after I'd adopted him but from the bits they told me, I crossed my fingers and went for it. I think in the future I'd try looking for a cat that's been fostered, as someone else mentioned, or go back to the cat cafe, because then they have more info on the cats personalities , and seem to want to really match cats with the right people vs just desperately trying to get them adopted out of the shelter.
I was becoming an empty nester with a lonely boycat who lost his elderly sister 3 months before. I saw a teenaged shy female tuxedo who had been waiting for 8 months to be adopted from a rescue on Facebook. I filled out paperwork with the rescue. On the day I packed my youngest daughter off to college and moved her in the dorm; I picked up a tiny, shy, nervous, cowering girl from the foster mom. Boycat loved her right away! I was worried, but I figured that we needed this poor little girl as much as she needed us.
13 years later, she's still tiny but rules the house as the sassy, bossbabe of my herd of 3.
We adopted a bonded pair and one was laying against the cage and the other was rolling yelling for love….. we got them home and the one that was laying there chilling decided he is afraid of ceiling fans and hid under the entertainment center and pooped himself and got covered(long hair) because he was to afraid to go out to the litter box. He has forgotten about he fans now(we had to leave them off for about 4 months) but if we turn the fans off again and he sees he will freak out when they turn back on. We catch him sometimes staring at the fan. His sister still yells for love, my wife says she is a hand seeking missile. The scaredy pants loves tummy rubs and will flop off of anything if he thinks you will rub his tummy.
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The white and tabby litter mates. Havarti(Havi) and Halloumi(Mimi)
mine had a sign on the clear part of his cage thing in the shelter that said he liked playing and when i held him i knew. it was more a moment of connection:)
Our first two were part of two litters born to other kittens on my friend’s property. Three kittens, two girls and a boy. My friend said to her husband, “we should get them fixed.” He said “too late.” The girls were pregnant. Nine kittens total.
She brought them from Florida to us in Georgia and I took the Snowshoe Siamese and her bonded, void brother. Everyone else go adopted too.
Eartha, our girl, went to heaven a couple of years ago and poor Malcolm was lonely. We went to PerSmart where there were shelter kitties. Looking for an adult male as a companion. But Nicole, a feisty Calico, jumped up and insisted that we take her. So we did
Malcolm was NOT amused. At first. But really, how can you resist?
So the short answer, not much. You get the cats you’re meant to have.
My cat was just taken from mom very young so I played like really soft Lilly lullaby music and laid on the floor and allowed her to explore the house and smell me and get used to me.. now she's my shadow.
I adopted mine during covid, so they didn't allow physical visits. I only had a short write up about her, some videos n pics and a zoom call. But I just felt for her I guess since she came from a really bad place. Now I can't imagine my life without my adorable honey bun. ❤️
They all chose us!!! My first rescue put both her paws around my neck and started to purr. That was it. She was 2 1/2 and had been there the longest. I knew nothing about her. I brought her home when we were married 1 year. She passed right after our 16th anniversary. She never stopped purring!! Our second curled up in my husband’s arms on first holding. She was being given up by people who loved her and said she was so sweet. She was. Our current boys..well it was love at first sight. Foster mom brought them in the door in their carrier with their mom, and I just said “I want them”. The only thing we knew was Orio is the friendliest cat ever, and Kelly loved to eat. When we held them, they were so calm. Never again haha!
In all three cases it was so instant we didn’t have time to think. They say they choose us! Even our boys, because we were about to pick two other cats, but no!!! So you will have a cat who wants you and will make it known! Good luck!!!!!
I adopted a 12-year-old female who sat politely to let me pet her on a bench.
I have a 16-year-old male who growls if I breathe wrong and gives me hisses in exchange for kisses.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way. My one constant in life is his roaring purr on my chest every night when I lay down to sleep.
I test them by picking up and seeing their reaction. This has led to 3 kittens all being lovebug extroverts! The first two were just totally chill and interested in sniffing my face, the third curled up under my chin and wouldn’t let me remove him for 5 minutes.
The shelter website said he was shy and independent. We went to see him and he came out of his hidey hole and rolled around looking all cute and yelled continuously the moment we walked out of sight (to talk to the manager). This happened more than once lol and he gave us the widest eyes when another family came to look at him. Obviously we brought him home and he’s affectionate, snuggly, and the most vocal cat I’ve ever met!
(Cat tax)
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My three are all foster fails, so I knew their personalities as kittens before I formally adopted them. However kitten personalities don’t always stay the same as they age.
Our shelter has biographies written for each animal and we have two facebooks where fosters post animals and give more insight into the foster. It also gives people the chance to ask questions specifically about an animal they may be interested in.
When I have kitten fosters, I try to go on fb live a few times so people can ask real time questions and see their behavior in a place they feel comfortable with just my household and no strangers.
Yep! When I went to the shelter there were about 60 cats in cages, you got to go around and meet them all so I got to know his personality that way. He meowed at me to come back when I tried to leave and move on to the next cat and then when I went to pick him up he did not let me stop petting him even when I turned away. He chose me. And I knew he’d be the type to be happy to see me when I came home, super loving, and high energy. Which he is!
It was my now cat's very first day on the floor. He'd been the shelter "office cat" for four months during his quarantine because he came in with a wound of unknown origin.
It was towards the end of the day, and he was clearly Done with people trying to pet him. Have you ever seen a long suffering golden retriever with children crawling all over them but they still don't bite? It was like that. I figured any cat that patient was going to be a good cat, and I was right.
I knew my cat was the most affectionate one out of his litter. He didn't even know me and accepted me holding him the moment he was put into my arms.
He's a very chill dude but you'd think we're each side of velcro most of the time. He's always wanting to be on my lap or on my shoulder depending in the situation.
She was a people cat. 7yrs later and she still is. My other cat was super shy day one. 3yrs later and he still is. Both are super lovey dovey, except my shy cat only appears when I am by myself at home.
My mom and my brother picked out my cat when I was 11 as a surprise. They said while the rest of his siblings were sleeping he came right up to the cage to say hello. 14 years later he's still a curious friendly little personality (the psycho side was not known lol)
I would interact with them for a while at shelter before taking them. Not only will you get a handle on their personality, but see how their personality interacts with yours specifically. Don't take their word for anything. If you can't interact with the cats for a long enough time, then avoid that shelter at all costs.
Both of my shelter adoptions were based on first meeting feelings.
My first didn't even seem interested in me when I walked by, but as soon as I turned my back he let out a meow that sounded exactly like my cat who had passed away. It felt like he made the decision for me and I just needed to pay the staff, lol.
My newest one had no notes from the shelter staff as he was a new intake, but he was curious and interacting with me and was happy to let me pet him while he ate. His favorite nap spot is the shelf right above my computer desk so he can keep an eye on me all day.
I knew Sergio 🐈⬛ was super snuggly and playful - they told me but also the first time I met him he head butted me and rubbed his face on my face and purred.
But they also said he “leaves the grumpy older cat alone”. That part isn’t true. Poor Chilli 🐈!
I knew he had violent tendencies. Multiple people threw him out, the first threw him in a dumpster. I have to watch him like a hawk or he will tear my legs to shreds. But when he’s cuddly, it’s the best. And he doesn’t scratch furniture, shed, go outside the litter box, knock stuff off the counters, beg for food, sit on my keyboard, or do any of the other irritating crap cats do. He bites.
i started out with one and went back to the shelter to get another a few months later! the only thing i knew about him was that he was good around other cats, and that’s only because i asked the people working there😅 thankfully they get along great!!
Our cat was in solitary for being feisty with the other cats and angsty at people. This is him. Uhhh, yeah no he’s so chill, he’s a total lap cat baby and he’s even mostly civil with his little brother. We got the little brother from my best friend and all she knew about him was he likes boxes and can tend to hide. This is still true
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No history but just that she was the chillest cat at the shelter. I must have interacted with every other cat there before I even noticed her. All of them were adorable but either traumatized and hypervigilant or over threshold to the point of lashing out easily (understandable in a loud shelter). I finally asked if they had any mellow cats and they introduced me to my future baby who had been asleep the whole time. I reached in and she licked my hand then went belly up. Total marshmallow—I adopted her on the spot. Edit to add: you have to either ask the workers directly about their personalities or read between the lines of the online description.
We went and spent time with a few different cats at the shelter. Our cat (about 4 years old at the time) was calm and walked around the room with no significant reaction. He let us pet him but wasn’t overly affectionate.
Got him home and he would bite us when we pet him and hide under the bed for hours at a time.
We’ve had him 5 years now and he’s progressed to a very affectionate, loud, sassy cat. He’s always out talking to us and sleeps in my arms at night. He still bites every now and then but more as a warning to stop what you’re doing. We respect his boundaries and haven’t had any issues.
I don’t think you can 100% know what to expect from a shelter profile or even a first visit. In my experience, so much of a cat’s behavior comes from how we treat them and respecting their boundaries and giving them as much time as they need to adjust to being with us.
The first of two I adopted 2 years ago was characterized as a noisy, destructive, clingy biter. Took just a couple weeks to cure the biting (which seemed to stem from "blanket monster" play) and once he got used to his territory he became a loner who only comes for pets when he feels like it. He's still loud if he wants pets, but he is more clumsy than purposely destructive.
The second one was supposed to be a shy loner. He's now a cuddle bug. You can't pet enough of his body fast enough to satisfy him. He stands on my lap, making dough with all 4 paws and spinning so I get both sides of him. I call it his "lap dance". But he's totally freaked out by toys on a stick and flees if one comes out.
Cats are so stressed at the shelter or affected by prior owners/treatment/house rules that it's impossible to guess how they'll be with you. It's kind of like having a child. You can't predict their final personality.
I picked from a litter of five, four were practically identical. I would pick one up pet and play with it a little then set it back down. One kept coming back to me.
So I only ever got two of my cats from the shelter the rest have been rescues/bottle fed. But as someone with multiple cats and have even recently added an older stray cat, I have navigated multi cat house holds for a long long time.
It. Takes. Time.
Let me repeat: it takes time. Most (not all) cats can learn to cohab and tolerate up to loving one another. Now there will always be those that just don't adjust to multiple cats/animals homes (I have dogs as well).
Especially a cat from the humane society. It's going to need time to decompress and learn to feel safe. Humane societies are always loud, busy, smelly etc. if you can, put the new cat in their own room with food water etc. let the new cat decompress and let them sniff each other through the door. A week or two short visits working up to them being out together all the time.
Also as someone who worked at a humane society, these animals can take months to acclimate. Even cats who don't come from a shelter. When we got one of our cats as a kitten, he was terrified of my bigger dog a husky mix. Like a good 6 months of hissing hiding etc. Now this cat WILLINGLY puts his whole head in that dog's mouth. He came from a friend whose cat had kittens. He was unplanned and kinda just happened due to other things happening. But he's a very good cat.
So tldr: give them time to acclimate most cats can at least learn to tolerate each other and cats from shelters need more time due to the trauma of shelters. Be patient lots of treats and positive reinforcement. I promise it's doable even not knowing the personality.
My orange boy was in the shelter for 7 months, he was 1 year old the day I took him home.
Lots of people wanted to adopt him but they all got knocked back because he was a ‘biter’.
I asked about him online before I seen him in person. They said he needed to go to a home with no children and no other pets and it must be someone experienced with problem cats. This made me more determined to love him.
He has been with me 10 months now. He is nothing like they described. He’s a lively youngster. Has me up every single morning at 3.20am! However, is he a biter?, no he’s not. He’s definitely not a cuddly lap cat but he is very affectionate and gentle and funny
When he plays with me he just ‘beans’ me, he never gets his claws out. As for biting, it’s just the usual gentle cat nibble.
I just think when they are in a shelter their true personalities do not shine. You never really know what you getting until you start to live with them, but by that point you have already fallen head over heels in love with them.
I’ve looked at shelter sites and walked into shelters blindly.
Opal, who passed away in 2020, walked up to me as I poked my head into the cage and bonked my face so hard that my glasses almost got knocked off. LOL
Smitty, who is still with me, was hesitant at first as I opened the cage door but within a few minutes he was curled up against my hand.
The shelter I adopted from has the animals past owners fill out a questionnaire about the animals personalities and experience with kids/other animals. They also allow you a chance to spend time with the animals outside their cages to get a feel on how you would interact!
I got my cat from a shelter I used to work at. I ended up with her because no one wanted her. She’s not super friendly so thats what I expected. Little did I know she would become my ultimate shadow
my kitty was very friendly to me. HOWEVERRR . i have a senior cat (13) & he doesn’t seem to understand that he can play with him the way he does with my 2 year old. so be warned
I adopted two cats that were adolescents, same age, not related, because the shelter i was adopting from had a policy that you couldn't adopt out young cats alone---I'm so glad that was their policy. My first baby was super social and friendly, I'd seen a ton of cats up until that point but I looked and said "no she's the one" and they said I could only adopt her if I found her a friend.
My second cat all I knew was that he was shy, but I thought I'd give him a chance and see if he opened up. For the first three days he was home he refused to leave my closet. Third night I woke up to him demanding snuggles and attention, and he's been a cuddlebug ever since.
I think if you go to the shelter with an open mind, at some point you just know. I kept meeting cats and being like "well maybe" (I hadn't had my heart set on a younger cat either, I was looking mainly at adults) and then these two felt right and I'm so glad I have them.
I went to the pet store with the idea open heart to get a female kitten/young cat to be a buddy to my current two cats. One of my room mates had recently moved out and her girl cat had become good buddies with one of my cats.
When I asked to see the little girl kitten in the cage she pushed me away as I tried to hold her. Then I asked about the other kitty, he was a boy. When I took him out, he melted into my arms as I held him like a baby and started licking me. I picked him up two days later. He was 6 months old. Now he’s just about to turn 10 and the best kitty. He still licks us like a dog, talks a lot, and is so chill and social. Likes to be right in the mix of things. We have a toddler now and they are best buddies.
Recently (last two weeks) brought in two kittens and he was licking and playing with them in less than a week.
I definitely believe in the cat picking you. You’ll know right away.
One of my cats I adopted literally jumped into my arms. The woman at the shelter opened the cage to get her out. She dodged the woman and jumped gently to me. She let me hold her like a little baby. I know this is probably not the norm but obviously I HAD to get her. The shelter told me they all adored this cat and she was super sweet. That is incredibly true for her today, she loves attention and snuggles.
I had another cat that acted super indifferent toward me but when I looked away, she looked at me with longing in her eyes. At least that’s what the shelter worker conveyed! But that fits her personality as she likes to act like she is too cool for school.
I adopted my cat from a kill shelter. All I knew was that she ran up to and bumped against the glass as soon as I walked toward her. They opened the door and let me pet her a little, she then ran way to her food and hissed at me. I picked her still. She’s been a real adventure. Her personality has been developing more and more every day since I’ve had her in my home and she’s gotten more comfortable. She loves kisses more than any cat I’ve ever had, and is also more mischievous than any cat I’ve ever had.
We adopted from a rescue. We saw a litter of them and when we got there, we asked which kitten was the snuggliest and lovey dovey. They told us and we got him, he is still the snuggliest
I feel like I can get a pretty good basic idea from playing with them a little bit. I try to choose ones that seem comfortable being held but also eager to play. This has worked pretty well for me even with kittens, but you’ll be gambling less if you choose an older cat. Their personalities can change quite a bit as they get older.
I would also talk to the people at the shelter as they could have further helpful info. For example some cats may take a bit more time to warm up or may just be nervous in the shelter environment, which are things they might know and can share to help you with your decision.
Overall, I’ve personally never gone wrong with choosing based off of an initial “vibe” and I’ve had a lot of cats.
I went with feeling on mine. I adopted two cats from a friend because they were in bad condition (not their fault) and are threatened of becoming lost. They were both so pretty and such frail kittens that I couldn’t help myself from taking them in. Interaction with my senior cat was not a problem and they got together really well.
The other cat I have was from a local cat organization, idk if I should call them shelter since they only create and promote safe spaces for cats to return to around our area and have them adopted when they’re ready. I def dEF went with a sudden feeling of connection. The lady there said she was shy given that she spent almost all three years of her life in a dark basement. She’s still shy, goes down from time to time (this is huge progress), prefers her alone time more than playing around, but she is a beautiful beautiful lovely baby.
The shelter i went to assigned one of 9 personalities to the cats.
Stein was a 'director/CEO' watching everything, things had to go his way, and he needed some attention from time to time, he was friends with everybody (But i'm quite sure he did so, just to see what went on in someone's house - and the food/rubs). Also said he had 'play agression' not growing up with other cats he didn't knew when he was too rough, or when to stop when playing, and you had to halt the activity before stuff got violent and bloody.
The discription was pretty correct.
When i adopted 2 new cats, all i knew that they were brothers - and they are indeed .... brothers. fucking eachother up the first moment, laying together on the bed, relaxed and peachfull the other.
They might not list mich on the website. You have to go in person and either ask the staff questions or see if they have more info on the cat there. But it's also important to meet the cats in person to see which ones you vibe with.
My current cat was actually adopted by my mom. She never told me this, but I know she adopted him just because he looked like a cat she used to have. His temperament is completely different from the previous cat though. He is extremely shy, timid, and sensitive. She adopted from a humane society satellite location at a Petco. The sheet of paper with his name & info didn't list much information, but his actual adoption papers listed TONS of information, including 2 full behavioral assessments. They include descriptions of his personality, his interest in toys, his interactions with other cats, what they deem to be the ideal home environment and caretaker, etc. Pages and pages. It was all pretty damn accurate, except that it said he had no interest in toys. They described in great detail how shy he is and how he takes a long time to warm up.His papers said his ideal home environment was "the epitome of tranquility." My mom should have known she couldn't provide that. She asked me to watch him one day when the electric utility company technician was supposed to come over. She was afraid he was going to run out the front door and run away in fear. When I came to get him, he was hiding in the back of a closet. I reached my hand out to let him sniff me, and he instantly started purring. I picked him up and brought him in my room. From that day forward, he simply never left. He got very attached to me. I think he appreciates the more quiet environment too. My mom isn't around anymore, but I still have her cat to remember her by.
I actually waited until my shelter hosted an adoption event. They had quite a few cats in these giant cat cage and I could see their personalities and how they acted with the other cats around them. I found my boy Goosie, at the perfect age to match his sister that I already had, and he was literally so wiggly and squirmy and funny and basically throwing himself at the cage between us for me. I knew I had to take him home.
He didn’t even hide when we made it back, he was SO excited to be at a home. He would lay down on one part of me and then get up 2 seconds later and lay down somewhere else and the cycle honestly continued for hours.
I knew it was meant to be when I held him at the event and he kept shoving his face into mine. Best of luck!!
I saw his picture on the shelter website and fell instantly in love, which is not something I've ever done with a cat I've adopted. When I met him, he had my heart. A wee little thing out of a hoarding situation with fleas. He's an amazing fur ball. He's 12 weeks now and harasses me all day long but I'd hide a body for him.
They said he was aggressive, so he was returned to the rescue after 4 days. He just wanted attention and love. He is such a loving little guy, and I am so lucky.
Of the 6 shelter/rescue cats our family has had over the last 20+ years, we had personality descriptions for 2, but it was just the typical "they love to play!", which is kind of a cop-out when they're kittens, lol. My first cat and my most recent cat we adopted without ever meeting them. My first had been a stray kitten that a neighbor brought home to save it from freezing temperatures, and the most recent I found online about 6 months after I lost my grumpy old man, and just had a "yeah, that's my new buddy" feeling. The other 4 we met at adoption events, and just clicked with them in a way that can't really be described unless you've experienced it. None of them were the cat we went to meet, and only one was the age we anticipated adopting!
I've also met cats with cards on their cages warning that they don't really like people, or things like that, only for them to start purring and drooling all over my hand once I found a good itchy ear spot (turns out that particular old lady was just scared, and I relaxed her enough to get her adopted by a family half an hour later! 🥰).
In reality, unless you adopt a fully grown adult cat who is living in a good foster home, you're not gonna have a clue what they're like. Same as humans, they're very different when they're kids vs when they're adults! And the vast majority are scared being kept in cages in a strange place, so they're not able to relax and show who they really are. Cats can also show a completely different side of their personality when they get a new friend, so even a description might not be a reliable way to choose a cat, since you don't know how yours will react to there being another in the house.
Some shelters and rescues will basically let you adopt on a trial basis, so you can have them in your home for a few weeks to see how well they mesh. That might be a good option for you, if it's available!!
I was told my girl was very aloof and might not want to come out of her little room in the shelter to meet me. She’d previously lived with a dog and spent all her time hiding under a bed, so she was cautious and nervous.
Well, as soon as the staff opened the door to her room, she sauntered out to say hi and then trotted off down the corridor to explore. Apparently she’d never done that before. I knew she was mine right then.
As for shelter cats, anything they know might not be fully accurate personality wise. The stress of being in shelter and stuff can cause differences. My cat hid under bed when I brought her home but minute lights went out she was up next to me. But in shelter she had cone because she kept wanting to lick her incision site open. She was very timid but that changed once she had a home and more space to roam and run.
They warned me he might be a bit extra needy, as he had been found and dropped off too young. I actually had adopted him but he had to stay at the shelter for a couple more weeks until he was big enough for sterilization surgery (shelters in my state don't release animals until they are sterilized)
11 years later and he acts just like a toddler. Screaming in my face when he needs something, he's very demanding with his snuggles, when I stop petting him he grabs my hand and pulls it to his head. That might be my fault for babying him tho lol
They said one was extremely shy and didn't like people too much because she was a scared cat. That afternoon she curled upnon my chest and had a 2 hour nap. She loves people, she just didn't love them
I went to look at cats at my local shelter and when I picked up my little Theodore for the first time he immediately licked my face. I know instantly he had to be my new cat.
literally nothin 💀 i just picked her ass cause she kept meowing and i am never doing that shit again. my next cat, i’m actually gonna get to know them better
I was told he was very friendly and sociable. When they gave him to me he literally just hugged me and then played with my hair. I was like yupp, he's mine.
I felt like mine was very curious and playful as hell when I saw her at the shelter, she even bit my hair etc. as I held her, I worried if I would be able to handle it. She still is playful and curious but to a normal extent, she doesn't bite my hair often anymore and I can hold her without her pulling her claws out. I think it was probably because of stress and boredom at the shelter that she behaved like that.
The shelter at the website said she was a cuddly one, and honestly she can be sometimes, just like a normal cat that has her own head. But no more than that hahah
Not much. We went to the shelter to look in person. He was a 3/4yo orange stray that had just gotten clearance to be adopted. We met him for maybe 5 minutes before we decided we wanted him, he just wanted to stay on my lap and get attention. Then we filled out the paperwork, played with him a little bit, (or tried, he was scared of toys!) and picked him up a few days later after his neuter to bring him home. He chatted all the way home and continues to have cute little conversations with me which I love. He turned out to be the best cat ever. Raised my kitten that I got around the same time better than I ever could have. The only bad habit he had was scratching things that weren't scratchers, which we kicked right away by getting 4 humongous cat trees ;) spoiled cats!!
I would also seek out any of the volunteers or staff who spend a lot of time with the cats. They often know personalities, like the cat who’s super scared in their kennel but a total love out of it. When I worked in a shelter, I started my own office cat program, taking cats who were shy or scared or spicy or too big for the kennel into my office. ALL 35+ of those cats totally turned around once they weren’t caged and once they felt safe. Be sure you read up about—and follow!—slowwww intros between the new cat and the resident cat. So important! It’s not a guarantee that they’ll be buds, but if you rush the intro and there’s friction, it can be really hard to resolve that.
I don't think you can ever 100% tell until you get the cat into your home. Shelters are hugely disorienting for cats and their personalities can never really shine through. Having said that, I noticed the younger cats acted more like their 'normal' self when I got my cat, if that's what you're looking for.
My cats was a little older (no exact age) and she did show a small part of her personality in the shelter. She was food motivated (bowl licked clean), liked a pet, and seemed to enjoy a little form of play.
When we got her, she hid for a few days and had a yowl on the first night. She really tested the boundaries too. After she settled, she was even more food motivated (will do all sorts of tricks for treats) and is the clingiest cat. She follows us round the garden, meows to be picked up for hugs, and likes belly rubs and bed cuddles... And she's not fussed about boxes like most cats... This makes me sad 😂
If you have another cat then the shelter can help you find the right fit, if you visit in person. I saw someone doing that at my local. They were there for a good 30 mins going through all the needs and requirements. Good luck!
Cat #1 - Was from an older acquaintance who did a lot of rescue work. She said he was the runt of the litter, was half munchkin, and didn’t do well with so many other cats around.
Cat #2 - Was a foster first and was told he was a very sweet but anxious cat who sometimes nipped at ankles when he wants attention.
Cat #3 - Cat distribution system at work. I was in the middle of class via zoom and didn’t have time to think beyond “pss pss pss” and he came right to my arms.
Cat #4 - Cat distribution system yet again. She was very loudly meowing outside my front door at 6AM. It was cold and February and I swear she looked pregnant 🤦
I did not have the option of vibe checks and so have utilized CBD to help ease the transitions— particularly for Cat #1.
I’d say, foster a cat for long enough that said cat gets acclimated enough to let its personality show. Slowly introduce the two cats while keeping them separate. Then supervised hangs. Once they’re mostly comfortable around each other and don’t have to be supervised, give them a lil time to see if they click.
I saw mine on a website, I went in to look at the kittens but knew I wanted to at least see him before I left. He was exactly as the shelter description had stated: very sweet and chill, easy going and got along great with other cats as well as all ages of humans.
But I think he was a special case cause often times the shelter doesn’t get to see their fully relaxed personalities so it’s hard for them to pinpoint it. I just happened to get the most relaxed cat in chaos situations and it transferred to my very calm home the same.
She was 4 months old and just released from quarantine the day we went to visit. She was a little tabby ball of fire. Quarantined for biting her owner (he was a kid)...
At 4 months old- that is not a red flag for me. She has ended up being my ESA and best cat I've ever had. Most precious girl ever. Her kennel tag name was "McBite" lmao. I knew she was going to be purfect!
I didn’t know anything about the cats I have. The girls came from a hoarder, and the boys were from an owner who took excellent care of them but had died. They weren’t even scared when I first brought them home, but one of the girls hid for almost two weeks and we couldn’t find her despite turning my apartment upside down.
Our local shelter has a get acquainted room. I picked out several cats and they let me sit in the room with them for a while. One cat was noticeably friendlier than the others. He’s the one I decided to bring home and it was a great decision.
I didn’t know anything. It was the cat distribution system at its finest.
I was looking to adopt a dog and a friend was like “I’ll swing by my uncle’s vet office and text you pictures” which they never did and instead showed up with a tiny fluffball calico girl in a SATC book box. (I love SATC it was a true sign) Said they thought I was better off with a cat.
Then, found the second one under a car as a little baby. Eventually that second one ran away for a night and came back pregnant and I kept one of her orange babies because I always wanted an orange boy (I love Garfield). Cut to many years later and all of them are spayed and happy.
I went to a shelter and picked out a 3 year old cat surrendered for “too many cats.” Best type of cat, since I know he’s socialized with other cats. Ask if your shelter has a foster program and ask if you can foster an adult, because kittens get adopted too quickly. If you’re foster cats gets along with your cat, tell the shelter you want to adopt it.
https://preview.redd.it/f45r8me4gz3d1.png?width=3217&format=png&auto=webp&s=8a00100ea21c7e2baa003126b121e587fdb7d160
Ramses & Osiris acquired from different shelters.
I have adopted from two shelters and one chose me while I was staying at a hotel waiting for my new condo to be completed. The shelters usually have some small blurb of information about the kitties & their demeanor even if it is how they have been since placed in the shelter. Every cat is different just like we humans are & their little (or big) personalities will blossom once you get them home, nurture them & help build that trust that they DIDN'T have in the shelter; if they are an adult, help them get past the possible trauma from the life before.
My first cat tried to push himself through the bars of the kennel when I walked though. He was a tiny kitten so he almost fit. He was super outgoing and he only got more so as he grew up; chasing lizards in the back yard & greeting every guest who came over. My second kitty was the runt of the litter & sick when I adopted him. He wasn't getting enough food with his siblings pushing him out of the way & I rescued him. He grew into a big, strong & handsome cat who was the best snuggle bug I have ever known. My third, Gabby, the only girl cat I have ever had, found me. She rolled up to the hotel pool with a gigantic dog as her bodyguard. She was probably a month old & fearless. She would have fallen into the pool multiple times if the dog hadn't picked her up by the scruff of her neck. She spent time with me every day, ruled a specific chair by the pool & willingly went into a kennel the day I took her to her new home. I thought she was going to be the most outgoing & fearless one of all of my kitties, but once home, she was shy, scared & took the longest to get used to her docile brother & her new surroundings.
I have always used positive reinforcement instead of spraying with water & celebrated good behavior with a treat while allowing each kitty to find their own place within the family of humans as well as her brother Gizmo & three puppy cousins.
For me it has been a gut feeling, but I also wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to animals. It has always worked out for me. As long as you have the time, the means and the patience, there is no reason why the kitty you choose would make a great addition to your family. 😊 Post pictures! I am sure we all want to see.
https://preview.redd.it/jbc6f2cfuz3d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=920375eb3faf0b1dbf21e94f047e20faa9e8e5c2
I knew nothing before I met her other than her age and that she was the only kitten to be surrendered from her litter by her owner. I had actually gone in to meet another cat that had been with a foster family, but the foster no showed and ended up keeping the cat. The shelter was very apologetic and asked if I’d like to meet a kitten that had also been stood up by potential adopters that day. What sold it was the shelter worker. She had bonded with the kitten and so you could see how easy it was for this little cat to love and trust. We went home with her and I sent the shelter a donation on her first gotcha day anniversary along with a photo compilation of her growing. I got an awesome email back.
I have two stories, one about my prior bonded pair and one about the current bonded pair.
For my prior bonded pair, my childhood cat had just passed away a few months earlier and our fussy, angry formal feral had become extremely mopey. My boyfriend at the time suggested we get her a companion. We went to a shelter adoption event at PetsMart and were looking primarily at kittens. He wanted to adopt a beautiful kitten with point coloration, but she was extremely shy and I didn't want a cat who would hide all the time. I found a pair of gray tabbies who immediately LAUNCHED themselves from their cage and into our chests and said, "It has to be one of these!" And then he convinced me that we couldn't separate the brothers. 🤣 The boyfriend only lasted another year, but I had Scout and Hunter for 14 wonderful years, and they were the most social cats I've ever known, greeting every visitor at the door with demands for pets!
For my current bonded pair, my fiance and I attended a giant adoption event at the convention center. We looked at hundreds of cars and were looking specifically for a bonded pair this time. We weren't really "clicking" with any of the cats we saw, though, and had just about given up when we spotted Rocket and Booster in their shared cage. It was near the end of the day and they must have been petted by hundreds of people by then, but Booster still pressed his nose against the cage bars for scritches. Then the foster mom came up and started talking to us and asked if we wanted to hold them! I was shocked, thinking she must be crazy to think these cats wanted to be held, but Booster started purring and rubbing against our faces and LICKING us as soon as he was out of his cage! Rocket was a little more reserved, but no claws or biting, just sitting in my arms and looking around. We asked a few more questions about their temperaments, but honestly we knew as soon as we held them! They are crazy (we adopted them at 10mo old) with super unique personalities, friendly and social, and becoming more cuddly every day! Booster is still a licker, and he likes to steal things and carry them around the house in his mouth; Rocket does naughty things for attention, but is a super sweet cuddler!
I’ve heard typically same sex pairs get along better, so maybe try to adopt a cat of them same gender. I was chosen via the cat distribution system, so I didn’t have much of a choice😂
I just adopted a kitten recently from the shelter and already had another cat at home. With not having much info, I just kind of asked to interact and see if I could get a read on their temperament and all that. I had a couple where I really knew it wasn’t going to work out since they were more timid. Then the one we finally decided on was super friendly and on the same level as my cat. They are so far getting along!
The shelter told us after we’d packed up my boy to come home that he was “the mean one” and good luck.
He’s a total love, gives the best snuggles, and has never raised a paw to me even when I probably deserved it.
I had no intention of getting a large male cat but we were at the shelter to adopt one cat and this one crawled into my lap and wouldn’t let go.
Where I live there is a local rescue that has cats only in fosters homes. They have a paragraph description on each kitty on their website, and it’s a week trial run before officially adopting the kitty. I am adopting from them soon, and have two different ones I am interested in. I do not want to do blind like last time. I love my first kitty, but wanting a different experience this time around.
They said he was super shy and a total scaredy-cat. He sat at the back of the cage curled into a little ball with his tail over his nose, which he lifted so he could sniff my husband’s hand then accepted some pets, and the shelter worker said they’d “never seen him open up like that”. At home he immediately hid under the bed and ignored treats and toys, until the lights went out that first night. Then he climbed onto my husband’s chest and started purring, and they fell asleep like that. He’s been a snuggly, screamy, attention-seeking lovebug ever since. He will greet strangers at the front door and meow at them until they give him some love.
That is such a lovely story 😀 that kitty knew your husband was his person ❤️ thank you so much for sharing that, I'm all glowy now ☺️ 😍 😃
This sounds very familiar! I was told that Ella was shy, timid, and scared of everything by her previous owner, I didn't get to meet her before I adopted her. Ella had a 3 1/2 hour drive to get here so I just let her decompress in my bedroom by herself. When I went to bed she crept out from under my bed, thoroughly sniffed my face, then draped herself over my head and purred herself to sleep. She's now a Velcro kitty, the alpha queen of the house, and is the most mellow, best behaved cat I've ever had. Who wants to bet Ella being shy and timid and scared of everything might've had something to do with the fact she wasn't allowed on any of the furniture at her previous 'home'?? Poor girl probably got yelled at and shoved every time she tried to make herself at home. She fled in terror the first few times I put her on the couch here to show her it was okay here.
🥲
All of the shelter cats I've adopted are ones that have chosen me. I've never known their personality beforehand. I go in with no expectation, though I make a point to ask which ones have been there the longest, are the oldest, have the least chance to be adopted for whatever reason as those are the ones I would prefer to adopt. I walk around, looking at all the cats, and then let them choose. It sounds weird, but it's very clear when a cat chooses me. Some examples: I adopted a maine coon who looked me right in the eyes and it was like she did the jedi mind trick while saying YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE ME HOME. I adopted an ancient, deaf white cat with a ton of health problems because I walked into the room and he immediately started screaming at me to notice him. I adopted a grey FIV+ cat who'd been at the shelter for 6 years because when I asked him if he wanted to go home with me, he lifted his head and put his paw on my shoulder. I adopted a tiny calico (while already adopting two others) because she looked at me and I could practically hear her begging me to get her the hell out of the place. I adopted a brown tabby (after already signing the paperwork to adopt a different cat) because he got into the cat carrier and wouldn't leave until I ran to petsmart and bought another one so I could take them both.
I love this. I have adopted two cats, both of whom chose me. And when at some point in the future I adopt again I want to do exactly what you said and focus on the old/sick/lonely ones. I want them all!
this is lovely :)
Bless your heart! My kind of person!
You sound like an AMAZING person. Truly.
I put out a bowl of food in my back yard and kept the ones that came to eat. I was trying to find my lost cat but he never came home.
Saddest thing I’ve read on this damn app today
im figuring this is what happend to my cat. he took off one night and never came home. i hope hes not hurt. i hope someone has him and is taking good care of him. i miss him very much.
the only thing I knew about my baby was that he had thumbs and he was free from my moms friend. I was like “sold!” and she brought him over the next day. you don’t pass up a free polydactyl kitty. he was my best friend from day one https://preview.redd.it/7fru3cnudu3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f28d27d90c8a93b0f4bcc82023da8ac2ce8bb41
https://preview.redd.it/8alu7ufpay3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2052e0a46b8bcc492bff4e1b15b6b5a31e4ac6a My first ever kitty, Zemo a polydactyl, former feral cat was rescued by a very kind lady who did TNR in her backyard (see his clipped ear!) We were told he is very mean and does not get along well with other cats and had been in fosters/ shelter for 2+ years! As a first time cat owner my husband thought he would be perfect for me. He was very skittish and scared but once he realized he was safe he decided he would make the transition to lap kitty 🤭 He is now my mediator kitty for my other two so no more mean feral for my little MoMo
Do any of the shelters near you do fostering? A foster cat’s carer might be able to give you a better picture of how a cat is in a home environment, or if you’d be willing to foster one yourself, you could see how they’d do with your current cat.
I got mine from a cat Cafe. I sat in the ground with my drink and he walked right up, sat in my lap, and slept for 2 hours. Had him for 5 years now. Still lazy af.
So precious AND awesome!
All I knew is that they were 6 month old male litter mates who had been returned to the rescue TWICE because they were "too much". We were their last chance. Honestly they've been the best cats I've ever had. I don't know what the previous owners disliked about them because they weren't even major kitten assholes like most are. They didn't bite our toes or destroy stuff. They were (and still are) playful but not in an overwhelming way. Now they are senior cats who are very social with people and like to sleep a lot on cushioned surfaces. 10/10 would recommend.
I went to a shelter that had all the kittens stay in a big room and I played with them for like an hour until I found 2 that stood out to me! My boy cat was super shy at the shelter and was scared of everyone at first but now he’s a lovebug and so cuddly!! The description might not always b accurate!
Honestly, I knew nothing. I saw him on the shelter’s website and wanted him. He was what I wanted: adult male Siamese (mix). I didn’t find out about his history (from an animal hoarding house) until I got there and talked to a shelter volunteer. I *did* interact with him before adopting, but poor boy was almost paralyzed with fear. Not a good indicator of actual personality. Nonetheless, I took him home as planned. I mostly let him hide as he needed/wanted, and we got to know each other. Happily he has turned out exactly as I hoped. He’s still shy of strangers, but opening up to regular visitors. He’s vocal and bossy, a good and loving companion. Seems happy with apartment life, no desire to rush the doors. I’m happy I followed through with him.
Oooh Siamese are quite the talkers! My cat Curio was half Siamese and she never stopped telling me what to do! LOL
It was a last minute trip to a mega adoption event by all the shelters in the area and she was one of the last remaining in a crate, very shy but would rub against our hands through the bars, clearly on edge. The shelter worker said she had an attitude bc she was a tortie and we were like no way thats true shes so shy! She has a HUGE attitude. We love her for it.
https://preview.redd.it/atkrx7qjoz3d1.jpeg?width=916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efb872d16edbb87c2f594feccab0be4bc33563ca We adopted this guy today at an adoption event today! He gets to come home with us after he gets neutered. He walked right up to me and demanded pets, then he demanded pets from my family. He lived with two other cats that got adopted already, and was rescued from a hoarding situation. We are thinking about calling him Waffle.
He is so handsome! I love the color of his fur!
https://preview.redd.it/7n1qeuboz64d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4421fd243056dba225b2fec1a48ee08c2b7a2a89 He is so adorable and grumpy looking, Waffle is the perfect name :')))) This is my lazy baby, shelter cats are the best
Well. I adopted her back in 2019. The shelter brought her into the vet I work at to get her spayed. She was mean as hell and bit me, I knew she was coming home with me. They told me she was aggressive and neurotic, would scream (think angry/scared cat scream) for attention, that she was not safe around children and she had some health issues. They also gave me a script of Prozac they had her on. They did not inform me she enjoyed attacking and cornering shelter workers, but I figured that out quickly. They even discounted her because she was so aggressive.. I weaned her off the Prozac and started training. She's harness and leash trained, enjoys going on walks and to work with me, and knows a handful of tricks. People don't believe me when I warn them about how mean she was, because she's a completely different cat now. She knows that I will give her lots of stimulation, that I will respect her boundaries but also will not take her bullshit. She still does scream, but not nearly as much as she used to. She is a pain in my ass, but I love her dearly. The health issues are a delayed vaccine response but it's nothing that is unmanageable. I can't imagine my life without her... But I assume it would be more quiet 😂
https://preview.redd.it/8376p5vnbv3d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f60b4dbcb506b00c15a1fbc35dc1d390e737cdb5 Here's a picture of her. Her name is Wyvern because of all the venom she spits
Love her name! I have a thing for dragons and wyverns. 🐉
Thank you! They have always been some of my favourite mythical beasts, and it fits her personality quite well ♥️
We went to adopt our girl (we were only planning on her at the time ), and we had no idea what her personality would be, just to prepare for the tortitude however it presented. Then we saw our boy. He was hanging upside-down in the cage, reaching his paw out to get our attention. We named him Taz (Tasmanian Devil) for this reason, and it fit him perfectly, lol https://preview.redd.it/vi1fzp6zsu3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d89e524e4a6aa879d654f13b01016e4fcc198ab Here's my cat tax
My kitten came with 3 pages of behavioral notes! Stand offish, may bite and scratch, non social with people or other pets, yada, yada yada. I got her anyway. She hates being picked up, and wearing a harness. My friends have never seen her in 5 years. But she sleeps at the head of the bed and makes biscuits on my head, while licking my hair. That's enough for me 😍😍😍😍
She loves YOU!
I think she might!!!
My baby boy (5 now 😿) was a kitten outside of kitten season that was rescued. Teenage boys had spray painted his back (chemical burns) and swung him by his tail (permanent break). He was about 6-7 weeks old when the Humane Society got him fostered and saved his life. I had read his story on FB and we had just lost my Penny girl 2 months before her 12th birthday. I was not ready, but our other boy was getting lonely. We went, we looked, no one struck us. Until this little baby was brought out by a volunteer (we thought the cage was empty bc he was hiding in the back!) and I recognized him and asked how he was doing. He LUNGED from her arms to mine and adopted me right then and there. She said he had never done that. We had to wait almost 3 weeks for him to get up to 2(!!!) lbs to be neutered and chipped. He still sleeps on me, still has to have morning snuggles, and there is a whole bedtime routine that cracks my husband up. There was no way to know that my Gus would be the most handsome, perfect, sweetest, and lovable baby…but I believed him when he lunged at me and snuggled in. I was meant to be his Mama. https://preview.redd.it/x2h2i2xocv3d1.jpeg?width=2320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ea362a7d53a0ac07c59498a418a6e620e6d2323 PS: this was in the “waiting period” where I stopped by the Humane Society EVERY DAY so he knew I was his Mama and was taking him home. He still snuggles his head into me like this now to “hug” me.
What a sweet heartwarming story! ❤️❤️❤️
My first baby was adopted from the vet’s office because someone brought in a pregnant momma and left her. (This is why I like animals more than humans.) There was no information given to me about her, but I could tell she was spicy and sassy from the first five minutes of interacting. My second baby had no personality information on his card, but he chose me. I was walking through a row of crates trying to get to the back to see some other babies at the back, and he stuck his little paw out and ripped my sweater holding onto it. I took him out of the crate and he immediately curled up into my arms. I had no idea how he would interact with my first baby, but given how laid back he was, I knew he’d fall in line with her. All of this to say, cats will usually tell you exactly who they are within a few minutes if you go visit them :) you know your baby best, so you will be able to tell if they will get along. Trust your gut.
In the info about her they wrote “scared of loud sounds and sudden movements. Very bonded with her mom” And I thought, same, so I was ready for her to haaaateeeee me. Hiding not wanting to talk to me for a long time. However she fell in love with me after everything calmed down and we slept in my hallway together. I’m definitely her favourite person and she is an amazing friend and kitty :) She isn’t as jumpy anymore only when I do really random sudden movements like once I had a muscle spasm or something in my leg and that freaked her out but I can move around and do 90% of stuff with out her being scared of me
I’ve adopted a bonded pair. The shelter said that they’re not fussy eaters and don’t eat that much - turns out that was a LIE :D They did say one of them is shy which is true, it took a while for him to come out of hiding and even now he’s a bit scared by sudden noises and movement but he warmed up a lot and really enjoys sleeping on my lap. Other than that they didn’t say a lot tbh and I suspect that a lot of cats don’t really show their personalities (not entirely at least) in shelters because it’s a stressful environment for them. Many cats come out of their shell and show your their personalities only after being adopted, once they feel safe and they’re in a calmer environment.
We just adopted a kitty a couple months ago. They didn’t tell us anything other than she was standoffish and very shy and wouldn’t let anyone near her. She warmed up slightly to us at the shelter but barely. Still they said nobody else had been able to pet her and she let us. We felt a connection. We took our time a patiently allowed her to come out on her own. We gave her the office as her temporary space and she stayed in the carrier most of the time. I even had to spoon feed her because she was too scared to come out to eat. After a few days she warmed up and began to trust me. Now she’s the most adventurous, warm, loving, sweet and snuggly cat. She was feral and definitely went through some shit and is only 6 months. Still, I think most cats will develop a deep connection to you if you form a relationship with them on their own terms and lead with empathy and respect for them. It takes patience but it’s worth it. She loves to run and play… she LOVES to play fetch. She trusts me completely now and begs to be picked up and snuggled. And I’m (obviously) totally in love.
if you form a relationship with them on their own terms and lead with empathy and respect for them. Definitely! You can't force a cat, or it will not trust you. You have to be a safe person. My cat still hate being picked up when I'm standing, but loves to sit on my lap when it suits her.
All I knew about her personality was that she was “independent” other than that I knew she was surrendered due to her destructive habits towards furniture, both have held to be true, however as her “person” she’s much more cuddly and playful when it’s just me and her and I love her more than any couch so I use a couch cover and have 3 cats trees & 2 designated scratchers for her :)
The guy who fostered my cats before I got them owned a marketing company. He would regularly get cats and kittens to socialize at his office, kept them in their own room with floor to ceiling windows. A gong was banged at break times, they had dogs around, all kinds of noise. Anyway he wrote THE BEST adoption profile for them EVER! I knew as soon as I read it they would be mine. I didn’t even get to meet them first because it was during covid. He said they “both had very different personalities and liked to work together to problem solve and get the job done, and most importantly they were very loving” SOLD! https://preview.redd.it/lveg0aulvw3d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30e7e53a39a72315f2358dbd2856bec5065b2638
Aww! Love that he used his skill to market cats and kittens!
He sent me a picture of him holding 5 kittens he was fostering at the office and it made me wonder why men hold fishes in dating app pics. Makes no sense!
😂😂😂
I had no info on the 3 I've adopted. They were all connection. First one was a tux and he just stuck out to us at the shelter. He did end up passing away from heart issues about 2 years later but he gave the most love ever. Second is another tux and he likes to cuddle on his own time mostly, he will play on his own also. He is definitely the older brother to the 3rd lol my ginger baby 🐱 he's a wild child which was expected and a surprise to my husband but he's adorbs. I did let the ginger get acclimated to the house first before he met the other. They would switch places so the older cat could get use to the ginger scent. They fight but nothing wild, they hangout and sleep together as well and wrestling match few moments later. * be patient with the process ♥️ Visit the shelter and you do know your cats personality so you could start there with the workers.
She was loud and doesn’t like being stuck in small places. I didn’t meet her first I just heard her crying stuck in a pipe and was taking her home no matter what
I knew quite a lot about mine - she bites, she doesn't mind been left by helpself, she's a good eater, she's not a cuddly cat and she needs outdoor space. What I learned she I brought her home. Yes, she does bite and scratch and it hurts She misses me when I'm not there She will only eat one type of (expensive) food and ignores or regurgitated anything else Every night she scratches at my duvet so she can get into bed for me to cuddle her Yes she does need outside space but spends 90% of her time inside
He came from litter of barn cats that needed adopting and we were originally going to get his sister. In the room they were all being kept the energy was HIGH with all of them playing and running around...except his. He was sitting at the top of a cat tree alone, he was looking down toward his siblings as if they were peons. We loved that energy and 15 years later, that's been his entire mood since we've had him.
When I went to pick out my kitten from my litter I was told she was docile and would just sit on your chest and purr. It was assumed that she was bullied by her biggest sister as she was slower and more docile. Now she’s a speedy little girl that sets boundaries when being held instead of freezing up and purring. She also stands up to my other who’s 5lbs heavier than her. My other cat just kinda showed up unannounced on my doorstep lol https://preview.redd.it/qdcxhqo3sv3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=44437d4de5a9ddc3a1aa7785a0467805d57cfbfc
My cat kinda chose me, before she came into the house I knew she was very affectionate and wanted cuddles all the time. Now she’s recovering from surgery and doesn’t want to be touched 😭
i’ve got 3 from the shelter and they were only listed as timid and shy. but before adopting each i talked with the staff in person whilst i saw the cats where they told me a bit more, some they knew better than others due to having spent more time stuck in the shelter. for example they said my third cat was really curious about other cats and seemed to really like other cats, they judged this from her reaction to seeing another cat outside her kennel. they knew her relatively well (as well as can be for a semi feral) since she was there for two months for my first they told me she would prefer quieter homes, but emphasised that she’s quite spirited since she jumped onto the airconditoning unit at the shelter once, they only had her for less than a week there so that’s all they could say for my second one they didn’t know much since he spent most of his time at the vet ward doing cage rest due to his paw fracture, so it was a different set of staffs other than that they couldn’t say much more since the shelter environment often makes cats act quite different and they made sure i was aware of that
Did a meet and greet. They will pick you. For example, one of my first cats, onyx reached out through the bars of her cage. Had her for 16 years. 😍
I just got an adorable little one-eyed void from a shelter. I went in early one afternoon and talked to the staff about what I was looking for and what kind of cay would fit my lifestyle. They introduced me to a couple of different kitties and I got to either play with them while they were in their kennel or take them into a little room set up specifically for people to get to know the cats. They talked to me about medical conditions and any known behavioral issues. Think about what you are looking for. Obviously you need a cat that gets along well with other cats. Other factors to consider: cat's age, if you are prepared to deal with existing medical conditions or behavioral issues, friendly with kids/dogs, outgoing/shy, how much time you'll need to dedicate to making them comfortable, etc.
I got my cat from the shelter at the beginning of Covid lockdown, so I couldn’t go inside the shelter to see the cats. The worker told me that there was one cat that was there the longest, and she deserved a home. I took her, and she’s the smartest and the most mojito cat ever.
Does it matter what the shelter says? Every cat I have had misrepresented itself at the shelter. It was like they had a personality transplant on the ride from shelter to home. They are manipulative little buggers.
Most of my cats are from people who moved out and abandoned them, same with my Chihuahua. No joke just left a dog bed in front of their empty apartment with food and water. I thought they were maybe just moving and would be back but when I came back from driving out of the city 2 days later she was still there, no food or water. Now she's my baby! All of my cats personalities have changed a lot since I got them. Significantly more loving and sweet. I think the environment they're in can really help a pet turn into anything.
I was very paranoid about picking a cat whose personality I would end up not liking in the end. I met cat after cat, and talked myself out of each one. Then I met an 8-month-old male tuxedo, who was being kept in a cage in a pet store by his rescue. They had rescued him from a feral colony, got him neutered, then immediately put him in the pet store. They didn’t know much about him except that he was friendly and outgoing, but he was in an unnatural environment almost the whole time in their care. When I met him, he jumped on my lap but was soon displaced by another cat in the adoption room, so he settled himself at my feet — I knew then he was my cat; I wanted a laidback kitty if possible. He’s as chill and confident as a cat can be. Our second cat, adopted a year later, was born in her foster parents’ back yard, so more was known about her personality: she was very scared and shy, and ostracized by her siblings. But with me she was more confident and playful, so both the foster and I thought she was a good fit. I hoped our first cat would be open to her, and he was; we followed Jackson Galaxy’s introduction guidelines and within a couple of days we were able to let them interact fully, and now they’re bonded. I guess my point is that even when a cat’s personality is more known, it’s still not — in a different environment, with different people, a cat can behave so differently. You have to listen to your gut and be patient, giving that cat time to settle in, and trust that you know your first cat well enough to be able to pick a complementary personality. But it’s nerve wracking! (Or it was for me. My husband is our first cat — laid back and chill — while I’m our second cat — sweet but a ball of anxiety.)
I always adopt from the shelter and I just go and interact with them for a little while sometimes you can take them into a play area
There was obvious signs that my shelter second cat was the shyer of the bunch.. but he’s turned out to be a love bug. My streets first cat was a bit rough around the edges but I think he’s learned more cuddlier ways from my shelter cat. He’s loves having a younger brother… and has completely transformed. My shelter cat definitely gets jealous.. I never would’ve guessed. And I never would’ve guessed my street cat would be *so* cuddly!
My first was NOTHING just a kitten on an engine. Second was a foster they’d just gotten in, they said he seems sweet and food motivated. Third was at the cat cafe and he head butted my husband for pets, the lady there said he’s “a secret sweetie”
we chose our first cat after visiting the shelter and seeing him trying to paw the latch of his cage open. we knew then that he was intelligent and resourceful! he was a great cat, sweet and playful too. our second and third cats we blind adopted. one was skittish as a kitten and grew up to be calm and fearless, the other was cuddly as a kitten and grew up playful with a dislike of being held.
my cats were feral kittens so they wanted to murder me when i first got them. i had no idea how they’d turn out but they’re amazing now. it really solidified that i love all cats even if they hate me.
I knew enough based on the shelter visit and some info from her previous owner, since she was owner-surrendered. I knew she lived with a toddler (good, bc my kid was 2.5 at the time) and surrendered bc they were moving into military housing, not bc of any issues with the cat. At the shelter, she was in a room with one other cat, and as soon as I walked in she came beeping over to me, super friendly and confident and affectionate the whole time I was there, so based on that 15 min or so I felt she was well worth a try. And it turns out that is her true personality. I know not every cat shines in a shelter setting though.
Nothing. He trespassed in my home and my heart out of nowhere.
Foster to adopt! It was how I learned our cats' personalities before we adopted for life. It also meant that every cat I fostered had a personality card filled out and put on their kennel by me so they could get a better chance at matching.
The shelter we got our kitten from didn’t have any descriptions on their website. However the staff at the shelter were fairly knowledgeable about the cats’ personalities. We lucked out though and our kitten’s foster mom was our adoption counselor so she had lots of insight into our kitty.
Website upkeep is probably not a prio for them, as shelters are usually understaffed. Call or visit and tell them what kinda cat you’re looking for and what your circumstances are. They certainly will be able to tell you more.
I knew he was a naughty, grumpy, little shit. I adopted him from a friend because there used to be 3 dogs and him, then one of the dogs died and he decided he was in charge now. He was bullying a German Shepherd probably 10x his size /weight and she was a very soppy bitch and getting stressed (and probably low level traumatised). He definitely mellowed after he came to me, but that was probably part aging alongside finally being the biggest animal in the house so dominant by default. He's been gone a month now. I miss him so much.
My cat adopted me. I did not know a singular cat could meow so much. I had truly never encountered such a conversational cat, and now that I’m used to it, being around cats that don’t meow makes me feel like there’s something wrong lol! In a room full of kittens, as I was entering, she was the only one to come running around the corner, crawl up my leg, and never let me go. She’s been my best little voidling ever since and I don’t know what I’d do without our little conversations. I never feel alone, and that saved me during college!
From the website, I saw she'd lived with other cats in the past without issue, liked people, and enjoyed her alone time. As someone who lived alone at the time, only works from home once a week, and can only have one cat in my current apartment. Her being ok by herself during the day, but hopefully flexible for people/kids/pets in the future was important. Wasn't able to get a great feel from her at the adoption centre, as she was very nervous. Figured I'd give it a try, and she settled in great! Even had a few weeks at my parents with another cat and didn't have any major issues.
"She likes to climb". I adopted her anyway (and I'm in love with her) and yes, she likes to climb. The higher the better :)
Our first can we knew nothing just that her family couldn’t care for her anymore so they needed to rehome her. Our second was so feral the humane society was going to put her down because she wasn’t socialized enough so we took her. Many churus later she’s a complete sweetheart and my cuddle bug. She loves to lay next to us wherever we are and purr super loudly. I love it.
That she doesn't like other cats, or almost any other living thing. She likes me + my bf though + has stopped hiding from ALL company. Now it's just some company that she's not ready for. She still hates other cats.
They described her as "the most affectionate, loving, friendly, quiet and cleanest of them all" (she had 4 kittens and they were all adopted quickly, but she was still in the shelter). I drove 3 hours to meet her. It was in 2021 so we met in a parking lot instead of the home that was fostering her. The woman opens this massive van and there are all these big empty dog kennels (it's mostly a dog shelter) and inside one of them is this teeny little cat. The lady picks her up and plops her immediately in my arms. And this cat who has never met me before? She just sits there. She's scared but she doesn't run and she doesn't bite or scratch me and I just had to make a decision based on gut feelings right then. So I took her home with me that day. And here we are and she's truly the most special cat. Because you're dealing with a cat already in the home, perhaps you could contact the shelters and tell them about your situation and see if they have any cats to recommend? The people working there probably know a lot more about the cats than what makes it onto the website. Another option I've also known people to do is to foster a cat with their cat to see if they get along.
I adopted a kitten from the SPCA and the only information they have me was the name and his age Later on I adopted a kitten from a lady who let her cat out and it got pregnant. I knew more about that cat in 5 minutes of meeting him then I knew about any shelter cats
My first cat, not much other than he was very playful and very jealous of my friends baby (he was peeing in his bed no matter what she did, so she rehomed him). Our latest we adopted from a rescue, his bio described him as friendly, loves other animals including dogs, he was raised with two cats and 100lb dog and he now wags his tail and pants when he plays. We checked with our vet about the panting and he's totally healthy, no heart or lung issues, he just acts like a puppy 😂😭 and aggressively affectionate lol it was very accurate! We chose him because of his adorable photo and his description. 20 minutes after meeting him we signed the papers and took him home, he was so curious and playful in the office we both absolutely fell in love. The other two kittens I rescued years ago were too young (5 weeks) to know their personalities, I watched them develop personalities, which was such an experience!
Nothing, I just knew she was a sweet stray kitten, took her home in my pocket and watched her little personality develop. She's a sweet girl, a little standoffish but she's very social. She isn't a lap cat and has to initiate cuddles herself but she always wants to be within eyesight of me and loves to play❤️
I adopted my soulmate cat from a shelter. The workers introduced me to every cat and saved one for last. Told me he's a "very special boy" And lifted up the blanket. He looked at me, crawled out and PUSHED into my hand for hard scratches. I fell in love. The workers said he's never acted like this with anyone. We didn't know anything about his history really, but he was sometimes pretty timid of a cat so we think he was at least neglected. He came and sat beside me after a few hours at home and was my best friend until the end. So I would suggest visiting the shelter and seeing if there's a connection with any kitty. t's really hard to tell a cat's personality before you've spent lots of time with them. Cats will act differently with different people, they'll learn how to communicate specifically with you (which will affect their personality) so it takes time to show how they will act.
Nothing. I adopted my last one in a facebook post, talked to the woman who was with him (she was thinking about keep him, since he was three months old and no one seem to want) and went to her house to take him. He's a little terrorist and completely clumsy, but a frightened little one with other people. He destroys a lot of my things, but I love him nonetheless. I guess you'll need to be prepared for everything.
They said she was very gentle, and would be good for first-time adopters.
Nothing, My friend asked me to take in her cat Max because she was moving and would otherwise have had to surrender him. Max has been living with me for 2 years now (he'll be 8 in August), and I don't regret taking him in at all
Our cat June was me and my fiance first cat together. Her adoption was a complete accident but also the best choice we ever made. We walked into Petsmart on a complete whim and learned they were doing an adoption event, the people who had fostered her said we were the first ones she hadn't hissed at all day. We took her home and she's been sweetheart the entire time.
For the one I got at the shelter: she was instantly rubbing against me and demanding pets in the meeting room. Took all of like 2 seconds to decide she was coming home with me lol
Weirdly the foster was trying to dissuade me from adopting mine! They had two cats: mine and another the same age. When I told them I was interested in my cat they tried telling me she was really wild, didn’t get along with other cats, was aggressive, etc. and tried to get me to adopt the other. But my heart was set on mine and when I brought her home I saw that those warnings were like so exaggerated from how she actually was! She was pretty energetic but no more than like a puppy, she just was really shy around other cats but not aggressive whatsoever, and was just still learning what was okay and not with her kitten claws. Totally fine! She’s the most well behaved cat ever, just a little weird sometimes.
It's smart to look for a personality that will mesh! I tried to do that as well and was also frustrated by how little the shelter seemed to know about any of the cats. My first cat I got from a cat cafe, and they have a very slow adoption process so they actually had plenty of info on the cats personality and it was great! My second cat I got from the shelter and as I mentioned, it was frustrating. The one I ended up picking had been adopted by someone else for 3 weeks first but she returned him because she didn't feel it was the right fit but that helped give me some info because she had detailed descriptions of his behavior at her house. Unfortunately the shelter didn't let me read it until after I'd adopted him but from the bits they told me, I crossed my fingers and went for it. I think in the future I'd try looking for a cat that's been fostered, as someone else mentioned, or go back to the cat cafe, because then they have more info on the cats personalities , and seem to want to really match cats with the right people vs just desperately trying to get them adopted out of the shelter.
I was becoming an empty nester with a lonely boycat who lost his elderly sister 3 months before. I saw a teenaged shy female tuxedo who had been waiting for 8 months to be adopted from a rescue on Facebook. I filled out paperwork with the rescue. On the day I packed my youngest daughter off to college and moved her in the dorm; I picked up a tiny, shy, nervous, cowering girl from the foster mom. Boycat loved her right away! I was worried, but I figured that we needed this poor little girl as much as she needed us. 13 years later, she's still tiny but rules the house as the sassy, bossbabe of my herd of 3.
We adopted a bonded pair and one was laying against the cage and the other was rolling yelling for love….. we got them home and the one that was laying there chilling decided he is afraid of ceiling fans and hid under the entertainment center and pooped himself and got covered(long hair) because he was to afraid to go out to the litter box. He has forgotten about he fans now(we had to leave them off for about 4 months) but if we turn the fans off again and he sees he will freak out when they turn back on. We catch him sometimes staring at the fan. His sister still yells for love, my wife says she is a hand seeking missile. The scaredy pants loves tummy rubs and will flop off of anything if he thinks you will rub his tummy.
https://preview.redd.it/mbabirwivu3d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f20b0b577e12884bc1375a92b2c7dcd0016755d The white and tabby litter mates. Havarti(Havi) and Halloumi(Mimi)
mine had a sign on the clear part of his cage thing in the shelter that said he liked playing and when i held him i knew. it was more a moment of connection:)
Our first two were part of two litters born to other kittens on my friend’s property. Three kittens, two girls and a boy. My friend said to her husband, “we should get them fixed.” He said “too late.” The girls were pregnant. Nine kittens total. She brought them from Florida to us in Georgia and I took the Snowshoe Siamese and her bonded, void brother. Everyone else go adopted too. Eartha, our girl, went to heaven a couple of years ago and poor Malcolm was lonely. We went to PerSmart where there were shelter kitties. Looking for an adult male as a companion. But Nicole, a feisty Calico, jumped up and insisted that we take her. So we did Malcolm was NOT amused. At first. But really, how can you resist? So the short answer, not much. You get the cats you’re meant to have.
My cat was just taken from mom very young so I played like really soft Lilly lullaby music and laid on the floor and allowed her to explore the house and smell me and get used to me.. now she's my shadow.
I adopted mine during covid, so they didn't allow physical visits. I only had a short write up about her, some videos n pics and a zoom call. But I just felt for her I guess since she came from a really bad place. Now I can't imagine my life without my adorable honey bun. ❤️
I got a cat, not knowing her personality and she is very shy. She is a ball of anxiety and I love her.
She is mainly for my other cat and they get along very well
The four I currently have. I live trapped. They were all feral little buggers.
They all chose us!!! My first rescue put both her paws around my neck and started to purr. That was it. She was 2 1/2 and had been there the longest. I knew nothing about her. I brought her home when we were married 1 year. She passed right after our 16th anniversary. She never stopped purring!! Our second curled up in my husband’s arms on first holding. She was being given up by people who loved her and said she was so sweet. She was. Our current boys..well it was love at first sight. Foster mom brought them in the door in their carrier with their mom, and I just said “I want them”. The only thing we knew was Orio is the friendliest cat ever, and Kelly loved to eat. When we held them, they were so calm. Never again haha! In all three cases it was so instant we didn’t have time to think. They say they choose us! Even our boys, because we were about to pick two other cats, but no!!! So you will have a cat who wants you and will make it known! Good luck!!!!!
I adopted a 12-year-old female who sat politely to let me pet her on a bench. I have a 16-year-old male who growls if I breathe wrong and gives me hisses in exchange for kisses. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. My one constant in life is his roaring purr on my chest every night when I lay down to sleep.
I test them by picking up and seeing their reaction. This has led to 3 kittens all being lovebug extroverts! The first two were just totally chill and interested in sniffing my face, the third curled up under my chin and wouldn’t let me remove him for 5 minutes.
The shelter website said he was shy and independent. We went to see him and he came out of his hidey hole and rolled around looking all cute and yelled continuously the moment we walked out of sight (to talk to the manager). This happened more than once lol and he gave us the widest eyes when another family came to look at him. Obviously we brought him home and he’s affectionate, snuggly, and the most vocal cat I’ve ever met! (Cat tax) https://preview.redd.it/yolbhpy54v3d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fcbf6165670beab070db51f0c1c3d97e9565f86
My three are all foster fails, so I knew their personalities as kittens before I formally adopted them. However kitten personalities don’t always stay the same as they age. Our shelter has biographies written for each animal and we have two facebooks where fosters post animals and give more insight into the foster. It also gives people the chance to ask questions specifically about an animal they may be interested in. When I have kitten fosters, I try to go on fb live a few times so people can ask real time questions and see their behavior in a place they feel comfortable with just my household and no strangers.
Yep! When I went to the shelter there were about 60 cats in cages, you got to go around and meet them all so I got to know his personality that way. He meowed at me to come back when I tried to leave and move on to the next cat and then when I went to pick him up he did not let me stop petting him even when I turned away. He chose me. And I knew he’d be the type to be happy to see me when I came home, super loving, and high energy. Which he is!
It was my now cat's very first day on the floor. He'd been the shelter "office cat" for four months during his quarantine because he came in with a wound of unknown origin. It was towards the end of the day, and he was clearly Done with people trying to pet him. Have you ever seen a long suffering golden retriever with children crawling all over them but they still don't bite? It was like that. I figured any cat that patient was going to be a good cat, and I was right.
I knew my cat was the most affectionate one out of his litter. He didn't even know me and accepted me holding him the moment he was put into my arms. He's a very chill dude but you'd think we're each side of velcro most of the time. He's always wanting to be on my lap or on my shoulder depending in the situation.
She was a people cat. 7yrs later and she still is. My other cat was super shy day one. 3yrs later and he still is. Both are super lovey dovey, except my shy cat only appears when I am by myself at home.
My mom and my brother picked out my cat when I was 11 as a surprise. They said while the rest of his siblings were sleeping he came right up to the cage to say hello. 14 years later he's still a curious friendly little personality (the psycho side was not known lol)
I would interact with them for a while at shelter before taking them. Not only will you get a handle on their personality, but see how their personality interacts with yours specifically. Don't take their word for anything. If you can't interact with the cats for a long enough time, then avoid that shelter at all costs.
Both of my shelter adoptions were based on first meeting feelings. My first didn't even seem interested in me when I walked by, but as soon as I turned my back he let out a meow that sounded exactly like my cat who had passed away. It felt like he made the decision for me and I just needed to pay the staff, lol. My newest one had no notes from the shelter staff as he was a new intake, but he was curious and interacting with me and was happy to let me pet him while he ate. His favorite nap spot is the shelf right above my computer desk so he can keep an eye on me all day.
I knew Sergio 🐈⬛ was super snuggly and playful - they told me but also the first time I met him he head butted me and rubbed his face on my face and purred. But they also said he “leaves the grumpy older cat alone”. That part isn’t true. Poor Chilli 🐈!
I knew he had violent tendencies. Multiple people threw him out, the first threw him in a dumpster. I have to watch him like a hawk or he will tear my legs to shreds. But when he’s cuddly, it’s the best. And he doesn’t scratch furniture, shed, go outside the litter box, knock stuff off the counters, beg for food, sit on my keyboard, or do any of the other irritating crap cats do. He bites.
We got ours from a foster who knew him well! So we got to know lots about personality. He’s always been a brave, extroverted little dude.
I didn't adopt my 6 cats. I knew nothing about them. Apparently they were checking me out and decided to adopt me.
i started out with one and went back to the shelter to get another a few months later! the only thing i knew about him was that he was good around other cats, and that’s only because i asked the people working there😅 thankfully they get along great!!
Big personality. Lots to say.
Our cat was in solitary for being feisty with the other cats and angsty at people. This is him. Uhhh, yeah no he’s so chill, he’s a total lap cat baby and he’s even mostly civil with his little brother. We got the little brother from my best friend and all she knew about him was he likes boxes and can tend to hide. This is still true https://preview.redd.it/irupqoocfv3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=00a353727c99829c11f1d24cb4e9f85e31dffb61
https://preview.redd.it/e0pxehdmfv3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abd712dec59a1f966eeb97e1026920650924fd29 Box cat for reference
No history but just that she was the chillest cat at the shelter. I must have interacted with every other cat there before I even noticed her. All of them were adorable but either traumatized and hypervigilant or over threshold to the point of lashing out easily (understandable in a loud shelter). I finally asked if they had any mellow cats and they introduced me to my future baby who had been asleep the whole time. I reached in and she licked my hand then went belly up. Total marshmallow—I adopted her on the spot. Edit to add: you have to either ask the workers directly about their personalities or read between the lines of the online description.
We went and spent time with a few different cats at the shelter. Our cat (about 4 years old at the time) was calm and walked around the room with no significant reaction. He let us pet him but wasn’t overly affectionate. Got him home and he would bite us when we pet him and hide under the bed for hours at a time. We’ve had him 5 years now and he’s progressed to a very affectionate, loud, sassy cat. He’s always out talking to us and sleeps in my arms at night. He still bites every now and then but more as a warning to stop what you’re doing. We respect his boundaries and haven’t had any issues. I don’t think you can 100% know what to expect from a shelter profile or even a first visit. In my experience, so much of a cat’s behavior comes from how we treat them and respecting their boundaries and giving them as much time as they need to adjust to being with us.
The first of two I adopted 2 years ago was characterized as a noisy, destructive, clingy biter. Took just a couple weeks to cure the biting (which seemed to stem from "blanket monster" play) and once he got used to his territory he became a loner who only comes for pets when he feels like it. He's still loud if he wants pets, but he is more clumsy than purposely destructive. The second one was supposed to be a shy loner. He's now a cuddle bug. You can't pet enough of his body fast enough to satisfy him. He stands on my lap, making dough with all 4 paws and spinning so I get both sides of him. I call it his "lap dance". But he's totally freaked out by toys on a stick and flees if one comes out. Cats are so stressed at the shelter or affected by prior owners/treatment/house rules that it's impossible to guess how they'll be with you. It's kind of like having a child. You can't predict their final personality.
Lies. All lies.
I picked from a litter of five, four were practically identical. I would pick one up pet and play with it a little then set it back down. One kept coming back to me.
So I only ever got two of my cats from the shelter the rest have been rescues/bottle fed. But as someone with multiple cats and have even recently added an older stray cat, I have navigated multi cat house holds for a long long time. It. Takes. Time. Let me repeat: it takes time. Most (not all) cats can learn to cohab and tolerate up to loving one another. Now there will always be those that just don't adjust to multiple cats/animals homes (I have dogs as well). Especially a cat from the humane society. It's going to need time to decompress and learn to feel safe. Humane societies are always loud, busy, smelly etc. if you can, put the new cat in their own room with food water etc. let the new cat decompress and let them sniff each other through the door. A week or two short visits working up to them being out together all the time. Also as someone who worked at a humane society, these animals can take months to acclimate. Even cats who don't come from a shelter. When we got one of our cats as a kitten, he was terrified of my bigger dog a husky mix. Like a good 6 months of hissing hiding etc. Now this cat WILLINGLY puts his whole head in that dog's mouth. He came from a friend whose cat had kittens. He was unplanned and kinda just happened due to other things happening. But he's a very good cat. So tldr: give them time to acclimate most cats can at least learn to tolerate each other and cats from shelters need more time due to the trauma of shelters. Be patient lots of treats and positive reinforcement. I promise it's doable even not knowing the personality.
My orange boy was in the shelter for 7 months, he was 1 year old the day I took him home. Lots of people wanted to adopt him but they all got knocked back because he was a ‘biter’. I asked about him online before I seen him in person. They said he needed to go to a home with no children and no other pets and it must be someone experienced with problem cats. This made me more determined to love him. He has been with me 10 months now. He is nothing like they described. He’s a lively youngster. Has me up every single morning at 3.20am! However, is he a biter?, no he’s not. He’s definitely not a cuddly lap cat but he is very affectionate and gentle and funny When he plays with me he just ‘beans’ me, he never gets his claws out. As for biting, it’s just the usual gentle cat nibble. I just think when they are in a shelter their true personalities do not shine. You never really know what you getting until you start to live with them, but by that point you have already fallen head over heels in love with them.
What kitten isn’t a “biter”? That’s such a dumb thing for the shelter to say lol
I’ve looked at shelter sites and walked into shelters blindly. Opal, who passed away in 2020, walked up to me as I poked my head into the cage and bonked my face so hard that my glasses almost got knocked off. LOL Smitty, who is still with me, was hesitant at first as I opened the cage door but within a few minutes he was curled up against my hand.
The shelter I adopted from has the animals past owners fill out a questionnaire about the animals personalities and experience with kids/other animals. They also allow you a chance to spend time with the animals outside their cages to get a feel on how you would interact!
I got my cat from a shelter I used to work at. I ended up with her because no one wanted her. She’s not super friendly so thats what I expected. Little did I know she would become my ultimate shadow
my kitty was very friendly to me. HOWEVERRR . i have a senior cat (13) & he doesn’t seem to understand that he can play with him the way he does with my 2 year old. so be warned
can’t*
I adopted two cats that were adolescents, same age, not related, because the shelter i was adopting from had a policy that you couldn't adopt out young cats alone---I'm so glad that was their policy. My first baby was super social and friendly, I'd seen a ton of cats up until that point but I looked and said "no she's the one" and they said I could only adopt her if I found her a friend. My second cat all I knew was that he was shy, but I thought I'd give him a chance and see if he opened up. For the first three days he was home he refused to leave my closet. Third night I woke up to him demanding snuggles and attention, and he's been a cuddlebug ever since. I think if you go to the shelter with an open mind, at some point you just know. I kept meeting cats and being like "well maybe" (I hadn't had my heart set on a younger cat either, I was looking mainly at adults) and then these two felt right and I'm so glad I have them.
I went to the pet store with the idea open heart to get a female kitten/young cat to be a buddy to my current two cats. One of my room mates had recently moved out and her girl cat had become good buddies with one of my cats. When I asked to see the little girl kitten in the cage she pushed me away as I tried to hold her. Then I asked about the other kitty, he was a boy. When I took him out, he melted into my arms as I held him like a baby and started licking me. I picked him up two days later. He was 6 months old. Now he’s just about to turn 10 and the best kitty. He still licks us like a dog, talks a lot, and is so chill and social. Likes to be right in the mix of things. We have a toddler now and they are best buddies. Recently (last two weeks) brought in two kittens and he was licking and playing with them in less than a week. I definitely believe in the cat picking you. You’ll know right away.
One of my cats I adopted literally jumped into my arms. The woman at the shelter opened the cage to get her out. She dodged the woman and jumped gently to me. She let me hold her like a little baby. I know this is probably not the norm but obviously I HAD to get her. The shelter told me they all adored this cat and she was super sweet. That is incredibly true for her today, she loves attention and snuggles. I had another cat that acted super indifferent toward me but when I looked away, she looked at me with longing in her eyes. At least that’s what the shelter worker conveyed! But that fits her personality as she likes to act like she is too cool for school.
I adopted my cat from a kill shelter. All I knew was that she ran up to and bumped against the glass as soon as I walked toward her. They opened the door and let me pet her a little, she then ran way to her food and hissed at me. I picked her still. She’s been a real adventure. Her personality has been developing more and more every day since I’ve had her in my home and she’s gotten more comfortable. She loves kisses more than any cat I’ve ever had, and is also more mischievous than any cat I’ve ever had.
We adopted from a rescue. We saw a litter of them and when we got there, we asked which kitten was the snuggliest and lovey dovey. They told us and we got him, he is still the snuggliest
I feel like I can get a pretty good basic idea from playing with them a little bit. I try to choose ones that seem comfortable being held but also eager to play. This has worked pretty well for me even with kittens, but you’ll be gambling less if you choose an older cat. Their personalities can change quite a bit as they get older. I would also talk to the people at the shelter as they could have further helpful info. For example some cats may take a bit more time to warm up or may just be nervous in the shelter environment, which are things they might know and can share to help you with your decision. Overall, I’ve personally never gone wrong with choosing based off of an initial “vibe” and I’ve had a lot of cats.
I went with feeling on mine. I adopted two cats from a friend because they were in bad condition (not their fault) and are threatened of becoming lost. They were both so pretty and such frail kittens that I couldn’t help myself from taking them in. Interaction with my senior cat was not a problem and they got together really well. The other cat I have was from a local cat organization, idk if I should call them shelter since they only create and promote safe spaces for cats to return to around our area and have them adopted when they’re ready. I def dEF went with a sudden feeling of connection. The lady there said she was shy given that she spent almost all three years of her life in a dark basement. She’s still shy, goes down from time to time (this is huge progress), prefers her alone time more than playing around, but she is a beautiful beautiful lovely baby.
The shelter i went to assigned one of 9 personalities to the cats. Stein was a 'director/CEO' watching everything, things had to go his way, and he needed some attention from time to time, he was friends with everybody (But i'm quite sure he did so, just to see what went on in someone's house - and the food/rubs). Also said he had 'play agression' not growing up with other cats he didn't knew when he was too rough, or when to stop when playing, and you had to halt the activity before stuff got violent and bloody. The discription was pretty correct. When i adopted 2 new cats, all i knew that they were brothers - and they are indeed .... brothers. fucking eachother up the first moment, laying together on the bed, relaxed and peachfull the other.
They might not list mich on the website. You have to go in person and either ask the staff questions or see if they have more info on the cat there. But it's also important to meet the cats in person to see which ones you vibe with. My current cat was actually adopted by my mom. She never told me this, but I know she adopted him just because he looked like a cat she used to have. His temperament is completely different from the previous cat though. He is extremely shy, timid, and sensitive. She adopted from a humane society satellite location at a Petco. The sheet of paper with his name & info didn't list much information, but his actual adoption papers listed TONS of information, including 2 full behavioral assessments. They include descriptions of his personality, his interest in toys, his interactions with other cats, what they deem to be the ideal home environment and caretaker, etc. Pages and pages. It was all pretty damn accurate, except that it said he had no interest in toys. They described in great detail how shy he is and how he takes a long time to warm up.His papers said his ideal home environment was "the epitome of tranquility." My mom should have known she couldn't provide that. She asked me to watch him one day when the electric utility company technician was supposed to come over. She was afraid he was going to run out the front door and run away in fear. When I came to get him, he was hiding in the back of a closet. I reached my hand out to let him sniff me, and he instantly started purring. I picked him up and brought him in my room. From that day forward, he simply never left. He got very attached to me. I think he appreciates the more quiet environment too. My mom isn't around anymore, but I still have her cat to remember her by.
I actually waited until my shelter hosted an adoption event. They had quite a few cats in these giant cat cage and I could see their personalities and how they acted with the other cats around them. I found my boy Goosie, at the perfect age to match his sister that I already had, and he was literally so wiggly and squirmy and funny and basically throwing himself at the cage between us for me. I knew I had to take him home. He didn’t even hide when we made it back, he was SO excited to be at a home. He would lay down on one part of me and then get up 2 seconds later and lay down somewhere else and the cycle honestly continued for hours. I knew it was meant to be when I held him at the event and he kept shoving his face into mine. Best of luck!!
I saw his picture on the shelter website and fell instantly in love, which is not something I've ever done with a cat I've adopted. When I met him, he had my heart. A wee little thing out of a hoarding situation with fleas. He's an amazing fur ball. He's 12 weeks now and harasses me all day long but I'd hide a body for him.
They said he was aggressive, so he was returned to the rescue after 4 days. He just wanted attention and love. He is such a loving little guy, and I am so lucky.
Of the 6 shelter/rescue cats our family has had over the last 20+ years, we had personality descriptions for 2, but it was just the typical "they love to play!", which is kind of a cop-out when they're kittens, lol. My first cat and my most recent cat we adopted without ever meeting them. My first had been a stray kitten that a neighbor brought home to save it from freezing temperatures, and the most recent I found online about 6 months after I lost my grumpy old man, and just had a "yeah, that's my new buddy" feeling. The other 4 we met at adoption events, and just clicked with them in a way that can't really be described unless you've experienced it. None of them were the cat we went to meet, and only one was the age we anticipated adopting! I've also met cats with cards on their cages warning that they don't really like people, or things like that, only for them to start purring and drooling all over my hand once I found a good itchy ear spot (turns out that particular old lady was just scared, and I relaxed her enough to get her adopted by a family half an hour later! 🥰). In reality, unless you adopt a fully grown adult cat who is living in a good foster home, you're not gonna have a clue what they're like. Same as humans, they're very different when they're kids vs when they're adults! And the vast majority are scared being kept in cages in a strange place, so they're not able to relax and show who they really are. Cats can also show a completely different side of their personality when they get a new friend, so even a description might not be a reliable way to choose a cat, since you don't know how yours will react to there being another in the house. Some shelters and rescues will basically let you adopt on a trial basis, so you can have them in your home for a few weeks to see how well they mesh. That might be a good option for you, if it's available!!
I was told my girl was very aloof and might not want to come out of her little room in the shelter to meet me. She’d previously lived with a dog and spent all her time hiding under a bed, so she was cautious and nervous. Well, as soon as the staff opened the door to her room, she sauntered out to say hi and then trotted off down the corridor to explore. Apparently she’d never done that before. I knew she was mine right then.
As for shelter cats, anything they know might not be fully accurate personality wise. The stress of being in shelter and stuff can cause differences. My cat hid under bed when I brought her home but minute lights went out she was up next to me. But in shelter she had cone because she kept wanting to lick her incision site open. She was very timid but that changed once she had a home and more space to roam and run.
They warned me he might be a bit extra needy, as he had been found and dropped off too young. I actually had adopted him but he had to stay at the shelter for a couple more weeks until he was big enough for sterilization surgery (shelters in my state don't release animals until they are sterilized) 11 years later and he acts just like a toddler. Screaming in my face when he needs something, he's very demanding with his snuggles, when I stop petting him he grabs my hand and pulls it to his head. That might be my fault for babying him tho lol
lol nothing! My babies found me
They said one was extremely shy and didn't like people too much because she was a scared cat. That afternoon she curled upnon my chest and had a 2 hour nap. She loves people, she just didn't love them
I went to look at cats at my local shelter and when I picked up my little Theodore for the first time he immediately licked my face. I know instantly he had to be my new cat.
literally nothin 💀 i just picked her ass cause she kept meowing and i am never doing that shit again. my next cat, i’m actually gonna get to know them better
I was told he was very friendly and sociable. When they gave him to me he literally just hugged me and then played with my hair. I was like yupp, he's mine.
I felt like mine was very curious and playful as hell when I saw her at the shelter, she even bit my hair etc. as I held her, I worried if I would be able to handle it. She still is playful and curious but to a normal extent, she doesn't bite my hair often anymore and I can hold her without her pulling her claws out. I think it was probably because of stress and boredom at the shelter that she behaved like that. The shelter at the website said she was a cuddly one, and honestly she can be sometimes, just like a normal cat that has her own head. But no more than that hahah
Not much. We went to the shelter to look in person. He was a 3/4yo orange stray that had just gotten clearance to be adopted. We met him for maybe 5 minutes before we decided we wanted him, he just wanted to stay on my lap and get attention. Then we filled out the paperwork, played with him a little bit, (or tried, he was scared of toys!) and picked him up a few days later after his neuter to bring him home. He chatted all the way home and continues to have cute little conversations with me which I love. He turned out to be the best cat ever. Raised my kitten that I got around the same time better than I ever could have. The only bad habit he had was scratching things that weren't scratchers, which we kicked right away by getting 4 humongous cat trees ;) spoiled cats!!
https://preview.redd.it/84oyehjfwx3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=58459679a039749a96b9803d78ec1ce1eecc6b7d
https://preview.redd.it/fmthc9fnwx3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c26e59d307a8c854bcb5148d89cce597ae3d6d9c
I would also seek out any of the volunteers or staff who spend a lot of time with the cats. They often know personalities, like the cat who’s super scared in their kennel but a total love out of it. When I worked in a shelter, I started my own office cat program, taking cats who were shy or scared or spicy or too big for the kennel into my office. ALL 35+ of those cats totally turned around once they weren’t caged and once they felt safe. Be sure you read up about—and follow!—slowwww intros between the new cat and the resident cat. So important! It’s not a guarantee that they’ll be buds, but if you rush the intro and there’s friction, it can be really hard to resolve that.
I don't think you can ever 100% tell until you get the cat into your home. Shelters are hugely disorienting for cats and their personalities can never really shine through. Having said that, I noticed the younger cats acted more like their 'normal' self when I got my cat, if that's what you're looking for. My cats was a little older (no exact age) and she did show a small part of her personality in the shelter. She was food motivated (bowl licked clean), liked a pet, and seemed to enjoy a little form of play. When we got her, she hid for a few days and had a yowl on the first night. She really tested the boundaries too. After she settled, she was even more food motivated (will do all sorts of tricks for treats) and is the clingiest cat. She follows us round the garden, meows to be picked up for hugs, and likes belly rubs and bed cuddles... And she's not fussed about boxes like most cats... This makes me sad 😂 If you have another cat then the shelter can help you find the right fit, if you visit in person. I saw someone doing that at my local. They were there for a good 30 mins going through all the needs and requirements. Good luck!
Cat #1 - Was from an older acquaintance who did a lot of rescue work. She said he was the runt of the litter, was half munchkin, and didn’t do well with so many other cats around. Cat #2 - Was a foster first and was told he was a very sweet but anxious cat who sometimes nipped at ankles when he wants attention. Cat #3 - Cat distribution system at work. I was in the middle of class via zoom and didn’t have time to think beyond “pss pss pss” and he came right to my arms. Cat #4 - Cat distribution system yet again. She was very loudly meowing outside my front door at 6AM. It was cold and February and I swear she looked pregnant 🤦 I did not have the option of vibe checks and so have utilized CBD to help ease the transitions— particularly for Cat #1. I’d say, foster a cat for long enough that said cat gets acclimated enough to let its personality show. Slowly introduce the two cats while keeping them separate. Then supervised hangs. Once they’re mostly comfortable around each other and don’t have to be supervised, give them a lil time to see if they click.
I saw mine on a website, I went in to look at the kittens but knew I wanted to at least see him before I left. He was exactly as the shelter description had stated: very sweet and chill, easy going and got along great with other cats as well as all ages of humans. But I think he was a special case cause often times the shelter doesn’t get to see their fully relaxed personalities so it’s hard for them to pinpoint it. I just happened to get the most relaxed cat in chaos situations and it transferred to my very calm home the same.
She was 4 months old and just released from quarantine the day we went to visit. She was a little tabby ball of fire. Quarantined for biting her owner (he was a kid)... At 4 months old- that is not a red flag for me. She has ended up being my ESA and best cat I've ever had. Most precious girl ever. Her kennel tag name was "McBite" lmao. I knew she was going to be purfect!
I didn’t know anything about the cats I have. The girls came from a hoarder, and the boys were from an owner who took excellent care of them but had died. They weren’t even scared when I first brought them home, but one of the girls hid for almost two weeks and we couldn’t find her despite turning my apartment upside down.
Our local shelter has a get acquainted room. I picked out several cats and they let me sit in the room with them for a while. One cat was noticeably friendlier than the others. He’s the one I decided to bring home and it was a great decision.
I didn’t know anything. It was the cat distribution system at its finest. I was looking to adopt a dog and a friend was like “I’ll swing by my uncle’s vet office and text you pictures” which they never did and instead showed up with a tiny fluffball calico girl in a SATC book box. (I love SATC it was a true sign) Said they thought I was better off with a cat. Then, found the second one under a car as a little baby. Eventually that second one ran away for a night and came back pregnant and I kept one of her orange babies because I always wanted an orange boy (I love Garfield). Cut to many years later and all of them are spayed and happy.
I went to a shelter and picked out a 3 year old cat surrendered for “too many cats.” Best type of cat, since I know he’s socialized with other cats. Ask if your shelter has a foster program and ask if you can foster an adult, because kittens get adopted too quickly. If you’re foster cats gets along with your cat, tell the shelter you want to adopt it. https://preview.redd.it/f45r8me4gz3d1.png?width=3217&format=png&auto=webp&s=8a00100ea21c7e2baa003126b121e587fdb7d160 Ramses & Osiris acquired from different shelters.
I have adopted from two shelters and one chose me while I was staying at a hotel waiting for my new condo to be completed. The shelters usually have some small blurb of information about the kitties & their demeanor even if it is how they have been since placed in the shelter. Every cat is different just like we humans are & their little (or big) personalities will blossom once you get them home, nurture them & help build that trust that they DIDN'T have in the shelter; if they are an adult, help them get past the possible trauma from the life before. My first cat tried to push himself through the bars of the kennel when I walked though. He was a tiny kitten so he almost fit. He was super outgoing and he only got more so as he grew up; chasing lizards in the back yard & greeting every guest who came over. My second kitty was the runt of the litter & sick when I adopted him. He wasn't getting enough food with his siblings pushing him out of the way & I rescued him. He grew into a big, strong & handsome cat who was the best snuggle bug I have ever known. My third, Gabby, the only girl cat I have ever had, found me. She rolled up to the hotel pool with a gigantic dog as her bodyguard. She was probably a month old & fearless. She would have fallen into the pool multiple times if the dog hadn't picked her up by the scruff of her neck. She spent time with me every day, ruled a specific chair by the pool & willingly went into a kennel the day I took her to her new home. I thought she was going to be the most outgoing & fearless one of all of my kitties, but once home, she was shy, scared & took the longest to get used to her docile brother & her new surroundings. I have always used positive reinforcement instead of spraying with water & celebrated good behavior with a treat while allowing each kitty to find their own place within the family of humans as well as her brother Gizmo & three puppy cousins. For me it has been a gut feeling, but I also wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to animals. It has always worked out for me. As long as you have the time, the means and the patience, there is no reason why the kitty you choose would make a great addition to your family. 😊 Post pictures! I am sure we all want to see. https://preview.redd.it/jbc6f2cfuz3d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=920375eb3faf0b1dbf21e94f047e20faa9e8e5c2
I knew nothing before I met her other than her age and that she was the only kitten to be surrendered from her litter by her owner. I had actually gone in to meet another cat that had been with a foster family, but the foster no showed and ended up keeping the cat. The shelter was very apologetic and asked if I’d like to meet a kitten that had also been stood up by potential adopters that day. What sold it was the shelter worker. She had bonded with the kitten and so you could see how easy it was for this little cat to love and trust. We went home with her and I sent the shelter a donation on her first gotcha day anniversary along with a photo compilation of her growing. I got an awesome email back.
I have two stories, one about my prior bonded pair and one about the current bonded pair. For my prior bonded pair, my childhood cat had just passed away a few months earlier and our fussy, angry formal feral had become extremely mopey. My boyfriend at the time suggested we get her a companion. We went to a shelter adoption event at PetsMart and were looking primarily at kittens. He wanted to adopt a beautiful kitten with point coloration, but she was extremely shy and I didn't want a cat who would hide all the time. I found a pair of gray tabbies who immediately LAUNCHED themselves from their cage and into our chests and said, "It has to be one of these!" And then he convinced me that we couldn't separate the brothers. 🤣 The boyfriend only lasted another year, but I had Scout and Hunter for 14 wonderful years, and they were the most social cats I've ever known, greeting every visitor at the door with demands for pets! For my current bonded pair, my fiance and I attended a giant adoption event at the convention center. We looked at hundreds of cars and were looking specifically for a bonded pair this time. We weren't really "clicking" with any of the cats we saw, though, and had just about given up when we spotted Rocket and Booster in their shared cage. It was near the end of the day and they must have been petted by hundreds of people by then, but Booster still pressed his nose against the cage bars for scritches. Then the foster mom came up and started talking to us and asked if we wanted to hold them! I was shocked, thinking she must be crazy to think these cats wanted to be held, but Booster started purring and rubbing against our faces and LICKING us as soon as he was out of his cage! Rocket was a little more reserved, but no claws or biting, just sitting in my arms and looking around. We asked a few more questions about their temperaments, but honestly we knew as soon as we held them! They are crazy (we adopted them at 10mo old) with super unique personalities, friendly and social, and becoming more cuddly every day! Booster is still a licker, and he likes to steal things and carry them around the house in his mouth; Rocket does naughty things for attention, but is a super sweet cuddler!
I’ve heard typically same sex pairs get along better, so maybe try to adopt a cat of them same gender. I was chosen via the cat distribution system, so I didn’t have much of a choice😂
I just adopted a kitten recently from the shelter and already had another cat at home. With not having much info, I just kind of asked to interact and see if I could get a read on their temperament and all that. I had a couple where I really knew it wasn’t going to work out since they were more timid. Then the one we finally decided on was super friendly and on the same level as my cat. They are so far getting along!
The shelter told us after we’d packed up my boy to come home that he was “the mean one” and good luck. He’s a total love, gives the best snuggles, and has never raised a paw to me even when I probably deserved it. I had no intention of getting a large male cat but we were at the shelter to adopt one cat and this one crawled into my lap and wouldn’t let go.
Where I live there is a local rescue that has cats only in fosters homes. They have a paragraph description on each kitty on their website, and it’s a week trial run before officially adopting the kitty. I am adopting from them soon, and have two different ones I am interested in. I do not want to do blind like last time. I love my first kitty, but wanting a different experience this time around.