What personality traits are you looking for in your new companion? Rambunctious or more sedate? Is the cat you are looking at social or is it introverted? Choose a companion who doesn’t mind being handled. You need them to have a disposition you can live with.

What about coat length?? Long haired cats can require regular careful grooming to prevent matting. Short haired cats require less grooming, but still need a good gentle brushing periodically.

Now that you have considered these basics you are ready to head to the local shelters and look for your next feline friend. There are several physical and medical-related items that we will be on the lookout for as we tour the cat ward of the shelter. A responsible shelter will provide some sound basic medical and behavioral screening of the cats.

●Does the shelter test all cats for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus? Your new friend should be FELV/FIV negative. These are two serious and fatal viral diseases.

●Has the cat been checked for internal and external parasites? Have they been bathed and treated for fleas and ticks? Has the cat been treated for internal parasites? A basic physical exam to assess heart, lungs, body condition and other general health parameters, including behavioral suitability should have been carried out by a veterinarian.

●Your new companion should have clear bright eyes. The nose should be moist but not runny. Monitor your cat or kitten once you take it home for nasal discharge, sneezing, and eye discharge. This may be indicative of an upper respiratory infection. Cats adopted from a shelter are more likely to have been exposed to upper respiratory infections as a result of mixing in cats from many different sources. The ears should be clean. Watch out for ear mites! If you have other cats at home, ear mites could spread to them. Ear mites cause a dark discharge and lead to itchy ears. Sometimes the skin just behind and under the base of the ear is scratched raw if the cat has had the mites for a while. The new addition should have a glossy clean coat free of fleas, flea dirt, and tapeworm segments. This animal should also have firm stools. Be leery of a cat with diarrhea. This could indicate an internal parasite problem or some other disease condition. See our articles on Fleas, Mites, Diarrhea, Gut Worms and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections for more information.

●Also, last but not least, has your potential new housemate been spayed or neutered? If not, most shelters have you sign an adoption contract. This outlines your obligation to have the pet spayed or neutered within so many days of adopting it. Spaying or neutering is going to make your cat a better companion and it will live a longer, healthier life. Preventing reproduction of household pets will help reduce the load of unwanted pets in shelters in the future as well!

Once you make sure these basic requirements are met, you are ready to take your new companion home. As a responsible pet owner you will make sure your new cat gets physical exams, intestinal parasite exams, booster vaccinations and a dental exam and cleaning as needed, as well as good quality food to help maintain good health.

Many indoor cats now live upwards of 20 years so this is just the start of a long and wonderful relationship.

Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at Cathealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.