What You Should Know about Kittens for Sale
A new kitten is always exciting. Whether you get a male or a female, kittens are cute and endearing with their mischievous antics and their resemblance to tiny warm puff balls. A pertinent concern is how to determine if a kitty is the right fit for your home once it grows up. Breed, age of adoption, and proper care of the cat help determine its ability to adapt to life with your family. Finding the right kitten will help you ensure the happiness of you and your future pet.
How to Pick the Right Kittens for Sale Near Me
If you find a kitten for sale nearby, you should take advantage of the proximity and visit. If the litter of kittens is purebred, try to see one or both parents. At the very least, assess how well the breeder takes care of the animals on the property. Even a casual breeder should have clean facilities, and the kittens should look healthy, active, and unsoiled. Beware of kittens that are too thin, sneezing, or have any nasal discharge. Kittens commonly have soft stool or diarrhea. Ask the owners whether any issues you see have been addressed by a medical professional. Also, check the deworming and vaccination schedule. Some kittens may have their first set of boosters before you take one home, but many will not. Rescues and humane societies are also a good places to obtain kittens for sale because they usually take care of the first set of vaccinations and administer a deworming treatment. Either way, figure out where you need to begin or continue with preventative care.
Popular Kitten Breeds
The main advantage of acquiring a purebred kitten is that you can more reliably predict the temperament than for a hybrid cat. You can also choose the look that you want. However, mixed breed cats may not have some of the hereditary challenges of a purebred. Learn about specific health issues of certain cat breeds and see that breeders have taken reasonable precautions to prevent abnormalities in their litters. Below you will see the most popular cat breeds as of 2020.
Ragdoll
- Origin – 1960s California, USA
- Looks – Large-bodied pointed cat; Cats can be van (all white or mostly white with faint markings on the ears and tail), bi-color, mitted (white paws in front, white up to hips on back legs), or colorpoint in lilac, chocolate, red, blue, or cream
- Lifespan – 12 to 15 years
- Health – Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of heart muscle, heart failure), urinary disease
- Coat – Medium, plush, silky; ruff around the neck and no undercoat
- Traits – Dog friendly, affectionate, moderate shedders, social
- Size – 8 to 20 pounds
- Activity – Moderate
Persian
- Origin – 1600s or earlier in Persia
- Looks – Short, round-faced, cobby-bodied long-haired cat; Many colors not limited to chinchilla, blue, red, white, silver, or tortoiseshell
- Lifespan – 10 to 15 years
- Health – Skin problems, breathing difficulties, fungal infections such as ringworm, eye problems (cherry eye, excessive tears, entropion), heat sensitive, feline polycystic urinary disease (hereditary in Persians, can cause kidney failure)
- Coat – Long double coat
- Traits – Docile, sweet-natured; Not ideal for young children or dogs
- Size – 7 to 12 pounds
- Activity – Quiet
Exotic Short-Hair (Short-Haired Persian)
- Origin – 1950s USA; unintentional at first as owners of American Shorthair show cats outcrossed to Persians; cross gained formal recognition as a breed in 1966
- Looks – Short, round-faced, cobby-bodied short-haired cat; Many colors – Solid, bi-colored, tri-colored; Silver, brown tabby, and many others
- Lifespan – 10 to 15 years
- Health – Breathing difficulties, eye problems (cherry eye and excessive tearing), heat sensitivity, polycystic kidney disease, calcium oxalate urinary crystals
- Coat – Short, dense
- Traits – Docile, sweet-natured; can be good with dogs
- Size – 7 to 12 pounds
- Activity – Lively, playful, needy
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British Shorthair
- Origin – Late 1800s Great Britain
- Looks – Short, round-faced, muscular compact short-haired cat; Many colors not limited to blue, red, smoke white, or calico; Eyes do not always match and can be copper, blue, green
- Lifespan – 12 to 16 years
- Health – Hemophilia (bleeding disorder)
- Coat – Short, dense
- Traits – Affectionate, independent, tolerate dogs and kids, do not like a lot of cuddling or being carried
- Size – 7 to 17 pounds
- Activity – Moderate
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Sphynx
- Origin – Prune, a genetic mutation, fathered the Sphynx breed in 1966 in Toronto, Canada
- Looks – Slender, wrinkled, and pot-bellied cat with a triangular head and muscular body
- Lifespan – 8 to 14 years
- Health – Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, myopathy (muscle disease)
- Coat – Naked or fine down; Any color or pattern possible including gray and white, lilac, or calico
- Traits – Affectionate, friendly to everyone (kids, dogs, guests), intelligent
- Size – 7 to 17 pounds
- Activity – Highly active, playful, climbers
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Maine Coon Cat
- Origin – Maine, US in late 1800s?
- Looks – The largest breed of domesticated cat; Rectangular shape to body
- Lifespan – 10 to 13 years
- Health – Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hip dysplasia
- Coat – Dense coat of hairs of uneven lengths, giving a tousled appearance; ruff down chest to belly; soft undercoat
- Traits – Gentle, affectionate, intelligent
- Size – 8 to 18 pounds
- Activity – Playful
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Scottish Fold (Highland Fold)
- Origin – Scotland, mutation in a cat named Susie in 1961
- Looks – Ears fold down to give the breed a lopped ear; medium-boned cat with round face, round eyes, and a round body: Kittens for sale are born with straight ears and they will fold at about three weeks of age if the cat has the trait.
- Lifespan – 9 to 12 years
- Health – Cartilage defects in ears and throughout the body, arthritis, stiff inflexible tail, spinal abnormalities; Folded ears indicate one symptom of the multifaceted disease process; Most Scottish Folds are outcrossed with other breeds, and half of litters have the folded ears.
- Coat – Short, all colors including cream, white, blue, red, pointed, or tortoiseshell
- Traits – Sweet, affectionate, charming, bonds with all family members
- Size – 6 to 12 pounds
- Activity – Playful, moderately active; Many eventually become crippled
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Devon Rex
- Origin – Discovered in Devon, UK in 1959
- Looks – Slender, muscular cat with large ears relative to the small face and soft curls.
- Lifespan – 10 to 15 years
- Health – Potential for sunburn, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hereditary myopathy, luxating patellas (kneecap intermittently comes out of position causing lameness)
- Coat – Short, curly, whiskers curly; Minimal guard hairs; Coat is fragile and breaks easily, leading to baldness in areas; many colors and patterns including cream, white, black, blue, red, fawn, or tortoiseshell
- Traits – Highly intelligent, clownish, loving, attention-seeking, trainable
- Size – 6 to 12 pounds
- Activity – Playful, active
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Abyssinian
- Origin – Discovered in Devon, UK in 1959
- Looks – Slender, lithe, muscled cat with an elegant bearing and large, almond-shaped eyes
- Lifespan – 10 to 15 years
- Health – Potential for sunburn, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hereditary myopathy, luxating patellas (kneecap intermittently comes out of position causing lameness)
- Coat – Short, hairs are banded giving the coat a ticked or black-tipped appearance; Can be brown, russet, blue, red, fawn, chocolate, lilac, or silver
- Traits – Highly intelligent, like being center of attention, do not like being alone, can get along with dogs, social, trainable
- Size – 6 to 10 pounds
- Activity – Playful, active, energetic, great climbers
Find an Abyssinian Cat for Sale
Cats that are also popular as of 2020 are as follows.
- Siamese – Elegant colorpoint cat that acts like a dog
- Manx – Tailless
- American Shorthair – Like British Shorthair but not quite as robust
- Colorpoint – Like a Siamese but may not have a pedigree and can have the body type of an American Shorthair; Points can be tabby and other unusual patterns
- Cornish Rex – Curls but no relation to Devon Rex
- Norwegian Forest Cat – Large possible ancestor of Maine Coon
- Siberian – Large thick-haired cat surprisingly considered hypoallergenic
- Moggie – Mixed breed cat
- Himalayan – Pointed long-haired cat with flat face; Some registries classify them as a type of Persian
Pointed or colorpoint cats have a lack of pigment on the body and colored areas on the face, ears, and tail. Since they have a form of albinism, these cats will have blue eyes.
Care of Cats for Sale
Some of the care for cats is universal, but a few breeds require extra care depending on coat type, activity level, and size.
Feeding
Type of Cat Food
Cats are obligate carnivores, only able to utilize flesh, fat, and bones from animals for energy. Wet food often proves advantageous for cats because the meat content is high. Moreover, the moisture content is at a maximum level, benefitting an animal that is notorious for being stingy in its drinking habits. This is great for cats that are at risk of urinary crystals and blockage. Some fanciers still cite canned food as being bad for a cat’s teeth. However, the greater risks to dental health appear to be the malocclusion of teeth and genetics. Many people have turned to raw and fresh diets to offer their cats a chance at better health. It is important to understand cat nutrition thoroughly or work with a feline nutritionist or your veterinarian to make sure such diets achieve balance and are nutritionally complete.
How Much Cat Food?
Your cat needs roughly 20 to 35 calories per pound per day depending on his activity and overall health. Kittens and nursing queens may need twice the calories of an active housecat. Cats, unlike most dogs, can eat one meal a day. A few cats can eat free choice, and some thrive best with their portion divided into two meals. Kittens should eat multiple small meals a day.
Grooming
All cats need basic care such as a weekly massage to stimulate their skin and move oils through their fur.
- Short-haired – Brush once or twice weekly
- Long-haired double coat – Brush daily to prevent mats
- Long-haired no undercoat – Brush every other day
- Curls – Use a fine brush or grooming mit; Hair is exceedingly delicate
- Hairless – Bathe at least weekly
Cats take good care of their paws and nails. Felines need a good catching post or another surface to sharpen their claws, or they will use your furniture, the wall, or your carpet. You should check the condition of your kitten’s claws weekly and trim if necessary. Some owners like to keep their cats’ nails short, and you can accomplish this by trimming them once a month. Most cats only need a bath every four to six months or less. Some long-haired cats require a preventive hairball remedy which may come as an oral gel. If you can train a kitten early, start brushing her teeth at least weekly.
Intelligence and Training
Mental Games
When people consider cats for sale, they may underestimate their intelligence, trainability, or need for mental stimulation. Cats are most commonly solitary hunters that relied on their own skills to feed themselves. They are clever and self-sufficient. Since your cat probably now eats out of a bowl with minimal effort, it is your job to provide some mental stimulation. You can inspire chase behavior with lures, lasers, and string toys. Finally, do not neglect training your cat. Socialization and training are doable and important tasks for cats as they can reduce the animals’ stress levels when you have company. Most cats can learn simple commands with the proper motivation. You will be surprised by how many cats even learn to walk on a leash.
Physically, Keep it Brief and Intense
As far as physical activities, cats are not dogs. They do not have a working background and possess little or no stamina. You can walk a trained cat around the block a few times but keep maximum efforts at short bursts. Cats in the wild walk great lengths across established territories, especially males. They do not trot across their land. They expend the most energy fleeing to a hiding spot from danger, or they stalk their prey culminating in a brief chase at a full sprint. Tailor your exercise routine according to these models.
Health
Kittens for sale should be the picture of health and vitality. However, a few problems commonly plague young cats.
- Upper respiratory infection – Sneezing, nasal, and ocular discharge; If a cat loses her sense of smell, she may stop eating as well; Secondary bacterial infections can worsen symptoms
- Diarrhea – Worms or coccidia; Coccidia is a one-celled organism that sometimes requires weeks of treatment
- Cleft palate and hare lip – Some cats for sale are born with defects that hinder their ability to feed; Many need surgical correction, and the procedure may not have been done when you are ready to choose a kitten. The upkeep of such kittens can be expensive
- Flea infestations – Fleas can overwhelm young kittens; This is where a visit to the premises can help you avoid catastrophe.