You want to add a new kitten to your household? How exciting!

Please, please, please don’t make this an impulse buy (or an impulse free-kitten decision). I know kittens are cute, and cuddly and give us lots of good feelings, but be aware cats often live into their teens. Think about your lifestyle, and whether you expect to make major changes in the next while. Will you be able to commit to looking after this little life?

For instance, if you are planning to relocate and may need to live in rental housing, consider whether you will be able to keep a cat with you. In some jurisdictions, landlords are allowed to prohibit pets, and some condo boards do not allow pets.

Are you planning to move overseas or have extended periods of travel? If you might want to take your cat with you to another country, there are different laws and requirements for microchip identification, rabies vaccination and parasite treatments. Some countries require a time in quarantine. Depending on your destination, taking a pet overseas with you can take months of planning and cost thousands of dollars.

If you are at time in your life where a 15-year decision is reasonable, then stay tuned as we talk more about choosing a kitten and getting your home ready for this little bundle of energy.

If not, then why not consider offering to spend some time cat cuddling or fostering for your local shelter or rescue. In our area, there are some rescues who are doing wonderful work, and our local SPCA branch.

Kittens are great, but not every home is a great place for a kitten.