I have recently been looking around for a new addition to my home – a little cat with a bit of personality. I was, however, taken completely off-guard when, to my dismay, the pet shop near my home told me that I should call back in November as it isn’t yet kitten season. Kitten season? Are you serious? I thought that kittens were common all year round. It turns out, though, that kittens are abundant only near the end of September and thereafter: after hearing a few other people talking about their frustrations in finding kittens I decided to investigate this matter further.
The AWS (Animal Welfare Society) in Philipe encouraged me to come at the end of the month so that I could have my pick of the litter, and numerous pet shops in the Western Cape area all told me to call back in a month or two. After checking various online classifieds, newspapers, community handouts and tabloids I discovered that there really weren’t many kittens out there looking for a new home: they were all older than six months, and their owners were either moving or allergic!
Something else that you will have to consider is that you have to be very careful when buying (or adopting) a kitten in a private manner (like through the classifieds) because more often than not these kittens can be feral offspring and might not be the loving and attentive pet that you hoped for. Most adoption agencies will tell you the kitten’s heritage if they know it, pet shops almost always only stock the tamed kind, and private breeders can guarantee you of your new kitten’s pedigree or superior genealogy.
The DARG association, amongst other adoption agencies, breeders and veterinarians, insists that the worst thing that you can do is adopt a pet on a whim. This can lead to neglect and inconvenience, and is often the reason why these institutions fill up so quickly. If you want to get a puppy or a kitten it is essential that you think through the whole thing very carefully and make sure that it is what you want to do. Maybe kitten season isn’t such a bad idea after all – it gives you the time that you need to think about your priorities. Cats and kittens are independent animals, but they still love a lot of attention and a good home.
So back to the kitten season: it turns out that you can get kittens easily from about the end of September all the way through into the next year. That gives you plenty of time to find just the right cat with just the perfect personality to be the newest addition to your family! We’ll be doing a number of breed profiles over the next few weeks so that should help you to make an informed decision if you are looking for a special kind of pet – be sure to check back often!
