Choosing a Kitten

How do you choose a kitten? Some people choose a kitten for its looks - a particularly beautiful breed or a favorite color. Bear in mind that if you choose a long-haired pedigree or moggy it will require daily brushing to keep it beautiful. However color and appearance does not tell you very much about your kitten's personality. True, certain breeds do come with particular personality traits - the extremely vocal Siamese springs to mind, but with many breeds, and certainly with your common moggy, the color and appearance of a kitten is not much of a guide for future personality.

Can you predict what personality your kitten will have? Not entirely, but there are some things which will help you choose a cat which will fit in with your lifestyle. First you need to decide what type of cat you want. Most people are after a friendly cat that will be willing to interact with them in a non-aggressive way. As with most behavioural traits this is influenced by both genetics and environment.

Does this mean that a friendly mother will have friendly kittens? Unfortunately not. Though the exact method of inheritance remains unclear, the father is thought to have the biggest influence. Bad news when looking at your average cat's litter of kittens as the father is frequently unknown.