As tempting as it can be to take the first kitten you see home, because – let’s face it, ALL kittens are gorgeous, it’s a good idea to choose carefully and take different factors into consideration when choosing your new kitten.

Signs of good, healthy kittens are:

* A clean, shiny coat
* Bright eyes
* Clean and dry ears
* A pink mouth with white teeth
* Friendly, and willing to be handled
* Liveliness and being fully alert
* Being playful and curious

Be very careful if your kitten has any of the below problems:

* Watery eyes
* Matted fur
* Inflamed gums
* Fleas
* Undersized, or the runt of the litter
* Sneezing
* A pot belly
* Diarrhoea
* Wax in ears
* Limping or apparent difficulty with moving

It is a bad idea to take the kitten is ill or sickly. Don’t let the seller fob you off with any excuses for the condition of the kitten.

Ask the breeder/seller:

* The gender of the kitten
* The date of birth
* Whether the kitten is toilet trained
* If there are any known illnesses in the parents

Tips:

* Remember that kittens are only babies and will spend a lot of time sleeping
* If you plan to let your new kitten outside you may want to get them used to wearing a collar to carry a tag with your address on it.
* You should never take a kitten from its mother before it is 6 weeks old.
* A kitten needs its first vaccinations at 9 weeks old
* Cats can be Spayed (f) or Neutered (m) at 6 months old. If you do not want to breed your cat, this is advisable.
* Pedigree cats should be registered at about 5 weeks old. It is also a good idea to have a pedigree kitten examined by a vet before buying them.