About us
A special needs puppy - Sundance updates
Online Adoption Applications
RAIN Special Events
Available Pets
Current Special Cases
Financial Information
Mission Statement
Moving, Good  Homes Wanted: Humor?
Success Stories
Support RAIN
Volunteer Information sheet
Where do they come from?

Cats
Cat Health Information
Cat's Prayer
Little Known Feline Diseases
Adult Cats Are Great Companions
CARE Program
Cat Facts
Cat Humor
Cat Information
Cats and plants
Cats On Parade
Declawing Information
Elliot: the Life of a feral cat
Foster Home Pictures
Free Kitten, not really
From stray to family member, a kitten's story
In Harm's Way
Keep Kitty Inside Please
Look Away, a poem for strays
Rescue to Show Cat
Scratching Alternatives
Stories about Cats
Stray Kitten Softens A Heart
The Chistmas Kitten
The Second Cat

Dogs
Dear Dog
Dog Humor
Dog Information
Dogs On Parade
How Could You? A dog's letter

General Information
Contacts for Financial Help for Sick and Injured Pets
Pet Rules
Alumni letters
Animal testing
Cat or Dog, which is best for you
Helpful links
Is a Cat the right pet for me?
Is a dog or puppy right for me?
Low Cost Spay/Neuter Information
Newsletters
Our Veterinarians
Poem For Rescuers
Rescue Contacts and links
Shop and Support RAIN
The Journey
The Rainbow Bridge
Your Pet's Plea

Click on the Cool Cat
to see our furry friends
on petfinder

Raining Cats and Dogs
graphics provided by
Debbie Garcia-Bengochea
of Adventure Beach Bengals

Click above to donate
by shopping at great
stores

Adult Cats Make Great Companions

* Adult cats are smarter. They bond and grow with their new human guardians just as well as a kitten would, if not more. They realize that the new guardian is taking care of their needs, and their gratitude allows them to form strong bonds.

* In fact, a cat adopted from a shelter or rescue will often spend the rest of their lives thanking you for choosing them. They are desperate for the attention they were used to receiving or that they never had. Many would just love to cuddle up and sleep with you at night. A kitten however, loves nothing more than playing at night and keeping you awake!

* Cats stay still long enough for you to pet them and many enjoy spending their time curled up on their humans' lap. Kittens prefer to run around.

* Cats are just as cute as kittens! Kittens are little, but cats are not much bigger. The little kitten stage is very short-lived, so you are going to wind up with a cat anyway. And let's face it, cats are beautiful at any age.

* Adult cats make better pets than kittens do for children, especially children under 5 years of age. Kittens mistakenly scratch people when they play as they have not yet learned to keep their claws retracted. Adult cats have learned to take cues from people, something kittens don't know how to do. When an overzealous child won't let up with the cat, the adult cat will use logic and jump up high to get away, swat without claws, or hiss to warn. A kittens' reaction is to bite, wrestle, and "play attack" the child when they get over stimulated. Not only is a young child much more likely to get hurt by a kitten, but a kitten, as opposed to an adult cat, is much more likely to get hurt by the child.

* Adult cats make better companions for other adult cats that are already in the household. An adult cat generally does not appreciate a rambunctious kitten, and the adult often gets harassed when the kitten reaches adolescence. This can cause a lot of stress for the older cat. Generally, cats over 3 years of age are less playful and live more peacefully with other cats 3 years of age or older.

* Cats don't play and throw litter out of the litterbox (O.K. most of them don't) like most kittens do.

* Cats going to a new home are not dealing with the trauma of being separated from their mom, like a kitten would. Being separated from its mother is VERY hard on a kitten emotionally, so one must be willing and able to put in a lot of work and effort into a kitten. This is time consuming.

* You know what the personality of an adult cat is and how it will fit into your lifestyle. A kitten's personality doesn't emerge for a while, and with genetics playing a large part in this, you have less of a choice in picking your ideal cat. Some personality types of adult cats include:
 -rambunctiously playful to the point of knocking things down (some people like this).
 -faithfully affectionate in a tranquil way.
 -demanding of your attention.
 -prefers male human friends.
 -prefers female human friends.
 -talker (meows anytime it wants to tell or ask you something).
 -enjoys being picked up and held.
 -springs off of you every time you pick it up (prefers laps).
 -follower, has to follow you everywhere: to the bathroom, to the kitchen, etc.
 -helper, likes to "help" you with the laundry, with getting food out of the fridge, helps you read by laying     on the book you're trying to read.
 -quiet type, prefers to sleep a lot and be left alone.

* When adopting an adult cat, you know for sure what your cat will always look like. Kitten's faces and eye color change in the first year, and some can look quite different when they grow up. The color and length of their fur can change too.

* Most cats up for adoption have completed their vaccinations. With kittens, they are started on their first set of shots (keep in mind kittens need a series of three or more vaccinations). Then there is the cost of kitten food, which is expensive!

Adult cats are dying for your companionship and will be eternally thankful and loyal if you take them home with you.

RAIN Contact Information

Telephone (407) 620-9736
Postal address  P.O. Box 608221 Orlando, FL. 32860-8221