The Way of Cats

To get a great cat in the easiest, most direct way, consider the Over Eights.

From eight on up, they have known great stretches of good care, or they wouldn’t have gotten this far. A eight year old cat is almost fifty human years, true. But that could be ten more years of life in the cat. They are just as deserving of a good home for the second half of their life, aren’t they?

We could provide that.

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Because the older the cat is, the more quickly we will be trained. Then we start enjoying the cat. Because you know the secret about older cats?

They don’t have a dark past. Older cats have known qualities.

Older cats know a lot of our tricks already. They can communicate very well. They are eager to start the dialogue, because they know that is the way to get what we both want. This makes them great cats for newbies to start with; this is a case of the cat knowing far more than we do, and they make eager teachers.

Being human, we often feel we want to start with a kitten and look forward to a long life of companionship. But there are no guarantees in life. With every beloved cat companion, we know the fun must end. The hesitancy at taking on an older cat springs from the anxiety that the end will come too soon.

But the end always comes too soon.

It breaks my heart to see the cats many consider unadoptable, simply because of their age. When these are fantastic cats who have so much love to give. They are perfect for many people who are not up to kittens, but would love a sweet, quiet, companionable cat.

I placed such cats with those people who most need a companion in their life; the elderly, those differently-abled, those dealing with illnesses that interfere with full enjoyment of a more active social life.

Two lonely beings, lonely no more; it’s one of the great joys of rescue.

If there’s a slot open in our own home, we can add an older cat with the proper introductions. An already functioning cat civilization (three or more cats) will reform in fascinating ways when we bring in a older cat.

They come with the gravitas and pre-formed interests that will not demand attention the way a kitten or younger cat will. Older cats will let friendships form at their own pace, seek and find their own mellow niche, and assert their dignity in a way that calms skittish cats and provides a role model for the wilder ones.

If you know a cat-deprived person who needs more company, talk to them about providing it with a cat who is already trained, won’t rampage through their stuff, and is just as eager as they are to create a happy family.

Everything these people might be looking for is right there at the local shelter.

Waiting for them.

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There’s more to choosing a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CHOOSING A CAT.