That depends on how much information we have about them, and how good we are at picking up the clues they give. When we met Mithy at ten weeks, he was in the middle of a large adoption event. He was not putting his best paw forward: frightened by the new surroundings, stressed by being transported with barking dogs, people-shy, and no larger than any other kitten at that shelter event.
Now he’s a cheerful kitten who loves being cuddled. At nine months old, he’s larger than Olwyn and Tristan.
Could I see this coming? Only in outline.
Here’s what I go by when I’m assessing a kitten:
Their expression
I knew Ordell was an Alpha the moment I saw his intent little face. (I still didn’t know just how Alpha he was.) Alphas have laser focus and tend to look like they are calculating all the angles of a tournament-winning pool shot. They will look and act ridiculously confident and self-assured.
On the other side of the Cat Type spectrum, I knew Smokepuff was a Gamma because he had a baffled and wondering expression. Gammas are not quite sure of anything, especially when they are kittens.
Meanwhile, the kitten who spends as much time looking for a head to lick as they do one to tackle is probably a Beta, who is happiest with other cats. A goofy, happy-go-lucky expression is often worn by a Beta.
A kitten is the definition of brand new. Most encounters with them will illustrate their reaction to things they don’t understand. So we get a good look at how they handle adversity, what strategies they reach for when they are anxious, and how open they are to interacting with humans on short notice.
Their environment
When we first met, Mithy’s whole litter looked unhappy and apprehensive, because they came to the adoption event from a lot of travel and uproar. Frightened little Mithy was not showing his true personality, and these conditions brought out the semi-feral part of him.
What saved our relationship was that the shelter people had spent five weeks with him, and could answer our questions. The kitten they knew was happy and playful and coming along with his socialization. So we could moderate the unpromising first encounter with input from humans who knew him better.
Adopting a kitten from a good, involved, shelter gives us so much more information than plucking a dirty, starving, panicked kitten from a gutter. We can have a great cat, either way. But we’ll only get one side of the story if we are seeing the kitten under stress circumstances. We should always make allowances until they can calm down and show their actual nature.
Their behavior
Ideally, we want to observe the kitten in a secure, supportive, environment. This is how we will see the True Kitten.
A mother cat who gave birth in her own home, loved and supported, and then watching her kittens develop with good human socialization; this is the ideal. Of course, in rescue, it’s rare indeed. So we must rely on good shelters, or people who sensitively rescue pregnant mother cats, to get a good look at our potential kitten.
Though there’s nothing wrong with getting a kitten under stress; taking care of them until they are stable, and then, if necessary, finding them a new home, is far better than whatever we are rescuing them from.
Their genetics
I knew Mithy would be somewhat like Reverend Jim because he had the broad head and tufted ears of a Maine Coon Cat, and the shelter folks told us his mother looked very much like one. At nine months, it’s even more evident how much of his heritage came from Mom. It’s these same breed traits that I spotted in RJ when he was four and a half months old.
With Tristan, a three-week-old lump of fuzzy potential, the only clues I had were his short coat, and that kink at the end of his tail which said “Siamese.” Sure enough, he’s devoted, chatty, and a bundle of Alpha energy.
While with Olwyn, the most prominent thing about her was her lovely dilute tortoiseshell coloring. And I was right in my expectations: the tortitude appeared on her first evening with us, when she was only three months old.
It’s not just the more exotic breeds that contribute to our understanding of a particular kitten, though distinctive traits might be easier to spot. Even in cats who look “ordinary” there are breed clues. What color is their fur? Paws broad or pointed? Ears wide-set or tall and oval?
Their Cat Type
It was understanding breed clues that let me organize all the different blends of cats into three main Types. When we have a good guess at a kitten’s cat type, we know a lot about their potential personality.
Alphas are long and lean and lively. Betas are solid and socal. Gammas are gentle giants, with a stocky bone structure and very broad heads and paws.
Even if we have trouble figuring out breed influences, we can use distinctive body shapes as potential personality indicators, even in kittens as young as six weeks. Find out more about kitten clues to Cat Types.
Their effect on us
We shouldn’t dismiss how we feel about a particular kitten. If we are drawn to their delightful personality, or their sweet expression, or how they handle a toy, we are acknowledging something about this kitten we already like. Feeling a connection is a vitally important first step.
Maybe even the most important one.
Explore the right kitten for us.
Find out more with a visit to my page on How to Choose the Right Cat.
SOURCE: Way of Cats blog » The Way of Cats helps you understand, train, and love your pet cat – Read entire story here.