Getting a Healthy Cat, When choosing a cat, whether an adult or a kitten the best choice.

When choosing a cat, the first thing that comes to mind is whether you want a male or female cat and whether an adult or kitten is the best choice. Grooming and maintenance considerations then follow, for example, choosing a long-haired or short-haired cat will affect grooming and hairballs. For complete information on the care and maintenance of cats, see Cat Grooming.
No matter what type of cat you get, you want to make sure it is healthy first. Signs that a cat is healthy are both its behavior and its physical condition. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a cat:

• Cat behavior and personality
  
  • Look for a cat who generally shows interest in its surroundings and who will be intrigued when you dangle on a string or throw a ball.
  
  
  • A kitten should be alert, active, playful, and curious, but not overly eager.
  
  
  • If a cat or kitten is properly socialized, it shouldn't run towards you or run away. One that approaches your hand to sniff at and then is relaxed when you pick it up indicates a well socialized animal.
    
  
  


• Cat health
  
  • body - A kitten should be the average size of its littermates. When moving, cats should run, walk, and jump with grace and balance. Caress gently, looking for bumps, lumps, and signs of discomfort or pain. There should be no sores, crusts, or scabs.
  
  
  • coat - It should be shiny and clean and have a sweet smell. The fur should be fluffy, free of matted or missing areas, and free of parasites such as fleas.
  
  
  • Paws - Gently squeeze the paw together to extend the claws and see if they need to be clipped. You can do this later. Some cats have extra toes, this is a genetic event and not a problem.
  
  
  • nose - should be clean and free from discharge, and breathing should be clear without sniffing or sneezing.
  
  
  • mouth - Teeth should be bright and clean, gums pink and healthy, and watch out for bad smells.
  
  
  • eyes - bright, clear and attentive, no discharge.
  
  
  • Ears - no discharge, sweet smell. A cat that scratches its ears often and violently indicates ear mites. Check your hearing with a sudden loud noise such as a handshake. The cat should startle and look at the noise. White cats with blue eyes can be completely deaf, and those with only one black eye can be deaf on this side of the ear.
  
  
  • Tail area - The anal area and the back of the legs should be clean and not showing any signs of diarrhea. You can also check the gender. Male kittens have two "points" next to each other under the tail, while females have a single point with a small vertical slit.