Kittens... - Berwyn,IL

I would go the local shelter. Take it to the vet on the way home and you will be set and saving a life

Call your local vet or shelter!

Call your local vet or animal shelter/Humane Society. Realize that virtually every kitten has some kind of intestinal parasite (they pick them up from the mom from nursing) but they should be automatically treated accordingly - then once you decide on a kitten, get it checked out at the vet right away, and have a stool exam done on it to double-check for parasites (you can't tell just looking at it!).

I got a kitten-now 5 yrs old--by looking on Pet Finder. The woman had the mom and dad so I was able to see their health. I stayed there watching the cats for about half hour before picking one. She was very healthy. No matter where you go, make sure you check the eyes (clear and no discharge though kittens can get food on their faces), clean ears,no sores on their skin, clean paws with no scratches or bumps, clean nose with no discharge. Their fur should be very soft, almost downy, if they are 8 weeks or younger. That is when it might start to thicken a bit. You can check for fleas on the belly since that fur is usually the thinnest. A baby will not be ready for shots until about 6 months, depending on the vet. But you can take to the vet for a well kitten checkup for about $30. I like Dunkin vet clinic on Laramie in Cicero. In my experience they are honest and fair priced. Regardless how healthy a pet is, things can happen that don't show for a long time. Don't let this discourage you.

Rescues and shelters. They have tons of kittens every year, so many that they are often trying really hard to look for families for all of them. I bet if they aren't already feeling the spring crunch, they will be. Upside is you may also get a coupon toward spaying or neutering (if not, ask and I'm sure they can direct you to a program).

Shelter or Humane Society. Please don't buy one from a pet store.

When we went to the HS, they had actually judged the cats and there were a few we could not adopt because dd wasn't old enough (she's 5) and these were more aggressivly playful kittens.

I also suggest looking at an older "kitten". The one we saved was between 8-12 months (vet not sure so they gave her a 10 month birthday). This made her body more solid for when my kiddo was handling her. Plus, her baby kitten razor claws were gone and it was just regular claws. And they are still kittens at that age.

Shelters and the HS also have the cats to the vets. Most of them are also fixed.

Even those who breed specialty animals - the kittens and puppies will still have worms. Worms hibernate in an animal's body but always seem to find their way to the developing fetus' body.

Kittens are great - and don't forget to baby proof your home for the kitten too - they also get into everything.

Everyone is saying the SPCA, and I agree!! Did you know you can even find purebred kittens there? Our younger cat is a purebred Ragdoll, and the breeder brought her and her mother in to the SPCA because the mother kept having babies that were the wrong color! (That broke my heart.) Anyway, we have a wonderful "wrong color" Ragdoll who is the sweetest kitty ever. She lets the kids dress her in doll clothes and will happily ride around in a baby doll stroller or sit still at a tea party of 5 year olds - just an amazing companion to our girls. Our kitten was in the SPCA for all of 10 minutes before we grabbed her up and took her home, and yes, she still had ear mites and had to be de-wormed. It was really no big deal at all, they did the de-worming before we even left the SPCA, and they also gave us ear drops for her. She was good as new and healthy as could be. I wholeheartedly recommend the SPCA for any pet - dogs, cats, hamsters... they have been really wonderful in my experience for finding the right pet for the right family.

Go to your local shelter. At least at my local shelter, all cats & dogs are spayed or neutered before they're offered for adoption and that is included in the adoption fee. They've also usually had a round of shots. So that's really the best way to go.

Animal Care League is right near Berwyn, in Oak Park. The kittens are often raised in a foster home, and then checked and spayed/neutered by a vet, and it is a pretty clean shelter. They ask volunteers to wash their hands before and after playing with the cats and kittens. They have a couple of rooms just for kittens, and with spring approaching, they should have plenty of kittens, if not now, soon.

Don't get one at a pet store! Get one at the local animal shelter. And the best advice I ever got was to stick your fingers into the cages. Choose only from the kittens that come up and rub their faces on your fingers. They will be social, lovey cats, and probably more tolerant of kids.
I totally agree with getting a kitten. They're so much more adaptable when they're itty bitty! We've had trouble getting our cat to adjust to our three boys. We got him when he was 8 months old, and he is just too old. We'd adopted his sister when she was lots younger, and she would sleep with the boys, cuddle with the baby, and once, she even put the baby to bed! (he woke up an hour or so after he went to bed, and was crying. When I opened the door to go in there, the kitten went in ahead of me, jumped in the crib, and snuggled with him until he fell asleep. Then she came out and gave me a look like, "yeah, don't worry, I took care of it.") But she disappeared, and we adopted her brother, and he's afraid of his own shadow.

Yes, PLEASE don't go to a pet store. Go to a shelter, or better yet, browse your local craigslist or classifieds for someone looking to rehome a kitten...that way they can give you a background on the mom/dad and guarantee that it wasn't found on the streets. Lots of people are always looking to rehome kittens. Good luck! Kitties are SO fun!

The Humane Society is a great place or google animal rescues near you. Good luck!

I agree with the animal shelter, then take an immediate trip to the vet. You could also check the classified ads, sometimes you can get free ones. Again, just run it to the vet when you get it.