how do you choose just one cat??

[Eden]

Ask the staff which cat they think is a great cat, but has little to no chance of being adopted. They'll probably know who deserves to go home with you. Until recently (I started working more) I was volunteering at a humane society. I'd always have been able to tell you who I thought deserved it most. (my shelter was no kill - I don't think I'd have been able to bear it otherwise, but kitties could stay a loooooooong time before finding a home or passing away naturally)

[badger]

yeah, I've asked and sadly it's usually "they all do". In my head I've got a short list of sorts, but it's really hard to choose as they're all sweet. Some are understandably distressed/depressed, and know they will get even more overlooked the longer they stay. They've all been discarded, so they all deserve to find good homes.

Thankfully ours is a no-kill shelter, or I doubt I'd be able to go knowing I can save only one.

[lph]

I was selfish and picked the most outgoing, confident one, the one they'd have no trouble finding a home for. They told me about some of the other ones that had been there a long time and really needed a home, but we were taking ONE cat home, one to play with our son and get along in a small apartment with small gardens and other cats outside, and a shy or traumatized cat would not be happy in our surroundings and family.

It's still one cat less in the shelter. If we could have more I would happily take the more "difficult" cats, but my dh refuses to have more than one cat and I have to respect that. So this is our one family cat.

Hey, if it was up to me I'd probably turn into one of those cat ladies who lives in the woods with a zillion cats all over the place

Try asking your mother if she wants a friendly cat, or can tolerate a shy, aloof or independent one. What about a nervous cat that will easily bite or claw? The most "deserving" cats in the shelter we visited were either quite aggressive, or apathetic and very quiet

[JennK13]

I am such a cat person and it kills me going to the shelter and seeing all those beautiful creatures there, so sad without a home. I have always adopted adult cats, as most people want kittens. Adopting a kitten was the most difficult thing I've had to do.
See, my persian died last year at the ripe age of 17. When he passed, my other cat, Jagger, went into a horrible state of depression. She doesnt like other cats, but our old man had been there all her life. The vet said to get her a kitten, as it would be less of a threat to her than a cat. But going to the shelter to pick out a cute little kitten when there were all these beautiful cats was torture for me. My dh doesnt like me going because he knows I want them all, and how bad I feel when I come home.
No advice, just hugs for you, because I know what it's like.

[Becky]

Like Eden, I used to volunteer at a humane society. Definitely ask the staff who their "diamond in the rough" is. A lot of animals don't show well in the stressful shelter environment, and the staff and volunteers will know which cats meet that description.

You also might consider adopting a cat who must be an "only cat" or an adult cat. Either will have lower chances of adoption...

Good luck!

[bmccasland]

When I went to the shelter to pick out a kitty, most of them ignored me. One cat stuck his entire arm through the cage, trying to snag me.
Me, me, pick me!!!
So I took him out, and he nuzzled on my neck, then perched on my shoulder. When I told the staff I was choosing him, they said - "oh you're taking the climber". At the time I had verticle blinds, so there wasn't much in my apartment he could climb. I was sold with his charm. He's been my steady beau for 16 years.

He was a Christmas cat, and got his name because the first weekend I had him, my other cat, Bonnie, beat up on him, so I took new kitty with me to a picnic. When he woke up from his nap, and found himself once again behind bars (in a crate), he cried very loudly. My friends proclaimed: "Hark, the Herald, cries". Once we took him out of the crate, he calmed down, and he was perfectly happy to ride around in the hood of my coat.



So Badger, it isn't an easy task, but go to the shelter, and see what kitty reacts to you, or you take a notion towards. They're all cute, and they all need homes.

[Roadtrip]

My last trip to the SPCA the pup picked me... almost literally. He was standing by the front door when we walked in like the greeter at Wal-Mart. He steadily followed us around as we looked at all of the other dogs. I began to wonder if this pup already belonged to someone as he was REALLY friendly and was loose where all the other dogs were in cages. No lead. No collar. Nothing. Finally one of the workers came by must have saw my expression and said oh, that's Teddy.. he's such a good boy we often let him run loose and she pointed at an empty cage and Teddy quietly walked into the cage, turned to look at us, and sat down. We did the rest of the circuit and before I knew it I was standing back in front of Teddy's cage. He was one of the older dogs in the place, but he wasn't barking or flipping out, he was the calmest dogs in the shelter. We took him that day.

I know not all have a instant connection like that. I was lucky to find the perfect dog.

Wish you luck on finding the right kitty!!

[jessmarimba]

If it helps at all, black cats have less of a chance of getting adopted - they just aren't as cute to most people. Plus they don't photograph well, so any shelter that relies on something like Petfinder puts black cats at a disadvantage (mine, in photos, looks like a blob with two laser-eyes).