Looking to Adopt a Kitten

I'm not sure where you live, but you can try ARF. It is located in Walnut Creek. Another place to try would be craigslist or bulliten boards at pet stores. Unfortuntly everyone wants a kitten, therefore they are hard to find cheap or free. I understand why you want a kitten, but I would also look at 1 and 2 year old cats. My male cat was 2 when my son was born, and they are best friends. They play together all the time, and Lucky (the cat not my son) is very tolerant. It would be easier to find a cheap or free young adult cat. Good luck on your search!

Hi A.,
I think the reason the adoption fee is so high is that these agency's don't adopt animals out without them being spayed or neutered.

I'm guessing you've used www.petfinder.com in your search, but you may want to try typing in a more rural location that is still close to your area that you'd be willing to drive to. Farming areas tend to have less expensive adoption policies in my experience. Good luck!

Kittens demand a LOT of attention and are less likely to understand that they can't nip at the baby (and 20 month olds can often be unintentionally rough on cats).

The adoption rates in SF are cheaper for cats over 6 mos old - a year old cat is still young enough to adapt to a new home, while being a lot less "wild".

Also, the adoption fee covers spay/neuter plus shots, and the SPCA does a good job of playing with the cats and evaluating their personalities so you know you're getting a cat who will tolerate kids and other pets (NOT ALL WILL). "Free" cats may end up not being such a bargain b/c you get none of these benefits.

There is a kitten "season" usually July, August, September. ARF in Walnut Creek does have specials (no fees) when they have an abundance of kittens usually in the late-summer months. I think that the high fee discourages impulse buying and, of course, is pays for the spay/neuter surgery as well as kitten shots and food. Good-luck!