What to look for in a new kitten

Where to find a new kitten

What to look out for

What to test for

Finding the right kitten

If you already have your heart set on a specific breed or type of cat, that is what you want. Get it. If you have not decided, here are some considerations:

What to look for

Look for a mixed-breed kitten. Purebred cats are generally less healthy and vigorous and more apt to have behavior problems. With any generalization like this,  remember,  differences between individuals are much greater than differences between groups.  There are many unhealthy mixed breed cats and vigorous purebred cats. 

Long haired cats will need to be groomed.  Many people find a long fluffy coat very attractive and don't mind grooming.  If you are not one of these people, you should look for a kitten with short hair.  A six or eight week kitten with a slick, shiny coat has short hair.  Fuzzy kittens have long hair.  The fuzzier, the longer. 

Unusual-looking cats will have unusual problems.  For instance, Persian cats, with big eyes and tucked-in noses are for more likely to have problems with their eyes and their noses.

Where to look

Cats catch diseases from each other.  Some of these diseases are incurable and difficult to detect.  If you get a kitten that has been living with a lot of other cats, it is much more likely you'll be adopting a sick kitten. Your best chance of getting a healthy kitten is to get one from a family that has the mother and kittens plus few if any other cats.  Cats  from a shelter that has already tested for leukemia and FIV AIDs are your next-best choice, but even when the staff is good hearted and  conscientious, you are likely to get a sick kitten.  You can't keep that many cats together, subject them to the stress of early spay / neuter, and not have a bunch of sick kittens.   

Be concerned about

Dirty nose
When kittens have runny eyes and noses, it is pretty obvious that they have a respiratory infection.  The owner may call it "just a little cold" and might be correct, but most of these respiratory infections never go away.  They may seem to disappear, and return whenever the cat is stressed, or they may just never go away.
Look closely at the nostrils.  Is there bit of brownish material there?

Dirty ears
Many kittens have ear mites.  Getting rid of ear mites takes some effort, but is not a big deal.  If the inside of the ears looks dirty, it's a safe bet the kitten has ear mites.  If a kitten's ears look oily, they are probably being treated for ear mites.

Little bald spots
Sometimes kittens have ringworm. 

Feline leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
These are communicable diseases we can test for.  Especially if you are bringing a new kitten home to your other cat(s), have the new kitten tested.  If you are serious about protecting the cats at home, you will maintain the new kitten in a separate part of the house, (separate feeding dishes etc.) for three months, have the test repeated, and only then allow direct contact.

Feline Infectious peritonitis (FIP)
There is no reliable test for FIP.  The initial signs are usually depression and fever.  With any luck, a new kitten should be OK.  Adult cats with FIP usually look unhealthy. Your veterinarian cannot diagnose FIP with certainty until its last stages, but he or she can at least tell you whether the cat you have chosen looks fundamentally healthy.