Before bringing home a cat, there are certain things you need to look out for on selecting a healthy cat or kitten. Whether you decide on a purebred or a mixed breed cat, and whether you buy from a pet shop, adopt from a shelter, these tips will give you an upper hand when selecting a cat.

1) The cat should possess good muscle tone. The cat should have bright clear eyes with no discharge in the corners. The cat should also be alert and friendly with a curious or playful attitude.

2) Check the cat's ears. It should be clean and free of dark, crusty wax.

5) Check the cat's anus. It should be clean and free of any signs of diarrhea.

6) Check the cat's ears for signs of mite or other infection at the ears.

7) Check on the cat's living environment. It should be kept clean and free of pungent animal odors.

8) The cat's coat should be clean and free of fleas. One way to check for fleas is to rub your hand against the fur and look for fine grains of black dirt. This so called flea dirt is actually dried flea excrement. Problem areas to look out for include behind the ears, on the back, and at the tail base where the cat cannot easily reach to lick clean.

9) Test the cat's personality using a feather or ribbon and gauge how playful and relax it is around strangers. Depending on your personality and lifestyle, you may choose one that suits you.

10) Ensure that the kitten you are bringing home is fully weaned and litter-trained. Around this time, it should be feeding on solid food. Ideally, a kitten can only leave its original environment between 8 -16 weeks old. For many breeders of purebred, they will only release them when they are at least 12 -16 weeks old.

11) If buying a purebred, try to get it from a private, small volume breeder. Most of the time, you will be able to see the parents, giving you a good idea of your kitten's appearance and temperament when grown. Besides that, you have the opportunity to establish a relationship with someone who can share experiences in raising and showing that particular breed.

Once you have selected a cat, check out its medical records and the type of vaccination it has already taken. If the cat is not tested yet, you may want to make sure that it is free of any disease before bringing it home. You should send your cat for a checkup within a day or two to ensure you have picked a healthy one.

About the Author

Albert recently developed a eCourse for looking after your cat's mental and physical needs. If you are interest in learning more about this free eCourse and taking good care of your cat, please go to http://catcentral.justastore.com or you can send an email to catcentral@getresponse.com to request for your free eCourse.