Kitten Breeders & Cat Shelters in SA

Are you looking for a new cat or kitten, or even a pair? Residents of Adelaide, South Australia may find the following resources useful.

Here, we also try to answer these common questions:

  • Is it better to get one or two cats?
  • Which sexes are best in mixed groups?
  • Should I get an adult cat or a kitten?
  • Should cats be kept inside?

Finding A Purebred Cat

First, should you go to a breeder or shelter?

No one should feel guilty for wanting a certain breed like a Ragdoll or Devon Rex. The pure breeds are all different in both appearance and personality, allowing you to choose the perfect cat for your environment. You can read about the purebred cats we see in Adelaide here.

If you are looking for a purebred kitten, the breed associations are the best places to find a breeder. These are listed at:

Each listed breeder can be contacted to check when kittens will be available. You will also find kittens advertised from time to time on Gumtree, but it’s likely that many of these will be bred to a lower standard.

Adelaide Cat Rescue Shelters

There are always cats and kittens needing homes, whether due to excess breeding or losing an existing home. They will usually be either crossbreeds or the breed called Domestic. Anyone who’s had one knows that these moggies or tabbies are just as wonderful as any other breed. Two cat shelters stand out in Adelaide for their size, professionalism and attention to detail. They are:

There are many other dedicated cat rescue organisations in South Australia who have their hearts in the right place. Wherever you are looking at kittens, some things to consider are:

  • Have the kittens been health checked by a vet before adoption? Diseases such as ringworm and chlamydia are common in shelter cats.
  • Do you see signs of sneezing, weepy eyes or runny noses suggestive of prior cat flu exposure?

It’s worth adding that complete prevention of infectious diseases is impossible even in good shelters due to the presence of asymptomatic carriers.

Is One or Two Kittens Best?

The advantage of getting two kittens at the same time is that they will usually bond well together. This rarely happens with cats acquired at different times or ages.

The disadvantage of having two kittens (apart from the extra work) is the way they are heavily influenced by each other. As they play together so often, it can be harder to get them to be as affectionate to their owners as single cats.

If you are bringing a kitten or cat into an existing cat’s home, read our guides to introducing two adult cats, and introducing a cat to a kitten.

Male vs Female?

If getting only one cat, it doesn’t matter much whether they are male of female as long as they are desexed by 6 months of age. Males can be a bit more adventurous and harder to keep inside, but still make excellent indoor house cats.

When choosing a kitten or cat to live with an existing cat, it’s more important to choose by personality than gender. It’s often hard for cats to enjoy the company of others, and this is worsened by incompatible pairings. For example, a very outgoing, in-your-face cat would be a risky choice to live with an anxious, shy cat.

When getting two cats or kittens, choosing the same sex works best, in order to match personalities better. This is very unlike dogs. However, as mentioned earlier, kittens who grow up together generally get on well with each other regardless so it’s more of a problem with unrelated cats.

Getting Adult Cats vs Kittens

Most people will naturally prefer a kitten, and if you are looking at purebreds, this is what will usually happen. A kitten is especially advisable for parents of young children. Older cats, unless they have been raised with kids, may never learn to relax around them the way a kitten does.

From rescue shelters, there is a distinct ‘kitten season’ with three peaks in early spring, early summer and mid-autumn. Outside of these times (and especially winter), kittens may in fact be hard to find. This is a good time to give an older cat a home.

There are always adult cats needing rescue and these are just as lovely. In fact, many have had such a traumatic time that they bond more strongly to their rescuer than a kitten will.

Should Cats Be Kept Inside?

It’s still acceptable to let a cat outside if they are not in danger, and they cause no harm. This is especially true for placid homebody cats, who just want to hang out in the sunshine. It is not acceptable to let them roam at night unless they have an enclosed yard.

Read here the health and environmental reasons for keeping cats indoors.

Cats and Dogs

Lastly, if you have a dog, please read our guide to introducing a new cat or kitten to a dog.

Related: Free Kitten Checks | Kitten Vaccination | 17 Kitten Questions