How to choose a kitten, the right way....

My wife used to tell me how much I would love a cat. To be honest, I hated them. My experiences with cats at that point were pretty bad.

What changed my mind was a cat named Joey. My friend Frank asked me to pet sit his cat and of course my wife jumped at the chance. I wasn't crazy about the idea but it was for a buddy so how could I say no? Sensing that I wasn't a cat person, Joey made every effort to convert me the first day she was with us. One day and many treats later, I had a new furry friend. I wanted one of my own.

At the time, I didn't know what to look for in a kitten. I simply visited my local pet store and picked out what I thought would be the quietest cat out of the litter. My cat Maddy (pictured) is the complete opposite of quiet! I found that out twenty minutes after bringing her home.

The kitten purchasing experience was a blur to me and had no idea of what I was doing. With that in mind, we get a lot of e-mails from subscribers and visitor asking, "what should I look for in a kitten?"

Here's a check list of what you should be looking for when purchasing a kitten from a litter or a pet store:

Choosing a life long companion is a big deal, try and do it carefully. There's nothing worse than bonding with a kitten early only to find out there may be a serious health issue the kitten.

Has this ever happened to you?