If you're looking to bring a cat into your life, consider adopting from a shelter rather than purchasing them from a pet store or breeder. This method has several benefits, including lower initial costs. Adoption fees usually cover the cost of a health check, vaccinations and spaying or neutering. When you adopt a cat from a shelter, you also get to choose from a wide range of cats varying in age, temperament, and coat color and pattern. With so many to choose from, though, adopting a cat can be overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to help you narrow your selection and find your best match.

Consider Your Lifestyle

Before beginning your journey to adopt a cat, consider your lifestyle and personality. Do you work full time, travel a lot or frequently attend social engagements in the evenings and on weekends? If this sounds like you, opt for an independent cat. Cuddlebugs tend to get lonely.

A high-energy cat or rambunctious kitten is a great companion if you have plenty of free time (and patience) to keep up with them zipping around the house, batting toys in all directions, and playfully attacking unguarded toes and fingers. If you're looking for a feline friend to share the couch with you at the end of a long day or sit on your lap while you work from home, a quiet, mature cat who loves to cuddle might be a good fit.

Consider your family makeup as well. If you have small children or other pets, for example, look for an easygoing, friendly cat who is well socialized and can get along with humans and pets of all sizes. No matter how relaxed the cat is, however, you'll want to show your children how to properly handle them to help encourage positive cat-child relationships.

Contemplate Cat Characteristics

Now that you've thought about your schedule, energy level and family structure, it's time to zero in on cat characteristics. Here are the main factors you'll want to consider.

Age

Kittens are hard to resist, but keep in mind that they're extremely energetic and require a lot of time and patience. Most pass through a destructive phase as they grow. Kittens explore the world with their mouths, and it's normal for them to scratch and bite as they play and learn. They also don't have a set schedule and may keep you up at night. Another consideration is that a kitten's temperament can be hard to predict, as it may change as they mature into an adult. On the other hand, kittens can often adapt to their new environment more easily than older, set-in-their-ways cats.

If you're looking for a cat with a specific temperament, it may be best to choose a mature cat, since what you see is what you get. Older cats tend to be calmer and often have the advantage of already being litter box trained, socialized and acclimated to living in a household. However, while most kittens will come to you healthy, older cats may require a bit more maintenance to keep healthy. For example, they may have dental disease — which is common in adult cats — that you'll need to address. You may also get less time with an older cat. That said, most people want to adopt a kitten, so if you adopt an adult cat, you may literally be saving their life. If you're still torn between adopting a kitten or an adult cat, making a pros and cons list can help.

Temperament

Your cat's temperament and personality will have a lot more bearing on how happy you'll be together than superficial traits such as what their coat looks like, so determine your preferences before visiting the shelter. Luckily, shelters allow and often encourage you to interact with the cats one-on-one in a cat-designated room before adoption. This will help you better determine their temperament. If a cat is open and playful, they're probably confident and fairly independent. If they hide in the corner, they'll likely take some time to warm up to you. If they're friendly, purring and letting you pet and hold them, it's a good sign they'll be a great cuddle buddy.

That said, it can be difficult to gauge a cat's true personality when meeting them for the first time in a shelter environment, as this can be a stressful situation for some cats. Many shelters have adoption counselors on staff who can help match you with the right cat. If no counselors are available, you can still talk to shelter staff and volunteers who have spent time with each cat and gotten to know their personalities.