What to Check When Adopting a Cat: 7 Physical Signs and 5 Questions for the Shelter

Book 30-45 minutes in a quiet room and check seven things with your eyes and hands: eyes, ears, nose, coat, body weight, rear end, and the way the cat walks. Then ask five questions before you sign: where the cat came from and how long it has been there, the complete medical record with dates, how it behaved around other animals and children and where that was observed, what the shelter does if the match fails, and exactly what it has been eating. The meeting tells you about health and handling. The questions tell you what you are actually taking on.

The five questions, and which answers should worry you

Question	Why it matters	Answer that should worry you
Where did this cat come from, and how long has it been here?	A stray's history is blank, and a surrender's reason may be about the owner, not the cat. A long stay often means the cat shut down in a cage, not that it is unfriendly.	"We don't keep intake notes."
Can I see the full medical record — FeLV/FIV test date and result, vaccine dates, deworming, dental, any chronic condition?	"Up to date" is not a date. FeLV/FIV status decides whether the cat can live with yours. An existing condition is a budget line.	No test on file, or "tested negative" with nothing in writing.
How has it behaved with other cats, dogs and children — and where was that observed?	"Good with kids" through a cage door is a guess. Foster notes beat kennel notes.	"We don't know, he's only been in this room."
What happens if it doesn't work out?	Return windows, refunds, and whether the cat comes back to this shelter or to an open-admission pound.	"Once it's adopted it's yours." That usually means the cat gets rehomed online.
What is it eating now, and what are its litter and scratching habits here?	An abrupt food change causes diarrhoea in week one, and a cat that has never had a scratcher will use your sofa.	"Whatever we have in the bin."

Write the answers down; details get smoothed over in the retelling.

Seven things to check with your own eyes and hands

You are not diagnosing. You are looking for reasons to ask the vet a question, or to walk away.

• Eyes. Clear, symmetrical, no yellow or green discharge, no squinting, no cloudiness. One watery eye is often a blocked tear duct; two, with sneezing, is cat flu.
• Ears. Pale pink inside, no dark coffee-ground wax, no smell, no scratching at the ear. Dark wax means mites or infection.
• Nose. Slightly damp is normal. Crusting, open-mouth breathing, or a sneeze with discharge is not.
• Coat and skin. No bald patches, no scabs, no flea dirt (black specks that turn red on a wet tissue), no greasy dandruff along the spine.
• Weight. Ribs should be easy to feel under a thin layer and not visible. A hard, distended belly in a thin cat suggests worms.
• Rear end. Clean fur, no matted stool, no swelling. Diarrhoea stains mean the cat has been unwell recently.
• Movement. Ask to see it walk and jump. A limp, a stiff back end, or a cat that will not jump can be arthritis, injury or a neurological issue.

If allowed, look at the teeth — heavy tartar means a dental bill within months — and press a gum: it should go pale and refill pink within two seconds. White or yellow gums need a vet before adoption, not after.

Behaviour worth more than any label

Sit on the floor and let the cat come to you. One that approaches and rubs your hand is giving you information; one that stays at the back of the cage is too, and it is not "unfriendly" — a cage is terrifying after three weeks.

Bring a wand toy: does it track with both eyes, pounce, land squarely? That is vision, coordination and play drive in ninety seconds. Offer a treat — a cat that sniffs and eats is not nauseated. Forward ears and a raised tail mean relaxed; flat ears, a tucked tail and a low growl mean fear, which is not aggression but does mean a slow introduction at home.

Ask to handle the cat, and accept a no. A cat that tolerates being picked up is easier at the vet; one that hates it is not broken, and forcing it teaches it that hands are bad. With children, ask for a second visit and watch the cat, not the child.

What the file will not tell you

Age from teeth is accurate to about a year, which matters for insurance. Records rarely say whether the cat was litter trained at home or only in a cage, how it is at 3 a.m., or whether it was declawed — check the paws, because declawed cats need different litter and often have back pain.

Red flags at the shelter itself

Pressure to decide the same day, no medical records at all, visible overcrowding or a strong smell of diarrhoea are reasons to slow down, not necessarily to leave — underfunded shelters can still have healthy cats. What should stop you is refusing any paperwork, or a fee that hides a required "donation".

Finally, ask what support exists after adoption: a behaviour helpline, a return policy, a discounted first vet visit. A shelter that answers those clearly will still take your call in three weeks, at 4 a.m. Once the cat is home, the first two days have their own rules — see our first 48 hours guide and care section before you collect it.

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