5 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Cat

Last Updated on January 4, 2026 by Holly Anne Dustin

There are a lot of reasons to adopt a senior cat. You might be considering a kitten. Sure, kittens are adorable. There’s no doubt about it. Those playful, purring balls of fur are pretty irresistible. But they’re also wild and undisciplined and can be a lot of work.

On the other hand, mature cats have lived with people and gotten the system down. Senior cats will enrich your life and you will give a cat a new lease on life.

Reasons to Adopt a Senior Cat

Their personality is already developed.

You know what you’re getting when you adopt a senior cat. Shelter workers can help you find a cat that matches what you are looking for. They can find you a cuddly cat to snuggle up with you or one more independent that can be alone while you go to work. It is different with a kitten. You don’t know how they are going to develop as they grow. 

The shelter should be able to tell you if a cat gets along with other cats, dogs, or children. An kid-savy adult cat is a better partner for a young child than a kitten, however much they might want one. Likewise, an older cat that has lived with dogs before will be more able to adjust to a new family with a dog. 

If you aren’t too particular about needing an outgoing cat, take a risk on the shy, scared, or depressed cat hiding in the back of her cage. She might just blossom when back in a loving home with people to adore her.

They require less work.

A mature cat will require less training. They have lived with humans before and they know the drill. You won’t have to train your new kitty to use the litterbox or a scratching post. 

You won’t need to kittenproof your house. Your curtains won’t be at risk from kittens who climb everything in sight. 

A mature cat will be able to handle spending the day snoozing on the sofa while you are out at work better than a kitten. While both need your interaction and enrichment, kittens are much more demanding. You have to put more effort into raising a kitten to be a well adjusted cat. 

They are lower energy.

Kittens are wild and crazy. Which makes them fun, but also a bit destructive. I nicknamed my little girls the Mayhem Brigade for a reason. They didn’t just climb the curtains they climbed everything! Anything they could get their paws on became a toy. They chewed so many phone chargers and headsets.

Kittens play rough. They bite and scratch because that’s how kittens play. It takes training and effort to teach them how to get along in the world. Not everyone wants to deal with a kitten bounding around a corner to attack your feet or racing around the house at 3am. 

They make great companions.

The settled older cat is generally more interested in hanging out with you than running wild. They’ll play or take a walk with you but they’d just as soon cuddle up for good tv binge. Or a nap. 

They have unconditional love to give. 

They need you and they love you extra hard for giving them another chance. Seniors are less likely to be adopted than younger cats and are the most often euthanized. But a ten year old cat could literally have lived only half his nine lives. 

I adopted a 13 year old cat who was in the shelter for the 5th time. I really think he was grateful to have a loving home for his retirement years. He showed love and gratitude every day of the 6 years he lived with me.

Seniors for Seniors

Some rescues have a Seniors for Seniors program that matches senior cats with senior citizens. 

It is a win for both parties. The senior cat gets out of the shelter environment and into a loving home. The typically quiet home of a senior citizen is perfect for an older animal. 

Senior citizens get the benefits of feline companionship. Scientifically, cat owners are less depressed and lonely, have lower blood pressure, and less risk of heart attacks and strokes.

If you want to read more about the health benefits of owning a cat, click here. 

Rescued often offer reduced or free adoption rates for senior cats. Most offer some support after the adoption and agree to take the pet back if the adopter can’t keep the kitty.

Fospice 

Another option to consider is fospice: a foster hospice program for senior cats. A hospice program gets geriatric cats that should spend their golden years sleeping in sun puddles into homes and out of shelter cages. In a hospice program the rescue covers vet bills for the cat’s life. Some even cover food and litter costs.

Senior cats still have a great deal to give back. They appreciate the gift of love and a home. Seniors might be a perfect match for a senior citizen, but anyone with love to give can make a difference in the life of a senior cat.