Thinking about adopting a cat?

National Adoption Week is a great moment to meet cats in person. Here's how to make a choice you'll both be happy with for years.

• Pick the personality, not just the face.

  Tell the rescue about your home — kids, other pets, how busy it is. Foster-based rescues know each cat's real personality and can match you honestly. A calm adult cat often fits a quiet home better than a kitten.

• Consider an adult or senior cat.

  Kittens get adopted fast; wonderful adults wait much longer. Adult cats come with a known temperament, and most are already litter-trained and past the climbing-your-curtains phase.

• Ask what's included.

  Most rescue adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations, and a microchip in one adoption fee. Ask the rescue exactly what their fee covers — it's usually far less than paying for each vet visit yourself.

• Set up one quiet room first.

  Before bringing your cat home, pick a small room with a litter box, water, food, and a hiding spot. Let the cat settle there for a few days before exploring the whole house. Slow starts make confident cats.

• Budget for the everyday, not just day one.

  Food, litter, annual vet visits, and the occasional surprise add up. A rough planning figure many vets suggest is a few hundred dollars a year for basics, plus a cushion for emergencies.

• Give it three weeks.

  A common rule of thumb: about three days to decompress, three weeks to learn the routine, three months to feel fully at home. If the first days are shy or bumpy, that's normal — not a bad match.

• Can't adopt? You can still help.

  Share a rescue's adoptable cats with friends, foster if your home allows it, or donate. Sharing genuinely works — most adoptions start with someone seeing the right cat at the right moment.

Part of PawQuest's National Adoption Week series.