How to Choose a Healthy Kitten
How to choose a healthy kitten: a nose-to-tail checklist, signs of illness to walk away from, the right age to bring one home, and questions to ask the seller.
Health guide
Not a substitute for a vet. If your animal is unwell, in pain or getting worse, contact a qualified veterinarian straight away.
Quick answer
A healthy kitten is bright, curious and playful. Its eyes are clear, its nose and ears clean, its bottom clean, and its coat glossy with no fleas or bald patches. Picked up, it should feel solid without being pot-bellied. Choose a kitten at least 8 weeks old (ideally 12–13 weeks for pedigree breeds), see it with its mother, and ask for written vaccination and deworming records. If anything feels rushed or kept from you, walk away.
Before you visit
A bit of homework first:
- Decide what kind of cat suits you. Long-haired breeds like Persians need grooming every day, and active breeds want more play. A healthy kitten in the wrong home still ends up with problems.
- Look into the seller. You want reviews, contact details that stay the same, and someone who is happy to answer questions. Our guide on how to buy a pet online safely covers scam warning signs.
- Arrange to see the kittens at home, with the mother there. Be wary of sellers who only want to meet in a car park or deliver to your door.
- Don't pay the full price up front for a kitten you haven't seen in person or on a live video call.
The nose-to-tail health check
Ask to handle the kitten in good light and go through this:
| Area | Healthy | Warning signs |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviour | Alert, curious, plays, moves easily | Very quiet, hiding, weak, wobbly, uninterested |
| Eyes | Bright, clear, no discharge | Crusting, discharge, cloudiness, third eyelid showing, squinting |
| Nose | Clean, slightly moist, breathing quietly | Discharge, crusting, frequent sneezing, noisy breathing |
| Ears | Clean, pale pink inside, no smell | Dark crumbly wax (possible ear mites), head shaking, scratching |
| Mouth | Pink gums, no bad smell | Pale gums, ulcers, drooling |
| Coat and skin | Clean, shiny, no bald patches | Flea dirt, scabs, round bald or scaly patches (possible ringworm) |
| Body | Feels solid, belly soft | Very thin, or a hard, swollen pot belly (possible worms) |
| Rear end | Clean and dry | Diarrhoea staining, redness, visible worm segments |
| Movement | Walks, runs and jumps normally | Limping, stiffness, poor balance |
A quick flea check
Part the fur at the base of the tail and on the belly. Tiny black specks that go reddish on damp white paper are flea dirt. Fleas can be treated, but a heavy infestation in a young kitten can cause anaemia, and it tells you something about how the kittens have been looked after.
Look at the whole litter and the mother
Check whether the other kittens look healthy too, because illness in one littermate usually spreads. The mother should be in good condition, friendly and relaxed. Look at where they live: is it clean, with a litter tray, fresh water and food? Lots of litters or breeds on site can mean a high-volume operation, and disease moves easily through those.
Temperament
A kitten that is used to being handled and to ordinary household noise usually settles in more easily.
- Watch the litter play for a while before you pick one.
- A well-socialised kitten comes up to people out of curiosity, though a little shyness at first is normal.
- Constant hissing, extreme fear or no interest in play can point to poor socialisation, or to illness.
- Ask how the kittens were raised: indoors with people, or kept outside or in a shed?
The right age
Kittens taken from their mother too early are more prone to health and behaviour problems. Avoid any seller offering kittens under 8 weeks. Many reputable breeders keep them until about 12–13 weeks. By then they've had more of their vaccinations, are eating solid food well and are fully litter trained.
Questions to ask the seller
- How old is the kitten, and when was it born?
- Can I see the mother (and the father if available)?
- What vaccines has the kitten had, and when? Can I see the vaccination card?
- When and with what was it dewormed and treated for fleas?
- Has a vet examined the kitten? Is it microchipped?
- What food is it eating, and what litter is it used to?
- For pedigree breeds: are the parents health-tested? For Persians and related breeds, ask about polycystic kidney disease (PKD) DNA testing.
- What happens if the kitten is found to be ill shortly after purchase?
A good seller won't mind answering, may well ask you a few questions back, and will give you a written receipt and records.
Red flags: walk away if
- The kitten is under 8 weeks, or the seller is vague about age.
- You are not allowed to see the mother or where the kittens live.
- The kitten has discharge from the eyes or nose, diarrhoea, or is lethargic.
- The seller claims the kitten is "fully vaccinated" at 8 weeks.
- There are no records, or the records look altered or blank.
- You are pressured to decide or pay immediately, or asked for payment in untraceable ways.
Leaving a sick kitten behind is hard. But buying one rewards poor breeding, and nursing an ill kitten can cost a lot, in money and in heartache.
After you bring your kitten home
- Book a vet check within the first few days, even if the kitten seems well.
- Keep it away from your other cats until the vet has seen it.
- Carry on with the vaccination and deworming plan. Our kitten vaccination schedule shows the typical pattern.
- Stick with the same food and litter for the first week or two to keep stress down.
In Pakistan
Kittens, Persians especially, are sold everywhere: markets, social media, roadside sellers. Some are taken from their mothers very young or sold with vague "imported" claims. Insist on seeing the kitten in person or on a live video call, ask for vaccination and deworming cards from a clinic, and get a vet check soon after you buy. The hot summer months are hard on young kittens moved long distances, so don't buy one that has just travelled in extreme heat without a rest.
Ready to look for a kitten from a verified seller? Browse cats on Paalo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the right age to bring a kitten home?
Not before 8 weeks, and many vets and breeders prefer around 12–13 weeks, especially for pedigree kittens. Extra time with the mother and littermates helps with health, litter habits and social skills.
Is a sneezing kitten always sick?
An occasional sneeze can be harmless, but repeated sneezing with eye or nose discharge suggests cat flu. A kitten showing these signs should be checked by a vet before going to a new home, and you should be cautious about other kittens in the same litter.
Should a kitten be vaccinated before I buy it?
A responsible seller will usually have given at least a first vaccination and deworming, with written records, before the kitten leaves. A kitten cannot be 'fully vaccinated' until the series is finished at around 16 weeks or older.
