If you've decided that a kitten is right for you and you have an idea of the breed you want, then it's just a case of finding your perfect pet. The first step is to track down a responsible animal shelter or breeder.

The shelter kitten
Cats of all varieties and ages can be found in animal shelters across the country that specialise in finding homes for cats. A good shelter will have clean and homely pens, with a warm, sheltered area for sleeping, clean litter trays and toys.

Staff will be friendly, caring, and knowledgeable, and ask you lots of questions about yourself and your lifestyle to find the best cat for you. Most reputable charities conduct a home visit to make sure your home and its location are safe. Most will also neuter their cats before they are released, or insist that you sign an agreement ensuring the operation is carried out.

To find out more about shelters in your area, contact Cats Protection, www.cats.org.uk, The Blue Cross, www.bluecross.org.uk, the Dublin SPCA, www.dspca.ie, or the Battersea Dogs Home www.dogshome.org (Battersea look after cats too!).

Finding a breeder
First, contact breed club secretaries for the breed you are interested in. The Governing Council of Cat Fancy, www.gccfcats.org, can provide a comprehensive list of breeds recognised in the UK, with links to their official breed clubs. Breed clubs may have a list of litters available, or can put you in contact with breeders in your area. You might consider reading publications such as Your Cat. Take a look on their website at www.yourcat.co.uk. You can also try going to a cat show to meets breeders and owners to find out more information.

Pedigree kittens are generally available all year round.

Questions to ask a breeder

• Ask them the extent of their interest in the breed. For example, do they show them, breed regularly or are they just pets? These factors may indicate the level of attention being devoted to preparing kittens properly for life as a pet.
• How many litters do they produce each year? Responsible breeders will only produce one litter per female cat per year. How many litters has this particular cat produced?
• Where will the litter be raised? Home-reared kittens will be far better socialised than ones kept in a cattery.
• What after-sales service do they provide? Responsible breeders will offer advice and support for life of the cat.
• Are there any known genetic problems in the breeder's lines?

Meeting the breeder
If you're happy with the answers given by the breeder - and they are happy that you can provide a suitable home for one of their kittens - then it's time for a face-to-face meeting to make sure you're happy as well.

Check that the breeder's cats are friendly, healthy-looking and well behaved, and that the breeder interacts freely and in a friendly manner with the cats.

Females may be a little wary of people viewing their litters, but shouldn't be nervous or aggressive. Their coats and general condition may not be in top condition after giving birth, but they should otherwise appear healthy.

Does the breeder own the father? If so, ask to have a look. Although males have nothing to do with raising a litter, studies have shown that kittens inherit personality traits from fathers, so character is important. Ask about the father's health, ancestry and temperament.

The litter
Once you have found the breed you want and a litter of available kittens, visit them several times before taking one home. Personality traits appear over days or weeks and help you decide whether a particular kitten would be a good match for your family. Viewings usually take place when the litter is around five weeks old. Try to visit as early as possible. You may be able to spot any nervous, withdrawn or reactive characters after a couple of visits which you should avoid buying, or at least know what you may be letting yourself in for!

Character assessment
Spend a few minutes watching how the kittens interact with each other. Even at five or six weeks of age, there will be different emerging personalities - the shy, helpless-looking one, or the manic moggie that does everything at 100mph.

Most kittens have a mixture of personality traits and a good breeder (or animal shelter) will have an idea of which type will suit you best. Although it's easy to fall for the vulnerable little one that peeps at you from behind the sofa, this type of kitten may need quite a lot of work to rehabilitate and is best left for more experienced owners. The ideal kitten for a new owner is confident but not too independent. Pick them up, cuddle them gently and talking to them in a soft, soothing voice. Do they keep resisting, or do they settle quickly and enjoy the attention?

If kittens are sleepy, then it could be a sign of poor socialisation, sickness, or something as innocent as them having a snooze after a meal or hectic play. Re-arrange to see them again at another time of the day. If they're the same, you may be better advised to look elsewhere.

Physical check-up
Once you've picked a kitten that appeals to you, assess them closely.

• Evaluate their size in relation to the others. A larger kitten will generally be healthier than a small, leaner one.
• Look at body shape. Young kittens look quite stodgy' - they haven't yet grown into their elegant cat shapes yet. However, they shouldn't have a pot belly, which can indicate a worm infestation, unless they've just been fed of course.
• Watch the kitten move. Do they walk freely with no evidence of a limp?
• Stroke them - the coat should be clean and soft with no bald patches. Part the fur and check for any scabs, red patches of skin, or scabs or black flecks, which may indicate the presence of fleas.
• Eyes should be bright, and free of discharge. If the third eyelid is across the eye ball, they may be unwell.
• Nose should be clean.
• Ears should not be dirty, red, smelly, or itchy. Head-shaking can also indicate an infection.
• Pick kittens up, hold them close and listen to their breathing. Make sure it is wheeze-free and not laboured.
• Place the kitten on the floor and make a high-pitched squeak. Do they respond? Deafness is quite a common problem in white cats in particular.
• Take one of the kitten's toys and try to get them to play by waving it gently in front of them. This should encourage instinctive predatory chase and pounce behaviours - and kittens are naturally playful anyway. Of course, they may prefer to play with their siblings tails instead, which is an equally good sign.

Timing is everything
Time spent with the mother is crucial. Through playing, kittens learn how to communicate with other cats, how to be litter-trained and how to hunt. If taken from their family too soon, a kitten can be nervous and shy. Too late and they will have missed out on the optimum time to form a good bond with you and enjoy life in your home to the full.

If the kittens are raised in a cattery or very quiet home, they won't have socialised with enough people or grown used to certain environmental goings-on. It's important that a kitten knows that a washing machine at full spin is not a danger and gets used to being handled by at least 4 different people, etc.

Eight weeks is the ideal time to collect your kitten. However, pedigree cat breeders are advised not to release kittens before 12 to 13 weeks of age, a week after they have fully completed their vaccination course and had a vet check.