[Bishtaw]

Hello everyone just today i found a stray cat that immediately attached to me. Currently I'm at my friends house with the stray kitten and i thought about keeping her shes about 8 weeks old we assume. However im having major second thoughts. I dont know if i could handle keeping this kitten as keeping myself fed at times can be tough. As of now i have a part time job 35ish hours a week. Im 19 and may be going to a different collage soon and i just dont know about having a cat for 20 years... any input would be very nice as im lost right now...

[mazing]

Firstly, depending on where you live sometimes there are laws about keeping strays, especially if they already belong to someone and have just escaped etc. Before making a definite decision I would suggest talking to the local humane society or rescue groups to check that it's ok to keep her. A lot of places require that the cat be held by the humane society to see if someone claims the animal before it can go to a new home.

From your profile it seems you are in Michigan - I would probably check out this page here about tips for what to do.

From there, actually keeping her really depends on your plans. Animals, as you are aware, are a big commitment for food, vet costs and ongoing care. If you are looking at changing to a different college would you be living on campus? Would they allow pets? Would someone be able to look after her for you if you decided to keep her?

[ManOfConstantSorrow]

Cats hereabouts are generally micro-chipped quite early in life and any vet has a reader so they can find any recorded owner.

Then at 19 you will be moving about, living is shared and rented housing and have partners who may not be cat lovers.

I feel you should might like to defer cat ownership until a later more settled time in your life.

Cat rehoming centres can often find a cosy billet for younger moggies.

[pinkbutterfly]

Sometimes having a pet can be a real motivation as well...they become very good companions. Though it is true that finding a place to live can be difficult with a pet -- and moving around is not as easy. There are definitely lots of things to consider. Having a kitty that loves you and that you can love could be a very important component to your recovery.

Do you have a therapist? Have you brought it up in therapy?