Sir Tristan Starchild

At first glance, Tristan is not unusual. He’s a green-eyed brown tabby, the most common genotype, and indeed, the original model. On second glance, he’s longer and leggier than the average.

Most people would not give him a third glance.

One of the first things I observed in Rescue is the power of the cat’s appearance.

Some people, like myself, are drawn to the most pathetic kitten in the place. Both Reverend Jim and Princess Olwyn were scrawny, pitiful shadows of their future magnificence.

But most have difficulty seeing past the cat’s present state. They lack knowledge of the clues which indicate personality. Without much to go on, they fall back on what the cat looks like.

It’s not that the cat’s appearance shouldn’t be considered. We simply need to build on that first glance. I took pathetic kittens because I knew what was wrong with them, and how to fix it. We should not choose a needy cat unless we can meet that cat’s needs.

Likewise, if we once loved a Siamese, we can search for a similar cat with some confidence. I advocate looking for breed clues because this is a powerful indicator of what the cat will become. Then, we have an idea of how this cat will work out in our home.

The power of difference works on many levels in our brains, and thus, in our decisions. When we look at a litter of kittens, our eye is drawn to the one that is the most different. That will usually be the one to get a home, first.

I’ve seen it myself; when the base color is tabby or black, the kittens with the most white will be chosen first. These are distinctive differences; they catch the eye.

Science supports my own observations: when we are presented with a visual image of complexity, like a cat, we tend to form a “summary” of the object, and not take in the details.

But when we choose a cat, the details are what we should look for, and ponder. While we get some clues from coat color, so many people stop there. We should not miss out on all those other clues our cat is giving off, both physical and mental.

Tristan was mysterious; at three weeks old, all kittens tend to have a “furry slug” appearance which does not give any indicators.

His bent tail tip meant he probably had Siamese in his background, but his coat said lots of tabby. How much was shorthair? I wondered at six weeks, when I was able to see such clues.

By three months I knew I would not have chosen him on purpose. He was developing the long legs, stretched body, and tightly focused gaze that marked him as an Alpha type.

But the joke was on me; knowing him as I do now, I can happily say that he’s not quite too much Alpha for our circumstances. We did not have to miss out on his delightful clown side, his rampant belly-begging affection, and his help making and packing our herbal cat toys. Anyone who had not given this uncommon cat with the common appearance a third glance would have missed out.

If we take the time to figure out what we want, and then figure out what to look for… we can acquire the cat of our dreams.

No matter where they come from.

Find out more about this important decision with my Help with Cat Choosing page.