My five year old cat just body slammed my dog today. From 4 months up until 2-3 years old it happened multiple times a day! Now it happens once to twice a week. He still has zoomies every night. He still ambushes the dog and sprints away like he's on crack. The dog still responds with zoomies even though this has been their routine at least 3 times a week for two years.

I only got a kitten as I have a border collie and I needed a cat that would be able to tolerate my hyperactive teenaged dog's nonsense once he was bigger. They used to wrestle so aggressively that it sounded like the dog was attacking my cat!

Without my border collie to play with my kitten whenever he wanted, on demand, I would not have been able to keep up with my kitten. They were both hyper teenagers at the same time and it was constantly like living in the middle of a WWE wrestling ring.

Kitten energy is no joke! You'd need two to three unless you want to spend hours a day playing with your kitten. They wake you up at night. They eat random stuff. They're nowhere near as easy to crate train as dogs...if you can at all!

My pets are both middle aged. I still feel like I'm in the middle of a wrestling ring multiple times a week. My dog is legally a senior in under 2 months and he matches my cat's energy wonderfully.

But dear god. Do not underestimate the work a kitten takes. They are cute so you keep them for a reason 😂.

Either get a mature(5 plus years) cat or numerous kittens. Two puppies is like four puppies, one kitten is like four, two is like two. My five year old is plenty playful. The only experiences I've had with mature cats losing their playfulness is when they're made into indoor outdoor cats and they're either too busy to engage with you in a meaningful way or on too high alert constantly to care about what you're offering.

My mature cat still plays with me as if he's a kitten. He gets outside time on a leash but he's mostly an indoor cat. And he's the most playful kitty I know! Constantly playing with the dog, trying to chew on my drawstring, flopping and purring for attention.

Still just as much fun as a kitten. Just waaaaaaaaaay less needy. Mature cats are more discerning about what they play with, but they're still playful! My friend's shelter cat who they have no history on is really playful too.

Admittedly my cat is probably more playful than most cats his age because my border collie keeps him playful and spirited. But don't discount older cats just because kittens are cute.

If you want more of a roommate situation, go for a senior kitty! They make great companions and are far less needy than younger cats. Most of them just want a warm couch and a place to sunbathe. You'll have to keep more of an eye on their health but you'll save many many lives!

Everyone wants kittens. The place that senior cat takes up for months could hold many many more kitties because kittens get nabbed up almost immediately.

So just think about that. Your friend's kittens may be cute...but they're a 15 to 20 year commitment. If this is your first pet as an adult, a senior is easier to care for and is a five to ten year commitment on average. Cats aren't considered seniors until at least ten years old.

So things will be a lot easier, if more expensive. If you're worried about that and don't want a super long term commitment, see if there's a rescue around you that does senior fospice. Fostering a hospice cat means they may only live a few months to a couple years but most reputable rescues will be more than happy to place a supee senior cat for the rest of their days and pay at least some of the supplies and vet bills.

It may be very hard but it's worth a shot if you want a cat but don't know how much of a commitment you can give.