There are lots of reasons to love kittens. But don’t jump into kitten adoption blindly, because their difficulty can be as powerful as their cuteness.

Pro: Kittens are cute

Let’s not beat around the bush: Kittens are one of the cutest things in the world and we all know it. We wish we had kittens around us all the time. They have big, round, pleading eyes. They make irresistible squeaking sounds when they mew.

They have furry little bellies that can reduce the meanest man into a puddle of giggles. Kittendom is only a fraction of a cat’s existence, but if people get to experience how adorable it is,they’ll never forget that part of their life.

Con: Kittens are destructive

A cute kitten will ruin the owner’s life. Not all of it, but parts of it. Physical parts. If people own a kitten, it will damage or destroy something they own and enjoy, and probably more than just one thing.

We can almost guarantee that. Just like human babies, kittens are naturally and instinctively driven to explore their world. Unlike human babies, kittens are extremely mobile and they’re equipped with razor-sharp teeth and claws. Imagine how that plays out.

Pro: Kittens are playful

An adult cat plays with people sometimes, when it feels like it. For the most part, cats prefer to relax and, yes, snuggle, but they’re not super active. In fact, it can be frustrating to get a cat to play enough to fulfill its exercise needs.

Not so with kittens. People will never meet a more motivated playmate. Buy plenty of toys like balls, teasers and feathers dangling on strings. Unless the kitty is napping, is likely to be running around.

Con: Kittens have tons of energy

Would anyone be surprised if someone said kittens want to play even if a person doesn’t want to, like when sleeping? A kitten’s favorite playtime can easily be 2:30 a.m. A kitten owner better hope they don’t unconsciously wiggle a toe when snoozing, because that’s an invitation to the kitten to sink its claws into the foot.

Pro: Kittens are healthy

Like humans, cats start to develop physical maladies around middle age. That’s life. Barring rare, congenital defects or diseases, kittens are healthy. By adopting a cat at the start of its life, people maximize the amount of time they’ll get to spend with their pet while its in the prime of its healthy and strong youth. For those first few years, the person will be the one struggling to keep up with their cat and its energy levels, not the other way around.

Con: Have to pay for a kitten’s early medical upkeep

Kittens may be young and healthy, but that doesn’t mean owners can skip the vet. Newborn kittens need a lot of medical attention to get them ready for the world. Besides checkups, the owner will be on the hook for vaccinations, dewormings and, of course, spay or neuter surgery. All of these things cost money and they’ll be the owner’s responsibility as a kitten owner. Adopting an adult cat, on the other hand, means that this stuff is almost always taken care of already.

Pro: Get to watch a kitten grow up

Adopting a kitten means people are a part of their cat’s entire life. They get to watch it mature from a maniac of a kitten into a spunky young cat into a cool and mellow adult. The owners will know about everything the cat has ever been through. And let’s not forget the owner can build a collection of adorable photographs that documents their pet’s entire existence.

Con: Have to watch a kitten constantly

Cats are more affectionate than most folks give them credit for, but they are quite solitary and independent. For the most part, a person and their adult cat can hang out separately a lot of the time. But during kittenhood, the owner better keep their eyes on that little mischief maker for its own safety. Kittens are naturally gifted at getting into and onto things they’re not supposed to. Keeping them from causing trouble is straight-up exhausting.

Pro: Have more years with a kitten

It’s worth noting that adopting a kitten maximizes the sheer number of total years people will have together. Cats live for too short a time as it is, around 15 years. All owners want to spend as long as possible with their cats before they cross the rainbow bridge.

Con: Training a kitten

Training a kitten isn’t as intense as training a puppy, but a kitten does need to learn how to behave. Conversely, adopting an adult cat typically means it already knows how to use its litter box and probably even basic rules like not jumping on countertops and tables.