British Longhair Kitten
Once you've found a reputable breeder, the next step is choosing a healthy kitten from the next available litter. The kitten you select should have good muscle tone, bright, clear eyes, and an alert, playful personality. A healthy kitten should not be sneezing or showing mucus discharge around the eyes or nose. The ears should be clean and free of dark, crusty wax. Head-shaking or ear-scratching may indicate ear mites or other infections. The anus should be clean and free of any signs of diarrhea.
The kitten's coat and environment should be clean and free of fleas. To inspect the coat for fleas, rub your hand against the fur and look for fine grains of black dirt, which is really dried flea excrement. Flea signs are more prevalent behind the ears, on the back, and at the tail base, where the kitten cannot easily reach to lick clean.
Tempt the kitten with a feather or ribbon and see how playful and relaxed it is around strangers. If it appears fearful after spending some time with you, hisses at you, cringes from your hand, or, in general, seems unused to being handled, look elsewhere for a better socialized kitten.
Once you've selected a kitten, make sure it is certified free of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FlV) Ask for copies of the kitten's health and vaccination records. Have your veterinarian examine it within a day or two after you take it home to help ensure that you've picked a healthy one.