Kitten adoption help?

I can't help you with the first part since I got mine from a lady whose cat got knocked up after escaping the house. Kittens are a lot of work. Expect biting, scratching (usually meant playfully.) You'll have to teach them not to do these things. I recommend the spray bottle for discpline. One squirt when they misbehave, it doesn't hurt, they just don't like it. Obviously, you should never use physical punishment on an animal or anyone, and you can't leave bad behaviors to go undealt with. You don't want your cat biting your visitors. A little tap on the nose will do the trick for biting. It's gentle but it tells them "No, you can't do this." Make sure you say a firm "NO!" when taping the nose. They get into everything. If you have nice things in your home, put them away. My little guy was 6 weeks when I got him and didn't know how to jump yet, but when he did, he would just knock everything down. They love knocking things down. They are also really fast, especially if you've just opened your front or back door. There are some random attacks, jumping up and biting your toes while you're lying in bed for instance. Don't use your fingers when you play with him or he'll think your fingers are prey, I made that mistake. 

Young kittens love to snuggle, older ones are more independent. My guy was super snuggly until he was about 4-5 months. Now, he only likes to snuggle at bedtime. Get him checked by the vet as soon as you get him just to make sure he's in perfect health. Just a quick checkup will do. And keep his nails cut. If they grow too long they will curl into his paws and make them bleed. Don't cut them too short, just cut off the tip of their nails. If his nails are black don't attempt them on your own! To short can make them swell bleed and need an emergency trip to the vet. If you don't trust yourself with his nails or don't know how to cut them, the vet can do it for you, or a groomer. I made it sound really scary but it's really quite easy. Cats hate getting their nails done, so don't expect it to be an easy task. I cut my guy's nails about once a month, but check them often. Talk to the vet about nail cutting as I'm not an expert, they can show you how to cut them and tell you how often you should better than I can. Or talk to a groomer about it. 

They have a ton of energy, especially at night. It took a few weeks for my cat to learn to sleep when I sleep, so I didn't sleep well at first. He made so much noise at night. He will need toys. Balls, toys that resemble prey like fish, birds, rodents, bugs, toys that move he will LOVE, toys that squeak are also really good. He'll need a scratching post too or he will scratch the furniture. Get him some treats but don't give them to him too often. He should be on kitten food only until he's around ten months, talk to your vet to confirm this. 

All in all, they can be a complete handful but if you love cats, it's all worth it. Good luck. 

P.S. check out kitten lady on youtube. She fosters kittens, you can ask her question in the comments and she might answer them. She did a video on owning kittens a long time ago that might help, sorry don't have the link. 

and yes the cat in the picture is my little guy. 

Please don’t get a cat until you read Think Like a Cat by Pam Johnson Bennett. There are many things to know that will make a big difference in your cat’s health, which equals vet bills that can be prevented. https://esacare.com/cats-mental-health-author-rayn...

I recommend that for a first-time cat guardian, an older cat from a shelter is best. Kittens are cute, but have a lot of energy, like toddlers, and take a lot of time and attention. They can wreck screens, drapes, and any precious fabric with their needle-sharp nails

I don't think there's anything wrong at all in answering an add. The thought would be that if you look at a shelter, you may be able to rescue a kitten that is most likely going to be put down very soon. The kitten in the add will find an owner most likely but until such time he will be taken care of.  The one in the shelter has limited time before he is put down.

I live alone and am single and I have never had a house pet before. We rescued a small black kitten from a shelter and named her Essie Marie. She is a big part of my life and I love her so much. I'm sure you will enjoy having a cat. Just bear in mind that if you travel you may need to make arrangements for its care in you absence. Other than that I think life with a cat is much better than being alone. Good luck !

Other than the obvious step of having the kitten immediately checked by a vet, expenses include litter box (and litter!), water bowl, food bowl and kitten food, and get a nice fluffy cat bed.  Toys, but my experience is they lose interest in most toys fairly quickly.  Get the kitten accustomed to petting and cuddling, but don't force yourself on it, allow it to first be accustomed to its new home if it is a bit shy.

I wish you lived in my city, I have two wonderful little kittens that were hiding up in my engine compartment last week that I would very much like to find a good home for, I would keep them myself except I already have six other cats I've rescued and I simply cannot keep them.

Now for your question,,, it's a bad idea to place kittens and puppies as "free to a good home" in the classified or on sites like Craigslist because more often than not the people that respond do not have the animals best interest in mind,, they are used as bait animals for fighting dogs, lunch for pet snakes, betting games where they are thrown into a cage with a vicious dog of some sort and people bet on which one the dog will kill first and sometimes they are taken by sick individuals that just like to torture animals to death. You would be the exception, and that's good for the kitten,, in your case I would see no problem with getting one from a classified ad.

Take the kitten to a vet for a checkup as soon as you get it,, if possible before you take possession of it, make sure there are no issues you will have to deal with, although there is no guarantee even then as some problems may not show up for quite a while.

How to be a good cat owner,,, just love it. that's all you really need to know.

A kitten from a classified ad has no certainty that it is healthy, vaccinated, wormed,well nourished, etc.

One from a shelter will be vet checked, vaccinated, wormed, generally have a desexing voucher, and a health guarantee.

If you cannot cover the fee charged by a shelter, keep in mind they usually get discounted vet services and it will cost more than their fees to have health. Check, vaccinations etc privately.

You will also need a bed, litter tray, food bowls and toys for your kitten.

Expect the kitten to play a lot then sleep a lot then wake up wanting to play again. Often at inconvenient times.

If you want your kitten to bond with you rather than another kitten, only get one.

One advantage shelter animals have is that the adoption fee includes the vet checkup care, vaccinations, and spay/neuter.

Two cats keep each other company. Then you won't feel guilty leaving them alone when you are gone.