Data indicate that pet cats who display undesirable behaviour, such as inappropriate toileting, are at greater risk of relinquishment to shelters. To determine if this applies to cats adopted from a shelter, 212 people who adopted a shelter cat were surveyed by telephone. Variables collected included factors affecting the selection of a cat, the perceived presence and frequency of certain feline behaviours and ownership practices. Chi-square and correlational analyses explored the relationships between owner satisfaction, cat behaviour and relinquishment. Positive human-cat interactions influenced almost 70% of adoptive decisions. The failure rate of adoptions was low (6.5%), resulting primarily from owner-related factors, such as allergies and lifestyle changes. However, the effort required by an owner to care for their cat increased with the reported frequency of certain behaviours. These included excessive vocalisation (?2=83.905, df=20, p< 0.001), timidity to visitors (?2=82.226, df=20, p< 0.001), destructiveness (?2=76.345, df=20, p< 0.001), aggression to people (?2=74.194, df=20, p< 0.001), general fearfulness (?2=51.905, df=20, p< 0.001), hyperactivity (?2=51.278, df=20, p< 0.001),clawing property (?2=51.277, df=20, p< 0.001), aggression to animals (?2=49.357, df=20, p< 0.001), starting fights with another animal (?2=48.415, df=20, p< 0.001) and housetraining problems (?2=38.154, df=20, p= .008). While most cats displayed some of these behaviours (mean 3.54), cats that displayed greater numbers of them were over-represented amongst those who were relinquished (?2=18.44, df=4, p= .001) and whose owners had unfulfilled expectations of cat ownership (?2=72.978, df=16, p< .000). The presence of certain feline behaviours significantly and adversely affected the ownership experience and increased the risk of relinquishment. Identifying which cats display these behaviours could enable shelters to determine which cats are best suited for adoption, potentially increasing adopter satisfaction and reducing subsequent relinquishment. This research was performed in accord with Monash University Human ethics requirements.