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I would definately go the shelter route, there are so many cats out there who really need homes. I'm also going to echo what AtomicRose said about possibly getting an older cat, because they're so much harder to adopt. My guy was roughly 1 year when we got him (but well out of his "kitten" stage) and they were even having a hard time adopting him.
I would definately recommend spending some time with the cat one on one at the shelter to see how he/she responds to you rather than just basing it on what the staff say about him/her.
Also, if you want a declawed cat and you're going to adopt an older cat, I would recommend looking for one that's already declawed. My boyfriend used to work in an animal hospital and he said it's a lot harder on older cats to get declawed than when their kittens.
Good luck!
Kelly
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As much as I love my cats, I wouldn't get kittens either. They were such a freaking handful! Every single day, I used to come downstairs to a new disaster... most often, they'd have knocked over a potted plant and dragged parts of it through all 3 floors of the house, taken some of my then-husband's books and chewed them to shreds, or peed on a basket of laundry.
Adult cats from now on, thanks! 
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Ugh!!! I know exactly what you mean. Bella's newest game is "how many things can I destroy and get away with it"! She's in a chewing phase too...my husbands brief case is the funnest evidently. GRRR!
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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I got my cat as a kitten from the pound. She was most likely about 3 months old when I got her. I (sorry Casey) was pretty set on just getting a kitten. Unfortunately some people take really horrible care of animals up here and although I would want to help all of them, I knew in my situation I am not able to take care of a cat with lots of behavioural problems. I've got roommates, one of whom is not a cat person.
I figured that with getting a kitten, although they're more curious and energetic, I had a better chance of her not having too many issues. I was really lucky as my cat is really good. The night after I got her from the pound she fell asleep snuggled up to me and purred the entire evening. She gets along pretty well with everybody she meets too.
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We have four cats at our house, and acquired them all different ways. Of the ten cats I've had the privilege of sharing my home with since childhood (wouldn't say "own"; cat people, you know what I'm talking about...) I've only ever went shopping for one. That's my 15-pound grey Persian, Maurice (or, as my husband calls him, "King Farouk"). He's a loving dreamboat, but on the other hand, so is our other male, Cosmo, who was a stray that my husband literally pulled out of a dumpster. So you never know. Just cause the cat's a stray won't mean you won't end up with a winner.
On the other hand, I have taken on several "charity cases" with behavior problems, and my observation is that the problems may become tolerable, but they'll probably never go away. You may or may not decide that it's good karma or just plain kindness to tolerate them. I can recommend a book that's really helpful with regard to behavior problems and modification: "The cat who cried for help : attitudes, emotions, and the psychology of cats" by Nicholas H. Dodman. The author's an English vet who specializes in pet psychology. Very useful.
But if you want to be able to train and socialize a cat the way you want, get a kitten. They're very manageable, mostly because they're really little.  Plus they're so $@#%&^%&%#$ cute and fun!
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I've gotto get that book. My Bella is definitely on her way to developing a "behavior" problem. Or maybe she was just born with it, I don't know, it's just keeps getting worse!
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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