Which breed would you recommend?

[ennogs]

I wish to get a kitten but don't know what breed to get.

A friend's two cats have won me over. I want a cat of my own but need help deciding on the right breed. My friends two cats are not related and naturally have very different personalites. There is also an 9 year age difference between them. They are both female. I don't know what breed they are.

The older cat loves being alone upstairs in one of the bedrooms. She doesn't really like being in the company of others. What I mean by this is if my friend invites a few of her friends over to her house if the older cat is not already upstairs you can be guaranteed she will run upstairs and stay there. She will only come down at feeding time and go straight back upstairs after feeding. She does sometimes seek a bit of attention from her owner and sit in her lap but is not that often really. She would never go and sit in a strangers lap.

The younger cat is very boisterous and loves being in the company of others. She will often follow you if you move from one room to another. To me it kind of feels like she is thinking "Where are you going?, What are you up to?, I am coming along to see." She is very inquisitive. She loves playing with cat toys. Although she is not a lap cat she does seek attention from my friend and sit on her lap a lot more than the older cat.

What I am I looking for?

I want a kitten more like my friends younger cat. Inquisituve and boisterous (I realise that may be a difficult ask). Enjoys being around people when I invite my family or friends over. Likes being a lap cat. Loves getting attention from me. Is ok with being an indoor only cat. Not a deal breaker but if I can I would like a breed of cat that has minimal or no hair shedding.

I have been reading up on what breed to get but there is so much conflicting advice. So far I have been I thinking about a ragdoll. Based on what I am looking for what breed of cat would you recommend for me?

[Mollycat]

Welcome to the forum, glad to see cats have recruited another human to join the feline side.

Personally I would suggest you read a little less on breeds and more on the species. Although there are some character traits associated with certain breeds these are no guarantee of personality. That like any of us is down to individuals more than breed. I don't think it's any more accurate than figuring out human personalities by race or nationality. By all means pick a breed you like, but be prepared for any kind of character.

All kittens and young cats should be boisterous, playful, funny and mischievous. How they settle into adulthood will depend on the character they are born with and their early experience with the mother, which you can't do anything about, and how you bring them up once they are in your care. The more you interact with a kitten the more likely they are to be sociable and cuddly, but some will just never want to sit on your lap and some will never allow you to pick them up or cuddle them, and a happy cat is a cat whose human companions respect their individuality. An unhappy cat can be surprisingly dangerous. Many cats, most cats, will still be playful well into old age.

Are you looking for a kitten or would you be prepared to take on an adult cat from a good rescue? My local rescue has their charges in foster homes and most decent ones should assess the cats' characters carefully to match them to the right home. It is not foolproof though. My friend adopted two cats together which the rescue told them were inseparable but once home they found the two couldn't stand each other and one took to living upstairs and the other downstairs just to avoid each other. Situations can bring out different aspects of their characters.

However, if you don't like shedding, stay well away from ragdolls!!! Their hair is long and fine and no matter how much you brush them you will find their hair in places they have never been, even inside cupboards and the oven, and visitors will find your cat's hair on clothes they have never even worn to your house. Mine died 5 months ago and I still find his hair everywhere.

[fjm]

I agree with Mollycat - personality and temperament has much more to do with maternal care and early socialising than breed, and all cats with hair shed. The longer the hair the more the shedding, unless it becomes matted into painful and dangerous lumps. I would start building up a relationship with your local rescue now, ahead of the main kitten season in the spring and early summer. Visit and meet the cats - you may find the perfect young adult already there waiting for you, and at the very least it will help to focus in on what is most important to you. The vast majority of cats in rescue are DSH - domestic short haired - which is a description rather than a breed, and there are always many needing ood homes through no fault of their own.

If you do decide you want a kitten - which I absolutely understand - choose a reputable rescue or breeder. Kittens from a good rescue will have been tested for the diseases cats can carry, and be vaccinated. A good breeder will also ensure the parens are healthy and don't carry any genetic problems before breeding them. Untested and unvaccinated kittens can suffer from very serious diseases and die very young, so take care. With that proviso, I would choose a kitten that approaches you, plays with a toy you drag along the ground, and is amenable to being picked up and briefly held comfortably. Play is often more attractive to kittens than cuddles, though, so don't be surprised if the little one wants to get down immediately. And your heart may overrule your head, which is why it is best to look only at health tested litters. Sometimes your eyes meet, it is love at first sight, and all the careful list of traits goes out the window. And then you make it work, because love does that!

[Ruth B]

Ragdolls shed, we had one and although old age caught up with him 4 years ago and he had to be put to sleep, I am sure we are still finding his fur about the house. A friend of ours mentioned once while we had him, that he had found Blue's fur on his keyboard at work, Ragdoll fur gets everywhere and is very persistent.

I have to say that my advise would be to look at a rescue shelter rather than researching breeds. If you would consider moving away from having a kitten, I think you would be better off with a young adult cat, particularly if it you're first time as a cat owner. By 6 months a kitten's personality is fairly well formed and a rescue could find you one that was confident and loving, which sounds like what you are wanting in a cat. Kittens are far more of a gamble and even within a specific breed they can develop very differing personalities. If you go to a rescue and tell them the type of cat you are looking for,pretty much as you have described here they will be more than willing to help, they want to make sure the right cat is placed with the right owner.

The only other thing I can add, is from experience, cats with sleeker looking coats tend to shed least, and ginger fur shows up on everything.

I hope you find what you are looking for, and will let us know when you do.

[alanc]

Just a point, I have found male cats to be more affectionate than female cats (when neutered anyway). I suspect many exceptions to that can be found, however.

[lilynmitz]

I have never, ever, gone home with the type of cat I had in mind. Just go to the rescue centre with an open mind, and you won’t regret it. Very often the cat chose me. They are surprisingly perceptive, trust in that. I’ve had cats older than I’d wanted (but they outlived all the young ones), younger than I wanted (and they wreaked havoc on the house!), totally different colouring to my ideal image, “wrong” gender, even the first cat I had I hadn’t thought of even getting a cat at all! But in every single case, it was pretty much love at first sight, and whatever challenges and joys they brought, I never regretted welcoming them into my home and my heart.

And believe me, they will bring challenges. You have a very idealised view of having a cat in your home, remember they are all individual in their nature, needs and habits, and you really won’t know what you’re getting (including with a kitten), until they settle into your home. You will just learn their character and you will fit yourselves around each other, which is part of the joy of forming a relationship with such amazing and under-rated animals.

To be honest I think kittens are very hard work, they are babies after all, and their role is not to entertain you, your job is to protect and raise them into secure and trusting companions. They have their own personalities from birth, so ultimately it’s a balance of nature and nurture. I prefer at least young adults, or even mature cats, as you will have a slightly better idea of their character, although the challenge with some is you don’t know what emotional scars they may carry, but it’s so rewarding working through it with them to turn them into happy and trusting cats again.

Playfulness isn’t limited to young cats. All my “oldies” have stayed playful throughout their lives with the right stimulation and interaction. The more you put into your relationship with them, including initiating play, the more you get back. But when they’re older, you don’t get that mad bonkers behaviour that you get with kittens (although a few of mine have remained pretty bonkers, and it can be a bit exhausting sometimes clearing up after them!).

And yes, they ALL shed fur. And won’t conform to a stereotype, as they don’t know how to “be” other than being a cat.

Keep an open mind, let the adventure begin.

[kittycatcare]

I have never, ever, gone home with the type of cat I had in mind. Just go to the rescue centre with an open mind, and you won’t regret it. Very often the cat chose me. They are surprisingly perceptive, trust in that. I’ve had cats older than I’d wanted (but they outlived all the young ones), younger than I wanted (and they wreaked havoc on the house!), totally different colouring to my ideal image, “wrong” gender, even the first cat I had I hadn’t thought of even getting a cat at all! But in every single case, it was pretty much love at first sight, and whatever challenges and joys they brought, I never regretted welcoming them into my home and my heart.

And believe me, they will bring challenges. You have a very idealised view of having a cat in your home, remember they are all individual in their nature, needs and habits, and you really won’t know what you’re getting (including with a kitten), until they settle into your home. You will just learn their character and you will fit yourselves around each other, which is part of the joy of forming a relationship with such amazing and under-rated animals.

To be honest I think kittens are very hard work, they are babies after all, and their role is not to entertain you, your job is to protect and raise them into secure and trusting companions. They have their own personalities from birth, so ultimately it’s a balance of nature and nurture. I prefer at least young adults, or even mature cats, as you will have a slightly better idea of their character, although the challenge with some is you don’t know what emotional scars they may carry, but it’s so rewarding working through it with them to turn them into happy and trusting cats again.

Playfulness isn’t limited to young cats. All my “oldies” have stayed playful throughout their lives with the right stimulation and interaction. The more you put into your relationship with them, including initiating play, the more you get back. But when they’re older, you don’t get that mad bonkers behaviour that you get with kittens (although a few of mine have remained pretty bonkers, and it can be a bit exhausting sometimes clearing up after them!).

And yes, they ALL shed fur. And won’t conform to a stereotype, as they don’t know how to “be” other than being a cat.

Keep an open mind, let the adventure begin.

I couldn't agree more with this! When I rescued my Gracie 5 years ago I wasn't even looking for a cat. But when I went to the pet store to look for a dog for my brother she just sort of chose me. I'm really glad she did

[ennogs]

Thanks for all your advice.