I Am Interested in Getting a Cat and Would Like Help Choosing Which Breed?
July 12th, 2010
I am thinking about getting a cat and am looking at my options. I have been trying to research cats based on their ‘personality.’ I would like one that is affectionate. I have read of cats being "lap cats" and following their owners around. Thats what I am mostly looking for. But also a cat with a playful side. Can anyone help? Tonkinese, Ragdoll and Maine Coons come up the most.
Oh, and – are all Maine Coons gigantic? I looked up pictures and they are all the size of a toddler!
Ragdoll Cat – Ragdoll Cat Videos – Ragdoll Kittens
Maine coons are big, but they are playful and sweet. My cat is a Maine Coon Siamese cross and he is the best cat i have ever had. He’s 14 years old and going strong (most people think he is 4 or 5 years old!) I would suggest a maine coon or a maine coon cross… Awesome cats!
Watch Animal Planet’s "Cat 101" each week they discuss 5 new breeds and rate them on health, family friendliness, and personality.
I enjoy it and learn more every week!
Maine Coons are gigantic! They are big cats. I have 2 bengals that are very affectionate. They both came to me from different homes so I didn’t get to raise them but they are both very affectionate and follow me around the house.
Please consider adopting a mix from a shelter. There are so many cats and kittens that desperately need homes with all different colors and different personalities.
I adore persians.
Heres a photo:http://www.catsofaustralia.com/images/persian%20from%20loretto.jpg
And Maine Coons are pretty huge. Heres a picture:
http://mcgonnigle.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/coonbig.jpg
I would have one if I had the room.
Don’t get one to big and you should pick your self its your cat and i want you to be happy with it!
I have a russian blue. She is beautiful. And they are so adorable when they are kittens. With their baby blue eyes.
No breed is more personable than the other. Cats all have their own personality. so its hit or miss. Its about how they are raised when they are young.
Maine coons get pretty big. I’d avoid those. They are high maintenance as well.
You can pet a persian cat as they are very cute, loving and admirable. They sleep in laps, they play, they follow their owners as i am having a persian cat.i love him very much.
Burmese, Toninese, Siamese, Ocicats, Bengals, American SH are all good cats that love to play and are people oriented. Rex (Devon/Cornish) are great people oriented cats, smart and total lap cats.
Maine Coons can get as big as 18 or so lbs – full grown males.
Burmese are the most effectionate cats i have found!
I have a lilac one she is great.
But i also have two domestic cats which are the same as her
which all follow me to room to room
each night all sleep on our bed and watch tv with us.
Burmese cats are a nice size and have a nice light coat.
I have always thought that animals adopted from shelters make the best pets and seem to be so thankful. Please think about doing that you can find a local shelter and spend some time with your kitty before deciding and you will see what I mean and absolutely fall in love!!
Manx! The tailless cat.) They are the dogs of the cat family. They are very people oriented. Smart, you can train them like a dog, although sometimes they can be too smart for their own good. They tend to like water. They live about 18 to 20 years so you can expect to have one for a long time. They’re great hunters so you’ll never have a rodent problem. Beware if you let him/her outside though, they will go after prey larger than them such as a raccoon or opossum. Read up on them, they are amazing, playful and the cutest things ever. Because they don’t have a tail they hop like a bunny when they run. If you decide on one make sure, just like with a dog you get one from a reputiable breeder. The breeder shouldn’t let the kit go before its 4 months old. Because of the usual lack of tail they can have a shorter spine that can result in spinabifida (I’m not sure of the spelling, sorry.) and that can lead to major internal problems. By the time the kit is 4 months old though it should be known if they have the disease or not. They also mature alot slower than alot of other breeds. It can take them up to 5 years to reach full maturity. Check out the website below. They have tons of info on all breeds of cats. Some you’ve probably never heard of. Good luck!
Truthfully, cats aren’t dogs. They weren’t especially bred for any specific purpose. There are a few breeds that are often more affectionate than the others, like the Maine Coons and the Ragdolls, but you can always end up with one that’s antisocial because of irresponsible breeding practices. Bengals are pretty, but they like being the only cat in the house if they can help it, and they aren’t really good with little kids. And yes, Maine Coons are actually huge for cats. Some of them can be thirty pounds of pure muscle. But they’re very loving and some of them like swimming. I don’t recommend Persians because they often have a lot of breathing problems from the smooshed faces. I also think that it’s kind of mean to breed an animal like that, so don’t like shelling out money to encourage it. Be forewarned if you choose a Siamese. They’re very chatty and will talk to you a lot, which can get annoying if you’re fond of the quiet, but Siamese lovers adore the talking. (I’m kind of fond of it, myself.)
Normal alley cats or just regular mutt cats can sometimes have personalities linked to their colors, like tortoiseshells or calico cats.
I have three cats, and all of them were strays that I invited into the house. I have found that my tortoiseshell kitty is my baby and likes to stick by me, and she’s very playful, but she’s not a big fan of anyone else, and is very territorial. (She would probably be happier if there were nobody else in the house besides her and myself. That includes my husband.) Tortoiseshell cats are notoriously weird, though, and tortie lovers think it’s a pip. I have a long-haired white cat that looked just like a Turkish Angora (when she was thin) that’s a total dishrag lap cat. And my tabby cat is very, very affectionate and likes to play fetch with her fuzzy mice.
All in all, like many others, I suggest going to your local shelter. You will find a cat that will click with you. And you can often find purebreds there for little to nothing. And you can find mixed breed cats that look just like purebreds for very little money. (Like my "Faux-Angora"!)
Good luck with your search, and remember to spay or neuter!
Try the shelter. Visit the nearest animal shelter and let a cat out. Sit in the room and see if it will come up to you. Any breed of cat can have friendly "lap cats" or less affectionate cats among their ranks. I would suggest going to a shelter and "trying out" different cats in the room if you can. Make sure you can pick them up and rub their faces without a mean response. Many shelter cats are exceptionally friendly because they come from good homes. Usually an older person who dotted on their cat dies, and this friendly happy and healthy cat ends up at the shelter. Ask any volunteers if they can suggest a cat of the temperament you want. Usually they know more about the cats than you think. Much like mutt dogs, mixed breed cats can also be smarter, more loing, and healthier than pure bred cats.
An adult cat adopted from a shelter – of any breed or of no particular breed. I have three and they’re all the sweetest, most loveable, most playful cats I’ve ever known.
If I had to pick a cat by breed, though, I’d go with the Exotic Shorthair. One of my adopted cats is an Exotic and she’s always by my side and also VERY playful. In over 20 years of having cats I don’t think I’ve met any that like to sit in your lap. Penny the Exotic does come sit on my chest in bed, snuggle up to me and right now is next to me on the futon.
But each cat has its own personality. Don’t pick a kitten expecting it to grow up a certain way. Pick an adult cat that already IS that way and there’s no disappointment later on.