Finding A Breed That Works For Me

[Thestarcatcher]

Eventually I would like to get a few different cats, all of different breeds but now I’m looking for guidance regarding my first purchase. I’m in love with a few breeds, so I’m looking for experience from others who may be able to give their opinions on which of those breeds would best suit my family.

Right now my boyfriend and I live with our 4 other kittens. They’re all under a year old, with our oldest being around 6.5 months old, second oldest being 4.5 months old, and our two youngest being around 7 weeks old. All of our cats adjust well to our fosters, and almost every kitten brought their way. It may take a few days but sometimes they welcome all immediately. There was no hissing or aggression when I brought in my younger two but my male cat seems to be more hissy than my female. He is a snuggle bug and is honestly a really gentle sweet cat. He’s also going to be a big boy, already being almost 5 lbs and having quite sizable paws. Anyways...

We are looking for a docile cat. Playful but having a cuddly and loyal attitude. My boyfriend and I enjoy the social nature of the Siamese breed, but we also like quiet cats. Somewhere inbetween a very talkative cat and a quiet cat would be ideal. High intelligence is also a trait we are looking for. We are planning on having a family one day, so a cat that’s a good family cat.

We do like larger cats as well. As far as coloration goes, we are a huge fan of the Russian blues coloration, color points, or solids. I would really love a lavender or lilac cat. We aren’t a really big fan of the face shape of modern Persians or modern Siamese. I prefer soft fur as well. The softer the better lol. Long or short hair isn’t a huge thing, but the texture is, if that makes sense. I also love hairless cats. So I guess I’m all over the spectrum.

I know that there is no way to get a perfect cat for us, but this is just a basic outline of things we like lol.

Here are some breeds we are interested in-

Siamese old style Thai
Russian blue
Rag doll
Maine coon
Sphynx

I know I’m all over the spectrum and that every cat is an individual, but does anyone have some insight?

 

[abyeb]

All the breeds you’re interested in are wonderful cats. I’ll give you a brief summary of each breed, and link you to some articles that give you more information.

Thai: active, very vocal, lap cat
Siamese Cats

Russian Blue: moderately active, quiet, some are not lapcats
Russian Blue Cats

Ragdoll: lower activity level, not very vocal, gentle and relaxed, giant breed, prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (screening test available), requires more grooming
Ragdoll Cats

Maine Coon: moderately active, quiet, affectionate, giant breed, prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (screening test available), requires more grooming
The Maine Coon Cat

Sphynx: moderately active, easygoing, can get cold or sunburnt easily, can “shed” oil

Some other breeds I think (based on your preferences) you might be interested in looking into are Siberian, Norwegian Forest Cats, American Shorthair, and British Shorthair.

It is hard to get an idea about these cats’ personalities from descriptions and pictures online. I would recommend checking out a cat show near you. That way, you can get to know reputable breeders and get a chance to meet and interact with the cats. I’ll attach a link to the CFA and TICA shoe calendars.

Show Calendar

Cat Shows - Official TICA Show Calendar

 

[mightyboosh]

I'm biased but I don't think you can go wrong with a Maine Coon for temperament, beauty, loyalty, cuddliness.....well everything IMO Except perhaps the coat. You mention soft fur so although Oliver's coat doesn't matt easily and only requires grooming every few weeks, it's not as soft as my (part we think, no papers) Siberian Chubchub. Oliver's coat is a bit waxy to the touch. Chub's fur is super soft to the touch but he is prone to matting far, far more than Oliver. Chubchub is just over 1yr and he's quite sparky and can bite sometimes. Oliver is never aggressive.
I also cat sat a Ragdoll recently (Ivor) and he was super laid back from the first minute. He didn't hide at all and was friendly and cuddly to us strangers and wasn't phased at all by my cats. It was they who were a bit unsettled rather than Ivor. I've never met a cat as calm and accepting as Ivor and he is super gorgeous as well with those blue eyes.

 

[socaffeinated]

I have a ragdoll kitten and I can say she's absolutely lived up to the positive stereotypes of her breed. Highly suggest ragdolls! She has a wonderful, laid-back temperament and takes to new people very easily. She has never hissed at me and mostly plays with her claws retracted. Loves (allows me??) to cuddle her without a problem and loves taking naps on my lap, follows me around the house etc. Several breeders also told me that ragdolls are not as height-oriented as other cats which appears to be true in my case. She rarely uses her cat trees. But that could also be because she likes to be within 1m of me at all times! (Say goodbye to private bathroom time).

Physically, she has beautiful silk-soft fur but sheds A LOT. Apparently some ragdolls are known for not shedding but my kitten is definitely not one of them lol. Fur does not mat easily - though I do brush her every day so I guess that could be why.