Which breed would suit us?

epona

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Nate and I have been discussing getting another cat. We would love to go to a shelter and get a rescue, but most of them in this country require that you have a cat-flap and garden, whereas we live in an upstairs flat and believe that cats are better off as indoor pets! Our viewpoint is a bit unusual here, and means that we can't get a rescue. So we are looking at getting a cat from a breeder.

Which leads us onto my question - can anyone suggest which breeds we should look into? Our main concern is that it should be a good match for Radar, our existing cat. He is a crossbreed - his mum was a Cornish Rex outcrossed to Siamese, and his dad was a black and white moggy. He is very energetic, extremely affectionate, fearless, and playful. We want a cat that will be able to keep up with him in terms of energy levels, and not be bullied by him or fearful of him.

What we want from another cat is affection - we want a people-oriented cat.

I am leaning towards Cornish Rex or Siamese, since Radar already has some of those aspects in his personality. Nate likes the look of the Selkirk Rex, and prefers a less 'extreme' refined look than I do, but I wonder if a Selkirk would be a suitable companion for our high-energy destructicat!

We did an online quiz, 'which breed of cat would suit you best' or somesuch, my best match was a Tonkinese, and Nate's was a Russian White, which I'm afraid to say I've never heard of


Any advice would be welcomed! Thank you
 

abymummy

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My first suggestion would be for you to go to the next cat show and check out all the breeds available.

My selfish suggestion would be for you to get an Aby (of course
)

My last suggestion would be a Burmese.

Why? The first suggestion is the most sensible. The 2nd because Abys are my chosen, beloved breed. The 3rd is because Burms are the most "destructive", human oriented cats I've ever met!
 

urbantigers

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Hi


First off - you can get an indoor cat from a rescue. They vary but some will rehome to indoor homes, esp cats with special needs. My first 2 cats were from a shelter and they've always been kept indoors.

As far as breeds go - I was actually going to say Abyssinian or Somali too(depending on whether you like short or long hair - Mosi in my siggy is a somali) as they are foreign type cats that are lively but not too hyper which might suit your current cat and environment.

I think a russian white is a russian blue that's white! If that makes sense! I think they now breed russians in colours other than the original blue.

I also recommend going to a show to see them in the fur. The supreme cat show is held at Birmingham NEC this saturday (25th november) and the National at Olympia is a couple of weeks later.

edited to add - if you like the curly coat of the rexes but don't want a cat as manic as a devon or cornish rex, have you considered la perms? They're a newish breed with the curly hair but slightly calmer personalities and less extreme appearance. I know someone with a la perm so if you're intereted in finding out more about that breed let me know and I'll give you her contact details.
 

gardenandcats

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Having been owned by Siamese for most of my life. I have four now. I say go with a Siamese.What you have described in personality in a cat you are looking for is a Siamese. They are energetic, very very loving ,smart and people loving cats.
 

mcmaggie

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I think also if you get a female, there wont be as much of a power struggle in the house since your current cat is male.

The cat show is a great idea. When I go to pick out a cat there is always one that seems to like me more than the others, and vice versa.

And since everyone is suggesting their favorite
Maine Coon!

My Maggie is the smartest, well behaved, playful and sweetest cat I've ever had. And their coats are not hard to keep groomed like most long hairs.
 

goldenkitty45

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Any of the rexes (devon or cornish), siamese, or orientals would suit a high-energy level.

Look into local breeders for retired cats or breed rescue groups.


BTW our 15 1/2 yr old cornish rex died recently of a heart attack. So I'm partial to those types of cats.

You might also want to look into the ocicats (siamese/aby/american sh background) or abys. They too are high energy. We're getting an ocicat kitten in the spring.
 

silentnate

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Originally Posted by urbantigers

Hi


First off - you can get an indoor cat from a rescue. They vary but some will rehome to indoor homes, esp cats with special needs. My first 2 cats were from a shelter and they've always been kept indoors.
Always good to hear- all my friends with cats get them from rescue centres but Epona and I have no children so I like having kittens around


Originally Posted by urbantigers

I think a russian white is a russian blue that's white! If that makes sense! I think they now breed russians in colours other than the original blue.
The Russian Whites look gorgeous imho


Originally Posted by urbantigers

I also recommend going to a show to see them in the fur. The supreme cat show is held at Birmingham NEC this saturday (25th november) and the National at Olympia is a couple of weeks later.
Hmmm... Definately the best suggestion so far


Originally Posted by urbantigers

edited to add - if you like the curly coat of the rexes but don't want a cat as manic as a devon or cornish rex, have you considered la perms? They're a newish breed with the curly hair but slightly calmer personalities and less extreme appearance. I know someone with a la perm so if you're intereted in finding out more about that breed let me know and I'll give you her contact details.
Not so sure I'm too keen on la perm but I'm sure Epona will check out some pictures and make up her own mind


Thanks for all the advice so far, much appreciated
 

jennyr

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Indoor cats from rescues in the UK are nearly all older and often special needs. if you want a healthy young kitten they will usually insist on a garden.
 

kattengek

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I have a Turkish Angora(is also a very active and playful breed), Ragdoll (very laidback) and Siamese (and Binky the DS offcourse
).
The most people oriented and playful is my Siamese
I i have totally fell in love with the breed (Siamese and Oriental shorthair). They are sooo sweet and playful

I go to catshows sometimes and the Burmese is also very people oriented and playful.
Some of my other favorite breeds are (which are also active) : Ocicat, Singapura, Abyssinian, Cornisch Rex, Japanese Bobtail.

But if i ever get another cat it will be a Siamese or Oriental Shorthair
 

urbantigers

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

Indoor cats from rescues in the UK are nearly all older and often special needs. if you want a healthy young kitten they will usually insist on a garden.
Not entirely true - although it does vary a lot from shelter to shelter. I post on a UK rescue forum and there are people on there involved in rescue (both small independents and larger ones like CP) who are happy to rehome kittens to indoor homes. Anyone in the UK who wants an indoor cat needs to be prepared to "shop around" and not be put off because the first rescue they contact says they won't rehome kittens to an indoor home. It can be done. And there's always private ads if you get turned down. I don't normally support private ads and would recommend a proper rescue that does homechecks, but if you're turned down because of the indoor issue it's a legitimate way of obtaining a kitten, imo. I went to a shelter that didnt' do homechecks when I got my first kittens because I thought I'd be turned down but that was 9 years ago and things have changed a lot since then with indoor cats becoming more common.
 

ericanicole

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Shelter cats!
They need a home ,and a second chance!
But if your like me...and think you can only love one cat and one cat alone...letting another cat in your home can be hard esp if you like just a certain breed.
I like mainecoons. Mikey is a mix
and the last cat I owned was also a maine coon mix. They are just loveable furballs! They truly become one of the family and they are totally lap cats.
If you and your family are not into having a 12lbs cat sitting on your lap getting their furr on your pants then maybe this cat isnt for you. But in my eyes they are beautiful lovey cats!

Fur Fur Fur
think about a long or short hair cat.

I told my family i would never take another cat in until mikey left me. I am so attatched to him and cant imagine loving another cat the way i love him. and i adored his look. cutest cat ever to me!
Well...steiwie needed me and at two weeks old there wasnt many options for a cat that small...I took him in and now he belongs right with our family and I love that guy. he is a siamese mix...a cat like none other
and he is the total oppostie of mikey...high energy, independent.
 

amaranth

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Hi, I have to agree with everyone's suggestions so far. I live in Canada, so I'm not sure what your options are there as far as shelters go, but I'd definitely take a look.

If you do decide to look into purebreds, I have two Oriental Shorthairs and they are so affectionate and active. They tend to follow me from room to room and sleep under the covers with me every night. With many of the Asian breeds, you do have to keep in mind that they can be vocal and some are very demanding of your love and time. I decided to get a second cat because I knew that Brady would not do well on his own when I began to work full time.

However, given that you already have another cat for company some of the apparently more affectionate, people-loving, and intelligent breeds that you might want to consider can include the Burmese, Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, Colorpoint Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Korat, Tonkinese, and Sphynx.

Of course, each individual cat can vary and my view is biased by my own preferences. Visiting a cat show and talking to the various breeders is a great idea. Here is a page that you might find helpful:

http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IA...jsp?pageID=BGC

If you go to that page and look at the top paragraph, there is a link for a Cat Breed Selector quiz. It might provide some more options for you to consider.
 

reddicequeen

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I am putting my two cents in for a ragdoll! They are a large affectionate breed that have adapted well to indoor lazy life, They are not climbers, dont seem to be destructive and love to follow you around like a puppy. They are the first one at the door when it rings, and they adore my grandchildren. Great cats all around!
 

reddicequeen

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you are right steiwie is an awesome and unusual looking cat!!! *hugs* I was always a dog person, and in the last few years with my intro to cats....can't imagine how i lived without them!!!
 
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epona

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To everyone saying shelters, I must point out that there is ONE shelter within miles of me, and it is OUTDOOR/INDOOR ONLY, they insist that you have a garden. Except for very elderly cats, and it would be nothing short of cruelty to inflict Radar on an elderly cat who wanted to snooze out their remaining days in peace, so we want one around the same age (6 months) or younger. Trust me, I have looked into shelters and put a lot of time and effort in to see if we could adopt a rescue cat. We can't, it's as simple as that.

We are still not much nearer to deciding what we want!

We are going to a cat show to have a look. I like Siamese/Oriental, but Nate finds the modern ones a bit 'extreme' looking for his taste, so I think we are going to be looking out for Burmese or similar


Originally Posted by reddicequeen

I am putting my two cents in for a ragdoll! They are a large affectionate breed that have adapted well to indoor lazy life, They are not climbers, dont seem to be destructive and love to follow you around like a puppy. They are the first one at the door when it rings, and they adore my grandchildren. Great cats all around!
Thanks for the input, I am sure they are lovely cats, but I am looking for suggestions for highly active, high energy cats! I want one that will leap and climb and chase with Radar so they can both be happy together. Thank you though
 
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epona

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

What about the rexes (either cornish or devon) - both are VERY active cats. And so are the ocicats
Rexes have definitely not been eliminated! The only thing that is holding me back at the moment is that I have never felt their fur! I have heard it is very soft, but I want to feel one before deciding. They are fairly near the top of my list regardless tbh, as Radar has cornish rex in him I think it would be a good match.
 

goldenkitty45

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Cornish have softer/silkier fur then the devons. Cornish have NO guard hairs - the devons have a little. Cornish fur is like no other kind of cat. More like a rabbit fur
And the good thing about rexes is they shed very little
 
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