Looking for a feline for a youngster

The fact that I'm looking for a pure breed is more for my own sake than my daughter's. She wouldn't know the difference and as long as she has her companion, then she wouldn't care if it was part racoon. I have never had a pure breed and the cat will be a pet for me as well and the thought of having a pure breed intrigues me. I fell in love with the look of the Tonkinese as soon as I saw pictures of this breed. I am contimplating looking into getting two kittens but the one place by me that I contacted quoted me a price of $700 each! Ouch! I've stated that I'm not in a hurry and I will continue to search and research and will hopefully find something. I definitely don't want to get a cat for the sake of having one. If I stick with Tonkinese then it's obvious that I would have to get two and would do so.
In the meantime, I would appreciate other suggestions for breeds that fit my criteria.

Thanks again for the suggestions and posts.

Originally Posted by twstychik

If money is an issue then even more reason to check out your local shelter first. At least have a look. If you don't find a kitten (yes, there are kittens at the shelter... and sometimes there are even purebreed "looking" kittens) that you or your daughter absolutely HAVE to have then keep searching breeders.

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Originally Posted by rustypixel

I am contimplating looking into getting two kittens but the one place by me that I contacted quoted me a price of $700 each! Ouch! I've stated that I'm not in a hurry and I will continue to search and research and will hopefully find something.

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That's exactly why I don't have a breed cat. If your not in a great hurry you could start saving now and develop a relationship with a breeder you like. Who knows, perhaps you could negotiate some kind of deal for buying 2 kittens?

You don't really "negoiate" a deal for two kittens. You more/less tell the breeder you are interested in two kittens and why and let THEM give you a discount. I would not contact a breeder and say "I want two of your kittens, can you give me a deal if I take two of them?"

And if you are looking for a purebred, most of them WILL be at least $500 or more for a pet. If funds are low, you really should consider an older retired cat of the breed - you can get your "deal" that way as most breeders will take a few hundred off the price to start.

Welcome to TCS !

For more info on the breeds, ask in the breeder's forum.

And just in case you are still considering getting your cat declawed, consider this: is it better to have the cat declawed and then most likely scar them for life (physically and mentally) and have them probably develop at least one behavioral problem, or is it better to buy a couple scratching posts and clip their nails once or twice a week?

I didn't catch the declawing part. If the OP thinks that declawing will solve problems, she is sadly mistaken. Declawing may cause MORE problems. The cat may wind up peeing in other places like bed, clothes, etc. and not wanting to use the litter pan. Or the cat may become a fear biter and hide all the time.

Kids and cats can get along. My son grew up with cats/kittens and was never scratched by them - he learned how to treat kittens. And when older, learned how to clip nails.

If you clip the kittens nails at least once a week or use Soft Paws nail caps, you don't have to worry about scratching the child or the furniture. And get a good sturdy treehouse (minimum of 4 feet tall).

I have such wonderful memories of the cats we had as a child. I am sure your daughter will, too.

Cats that are approximately 10 months to a year old are still kittenish without the insane activity level. Kittens are balls of frenetic energy. Cats who are well loved can live upwards of 20 years. So, getting a cat slightly older than kitten stage will provide her with many years of love.

I have often seen Tonkinese on Petfinder.com. There may be one or two in your area.

I have had people tell me that my Sebastian is Tonk or a mix - no one really knows and I don't care. He is a people cat though. The time when it was just he and I living together, he was pretty miserable. Adding Daphne to the mix really helped him and me. She is just a blessing

Good luck with your search. Please let us know how it goes for you. Oh and thank you so much for choosing to keep the claws

Edit: Not sure if anyone mentioned this yet, but you could google Tonkinese Rescues. Maybe there is one in your area. They might know of one or two who would be a good fit.

Hola y bienvenido a TCS, ...Catulina

y Milky

te saludan!!!........

(Translate: Hi and Welcome to TCS, Catulina and Milky say hello to you!!!... )

See you on the forums!

Hi and welcome to TCS! We are so glad you have joined us!

If I can help you with any questions you have about the site, please click on my username and send me a message.

Welcome to TCS!!!

If $700 for a cat is off-putting to you, then don't look for a pedigreed kitten and head for a shelter/rescue group instead. You will find many kittens on petfinder.com (and much more during the summer 'kitten season'). A responsible breeder is going to be charging about that much for a kitten (if not, more) and they still aren't making $ off of it. (It's not a business that generates any income if done right). There are also purebred rescue groups, and you can search by breed on Petfinder also. You want to avoid backyard breeders, even though they might be offering kittens for less money.

A responsible breeder is not going to give you a cat if you are going to declaw it. Many contracts with breeders state that you will NOT declaw the cat. Soft Paws are wonderful, but most of the time all that is needed is to trim the claws. I bought Soft Paws for Chloe and haven't had to use them yet.

All pet cats need to be spayed/neutered.