Hello, y'all. I'm new here and have a couple questions . . .

Hello everyone.

I need a little advice, if anyone can spare it. I grew up with cats, but don't have one of my own currently. (The past two apartment complexes I've lived in haven't allowed pets.) I am moving in May to a place that does allow pets, and I very much want to get a cat. I've done a lot of research on cat breeds online, and am having some trouble figuring out what kind of cat to get! I'm looking for a short-haired cat that will want lots of attention.

A few different breeds immediately seemed appealing to me: Bombay, Burmese, Egyptian Mau, Snowshoe, and Tonkinese. I also was interested in Australian Mist cats, but haven't found any breeders located anywhere in the U.S.

I know this is mostly a matter of personal opinion. I'm just trying to narrow it down before I actually go meet with any breeders. I tend to fall in love with most animals I meet, so I need a really good idea of what I'm looking for first! Can anyone who owns any of these types of cats give me any info? Is any breed prone to a certain illness? I haven't found anything, but it's always best to ask people who have been there!

Thanks a bunch.

welcome to the boards!

as for your question, i am not as knowledgable about breeds as others here, so i'm not sure what i can say in the way of advice. i have a siamese i adopted from a shelter and she is very clean and sleek and the biggest love bug i have ever known. my other cat is a plain old mutt and he was pretty loving (clingy might be a better word!) before coco came along but is a little more independent now. he still craves attention, but not at three a.m. like before!

good luck on your search for the right cat. i'm sure any cat you decide to bring home will be very lucky to have you!

I am owned 3 Siamese Snowshoes. The male is very affectionate and playful! The 2 females are skittish but will come when called. The girls are petite, Mimi is 6.5 pounds at 2 years of age and Xena is 5.5 pounds at 7 1/2 months of age. Hercules, the male, is 7 pounds at 7 1/2 months. They are awesome cats!

I don't have any experience with the breeds you are requesting info on! I just wanted to welcome you to the site!

Welcome to the site! I don't have any advice, but once you decide on a breed or two that interests you, perhaps you could contact a breed-specific rescue group. Not only would you be sure of the personality of the cat that way, but you'd also help give a kitty in need a good loving home.

I'm going to move this out to the Lounge where more people with more breed specific experience will see it. You're sure to get tons of responses there.

My advice would be to visit a couple shelters and see if you fall in love with a rescued cat or kitten. Don't get me wrong, I love all cats including pure-breds, but it feels extra special good to visit the local SPCA and have a kitty make eye contact with you and reach out to touch your hand through the bars of her cage. It creates such a meaningful bond and that cat will love you furrever for rescuing her from the caged life!

These are some fun breed selector sites I found, I'm personally a bengal lover! But there are many other breeds that I adore. All I can say is go with which breed generally fits your life style, and what you are looking for in an animal, and the hope to find one in person that fits! Not every cat will fit the breed personality to a T.

http://selectsmart.com/beta_cat/

http://www.ivillage.com/pets/tools/breedselector/

http://animal.discovery.com/guides/c.../selector1.jsp

couldn't have said it better myself harry.
I have both cats from the streets and from breeders and they are all a joy to me. I could'nt ask for anymore love in this house!
I hope you'll check the shelthers first as Harry said, the shelters are full of cats and kittens in need of homes just waiting for a wonderful person such as yourself. let us know what you decide either way!

I would like to thank everyone who has posted so far for their help. Also, if I get a cat from a shelter, do most shelters have a vet on-site, so I know the kitty is healthy? The cat's health is really my biggest concern -- with breeders, you know the cat is in good health. I was also considering adopting a retired breeder that is a couple years old and has been altered. That way I still know in general what activity level, personality, etc. the cat will have. Does anyone know much about that or have any comments to offer? Thanks again.

Most shelters and rescue organizations give the animals thorough checkups, vaccinations and even spay/neuter them. Many shelters like the larger SPCA's have onsite vet clinics where this is all done prior to putting the cat up for adoption. I'm sure many people here can attest to the fact that they have adopted perfectly healthy and happy cats from shelters. Please go for a visit, I just know you'll fall in love with a kitty who needs you! By the way, welcome! And, its great that you're doing so much research prior to bringing home a cat, it's nice to hear of such a responsible pet mom!

Any GOOD shelter will have some kind of vet care on site, or at the very least have a vet/clinic that they always work with. Call the shelters and ask first. Also, many shelter and rescue groups use foster homes instead of just keeping the cats in cages and exposed to all kinds of things. This would also allow you to see the cat in a "home" environment and you could talk to the foster about the cat's personality. I know that most breed specific rescue groups (go to Meowhoo for their listing of breed specific rescues, and if you can't find the breed you're interested in do a search on Yahoo or Google) work with foster homes for the best possible environment for these kitties.

Really, we have nothing against getting a pedigree cat, either a kitten or a retired queen. We have many members who are breeders and are working to better the quality of the breeds. We are also very pro-rescue though, as I'm sure you can tell. There are purebred cats who end up in shelters, they just don't usually have their papers. If you aren't interested in showing, that may be a viable option for you if you really want a pedigree cat.

So true! I have a gorgeous and healthy flame point Siamese that I adopted from the Oakland SPCA!

How do the breed rescue organizations work? I had never heard of that before . . . an organization that rescues particular types of cats. The rescued cats are still needing homes, even though they are "rescued?"

Hi, Viva. Can't help you, with breeds, having never had a purebred. Its good, that you're doing research, though.

BTW: Where, in Georgia, are you? My mother is from Waycross.

Hey Viva!

I don't know much about cat breeds or breed specific rescues, so I will leave those questions to the others.

I just wanted to say Welcome to the board, and good luck finding a kitty.

Katl8e, I am in the middle of Atlanta right now. (I'm a student at Georgia Tech.) It's nice to be so close, but I really don't like the metro area. So, in May I'm moving to a new place just outside of the city and will commute to school and work.

I'm going to put this in our breeders board. It will get more traffic there from people knowledgeable in breeding questions.

Originally posted by AuroraViva
How do the breed rescue organizations work? I had never heard of that before . . . an organization that rescues particular types of cats. The rescued cats are still needing homes, even though they are "rescued?"

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, some people that buy purebred cats, for whatever reason, end up having to let them go or abandoning them. There are several rescue groups that specialize in rescuing specific breeds. Generally, they are made up of those who have, or are currently breeding that breed... and of course they have alot of volunteers that help.

You can find them by doing a google search for the breed rescue group you're trying to find.

Good luck in your search!

OK, I have another question. This sort of depends on the cat, but is there any difference between cats that were spayed or neutered as kittens and cats that were spayed or neutered as adults? Such as spraying in males, etc.? I'm curious in case I end up getting a retired show cat or retired breeder. Thanks.

Hi Viva!

i am sure you will love this website... we do ! *me meowmies and me!

Just to share with you about my own stuff:

i started feeding feral kitties in my backyard years ago. Then, adopted Daisy. She was from a household of several kitties, and a couple of the male ones chased her around. She was distressed N depressed. So, the owner had to give her up.

Now, my baby is a happy kitty, put on a little weight, and is spoilt by her mommy!

Later, i adopted Venus. The first time i saw her picture, my entire heart went to her. She was born deaf, you see, and she has such lovely blue eyes! i know that with a deaf kitty, i need to pay special attention and care, etc, and i was prepared to commit myself to do all that.

Oh, i am still feeding my 7 kitties in the backyard.

To tell you honestly, i have been looking for a pure bred myself, but just taking my time. Would it help if you scout for one in cat shows?

Also, there are a lot of websites leading to kitty adoption. i personally like the petfinder.com website. Do you mind adopting a kitty at a rescue shelter?

The rescued kitties are just as gorgeous and very loving... trust me, i am very much involved, and did volunteer work for spca for their christmas windows (assisting in adopting kitties.)

Hope you will find a kitty soon, and love him/her ALOT!


SMILES