Help choosing a breed....

Greetings all :-)

I'm new to this forum and thought perhaps you all might be able to offer some advice.

I have always addopted cats but due to some new circumstances I'm considering purchasing a pure breed.

I am in the process of trying to decide what breed is best for me. I've been looking into Maincoons, Singaporas and Ragamuffins.

There are so many breeds out there that I'm not quite sure what is right for me.

My preferences are:
Short to medium coat length
Very loving disposition
Calm but not too docile
A lap cat
Intelligent

Are there any recomendations you all might have?

Thanks VERY much. Please feel free to email me if you'd prefer at [email protected]

Thanks for your time!!

Well, first I would be interesed in the story behind why a pure breed now.
If you are looking for a short to medium coat the Maine Coon and Ragdolls are out. They are both long hair. Singapoura's are VERY active cats. They tend not to be in your lap all the time.
Most cats no matter what breed can be loving if brought up in the proper surroundings. Intelligent cats in my oppinion are the Siamese,Oriental Shorhairs,Abby's,Sphynx and the rex's. However they are all very active cats. Maine Coons,Ragdolls,Siberians,Norweigen Forest cats and Ragdolls are all very loving and somewhat calm but have long hair.
There are so many breeds out there. You may want to pick up an annual edition of Cats magazine and read through all the breeds. Try and find a breeder you can visit. When buying a cat, it is always best to go see where these kittens are being raised. A cattery will have adults that you can see and look at the disposition. Cats can live more than 20 years, so it's something you really want to take your time on.

Thank you for the very detailed response.

I assure all you cat lovers out there that I will not be jumping into becoming a mom to a new cat without a great deal of thought and time. I will definitely visit the cattery before making any decisions on getting the cat as well as very very carefully choose the breed that I'd like to consider bringing into my home.

The reason I am now choosing a pure bread after having had 2 adopted cats in my home is actually a rather complicated one.

Simply, my current cat is now dieing of liver disease. The vet estimates only a few more months at best before she has to be put down. Perhaps it sounds callous to already start looking into another cat, however I've always had animals in my home. The notion of not being a pet lover and pet owner fills me with a sense of great loss and loneliness. I want to make this decision very intelligently and educatedly hence why I'm beginning my research.

I love Sasha (my kitty) very very very much. In fact, I've had many pets over the years but none that I've bonded with as much as her. No other pet will replace her, ever, but I love being the caretaker to this wonderful creature and want to pass the love on again.

Why a purebreed now? Fear. I've already lost one cat to Feline AIDS a few years ago and now Sasha has a liver disease that is genetic. I want to know the next cats lineage. I want to lesson the odds of losing another animal I love so much prematurely.

Perhaps this is selfish, and I am feeling some guilt about not adopting one of the thousands of cats who are in need of a home...hence why I find myself defending my intentions here.

Hope I've made some sense :-)

I am sorry if I implied you were doing wrong by buying a pure breed. I was just curious on why you decided to. Trust me, I am a breeder and would really never put anyone down for wanting to know where their cat came from. I have both pure breeds and my domestics. I love all cats!!
Like I had said before, there are sooo many cats to choose from. Check into the magazines and do some research. There are many breeds predisposed to genetic flaws. The reason I say visit the cattery is because a reputable breeder will have a very clean facility and or home. This will also allow you to see if the kittens are being socialized at an early age. Most reputable breeders will not let their kittens go until about 10 to 12 weeks old. The reason I am so involved in getting people to visit and make sure their kittens are coming from responsible breeders is because I would like to see the kitten mills and these jerks not be able to sell kittens and loose money. This may stop them from mass breedings.
please if you have any particular questions, I would be happy to answer. Like I said, I am a breeder and I also show my cats.
On another note, I am sorry about your girl. I wish you both some very wonderful times in the months to come. There is nothing harder than having to say goodbye.

Not to get off topic or anything, but Sandie, you are truly as asset to this site. You are so knowledgable and always give people such detailed and well-thought out answers. I just wanted to say that I respect your opinion a great deal.

P.S. Welcome to the site, ooana. Good luck in choosing your new baby.

Thank you Deb.

First of all I want to tell you how sorry I am about your precious baby. It really hurts knowing she will be crossing the Bridge soon. May you have special times together and will always have wonderful memories together.

Second, welcome to our family. This board is very special to me.

Third, I agree with Sandy as I also am a small breeder(abys and oriential shorthairs and only 1 or 2 litters a year). I also have rescues from when I did rescuing back on the eastcoast. I also show my cats and am a Judge. Some of us on this forum (Sandie, Rene, Michele, Ken (Sandie's husband) and Donna) are all very close friends of mine and we all show together. If you do not have the time to keep up with the grooming then I don't suggest a longhair except for a Ragdoll as they are the only longhair cat that does not mattand needs to be brushed about three times a week compared to everyday. As for abys and osh, they are active but are very people oriented. They can be trained to be calm all depending on your lifestyle. I personally do not let my babies go to a new home until they are four months as that is my own personal thing. Actually, Rene has 2 of my abys and she loves them an much as she loves her rescues. The best thing you could do is research as much as possible. You might also want to go to a cat show as a specatator and speak with breeders. Once you decide on the particular breed, you can get in contact with some of the cat associations for a list of their breeders. Good luck and let us know if there is anything else we can help with.

Frannie

I have to say, I'm incredibly impressed by the detailed responses from you all as well as the compassion. Thank you. I'm trying to get as much bonding time with Sasha as possible but of course, its never quite enough and its not easy considering the nature of her illness.

The toxins build in her little body and she gets quite manic. These episodes are growing more and more common and when they become too much for her (or myself) to bare...that's when things will get really really rough. In the meantime, I try to let her know how loved she is.

A close friend of mine suggested a Singapora to me....what are all of your thoughts on that breed? A bengal was also suggested as was an Abysinian. Any recomendations?

Also, since I'm a novice to pure breeds, do any of you know when the next cat show is in NYC or, how to find out?

Thanks so much once again for all of your input.

-Ooana

I'm glad you found us. Is there a way you can get to Jersey as my association has many shows in Jersey and Connecticut. There is actually a show at the end of this month in Jersey. I have abys and Rene will be at the show with my abys. There are very few Singie breeders in your area. As for Bengels, I'm not a real fan of them for myself but do know some that are really sweet. Sandie will also be at the show. If there is anything else I can help you with, please just ask. I will be judging the show in Jersey in September and two in Connecticut in December and January.

Frannie

All three of the cats recomended are pretty active. I am not a real fan of the Singapura's...they can be somewhat aggressive at times. The Bengals are pretty, but I have never handled them much. You have to make sure you get them from a good breeder as they are direct decendants of wild cats. The Abby's are very pretty and the only ones I have really played with are Frannie's. Hers are very in your face cats. I was very surprised when one of her cats who had never met me...nuzzled into my neck and then gave me a kiss.
Like Frannie said, we have shows in Jersey coming up on June 30th and then Sept and Oct. We would all be glad to let you see the different breeds and get to handle a few of them. TICA has some shows in NY, but they are somewhat snotty and may not be as open to help.

Welcome to the site Ooana!

I am so sorry to hear about Sasha's condition! I'm sure you are doing your best to make her last months here as pleasurable as possible. She is very lucky to have you!

I have never owned a purebred but I have read as much as I could about the different breeds while working on this site. So here are my 2 cents:

With pedigreed cats you have a good chance of encountering genetic disease. Breeding within a relatively limited gene pool is always risky and takes a really good breeder. I know many breeders (many here on the site) who go out of their way to make sure their lines are as healthy as possible and that all the cats they produce are healthy and good-natured. However, there are less qualified breeders who lack either the knowledge of the will to work like this and the purebreds they breed may in fact be more prone to genetic faults. Sometimes, these disease show up later in the cat's life and breeders may inadvertantly use carriers for breeding for some generations without knowing it.

The PKD in Persians is a good example. It's a genetic disease which is very common in Persians. It can be manifested in many ways, some of which are lethal and only shows up as the cat ages (though sometimes in cats that are quite young). Recent awareness to this disease has brought catteries to check for it and some studies indicate that as many as 30-40% of Persian cats have it. As awareness increases, reputable breeders screen their cats and cats who carry the disease are not use for breeding any longer. However until a few years ago, you could have bought a sweet little Persian kitten from a reputable breeder and get a cat that would be very ill by now.

Also, you mentioned FIV (feline "AIDS"). That is an infectious disease that can infect prurebreds and mixed-bred alike.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not sure having a purebred is a guarantee against future health problems. I'm not against it though, as I think some breeds are really great and I'm sure that if you buy from a good breeder you do have a better chance of getting a cat that is more like what you want. You may consider adopting an adult (maybe even from a shelter or a rescue organization, or a retired breeding cat). That way, you can be sure about the cat's character as this can vary even within the same breed.

As to which breed - I'm afraid not actually knowing the cats "in person" my advice is limited.

You may want to take a look at this breed list and visit some links it points to:
http://www.thecatsite.com/breeds/list.html

I have two RagDolls and three Maine Coons. I rescued a ten year old and I just got a kitten Ragdoll. My Maine Coons are all under 2 years. I highly recommend both breeds. I do have to brush my Maine Coons more than the Ragdolls but both breeds don't need brushing everyday. All of my cats are very friendly (Fiona my Maine Coon kitten is a little witchy, she is a red female) but the rest are great. So basically I feel you can't go wrong with either breed.

Hope this helps a little.

Michele

Where in NJ is the show this month? I'd love to try to make it out.

-Ooana

Originally posted by Frannie
I'm glad you found us. Is there a way you can get to Jersey as my association has many shows in Jersey and Connecticut. There is actually a show at the end of this month in Jersey. I have abys and Rene will be at the show with my abys. There are very few Singie breeders in your area. As for Bengels, I'm not a real fan of them for myself but do know some that are really sweet. Sandie will also be at the show. If there is anything else I can help you with, please just ask. I will be judging the show in Jersey in September and two in Connecticut in December and January.

Frannie

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Sounds like the best plan of action is to go to one of these cat shows and see the breeds first hand. That's what I'm going to try to do.

Sasha is doing well today, no manic episodes yet.

I've attached a picture of her so you call can see my little girl :-)

In terms of genetic problems in pures, yes, that's absolutely true. I've had pure bread dogs in my life and the genetic problems are always a risk. I suppose just a bit more assurance from a qualified breeder is what I'm hoping for.

FIV, you're right about that too. My last cat contracted it while in a shelter, however which is why I'm trying to go through a reputable breeder this time around.

-Ooana

Ooana!

she is precious! what an adorable little

I dont have any advice to give. I just want to say how sorry I am about your Sasha and how very sweet she is. The best of luck with getting another kitty down the road.

Ooana~
I don't have any advice for you (but these great people can give you plenty) I just wanted to say welcome!!!!!!! this place is great (and addictive- watch out!)

~Michelle

oops!!! I almost forgot the biggest reason I wanted to post this. besides saying I'm very sorry to hear about Sasha, that is (which I am- did I mention that?) well, I just thought I'd mention that my kitty's name is Sasha, too. she's a tortie...almost as beautiful as yours. right now, she's got a shaved bottom.

Sasha's tummy is shaved and I think she knows it too..how undignified!
And another Sasha! Nifty!!!


My mother suggested today that I talk to the vet about getting a kitten now and seeing if the company (during the day while I'm at work) might be good for Sasha...

...What do you all think?

And thank you for the warm welcome. I know how addictive bullitain boards can be. I run one myself for the dance/clubbing community in NYC. Heh. VERY addictive ;-)

-Ooana

Originally posted by Michelle
Ooana~
I don't have any advice for you (but these great people can give you plenty) I just wanted to say welcome!!!!!!! this place is great (and addictive- watch out!)

~Michelle

oops!!! I almost forgot the biggest reason I wanted to post this. besides saying I'm very sorry to hear about Sasha, that is (which I am- did I mention that?) well, I just thought I'd mention that my kitty's name is Sasha, too. she's a tortie...almost as beautiful as yours. right now, she's got a shaved bottom.

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I am so very sorry to hear about sasha But I am glad you have found us here. welcomeI