characteristics of new cat

I want to get my second cat from the shelter, so I'll have a wide variety to pick from. Bailey is a 3-yr. old Tabby - should I get another Tabby? I don't want a kitten, but I want a small young cat. Someone told me that black cats and gray cats are more docile - this sounds like an old wives tale to me, but has anyone heard of this? I want both cats to be indoor cats, and I live in a smallish place, so I would have to put the new cat in the bathroom for the introduction period. This seems so cruel since there are no windows.

I'll appreciate any help any of you more experienced owners can give.

Carolyn

I think that personalities vary a lot in cats, and the personality depends more on breed than on color. However, I find that orange males are consistently the sweetest and quirkiest (and sometimes neediest) cats. I like the idea of adopting an adult. Most of ours were adults when they came to us and all have made wonderful companions.

Whenever I felt bad about isolating my cats during the introduction period, I would remind myself that many cats live in a small cage in shelters before they are adopted or euthanized. So, being locked in a bathroom is luxurious compared to what a shelter cat experiences!

I have a lot of colors in my house and I would agree with lotsocats that the red/orange tabby males are the most mellow. Red/orange tabby females are fairly rare, but I have noticed that they have very sweet dispositions also.

I have 2 black cats and one is all spunk and the other is so mellow we wonder if he has bones sometimes. My grey kitties (either solid or tabby) are also pretty mellow (but Sicy might counter me on that one).

Good for you to adopt a shelter cat!! Please post pics once you bring him/her home.

I personally haven't seen color as an indicator. We have some that are mellow, but not very social. My cat Mozart acts differently from time-to-time(he's grey). Depending upon what you really want, some depends on how much time you spend with the cat. We have a little kitty, calico colored, who I comforted when he was scared and lonely after wandering around outside. I started spending more time with him in my room and with my one dog. He is probably our most easy going, people-friendly cat, now.

If you want an indoor cat, younger probably is better, since an older cat you adopt is likely used to outdoor living. Good luck picking out a new pet.

That's really great to think about what you're looking for in a cat before you adopt another.

I thought about my resident furrbabies' personalities before getting Pixie. I was looking for someone very active, fearless, but affectionate to humans too. She cuddled with me right away. I wasn't sure how she'd react to other cats, since she was the only cat in her cage, but I passed other cats with her going to the get-acquainted room, and she looked very curious and reached out several times, so I took that as a good sign.

As far as color is concerned, I wouldn't say that one color was more prone to personality traits over another, but I can add to the list of people who say that their orange tabby is mellow and laid back - my Mozart is definitely that.

I also quarantined each of my cats for 10 days before introductions, in the guest room. Remember, it's such a temporary thing, and he/she will have a wonderful lifetime ahead in your home.

I wouldn't use colour or breed as an indicator.

I've found that each cat has its own distinct personality. Like people, you can't put them into distict categories.