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Finding a Cat
- Thread starter shadownet
- Start Date
There are a lot of breeds but some of the underlying things don't change -- "cobby" bodies that are more thick-boned, like british shorthair and persian, will be more relaxed and lovey, very "sweet" in how they react to you. The more angular the body becomes, the more active the cats get. Orientals and "wedgie" Siamese are marathon athletes, while Persians are fluffy couch accessories, in other words
My wife and I did "the hunt" this summer when we were looking at what kind of cat we would like. We had a few ideas but most of it comes down to what you can find in your area, unless you're really in love with a breed. For instance, we loved the look and size of the Singapura breed, but good luck finding one!
Anyway, Juniper is an Abyssinian and Bixby is a traditional Balinese (a Siamese with long hair). Juniper is pet quality because he has some tabby marks, which also made him cheaper, but he's still registered because we love him. More to the point, even though Juniper isn't "big," nor will he get really big, he's just a ton of fun. He's a total clown most of the time, but also extremely muscular and athletic and his preferred method of play is jumping. He'd rather leap and twist and flop at something than actually catch it -- he loses interest once he's actually caught a toy.
But because he came from a good breeder, he's also well adjusted to people. When my wife and I watch a movie, after about 15 minutes he comes and sits on us, usually my lap. He seeks us out and wants to be around us. That also means that we can't sleep with him in the bedroom or else we'd never sleep, as he'd want to play at least every hour.
Bixby is much more calm, and not just because he's 2 months younger. He's a much more gentle cat and doesn't struggle to be picked up or moved -- Juniper usually decides that being moved means he wants to run around. He'll probably end up larger than Juniper but still pretty lean.
Bixby's too new to have any real dominant traits stand out, other than he's a squeaker who talks for the hell of it, but quietly, and he's turned into a "little brother" to Juniper, as in he likes to start trouble but then tries to make it look like he's getting picked on! He's much more sweet around people, though, as he's able to sleep in our bedroom without chewing on our toes all night and typically we wake up with him nestled between our pillows.
One thing we like about both cats is they lack an undercoat. Juniper's fur is thick but very, very short. Bixby's hair is long, but not very fluffy. He's more of a sleek poof. As such, both basically don't shed (although they're also spoiled for quality food, which def. helps).
Most of what makes a good cat, in my opinion, comes from having a happy kittenhood. That's one of the reasons my wife and I value pedigreed cats so much -- we can meet the breeder, who has handled the cats and helped raise them, and we can meet the mom and the littermates. We know the cat's been around other cats and knows how to play, and that they've been fed good food and gotten lots of playtime and motherly instruction. There are awesome cats at shelters as well, but it's a little more random and depends on the quality of your local shelter/spca.
The best thing to do, if you're looking for a pedigreed cat, is to simply go to a cat show. You'll see all the cats you're currently only seeing in pictures, you'll have a chance to talk to breeders, and also see what's generally found in your local area. My two pedigreed cats (one CFA, one TCA) are incredibly fun and with a great personality that's exactly what we had hoped for -- energetic but lovey. We love the high energy because we're not generally people to just sit around, but are moving around the house and doing things. So we wanted our cats to be active as well. Although truthfully most cats will end up pretty lovey to their owners.
My wife and I did "the hunt" this summer when we were looking at what kind of cat we would like. We had a few ideas but most of it comes down to what you can find in your area, unless you're really in love with a breed. For instance, we loved the look and size of the Singapura breed, but good luck finding one!
Anyway, Juniper is an Abyssinian and Bixby is a traditional Balinese (a Siamese with long hair). Juniper is pet quality because he has some tabby marks, which also made him cheaper, but he's still registered because we love him. More to the point, even though Juniper isn't "big," nor will he get really big, he's just a ton of fun. He's a total clown most of the time, but also extremely muscular and athletic and his preferred method of play is jumping. He'd rather leap and twist and flop at something than actually catch it -- he loses interest once he's actually caught a toy.
But because he came from a good breeder, he's also well adjusted to people. When my wife and I watch a movie, after about 15 minutes he comes and sits on us, usually my lap. He seeks us out and wants to be around us. That also means that we can't sleep with him in the bedroom or else we'd never sleep, as he'd want to play at least every hour.
Bixby is much more calm, and not just because he's 2 months younger. He's a much more gentle cat and doesn't struggle to be picked up or moved -- Juniper usually decides that being moved means he wants to run around. He'll probably end up larger than Juniper but still pretty lean.
Bixby's too new to have any real dominant traits stand out, other than he's a squeaker who talks for the hell of it, but quietly, and he's turned into a "little brother" to Juniper, as in he likes to start trouble but then tries to make it look like he's getting picked on! He's much more sweet around people, though, as he's able to sleep in our bedroom without chewing on our toes all night and typically we wake up with him nestled between our pillows.
One thing we like about both cats is they lack an undercoat. Juniper's fur is thick but very, very short. Bixby's hair is long, but not very fluffy. He's more of a sleek poof. As such, both basically don't shed (although they're also spoiled for quality food, which def. helps).
Most of what makes a good cat, in my opinion, comes from having a happy kittenhood. That's one of the reasons my wife and I value pedigreed cats so much -- we can meet the breeder, who has handled the cats and helped raise them, and we can meet the mom and the littermates. We know the cat's been around other cats and knows how to play, and that they've been fed good food and gotten lots of playtime and motherly instruction. There are awesome cats at shelters as well, but it's a little more random and depends on the quality of your local shelter/spca.
The best thing to do, if you're looking for a pedigreed cat, is to simply go to a cat show. You'll see all the cats you're currently only seeing in pictures, you'll have a chance to talk to breeders, and also see what's generally found in your local area. My two pedigreed cats (one CFA, one TCA) are incredibly fun and with a great personality that's exactly what we had hoped for -- energetic but lovey. We love the high energy because we're not generally people to just sit around, but are moving around the house and doing things. So we wanted our cats to be active as well. Although truthfully most cats will end up pretty lovey to their owners.
Trust me on this, Abys do shed at the proper times! There are times when I'm wary of my cats actually losing coat, but of course, they don't.
If you don't mind, would you pm me the name or cattery name of Bixby's breeder? I'm noticing a resurgence of barring on Abyssinians in general (not just the US) and I'm wondering if it's in the pedigree... of course Abyssinians being basically a tabby cat, barring is to be expected but I'm researching lines and would like to see if the lines producing barring are the same. Thanks!
My Oriental boy really is the best of everything - he is lithe and elegant and muscular, races around at breakneck speed, is full of attitude, but is also the most affectionate and loyal creature you could ever hope for. When he's done leaping and running he seeks out a lap to curl up in, he follows me around, if I sit still for a minute he will be climbing on me and rubbing his face on mine. He sleeps close to us every night, and every possible moment is spent involved with us in some way, whether it's playing fetch, showing off for attention, telling us how his day was, or curled up on a chest or lap or hip purring away.
A sleek athlete and a wonderful cuddly lap cat all in one.
Yeah, we've been very, very happy with both Juniper and Bixby. Abys are "supposed" to be quiet and hyper, and while Juniper is definitely hyper he's also a total lover -- he loves watching movies on my lap, or sitting on me when I use the computer (as long as music is playing), and just being involved in everything my wife and I do.
Bixby's definitely more gentle and easygoing, but still full of energy and Juniper's been a great teacher, even if he teaches him things we'd prefer he didn't!
Abymummy, I've sent you a PM.
Bixby's definitely more gentle and easygoing, but still full of energy and Juniper's been a great teacher, even if he teaches him things we'd prefer he didn't!
Abymummy, I've sent you a PM.
Who says Abys are quiet???? I know a lot of them that talk
abys seem to be small cats though which is why they dont fit what the OP wants
ive seen about 20 or so adult abys and everyone was smaller then the avg sized domestic cat
ive seen about 20 or so adult abys and everyone was smaller then the avg sized domestic cat
Yeah, Juniper is chatty like crazy. If just one of us is home, he just walks around meowing if he loses sight of us. He trills constantly around the new kitten, and yowls to be let into the bedroom every morning at 6:15. If he sees us brandishing a knife in the kitchen he goes absolutely nuts, thinking I'm going to cut up chicken and he'll get a little raw food treat. It doesn't matter if I'm cutting up meat, bananas, veggies, onions... He sees the knife and wants into whatever I'm doing. He HATES bananas but is so distracted that he'll keep coming up and smelling one if I offer it to him, only to be repulsed each time.Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45
Who says Abys are quiet???? I know a lot of them that talk
I agree that abys are generally a smaller breed, but as mentioned earlier in the thread there's no one breed that fits all of the things the OP is looking for. Big cats usually aren't lap cats since, well, they're big! Abys are small but have a big personality
