New here, deciding on a breed...

[jenniferd]

Originally Posted by bmccord

Well, I have done some more reading. I could take in a stray off the street and would be more than happy. I have grown up with all kinds of cats so my general descriptions are just what the ideal cat for me would be. A cat that talks alot would not really bother me. For some reason I like how quiet the ragdolls are. I would get 2 of them for sure. I have read that getting a brother and sister seems to be best for that breed but then other people have told me to get 2 boys. I was planning on spending at least 650+ each for a good cat. And if I get a couple and they are not what I had initially hoped for, I will learn to love them. One of my favorite cats growing up was more or less a 'crackhead' cat (as the neighbors called it). She was a wild mess and tried to tear up everything but I was the only one in the family that could get near her.

Trust me, I will be happy with anything but I was just making sure what I am attempting to get into is not the polar opposite of what my general likings are. Thanks everyone. I will start hunting down breeders next. What is a good way to find out if the breeder is, well, a good breeder. I have read to get papers and look for TICA information but thats about it. Thanks again everyone.

you can look for breeders on www.kittysites.com
Here is a link to pixie bob breeders. I know nothing about any of them.
http://www.kittysites.com/breeder_pixiebob.shtml
My advice would be to contact them and see how they respond, and if they have kittens, and if they have a wating list, and what their policies are.
I think you can also get references from their vet about them.

 

[abymummy]

Originally Posted by EggyToast

That's what I did. My wife and I were pretty sure we wanted an Abyssinian, and after going to a show we totally fell in love with them. And we were able to talk to different breeders about the cat.

In my humble opinion....there's nothing like an Abyssinian - everything else are merely cats!

Of course I'm not biased at all!

 

[goldenkitty45]

Oci's are better then Aby's

 

[epona]

I agree with suggestions to go to a couple of cat shows if you're considering a purebred cat, you get to see good examples of the breeds you are interested in and talk to the breeders. A good breeder will be honest about whether the personality of their cats is likely to be what you are looking for, because they want their kittens to go to homes which are the best possible fit for them. Expect to go through a bit of a 2 way 'interview' process with a breeder before they agree to let you adopt one of their kittens, if a breeder does not ask numerous questions about your home environment, family, working hours, and other pets, then don't adopt from them! They will also expect you to ask a lot of questions about their cats, their breeding policy, and their showing success, so it's a good idea to write a list of questions before that first visit so that you don't forget anything.

If going to a shelter, again they will want to know about your home life and circumstances to make sure that you get the best possible match. Speak to staff and volunteers about the personalities of the cats you are interested in, and they will be able to point out cats to you that would suit your requirements. A cat that is cuddly in the shelter may hide under the bed for a month and avoid you when you bring him/her home, but that doesn't mean you've made a mistake, just that they've been through a lot of changes and heartbreak in their life and need time to adjust to new surroundings and people. With adult or young adult cats the shelter workers should have a good idea of the cat's personality.

The biggest unknown in terms of what personality cat you may end up with is getting a kitten from a classified ad after a family pet has had an accidental litter - simply because you don't know the genetics, probably won't know the personality of the father, and with a kitten the personality may change as they grow up and become less cuddly. That's not to say that this is a bad way to get a cat, these kittens are in desperate need good homes too to keep them out of the shelter in the first place, but it's a bit more of a lottery when it comes to determining adult personality, many times you simply won't have enough background information about both parents to be able to hazard a guess.

Of my 2 cats, I got one from a classified ad, and the other from a registered breeder. Radar is a crossbreed from an online advert, I got him as a kitten and he was very cuddly, but as he's got older he's become less so. He's doglike and follows me round everywhere and I get affection from him maybe once or twice a day (headbutting and kneading) but he's more likely to lie down near me and follow me if I get up to go to another room than he is to curl up on my lap. His mum was a pet Cornish Rex who got pregnant, so I did have some idea of what his personality may be like.

My other cat Sonic is a purebred Oriental Shorthair who I got after deciding that OSH was the breed for me by talking to breeders at cat shows, and then when the time was right I looked around for breeders with kittens available or due soon, the OSH is a common breed so it is not unusual to find available kittens where a reservation has fallen through, but with a rare breed you should expect to be put on a waiting list. Now Sonic is a very cuddly super-affectionate cat, he loves to lie on me and stroke my face and get kisses on his head! OSH do not meet your other criteria though, being on the small side and very shorthaired! But do look around, and really talking to a few breeders at shows and/or paying a visit to a local shelter is a great way to find a good match for you

Even if the breed you are interested in is rare and you don't see any at a show, chances are another breeder may know someone who breeds them (word of mouth recommendations are also valuable when looking for a breeder), also many breeds have a club who will put you in touch with breeders or the club secretary will have a 'kitten list' for that breed as the members who breed will notify them when they are planning a mating.

 

[bmccord]

Great info. I have gotten in contact with a breeder out in central Missouri and I have been asking any and every question I could think of. She even invited me out to see the litter and the kings and queens. They come with papers and all that jazz. I will go look at them here before long.

Thanks everyone.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Which breed are you looking at? I forgot

 

[abymummy]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Oci's are better then Aby's

Sorry to hijack the thread but I MUST respond to this....

Ahhhhh GK, must I remind you that without Abys and Siamese there would be NO Ocis at all!!!!!

 

[goldenkitty45]

Ok, you DO have a point there. However, Oci's combine the BEST of both breeds - therefore are "better' then either......

 

[kluchetta]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Which breed are you looking at? I forgot

Was it Pixie-bob?

 

[siberianluv]

Have you looked into Siberians at all? They are med-large. They are very smart, easy to train and many of them love to cuddle. I have 3 of them.
Here's what they look like.

www.preshuspaws.com

 

[bmccord]

I was originally looking at the Pixie Bob. I have narrowed it down to Pixie Bobs or Ragdolls. Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Let us know what you think after seeing the cats "live"

 

[jen]

I was going to suggest Manx. Mine is an angel, he is HUGE, he hardly meows he cuddles and sits with you and everyone else, and he rabbit hops.

 

[hopehacker]

Amber the Bobcat, has a few Pixie Bobs. He also has some real Bob Cats. but his domestics are Pixie Bobs. He's a member here at TCS. He usually posts in the Pictures Forum. You might try contacting him to get info on what Pixie Bobs are like.