Which Breeds Show Affection To Entire Family (not One-person Cats)?

[Foodie]

Hi, I've been reading conflicting information online about this subject. I would like to know which cat breeds have a tendency to show affection to the entire family. I don't want a one-person cat. Any suggestions?

 

[susanm9006]

I don’t think you can narrow it down to a single breed. If you want a certain personality you should consider adopting an adult cat from a shelter. Bring the whole family with and look for the friendliest easy going one there and you will find a great family pet.

 

[danteshuman]

I think any cat can be taught to love the whole family if the whole family interacts positively with the cat. My bias is to any mixed breed cat (short hair because I don't want to constantly groom my cats ) I have never had a bad grey tabby cat. Even my 'problem child' punk only looks so bad compared to his brother who is a saint. Dante the punk (grey) does have some siamese in him. I got him to warm up to my roommates by not giving him any treats and giving my roommates each a bag of treats for 3 months. Then encouraging them to give them treats. I also encourage my roommates to play with my cats. (1 roommate ignores the cats, they ignore him. 1 roommate likes the cats, they hang out with him. 1 roommate gives them occasional pets, they say hello to him. Lastly my mom has taken to snuggling up Salem, and he likes hanging out near her.) Even my 'one person' cat warmed up to my mom, it just took him longer. I got Salem (the peach well behaved one) because he puurred for my x-husband. My x-husband didn't have much experience with cats; so that was the cat we got. Turns out I got a man loving cat .... he does love me though Still he greets my step-dad when he comes home from work every day. So maybe you can do that? Pick the cat that puuurrs/likes your most problematic family member? Also teaching your family to speak cat & respect a cat's personal space will help. If the other family members are the ones that feed & play with the cat, it will help create a bond.

 

[abyeb]

I think that your best bet would be to look for a breed who is overall outgoing and friendly. Do you have an idea of what kind of energy level, grooming requirements, or "talkativeness" you're looking for? If you're not really sure, I'd highly recommend adopting an adult cat from the shelter, so that you already get a sense of their personality and how they interact with everyone in the family.

 

[caelesto]

I've heard from a few acquaintances that Turkish Angoras are like that, almost more like dogs than cats as far as how they are around people. My Harley is a total people-person. One of the reasons I never let her go outside--I'm pretty sure she'd go off with the first person she met. :/

 

[Blakeney Green]

I don’t think you can narrow it down to a single breed. If you want a certain personality you should consider adopting an adult cat from a shelter. Bring the whole family with and look for the friendliest easy going one there and you will find a great family pet.

This advice is spot on, IMO. Your best bet to find a companion who gets along with the whole family is to take the family to the shelter and actually meet him or her. There is no guarantee that any individual of a breed will follow the breed standard for personality. Finding a cat is forming a relationship, and that's best done in person.

 

[Summercats]

I think a lot is how much attention each individual gives to the cat, and take turns feeding him or her and play.
Shelters are great places to find cats but don't overlook a shy guy that shows promise to warm up. Many cats are more reserved in shelters.

 

[abyeb]

I think a lot is how much attention each individual gives to the cat, and take turns feeding him or her and play.
Shelters are great places to find cats but don't overlook a shy guy that shows promise to warm up. Many cats are more reserved in shelters.

Summercats makes a good point here. Shelters are stressful environments for cats, so a kitty who seems shy there might be totally outgoing once they warm up to you.

I know we hear all the stories about how shelter cats choose their people, but it's true! When you meet your future furry friend, it feels like an immediate connection.