Cat breeds--help me choose?

[suz]

I hope to move into my new home January first, and am SO excited to get cats to love again.

I know I will adopt at least two older rescue kitties right off the bat–as I prefer multi cat households.

But I’m really curious about breeds–I know I already love the Siamese personality, LOVE Ragdolls and Tonkinese too, all variants of meezers I believe.

Hairless cats fascinate me—does anyone here have experience with them?
I don’t think I’m interested in any cats with recent wild cat heritage either.

My wish list is for a big personality and less hair, so what other breeds might be of interest?

[enjoytheride]

Siamese for big personality and less hair. My siamese forcibly converts non cat people with his dog like behavior. He loves everyone and is very concerned that they become his best friend. He’s interactive, plays hard, but loves a good lap to sleep on.

[DoubleClick]

American Shorthairs are pretty cool. Mine is 14 now, and I got her from this breeder (http://www.stedamcats.com/index.html) when she was twelve weeks old. She’s a classic silver tabby, so she has the big fat tabby markings and the cutest face. Very, very healthy breed (that’s why I decided on this breed over the others I was looking at - was just coming off losing my beloved mutt kitty from an awful illness). They are laid back, no -nonsense cats. Lilly, in her younger years, lived with me and a ton of roommates (and other cats) in college, has done cross country road trips, and has flown in cabin with me. She’s always been up for whatever. They’re not as in your face as Siamese and Abyssinians, but they are lovely cats. I also looked at Abyssinians before I got Lilly. I went to visit a breeder and loved them, but the youngsters were almost literally hanging from the ceilings…lol! Good luck in your search!

[CindyCRNA]

I have a mutt that turned 20 in June. She is a short hair with no undercoat so maybe an american shorthair or some variant. I loved my maine coon big orange male but talk about hair! We often lion clipped him.

[Alagirl]

With ‘recent wild heritage’ you mean Savannas and Bengals?

I have had my Bengal for several years now.
I did not buy her, she just showed up one day.
I honest to goodness can’t tell a huge difference between my ‘domestic short hair’ alley cats, and the exotic.
Maybe she is a little more energetic, still, after several years, more kitten like, and she is definitely more vocal (and LOUD) than the other two.
And she did teach some of her quirks to the other two, like how to take down and kill a dangerous roll of paper towels!

Other than that, I deem her strange habits more a matter of her early life experience (which is a mystery to us) than anything breed related.
I just wish she was more snuggly, since she is the softest cat I have ever met!

[Paks]

I love old style Siamese classic or applehead. The personality is great and they are very loving cats. I used to own a Burmese long ago but today’s Burms have been seriously messed up by the breeders. Right now I’m on my way to get a Khao Manee. Another Thai breed that is very people oriented. http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/cats-101/videos/khao-manee/

On Sphinx there are some maintence issues related to the hairlessness that you should check out to see if you can deal with them.

[scruffy_the_cat]

Wicky has hairless cats. I think she’s down to one now, but she has lots of experience with them.

[beowulf]

siamese… mine is gone now, but he was a wonderful boy. like enjoytheride’s siamese, he was very concerned that all members of the household pay bountiful attention to him. he was social and friendly and the biggest lap cat you ever met. he loved being scooped up and cradled… never met another cat (that wasn’t a siamese) that loved that!

my next one is going to be a burmese, i think. we have a house full of strays and ferals, so i figure it’s about time i have a cat that loves me as much as i love it… i’ve heard burmese cats are even more dependent and loving than siamese cats!

[Rudy]

The Sphynx is an amazing breed for someone looking for a cat who has a huge personality and high energy combined with less hair and no wild blood. They are my breed of choice and I do not know what I’d do without them. Mine are very vocal, over the top affectionate, and must have human companionship often to thrive… plus they sleep under the covers and keep me warm. Mine have traveled across the country with me many times and do great with change and have never met a stranger.

HOWEVER… they are prone to HCM, skin dermatitis/allergies, and need pretty frequent bathing.

terrible traveling companions
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/t31.0-8/1049262_858177374138_1017419216_o.jpg

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-0/p640x640/414413_718191586778_629558911_o.jpg

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12027749_10100358503962618_6682395819495600988_n.jpg?oh=0edb0765149a682246a0c34e87f39c07&oe=56C6F9F1

Trying to study
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/11202856_10100335941478018_1612014842185456726_n.jpg?oh=f9e1d79d120b619d3236b79fc0ee6252&oe=56916015

derp derp
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11742855_10100332292086428_2074345120932045083_n.jpg?oh=a348649b50d097333c6bfbdcf4d8e30d&oe=56870927

more derp face
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11203064_10100285384404798_7018683262226737629_n.jpg?oh=b3a9d8e0c5c9ac07c7c8a2339145dee0&oe=5694F43E

camo cat
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t31.0-0/p640x640/10258288_10100196450568918_1200513528522171340_o.jpg

sleepy kitty
https://fbcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t31.0-0/q86/p640x640/1398895_910331002848_1307180567_o.jpg

ready to continue traveling
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t31.0-0/p640x640/1085086_868992121298_712601864_o.jpg

[Cat_Tap]

I loved my Russian Blues. One of them was very vocal and would chatter all day. I called her Polly Parrot. Their coat feels like velvet and they have beautiful green eyes. Most are short haired but have seen some with longer hair also.

Good luck in you kitty hunt.

[JumpQH]

You want BIG personality? Try a Singapura!

[Puglet]

Another breed to consider is a Devon Rex. Talk about people cats! One day I was visiting a friend of mine who is a top Devon breeder. I sat down on the couch and within 30 second had 3 cats on me. They are meddling busy bodies who love to cuddle. The have a fine wavy coat. Not much hair at all.

Personally, I’m a British Shorthair person. They are sweet mellow beefcakes. Though short, they have very dense coats, so probably more hair than you are looking for.

Please let us know what you choose!

[macmtn]

The 7 members of the Siamese Mafia suggest checking your local Siamese rescue

[Beentheredonethat]

I bred traditional Siamese for 30 years and just stopped. I only kept at it because they were such amazing cats and no one else was breeding properly in the home instead of kitten mills in cages. The right bred Siamese, for personality, health and longevity are the best cats ever.

My SO is running around the house playing chase the cat right now with three of them. Every one of them is original and amazing.

But, I don’t know if the breeders are even worth going to. The small breeders who had one or two females living in an actual house don’t exist anymore. Now it’s big time cage breeders, something I consider unethical and completely detrimental to a cat.

IF you can find a good breeder and visit the house and see they live there and see the amazing parents (my male was never caged) and their great personalities, and IF they are kept until 12 weeks for proper socialization and have all shots so they are properly protected, then I would look at a breeder. For info. as to what to look for, you can see my old website. I do not breed anymore.
http://www.freewebs.com/siamesetraditional/

Otherwise, I’d look for a rescue.

[Dispatcher]

[QUOTE=DoubleClick;8362072]
American Shorthairs are pretty cool. Mine is 14 now, and I got her from this breeder (http://www.stedamcats.com/index.html) when she was twelve weeks old. She’s a classic silver tabby, so she has the big fat tabby markings and the cutest face. Very, very healthy breed (that’s why I decided on this breed over the others I was looking at - was just coming off losing my beloved mutt kitty from an awful illness). They are laid back, no -nonsense cats. Lilly, in her younger years, lived with me and a ton of roommates (and other cats) in college, has done cross country road trips, and has flown in cabin with me. She’s always been up for whatever. They’re not as in your face as Siamese and Abyssinians, but they are lovely cats. I also looked at Abyssinians before I got Lilly. I went to visit a breeder and loved them, but the youngsters were almost literally hanging from the ceilings…lol! Good luck in your search![/QUOTE]

absolutely agree! I also have an American Shorthair, classic Silver Tabby. Sweetest girl EVER. Big open expression, playful, affectionate, beautifully marked.

They have short, dense coats. (with a necklace, bracelets, and the classic butterfly on her back by her neck. and of course, buttons on her tummy) I comb or brush her a bit every day. She doesn’t really need it–she just likes it.

[Paks]

Beentheredonethat I just got a Khao Manee (think classic Siamese only all white and a smidge smaller) from a breeder. I toured her home/cattery when I was there. The first floor had one room for holding kittens that were to be picked up. Then as she had just gotten kittens in from Thailand she had another isolation room. The living room, eat in kitchen, dining room and screened in sun porch were for the non nursing mothers, neuters, and weaned kittens to roam in. The down stairs rec room and a room off of it were for the male stud and a spayed companion for him. Then there were three rooms that served as the nursery’s for the near term and pregnant mothers all about the size of a child’s bedroom. Not a cage in sight. She also keeps them for twelve weeks.

There is a movement right now to import Thai cats to help out the genetic problems of the Burmese and Siamese cats in other parts of the world. CFA and TICA are both allowing outcrosses to cats from Thailand till 2021 in the hopes they can diversify the gene pool enough to eleviate some of the problems that have occurred. In that process the Khao Manee became a recognized breed with TICA. There are also other Thai breeds that are coming to this country such as the suphalak. A self colored brown cat.

So there is hope out there. There are still breeders who believe in raising cats without cages and maybe both the Siamese and the Burmese breeder will get away from the extreme types who cause so many problems.

To the Op check out a Khao Manee, they are super people oriented (this post is taking longer to type because my 13 week old kitten has jumped into my arms three times while I’ve been typing, make that four times) lively, bold and playful. Really I can’t recommend this breed enough.

[SugarRush]

Ragdoll!

Fiance and I got our first one in June and love her so much we are getting a second one in December. Incredibly social, cuddly, beautiful, and big. Also hair is not really an issue, they are low shedders and I still haven’t had to brush this cat once (doesn’t tangle). Their coats are like long rabbit fur.

I highly recommend them

[Kitari]

Highlander! They ate big, fluffy, and big people cats and can come in some really unique colors.

[Justmyluck]

Umm go to the shelter?

[cute_lil_fancy_pants]

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