You have received very good advice from both Rene and Gandalf. *In addition,
I would like to add this: In my opinion, you would be better off *not* to
start with a preconceived notion of what you want in a cat. *Each of my cats
came along at "just the right time," for them and for me. *Each of them was
a cat in need of a home, and none of them really fit what I had originally
"envisioned." *Instead, I accepted them because they were there at the right
home and desperately needed to be adopted. *And, guess what? *Each of them
has been absolutely perfect for me! *In each case, they became my loving
companions; and I would not have traded any of them for anything in the
world. *By contrast, I have seen people--and read about some on the
newsgroups I follow--where a cat was adopted for certain preferred
characteristics, and that was followed by disappointment. *In much the same
way as a parent does not set out to "choose" a personality but loves each
child separately, I think the same thing is true of our four-legged
families. *And I truly do look at my furry twosome as family.

MaryL has some excellent thoughts. Two of ours were strays found as
kittens, and we chose to adopt them because the timing was right. The
third was adopted from a shelter. All three are lovable, wonderful
companions. As Ken & Sandy suggested, think about adopting an adult
from a shelter or petfinder.com. There are many great adults who are
often passed over due to the cuteness of kittens.