What kind of cat to get?

He is the most
un-Siamese cat I've ever seen. He never talks. He runs under the bed at the
slightest noise. He hates everybody except me, and even I can't pick him up.
He
is also, quite frankly, dumb compared to the others.

Oh dear. This sounds harsh. I ought to add, he is the sweetest cat I ever had.
Just not Siamese-ish. All he wants is to be petted and kissed on top of the
head. Just don't ever pick him up. He's also the most accepting of new cats of
my whole lot. He loves new cats immediately. He even "mothers" the kittens.
Sherry

In article , camilla4
@mindspring.com enlightened us with...

We want 2 kittens. (well, I'd be happy with a young adult, a year or
so old, but my husband is adamant about a kitten and I don't want to
get an adult and a kitten cause maybe the adult will pick on the
baby.)


Adopt a mama and a baby. Shelters get them all the time, often would like to
home them together, but few people adopt them both.
Look for a friendly, cuddly mama like you say you want and the chances are
pretty decent that the baby will also be cuddly and sweet.
Kittens change. My Rowan was a very clingy kitten. She is NOT a clingy adult.
She's rather aloof, actually, and loves to be pet when she's in the mood but
NOT if she isn't. *g*
My Jeffrey is so friendly and cuddly, it's nearly irritating at times (but
still so darn cute). I adopted him as an adult. He's a moggie - orange tabby.

Usually I've always gone to the shelter and rescued kitties, or taken
them off the street. (Like to save animal lives.) But this time I'm
thinking about getting a purebred cat, maybe a Bombay or a Manx, cause
you supposedly know what you're getting in temperament and disease
susceptibility.


Adopt a purebreed from a rescue if you have your heart set on a certain
breed.
Kittens tend to get along pretty well with adults, especially if they are
fostered together. Many rescue groups have foster families that foster
several cats at once. If you contact them, they probably have adults and
kittens who are already together and getting along.


We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

You just can't say if a kitten will grow into a lap cat. Getting a certain
breed may increase your chances, but it's never guaranteed.
Get an adult and a kitten. You can get your lap cat and your hubby can have
his kitten.

I have heard that mixes are actually healthier and less prone to genetic
diseases than purebreeds. No line breeding to pass on bad traits.

Whatever you decide, WE WANT PICS.

--
--
~kaeli~
Murphy's Law #3020: Quality assurance doesn't.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article , camilla4
@mindspring.com enlightened us with...

We want 2 kittens. (well, I'd be happy with a young adult, a year or
so old, but my husband is adamant about a kitten and I don't want to
get an adult and a kitten cause maybe the adult will pick on the
baby.)


Adopt a mama and a baby. Shelters get them all the time, often would like to
home them together, but few people adopt them both.
Look for a friendly, cuddly mama like you say you want and the chances are
pretty decent that the baby will also be cuddly and sweet.
Kittens change. My Rowan was a very clingy kitten. She is NOT a clingy adult.
She's rather aloof, actually, and loves to be pet when she's in the mood but
NOT if she isn't. *g*
My Jeffrey is so friendly and cuddly, it's nearly irritating at times (but
still so darn cute). I adopted him as an adult. He's a moggie - orange tabby.

Usually I've always gone to the shelter and rescued kitties, or taken
them off the street. (Like to save animal lives.) But this time I'm
thinking about getting a purebred cat, maybe a Bombay or a Manx, cause
you supposedly know what you're getting in temperament and disease
susceptibility.


Adopt a purebreed from a rescue if you have your heart set on a certain
breed.
Kittens tend to get along pretty well with adults, especially if they are
fostered together. Many rescue groups have foster families that foster
several cats at once. If you contact them, they probably have adults and
kittens who are already together and getting along.


We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

You just can't say if a kitten will grow into a lap cat. Getting a certain
breed may increase your chances, but it's never guaranteed.
Get an adult and a kitten. You can get your lap cat and your hubby can have
his kitten.

I have heard that mixes are actually healthier and less prone to genetic
diseases than purebreeds. No line breeding to pass on bad traits.

Whatever you decide, WE WANT PICS.

--
--
~kaeli~
Murphy's Law #3020: Quality assurance doesn't.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...

My husband and I are about ready to look for new kitties after
Victor's death a few months ago. We know the basics, like not to look
for "lookalike" kitties...I was very disappointed with our other cat,
Ashley because she looked just like a greatly loved cat I had before
but wasn't the same in personality. It took years for me to warm up
to her and finally it was my husband who really took to her.

We want 2 kittens. (well, I'd be happy with a young adult, a year or
so old, but my husband is adamant about a kitten and I don't want to
get an adult and a kitten cause maybe the adult will pick on the
baby.)

Usually I've always gone to the shelter and rescued kitties, or taken
them off the street. (Like to save animal lives.) But this time I'm
thinking about getting a purebred cat, maybe a Bombay or a Manx, cause
you supposedly know what you're getting in temperament and disease
susceptibility.

Our last cats chose each of us as "theirs" and it worked out well
cause we don't sleep in the same bed (sleep problems, better separate
than tired and cranky). Each of us got a cat to sleep with, each cat
was really possessive of us and we loved them back.

We were thinking litter mates but I'm worried they may stick together
and both pick one over the other of us. Any experience with this?

We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

We got spoiled with Ashley going at 22 so when Victor died of cancer
at 14 we were shocked.

The Cat Fancier website had information about various breeds...I know
it's hard to predict a cat's life span. We thought Manx cause of
temperament and long life span, and also considered Siamese for life
span, although the Siamese I've had before were kind of high strung.

I liked the Bombays the best from their site. Bombays seem real
affectionate, not aggressive and very stuck to their humans. Plus
they look so cool. We don't want to display cats, so not-show quality
is fine with us, probably better in terms of money.

Any opinions? Anyone here had a Bombay? I imagine Bombays cost an
arm and a leg. How much are they? Are there problems the websites
don't tell us about?

AND: Do you REALLY have a better idea what you're getting with a
purebred than a shelter kitty? Are there other breeds you'd
recommend?

Thanks.

Personally, I'd stick w/ a shelter kitty, unless a stray or two show(s) up
before you pick out new cats. Too many felines out there w/ no homes. My
cats have all been rescues to some degree or other: one - of a litter of an
unspayed pet mother cat that belonged to a friend of a friend, two - a
starving, pregnant stray found in the boonies in winter, three - a shelter
cat, & four - a neighborhood stray older kitten. All were/are loving, sweet
cats although with very different personalities. Two long-hairs, two
short-hairs. One had Siamese in her background somewhere, one had Persian
in her background, one's a calico, & one's a tuxedo - all cute, pretty, or
handsome. Only one was adopted as a little kitten; one was a young adult, &
the other 2 were older kittens - almost adult. The first two lived to be 17
& 16 (not long enough, IMO!, but in reality, decent life spans). The
present two are now 12 & 5.

If you're absolutely stuck on a certain breed or two, shelters do have
purebreds - or nearly so, sans papers. There are also rescue organizations
for some breeds; an internet search should bring up the organizations &
which kittens/cats are up for adoption.

Cathy

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...

My husband and I are about ready to look for new kitties after
Victor's death a few months ago. We know the basics, like not to look
for "lookalike" kitties...I was very disappointed with our other cat,
Ashley because she looked just like a greatly loved cat I had before
but wasn't the same in personality. It took years for me to warm up
to her and finally it was my husband who really took to her.

We want 2 kittens. (well, I'd be happy with a young adult, a year or
so old, but my husband is adamant about a kitten and I don't want to
get an adult and a kitten cause maybe the adult will pick on the
baby.)

Usually I've always gone to the shelter and rescued kitties, or taken
them off the street. (Like to save animal lives.) But this time I'm
thinking about getting a purebred cat, maybe a Bombay or a Manx, cause
you supposedly know what you're getting in temperament and disease
susceptibility.

Our last cats chose each of us as "theirs" and it worked out well
cause we don't sleep in the same bed (sleep problems, better separate
than tired and cranky). Each of us got a cat to sleep with, each cat
was really possessive of us and we loved them back.

We were thinking litter mates but I'm worried they may stick together
and both pick one over the other of us. Any experience with this?

We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

We got spoiled with Ashley going at 22 so when Victor died of cancer
at 14 we were shocked.

The Cat Fancier website had information about various breeds...I know
it's hard to predict a cat's life span. We thought Manx cause of
temperament and long life span, and also considered Siamese for life
span, although the Siamese I've had before were kind of high strung.

I liked the Bombays the best from their site. Bombays seem real
affectionate, not aggressive and very stuck to their humans. Plus
they look so cool. We don't want to display cats, so not-show quality
is fine with us, probably better in terms of money.

Any opinions? Anyone here had a Bombay? I imagine Bombays cost an
arm and a leg. How much are they? Are there problems the websites
don't tell us about?

AND: Do you REALLY have a better idea what you're getting with a
purebred than a shelter kitty? Are there other breeds you'd
recommend?

Thanks.

Personally, I'd stick w/ a shelter kitty, unless a stray or two show(s) up
before you pick out new cats. Too many felines out there w/ no homes. My
cats have all been rescues to some degree or other: one - of a litter of an
unspayed pet mother cat that belonged to a friend of a friend, two - a
starving, pregnant stray found in the boonies in winter, three - a shelter
cat, & four - a neighborhood stray older kitten. All were/are loving, sweet
cats although with very different personalities. Two long-hairs, two
short-hairs. One had Siamese in her background somewhere, one had Persian
in her background, one's a calico, & one's a tuxedo - all cute, pretty, or
handsome. Only one was adopted as a little kitten; one was a young adult, &
the other 2 were older kittens - almost adult. The first two lived to be 17
& 16 (not long enough, IMO!, but in reality, decent life spans). The
present two are now 12 & 5.

If you're absolutely stuck on a certain breed or two, shelters do have
purebreds - or nearly so, sans papers. There are also rescue organizations
for some breeds; an internet search should bring up the organizations &
which kittens/cats are up for adoption.

Cathy

BTW - I don't think you can predict clinginess. My cat who was the least
clingy when younger - up to age 4 - 5, is now the most clingy. When she was
younger, she was very affectionate, but didn't like to be held for more than
a few seconds & or to sit on one's lap. She had bigger & better things to
do back then - was very energetic. Now she's Ms. Lap Cat.

Cathy


"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message
...

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...
We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

BTW - I don't think you can predict clinginess. My cat who was the least
clingy when younger - up to age 4 - 5, is now the most clingy. When she was
younger, she was very affectionate, but didn't like to be held for more than
a few seconds & or to sit on one's lap. She had bigger & better things to
do back then - was very energetic. Now she's Ms. Lap Cat.

Cathy


"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message
...

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...
We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...

My husband and I are about ready to look for new kitties

What Karen said. There is no "up" side to purchasing a purebred cat in my
opinion, unless you are buying one like you would buy a piece of furnitu
because it looks good. YMMV, but with all the wonderful kittens and cats
facing death sentences out there, or crammed into shelters where they can
barely move, I could not live with myself if I bought a cat from a breeder.

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...

My husband and I are about ready to look for new kitties

What Karen said. There is no "up" side to purchasing a purebred cat in my
opinion, unless you are buying one like you would buy a piece of furnitu
because it looks good. YMMV, but with all the wonderful kittens and cats
facing death sentences out there, or crammed into shelters where they can
barely move, I could not live with myself if I bought a cat from a breeder.

"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message
...
BTW - I don't think you can predict clinginess. My cat who was the least
clingy when younger - up to age 4 - 5, is now the most clingy. When she
was
younger, she was very affectionate, but didn't like to be held for more
than
a few seconds & or to sit on one's lap. She had bigger & better things to
do back then - was very energetic. Now she's Ms. Lap Cat.

Cathy

Oddly enough, my cat Sugar NEVER would sit in my lap, until I moved my
couch. I've experimented and when the couch is on one side of the room she
NEVER gets up on me. When it is on the other, she will come up and sit
halfway on my lap quite frequently. Wierd huh?


"Cathy Friedmann" wrote in message
...

"Camilla Cracchiolo" wrote in message
...
We want snuggly "lap cats", very affectionate, friendly to kids, long
lived, not at high risk of health problems and preferably short
haired. Clingy cats would be good in our opinion. These will be
indoor cats only and I'm home all day with illness, so they won't be
alone, although I sleep a lot.