Best cat breed with young children at home

Hi. I would like to adopt a kitten for a family house pet. We have
young children. What breeds are most suitable? I like Siamese,
Persians, and Manx. Any others to consider?

Thanks.

Lisa

Why don't you go to your local shelter and adopt a cat that needs a good and
loving home?

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"Lisa Horton" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi. I would like to adopt a kitten for a family house pet. We have
young children. What breeds are most suitable? I like Siamese,
Persians, and Manx. Any others to consider?

Thanks.

Lisa

Cat Protector wrote:

Why don't you go to your local shelter and adopt a cat that needs a good and
loving home?

I'd second that. The gentlest, sweetest kitties I've ever had were mixed
breed cats rescued from the animal shelter. And always remember that
even though any given breed might be known for their gentleness and
sweetness, individual cats can always vary from that behavior.

"Dan M" wrote in message
...
Cat Protector wrote:

Why don't you go to your local shelter and adopt a cat that needs a good
and
loving home?

I'd second that. The gentlest, sweetest kitties I've ever had were mixed
breed cats rescued from the animal shelter. And always remember that
even though any given breed might be known for their gentleness and
sweetness, individual cats can always vary from that behavior.

Yes indeed! Plus, temperament in cats, just like in humans, is a
combination of "nature" and "nurture."

I would like to adopt a kitten for a family
house pet. We have young children. What
breeds are most suitable? I like Siamese,
Persians, and Manx. Any others to
consider?

You didn't say how young your children are, and if they are 5 or younger
you may want to wait until they are a little older before adopting.
Young children and kittens are not a good combination as young children
can hurt kittens with rough handling. It's important to teach children
that animals are not toys and must never be roughly held, hit, etc. etc.
If you are commited to only allowing the cat and the children to be
together when supervised, and are willing to instill in your children
the importance of gentle handling, then your best bet is to adopt an
adult cat- that is known to be good with children- through a foster
based rescue. Many foster people have children and, since they actually
live with the cats up for adoption, they know their temperaments and how
they react to different situations. This is the ideal way to find a cat
that is a match for your family.

There is no "magic" breed that's good for kids, and choosing a cat based
on looks is not conducive to getting the results you want. Buying from a
breeder also means you'll have contributed to the overpopulation problem
and the death of a rescued cat. There are x amount of available homes,
and xxxxxxxxxxxx number of rescue cats waiting for those homes, so
adopting a rescue cat will mean a cat in need gets a home, one less cat
dies and it will make room for one more cat to be saved.


Megan



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way."

- W.H. Murray

You didn't say how young your children are, and if they are 5 or
younger
you may want to wait until they are a little older before adopting.

Megan makes a good point, but young children and cats are not always a
negative situation. I grew up with cats and learned very early that
animals have feelings and you must treat them kindly. And, if kitty
needs time alone, a child must respect that. But, it's up to the
parents to constantly show by example and verbal reminders.

I'd either visit a foster-based rescue or visit a shelter and see
what's available. You can discuss your needs and family environment,
and they can match you up. A *good* shelter/rescue will require *all*
members of the family to be present before allowing adoption, to make
sure everyone is compatible. Don't be offended by this; they're trying
to prevent an animal from being returned to them by doing their
homework ahead of time.

Rene

wrote in message ...
I would like to adopt a kitten for a family
house pet. We have young children. What
breeds are most suitable? I like Siamese,
Persians, and Manx. Any others to
consider?

You didn't say how young your children are, and if they are 5 or younger
you may want to wait until they are a little older before adopting.
Young children and kittens are not a good combination as young children
can hurt kittens with rough handling. It's important to teach children
that animals are not toys and must never be roughly held, hit, etc. etc.
If you are commited to only allowing the cat and the children to be
together when supervised, and are willing to instill in your children
the importance of gentle handling, then your best bet is to adopt an
adult cat- that is known to be good with children- through a foster
based rescue. Many foster people have children and, since they actually
live with the cats up for adoption, they know their temperaments and how
they react to different situations. This is the ideal way to find a cat
that is a match for your family.

There is no "magic" breed that's good for kids, and choosing a cat based
on looks is not conducive to getting the results you want. Buying from a
breeder also means you'll have contributed to the overpopulation problem
and the death of a rescued cat. There are x amount of available homes,
and xxxxxxxxxxxx number of rescue cats waiting for those homes, so
adopting a rescue cat will mean a cat in need gets a home, one less cat
dies and it will make room for one more cat to be saved.


Megan

I think adopting is a great idea- but if you are talking about
purebreds- I have two bengals and they are both EXCELLENT with kids-
in fact they come down to play with them and hang out with them when
my friend's kids come over. On the other hand, my big fat tabby goes
to hide. My grey DSH used to take 'em or leave 'em, preferrable leave
them as he got older. I heard that Bengals are typically great with
kids. They aren't cheap, but sometimes you can rescue them. My friend
rescued a Turkish Van and he also is really good with kids. Good luck!

On Fri 04 Feb 2005 08:59:49p, asylumboss wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
. com):

I think adopting is a great idea- but if you are talking about
purebreds- I have two bengals and they are both EXCELLENT with
kids- in fact they come down to play with them and hang out with
them when my friend's kids come over.

My DSH Shamrock LOVES playing with kids. He is very happy when my 5
year old twin niece and nephew come over to stay for a weekend. He'll
even sleep with them.

--
Cheryl

"edward ohare" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 13:28:00 -0600, wrote:


There is no "magic" breed that's good for kids, and choosing a cat based
on looks is not conducive to getting the results you want.


Yes. Whatever cat is selected, there's no guarantee it will like the
kids. Better, I think, to start with a young adult cat than a kitten,
where a better evaluation can be made of its personality.

This is such good advice. When I was ready to adopt another cat
after my 20 year old died, I went to the shelter and met all of them,
then came back and met them again, and talked to the staff about
what our living situation was. I had my eye on a tortoiseshell cat
who was following me around--a really rambunctious boy, so cute,
his whole face saying "take me, take ME!" But then a tiny gray
tabby caught my eye, and leaned into my hand when I approached
where she lay in a donut bed. After talking to the staff, we concluded
that Cheeky was a better bet for us because the tortie loved the
company of other cats and kids and was very active, whereas
Cheeky was a loner and very gentle. (We live quietly, no kids,
scholarly pursuits.) Cheeky was the perfect choice. It is three
years later and I have never been happier with a cat.