I’m thinking about getting a cat in the near future, because I love kitties, and I just want to get some opinions on different cat temperaments from my fellow dopers.
For me, the ideal temperament would be an affectionate, friendly cat that likes to be with the family and doesn’t go hiding by itself all the time.
I know this is a hard thing to ask for, especially because temperaments vary from cat to cat. But in general, have you had a specific breed that has had a consistently kind temperament?
I also personally prefer short-haired cats. I have been told that long-haired cats actually shed less, but my brain can’t wrap itself around that concept.
If you like a vocal cat, a part-Siamese will pretty much guarantee you’ll get a cat that will talk to you, yell at you, and generally boss you around!
Mutts are best. I echo the short-hair crew. Hie thee to the local rescue center and get adopted. But 2 kitties are better than one…gives them someone to play with.
Mutts are great (my two are mutts) but you can’t make predictions about temperament for the population as a whole, can you? If you are looking for a breed with a good temperament, ragdolls are supposed to be sweet cats. I had Scottish Folds, which are bred with British Shorthairs, and they were very placid, sweet cats.
Whatever type of cat you get, look for one that warms up to you pretty quickly. One that is skittish is probably not what you want.
Amen to that. The shelter didn’t know exactly what my recently departed cutest little black cat in the whole world was exactly, but I always suspected that she was part Siamese (she had the look of one). She was sweet and affectionate and vocal and bossier than my Mother :). If you put any value on silence do not get a Siamese/mix, you will never have another moment of it (of course, once you get your silence back, you’d give just about anything to not have it ).
Samantha is my new addition (she looks like a teeny tiger). She adopted me about two months ago. She’s already affectionate and not very vocal at all. But, day by day, as she is becoming more and more affectionate and cuddly. She was found pregnant and brought into the shelter as a kitten and spent over a year there.
The only thing I can really recommend is to let the cat pick you. It worked out well for me both times.
Shamrock, I believe all the stories I’ve heard about cats picking their owners. But it just seems like the pleasure of having an animal actually choose you would be pretty uncommon. Does this happen as often as it sounds? Because that would great!
One of my neighbors has a Turkish Van She is a delightful creature. Beautiful and very friendly. I’d get one, but my beloved part-Siamese former alleycat would never allow it.
My first girl, Minx: I went to the shelter and was walking around the cat room while I was chatting with the Manager of the shelter. I leaned against the counter and Minx peeked out of a cabinet. I remarked how beautiful she was. Manager Lady told me that she was very shy and scared and that she wouldn’t come out if anyone came in the room. As we continued to chat I was hit in the back - I ignored it, I figured a cat just bumped into me. After the third time being hit, I turned around and there she was, the cutest little black cat in the world, headbutting the crap out of me to get my attention. – I took that as a pretty sure sign she wanted to come home with me
Samantha… Once I got over the initial mourning period for my little girl, I realized how lonely the house seemed without a cat. I saw a kitten that I really liked on the shelter’s website and decided to go over and see it - the kitten was cute and all, but she wasn’t really interested in me (she kept walking away from me). Samantha was sitting on the counter (just realized that it was the same counter where Minx adopted me - that must be my lucky place!) and every time I walked by her she’d paw at me and I’d stop to pet her. And, she was purring like crazy and rolling on her back for me to rub her tummy. She did the headbutt thing, too, but not nearly as aggressively as Minx. When I told the Shelter Ladies I was taking her they both got very excited. Apparently, she had spent over a year at the shelter solely because she would walk away or hide when people tried to pet her.
Both times there were other cats there that were friendly and played with me and stuff, but, in my limited experience, there is always that one that just kind of comes up to you and says “Dude, you’re my new owner. Just sign the papers and lets go home”.
I agree that mutts are, generally, the best. I’ve never had one that wasn’t affectionate and social. But if you’re looking for a specific breed, have you considered a Maine Coon? They’re extremely affectionate and laid back.
A year and a half ago, we visited the shelter and picked out a little grey, very smooth-haired kitty - exactly the kind of cat we wanted. He was still in quarantine, so we had to wait a week before we could pick him up.
When we went back, we had second thoughts about getting such a young cat, and while we were talking to a volunteer there, one cat was VERY persistent about getting our attention. He was big, black and white, short-haired but not smooth like the other one. He meowed, opened his green eyes very big, and when we took him out of his cage he was very snuggly and sweet … how could we resist!!! So we brought him home and introduced him to our dog - mayhem ensued - but everyone survived. We thought we were so lucky to have such a sweet, beautiful, snuggly cat.
Within a week his true personality came out - he was a DEMON - he stopped being cuddly and started trying to run the house HIS way. Little sh*t. But he got along well with the dog, and he had so much personality that we had to keep him. He still won’t cuddle except on his terms - on our feet when we’re trying to sleep. He terrorizes the dog, and she, him. We can’t clip his nails without protective clothing and gloves (no lie). But look at him - how on earth could we ever give him up?
When my ex and I were together we found a stray cat that turned out to be half Birman. It was the nicest cat I’ve ever seen; when my dad came over to my apartment for the first time and sat down the cat went right over and plopped in his lap, and he was a total stranger. She was very needy, always having to be held and petted, so it might be too much of a good thing if you want the cat to leave you alone sometimes. She was also very vocal, more of a chirp-like meow than a yowling, which was really, really cute. She also shed long light fur everywhere, which wasn’t as cute, but I could deal. The personality seems to be pretty consistent among the breed, if the website can be believed. I don’t agree with buying pedigreed pets because of the way they’re bred, but if someone were to give me one of these cats I would happily take it. Birmans also have blue eyes. How adorable is that?
The cat I have now is a shorthair mutt tabby, and he has a pretty good personality even if he is sometimes more resistant to being held than my old cat. He almost never talks, but I’ve known mutts who can’t shut up so that doesn’t mean anything. Then again, my parents also have a mutt and that cat is psychotic. I agree that no matter whether you get a purebred or a mutt you need to “interview” the cat in person, because even if certain types have certain tendencies every cat is different, especially mutts since they are a crap shoot.
My wife and I have a three year old Ragdoll named Bella. She is the most even tempered, affectionate cat you could ever ask for. She still acts like a kitten, loves other people and loves attention. She also loves to bolt out of the door whenever it is opened but then doesn’t know where to go.
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