House cats - what breed?

[mopsy2]

We have always wanted to get a cat and we feel we are ready for one now. I have always WFH and will be post this pandemic too so I'm around a lot.
We would be going for a kitten as we have a DDog and younger children and will definitely research a breeder and are happy to sit on a waiting list for the right one.

My only experience with cats is my DGPs having mousers around their farm when I was growing up and only one that would actually come in the house so quite limited.

So ideally we would love a breed that's low shedding, is friendly and gets along with dogs and children. Preferably a house cat. Bonus if it can keep mice at bay as we can sometimes get field mice.

We are in the very early stages of researching and open to all sorts of suggestions, there's no rush and we'd rather take our time to select the right breed.

Could anyone advise what breeds we could look at?

[Einszwei]

Why are you wanting a specific breed? I would say go with a short haired moggy - less fuss, usually self grooming and tend to have less health issues.

[thecatneuterer]

Exactly. Why are you looking at breeds? Go to a rescue and they will find the right cat/kitten for your family/situation.

[SilkiesnowchicksandXmastreecat]

Much easier to tell personality with a cat than a kitten - a lot of cats are not keen on/scared of dogs and / or small children. Short-haired is best for low shedding and maybe worth seeing if a rescue has a suitable one who has previously lived with young children and a dog.

[thecatneuterer]

And what do you mean by 'house cat'. Do you mean you don't want it to go outside at all? Why? Are you somewhere dangerous? It is extremely difficult to keep cats inside. All windows would need to be netted or on restrictors - you would never be able to leave back/patio doors open. If you have children and dogs that won't be possible. So, if you are somewhere near dangerous roads, then you should either not get a cat at all, or get an adult, over 3 years old (younger cats are much more likely to get killed on roads) that has some road sense. Again, a rescue will be able to advise on the right candidates.

And if that isn't what you mean by 'house cat', then as the pp says, an adult is always a better bet as you know the personality you're getting. To be able to cope with children and dogs you need a very confident and laid back personality - and when they are kittens you just don't know - as all kittens are, well, kittenish. So speak to a rescue and be open minded.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I'd go for a moggy. I've got Persians who are indoor cats. But they are not mousers at all.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I'd also rethink about wanting a good mouser. You'll almost certainly get a lot more rodents than you bargained in various states of death.

[Toddlerteaplease]

Actually long haired don't shed anywhere near as much as a short haired cat. But Looking after the coat is expensive.

[JorisBonson]

FIV cats can only be house cats and are plentiful in shelters.

My most loving and loyal cat was FIV and I miss him every day.

You can't insure them, however as they don't go out there's none of the usual outdoor cat injuries. My boy cost nothing until it was time to say goodbye - he was 16 years old too.

[bellinisurge]

Mine's a rescue moggy. A female, which might help. Loads of cat friendly stuff in the house. But not so much it's overwhelming. Lots of play opportunities.
Google Jackson Galaxy- US cat behaviourist. Loads of cool ideas.

[reefedsail]

Have a read of the Burmese cat thread!

My Burmese is welcome to go outdoors, but she will only do so if escorted by a hooman.

[sunshinesupermum]

Please adopt from a shelter and not buy from a breeder.

[MeIody]

Our Ragdoll house cat is a good mouser, though she doesn't attempt to kill them, just corners them, or carries them around in her mouth, until we put them outside.

Our Persians are less interested in mice and their coats require daily grooming.

[Huugi]

As pp said a lot of shelter cats can only be indoors. I do work at a shelter regularly and some of those cats have been there such a long time,. Please adopt if you can.

[MeIody]

Oh you wanted low shedding, I'm afraid not with my experience of those breeds. Our Siamese cat was a low shedder but not interested in mice and also required access to the outdoors.

I too agree with suggestions of a rescue moggy, with access to the outdoors, as fulfilling your criteria.

[BiscuitDrama]

Are you worried that if you get a cat and let it out it won’t be in the house? They don’t tend to do that. Don’t worry.

If you get an adult rescue you can tell how affectionate it is. Most cats are, but to a greater or lesser degree. I’ve had one that was like a dog and followed me around, but the rescue kitten we had wasn’t so affectionate. She’d still purr when you stroked her and sometimes sit on your knee but spent most of the day upstairs on her own.

[Wolfiefan]

Do you mean a cat that doesn’t go outside? There’s no one breed that suits that.
An older cat that’s used to staying in and happy to do so is a better bet.
And not kittens with younger kids. They are bitey little bastards!

[Floralnomad]

My mum had a Ragdoll that never went out , he sat by open windows but wasn’t interested , just liked looking . That said he moulted what seemed like an entire cat every week , luckily my mum was good with a hoover .

[kittlesticks]

We have a gorgeous rag doll boy. He's huge, funny, and he's a house cat 90% of the time. We were advised when we got him that rag dolls don't go outside due to a natural affinity for noise and people. We do let him out when we are in the garden.
I don't think a house cat and a cat to catch mice is really the same cat, sorry OP. Our house cat would not know how to catch a mouse to save his life. Oh and the hair shedding is ridiculous.

[viccat]

You can't really have a house cat and a mouser in one - unless you mean you have lots of mice indoors?

In general though I would say forget about looking for breeds and adopt a pair of rescue kittens/young cats. Definitely two if you're getting kittens, they turn out much better socialised that way.

[Allergictoironing]

I don't think a house cat and a cat to catch mice is really the same cat, sorry OP.

In agreement with everyone on most things, but not this comment. I have indoor only cats, but when mice set up home in my conservatory they turned into killing machines - even Boycat, who everybody thought would be useless & probably scared of mice rather than chase, catch, play with and kill them!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I'm with @Allergictoironing being a house cat and a hunter are not mutual exclusive. I woke a 5am in May to hear a kerfluffle outside my room, a bird had flown in a window and the 'dim Siberian' my house cat had caught it.

[ChickyNuggies]

Okay, bare with me... But... A Sphynx.

Zero hair (obviously), can't go outside, very affectionate to all of us including the dogs. Don't know what she would do if she saw a mouse though. Probably try and be it's friend but you can't have everything

[thecatneuterer]

@ChickyNuggies

Okay, bare with me... But... A Sphynx.

Zero hair (obviously), can't go outside, very affectionate to all of us including the dogs. Don't know what she would do if she saw a mouse though. Probably try and be it's friend but you can't have everything

The problem with a cat that can't go outside is that the OP lives in a house - not a flat. And has children and dogs - the cat is very likely to get out. And, if it gets lost, it will die.

I'm against all breeding anyway, but I'm particularly against breeding a cat that can't survive if it escapes/get lost - as that is something that frequently happens. And anyone who lives in a house (as opposed to a flat) should never even consider getting one.

[ChickyNuggies]

True... We operate a strict three door policy before going outside, which we can do because we are in a flat and we don't have children who light forget but I can see how that would be difficult if you had just one door that opened to the outside. Plus none of our windows open far enough for her to get out of them.

Just a suggestion as she was snoozing on me when I read the thread but there are dozens of things to consider before getting a Sphynx anyway. The no fur doesn't = no mess. She is a disgusting beast 🤣

They can be susceptible to HCM and an array of skin issues.

Also we have to have the heating on basically all the time because she likes to sleep on the radiator and loudly miaows if it isn't on.

[sashh]

Another vote for an FIV cat. Cats protection cover the cost of any health condition a cat already has before rehoming.