Breeds similar to Siamese (but not as needy!)

[Ayupmeduck]

Before DC came along I had two beautiful Siamese boys who I adored and still miss.
DC are now old enough that we can think about getting cats again. DS in particular adores cats.
I'm not sure that I can cope with the intensity of Siamese but would love a breed with their affectionate nature and intelligence. It's likely to be a pair of indoor cats as we live near a fairly busy road. There's someone at home most of the time so they're likely to have plenty of company.
Can anyone help?

Persians are wonderful, but don't fit the intelligence criteria!

How about Burmese? DBro/SiL have Burmese and they have always been affectionate and highly intelligent. All of theirs over the years have been happy to be indoor cats (always at least 2, for company during the day). Sounds pretty much like what you're after, and have the added bonus of similar looks but not as extreme as Siamese.

Ooh thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely have a look at Burmese.
To be fair a Persian would probably also fit the bill as affectionate is the main criteria - not sure I could cope with all that fur though!

Look at Toddler's posts about her Cheddar - short haired!

Me? Needy? Nooooo

Another vote for Burmese. Very intelligent and affectionate but much more independent and laid back than Siamese.

Birman. Laid back but affectionate.

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What happened to the Siamese, did you re-home them?

@Someonesayroadtrip

Birman. Laid back but affectionate.

I would recommend Birmans too. Very affectionate and don't mind being kept as house cats.

@EmmaC78 lovely breed isn't it? We have had Birman cats since I was a child and then got them when I got married. We recently got a Bengal and now THAT is not a laid back cat. 😂

[quote Someonesayroadtrip]@EmmaC78 lovely breed isn't it? We have had Birman cats since I was a child and then got them when I got married. We recently got a Bengal and now THAT is not a laid back cat. 😂 [/quote]
Don’t worry you get used to it.

Burmese

Siberian? Nothing like Siamese to look at but affectionate, sociable, human oriented - often kept as indoor cats although our older one absolutely loves going out, climbing trees, hunting rats and causing general chaos.

Intelligence - said to be bright, big one is certainly smart especially when it comes to food thievery tactics. Small one is a sweetie but showing every sign of not being the sharpest tool in the box. Likes to eat cardboard boxes and electric cables.

Rag dolls are amazing and very affectionate but somewhat dense!

@OwlBasket

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What happened to the Siamese, did you re-home them?

No. When I was 8 months pregnant on a cold night one of them crawled up onto the warm engine bay of our car unknown to us. He then fell off a few yards down the road and fell under the wheel of our car. We drove over him but he was still alive and crawled under a nearby car. It took me 20 mins to coax him out. We rushed him to the vets but he died of a massive heart attack a few hours later. His brother died a few years later from a degenerative brain condition. He had to be PTS a few days after we brought our second son home from hospital.

So there you have it. It's really distressing just typing that as they were my babies. I don't want anyone judging me though and jumping to the conclusion that I rehomed them for being needy. I was just being realistic about how demanding Siamese can be after owning (and devoting myself to!) two beautiful boys for 11 years.

@DidSomebodySaySiamese

Me? Needy? Nooooo

Oh my!!! Gorgeous!

@TheForgetfulCat

Siberian? Nothing like Siamese to look at but affectionate, sociable, human oriented - often kept as indoor cats although our older one absolutely loves going out, climbing trees, hunting rats and causing general chaos.

Intelligence - said to be bright, big one is certainly smart especially when it comes to food thievery tactics. Small one is a sweetie but showing every sign of not being the sharpest tool in the box. Likes to eat cardboard boxes and electric cables.

I haven't heard of Siberian before. I'll take a look at those and the Birmans.

Oh you poor thing that’s an awful way to lose a cat.

I lost mine on the road and feel horribly guilty for not cat proofing.

Definitely a Siberian, ours is the sweetest lady in the world and so patient with the children but loves to cuddle and play too

My next-door neighbour used to have a Burmilla. She was very intelligent and affectionate (and beautiful) but never seemed needy to me. A bit of a Houdini, though. If it weren't for allergies, that's the breed I'd have gone for.

@Fluffycloudland77

Oh you poor thing that’s an awful way to lose a cat.

I lost mine on the road and feel horribly guilty for not cat proofing.

My husband was driving and still gets really upset if anyone mentions it. We lived on a cul de sac near woods & fields so it had never really been a worry that they would be hit by a car. It's partly why I would want to keep any future cat indoors. I feel a bit mean though as my boys loved being outside.

Sorry to hear you lost your cat too @Fluffycloudland77 it's so hard to balance their freedom with protecting them isn't it.

We moved to this street because it’s a no through road with speed bumps 🤦🏻‍♀️.

You could catproof the garden in the future. I plan to.

Oriental short hair? Very clever, mine was not as needy as the Siamese cats I grew up with.

@Ayeupmeduck - no judgement here, just so sad to read how you lost your boys

Another vote for Birmans. Laid back, incredibly affectionate and intelligent too Good luck with your choice