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?

Please only get two kittens, not one alone. Any responsible breeder will only give you two together. If you register your interest now, from March to July the shelters will be overrun with kittens, desperate for homes. Please don’t encourage moneymaking breeders, there are few responsible ones and they have long waiting lists.

We have a rag doll and a rescue moggy. Both are happy housecats.

Rag doll is an attention seeking dick though.

(But very funny with it)

Urgh. Must not shed hair, must not go outside. Have you considered a doll?

A shorthaired cat is your best bet, OP. I have a rescue tabby and a Maine Coon. The rescue tabby is an affectionate brick of a cat whilst the Coon is a supersized personality, with the coat to match. We did not try the "keeping-cats-permantly-indoors" as we have two younger children who constantly keep the back door open. My compromise is to keep the cats locked in at dawn, dusk and during the school run hours. That has kept down the wildlife massacres and stopped car accidents.

If you want to be a happy cat-slave, talk to a shelter first as they will be able to match the personality of the cat to your household.

As others have said, you're probably better off looking for an older cat where you have a better idea of their personality.

Mine refuses to go any further than the back garden but has no interest in hunting anything. We didn't know any of that when we first got him as a kitten though.

OP if you don't go for a rescue, Burmese would be a breed worth looking at to fit your brief.

I couldn't get a rescue cat from anywhere this year (London) as so many people wanted pets during lockdown. Or rather, couldn't get any that were recommended to be rehomed with young children.

Some charities are stricter than others on that, I'm sure if you can get to speak to someone there will be ways round it.

Our neighbour managed to get a beautiful tabby kitten during lockdown from a rescue but it seems to go in preference order set by cats:

1. Whole house to the cat, no other pets, servant/s available full time, no children, no other pets = perfection for cat. This is my neighbour.

Then it goes down if you have older children, then again for younger children and again for other pets esp. dogs. Not sure whether dogs are worse than small children or vice versa, mine hates both. And there's been a massive increase in demand due to lockdown. There will be rescue cats though who have been brought up with dogs and / or young children so they do exist but not the easiest time to get hold of rescue cats esp, if you have your own requirements.

You might fit a slightly older cat a better bet. Doesn't have to be a kitten to get used to dogs/children. Certain cats need to be kept indoors - FIV and deaf cats. Or get a rescue to match you up with a suitable personality.
Being indoors doesn't suit all cats and some can become very destructive through boredom (also why getting 2 kittens is recommended). My cats all go out, but spend most of their time indoors. Especially in the winter!

Two rescue cats/kittens. Best cat breed there is

We have 2 sphynx cats that are rescues and very well suited to being indoors.

I'm biased but definitely a Sphynx!

They're great with dogs and children and zero shedding to deal with. Also goofy, very snuggly and affectionate

They do need regular bathing, claw trim and ear cleaning though so that's an important consideration.

We have 2 cats that we got as rescue kittens. Neither are very sociable. They catch and kill birds but are prone to bringing in mice, playing with them for a few min and then losing interest and setting them free!