Which kitten? Help me decide!

[BeeKeeping]

Please forgive this long and rambling question.. I just need to get my thoughts down on paper to help me decide!

Background - busy household with two young children, lots of rural outdoor space, chickens, bees yadda yadda yada. We recently lost our beloved big dog. She has left an enourmous void and I feel sick every time I walk through the door etc and she’s not there. I would love another dog, but the reality with two small kids is that I just wouldn’t have the time to exercise and train one properly. Old dog was immaculately behaved (after being a nightmare puppy, but we put the time and work in and it really paid off). I think getting another dog I would probably compair them, to the new dogs detriment.

I think the kids would love a rabbit or hamster etc but I hate animals in cages and really feel that pets should be free to roam and choose you. We have two cats, one 7yo outdoor mouser who is never in and one 17yo grumpy cat who isn’t into playing. I love the cats and how low maintenance they are, the kids love the cats but don’t get a lot from them. Both original cats are rescues but a rescue wouldn’t consider us till the kids are older.

I’d like a kitten who is actually a dog in a cats body, who would play and give cuddles but also go outside sometime to help to control the rodent population! There are a couple of folks on gumtree selling kittens for around the 250-300 mark. Which seems crazy but apparently is the going rate for kittens nowadays. Both ready in about a month, kittens all gorgous stripy grey floof balls from both households. Both have boys availible which is what I would prefer.

First option - kittens are quite far away, but drivable in a day there and back. Coming from a busy household with young kids, other cats and a dog. The guy who’s selling them claims that they’re bengal x. cross main coon cross. Does that make sense? Full bengal dad, main coon cross mum. I’m very sceptical of this given the price. If it were true I think that mix would be fantastic and lend itself to a ‘dog in a cats body’ bombproof kind of kitten. Downsides are that it may not be truthful and kittens may be aloof and frightened no matter what.

Second option - local kittens, slightly cheaper. Upfront about just a moggy mum and dad, accidental pregnancy now dad has been snipped etc. But….. Quiet household.

Do you think a quiet/noisy household pre 9 weeks matters? Which would you go for?

I think if you have a pedigree bengal or a maine coon then you are going to earn far more money by breeding pure-bred kittens than you are by crossing them.

In any case, crosses aren't reliable. You can get the worst traits of both in one animal. Not a great idea to be honest.

I would get a pedigree Burmese. I’ve had two and know others and they are total dogs in cat form. They follow you round and want to sit on your shoulder. Get a moggy kitten for company too as they don’t like to be only cats.

There is no way that those kittens will be genuine. I see it online all the time. Pedigree crosses that are just moggies and then they charge hundreds for them.

I have pedigree Maine Coons and possibly 5% of the ads I see for Maine Coon crosses are genuine. Please be careful.

A cross breed is unlikely to be a reliable representative of any breed’s characteristics. And hair colour influencing personality is little more than anecdotal. So it doesn’t especially matter.

I have the world’s most friendly, outgoing and sociable moggy. He’s brave, curious, loves people and happily provides cuddles to strangers. He comes to call, adopts cat sitters like they are family, will join you on a walk given the chance. He still hates children and would rather they weren’t around him.

I’m really not sure a kitten is going to provide what you want. Most cats at best tolerate small children - there’s a reason charities don’t think you’re a suitable home - and a kitten is also likely to upset your older cat. They grow up fast - in a years time you may simply have three cats who ignore and avoid your children.

We have a cat that was rescued from the side of the road with her sister when her mother was killed by a car. She is the cuddliest cat I’ve ever had, and spends most of the day asleep on my shoulder.

Okay so plot twist... there are some older kittens 13 weeks who have just been put up for sale about an hour an a half away. They're a much more reasonable £80. Norwegian forest cross kittens does anyone have this breed? I'm going to do some online research just now. And as a few people have mentioned... two are ginger Tom's!

Some rescues won't rehome kittens to families with young children.

How old are the kids?

I really don’t think you can put too much emphasis on coat colour = personality. We had a ginger Tom who was vicious and once left the vets consultation room attached to her hip. We still adored him and he did mellow with age, sort of. My sister has one now who is extremely timid. I’ve found torties to be utterly devoted and loyal but wouldn’t assume they all are. Go and meet them and see them as individuals. Ask the breeder what each ones temperament is like.

We have a Norwegian Forest. He is beautiful, but extraordinarily dim. He does have a lovely nature though, enjoys cuddles, and is a lap cat.

For £80 they are not Norwegian forest cats which are like Maine Coons in size and temperament. They are fluffy ginger kittens. That is no bad thing but it's like buying a fAke handbag. Might be fine but might fall apart in after a couple of days. If you do this get pet insurance straight away.

This is from a breeder of NFK and their opinion of kitten farming www.norgeskaukatt.co.uk/Norgeskaukatt/Kittens/Kittens.html

The last time I looked at pedigree Maine Coons they were £700-800. Well bred and well looked after pedigrees are not cheap. They only go to approved homes and breeders are really picky preferring indoor homes. NFK may be more expensive as they are not as common in the UK.

Buyer beware.

Bengals are only a couple of generations from being wild.. gorgeous but demanding.
I would doubt any pedigree 'cross' to be honest unless you see the Mum and she's the pedigree.
If you want a cat with a very engaging and people centred personality go for an oriental type. But they're expensive.
Personally, unless that's what you want (I have 2 and they're fab) I would get a male kitten. Moggies don't generally come from breeders. There's no money or hobby (like cat showing) in a domestic short hair. Look for a healthy Mum if you see her and bright energetic kittens. Avoid ones with crusty eyes or lethargy. Be wary of places that have breeding queen's and entire toms, that would start to look like a kitten farm to me. Healthy kittens are less likely to sting you for vets bills later. The inflated prices for kittens is probably causing some welfare issues as it has become more profitable to breed non pedigrees.

@Thesefeetaremadeforwalking they're young- 3 and 8 months. I'd have preferred to rescue but I'm finding that they automatically dismiss young families. Probably for good reason. But our home is actually very quiet and humdrum. The kids have grown up around cats and our 17yo cat can scratch so they've learned to give him space and be respectful.

@GodspeedJune I did ask the breeder and she said that the ginger boys were the most outgoing. She has some blue ones though that are beautiful.. I'm tempted to get two but that would be 4 cats and my husband doesn't like cats... 😬 (fool)

@mostlydrinkstea They're forest cat crosses, just a tabby mama. The NFC is the next door neighbors (and apparently can be seen) the kittens so look a bit foresty

I think if you are trying to pick temperament and traits you’d be better going for a pedigree, but you’d have to up your budget to around £750.
I love my British shorthair boys. Proper beefcakes who don’t bring in presents for me and love to snuggle on my bed at night.
If you are going for a cross you need to be prepared for it being a moggy, and the best you can do is meet the kittens and their owners and get a feel of what they are like.

[quote BeeKeeping]@GodspeedJune I did ask the breeder and she said that the ginger boys were the most outgoing. She has some blue ones though that are beautiful.. I'm tempted to get two but that would be 4 cats and my husband doesn't like cats... 😬 (fool)[/quote]
Sorry to your husband but I think two would be better as well. A young kitten is likely to pester your existing cats and it doesn’t sound like their temperaments would appreciate that? Two kittens will be great company for each other when you and the family are otherwise busy too.

I have 5 moggies of no breeding. 3 will tolerate kids, 1 wants nothing to do with kids and the other one lives for kids. She's obsessed with small children. She's my best hunter and just turns into a gentle ball of soft when children are around her. As a young cat she hadn't been around young kids so I've no idea how she ended up the way she is with them.

I agree with others that a pair would be a good shout. We had two moggy kittens that had a twist of Siamese in them somewhere - mother was apparently a local stray who delivered in a bush at the end of someone’s garden in my parents’ village. I would have been sceptical of the story if I’d read it online but the woman who took them in is a (slightly mad) old colleague of my mum’s, who suggested we take them as she knew we were looking. Of the two, one brother was (affectionately) shit for brains and the biggest ball of fluff you’d ever seen, and the other was a sleek mouser.

As it was fluffy kitten sadly got it by a car and died when he was 1 (freak accident on our quiet road - I used to worry about him as he was definitely lacking any road sense). Sleek hunter wasn’t really a lap cat but then when he turned about 4 something changed, possibly to do with the birth of our DD, and now he’s the cuddliest lad you can imagine. Spends pretty much all day napping wherever he can find a spot on or near you, and just dotes on our now 2yo DD. So I guess what I’m saying is that their personalities can really change over time… and that IME, boy cats and those with oriental traits tend to be friendly, as PPs have said.

@GodspeedJune I can't decide if I should just accidentally bring two home (better to die a sheep than a lamb)... or acknowledge that 4 really is a lot of cats.

He'll be annoyed initially but I think might calm down quickly.

It's definitely best in the kitten stage to have 2 but maybe as adults they'll all just tolerate or dislike each other??! Gah!

I think my old cat would be good with them and teach them manners but young cat will probably avoid coming in at all 😞 there's a faint hope that young cat might bond to single kitten? I'm so undecided..

.. I'm tempted to get two but that would be 4 cats and my husband doesn't like cats... 😬 (fool)

I'm just dithering on here to see how long it takes before someone tells you
"Get the cats . Re-home the husband"

We have two rescue salt-of-the-earth black moggies (DSH)
Very "cat" Our tortie/white previous cat was very "cat"

NDN gnger male was more dog like

The most dog like cat we owned was a ginger female, quite unusual I know, but she was such an intelligent cat, wonderful cat.

It's definitely best in the kitten stage to have 2 but maybe as adults they'll all just tolerate or dislike each other??! Gah!

This. Cats aren’t really social animals as adults so nearly always grow up just tolerating each other. And as you say one kitten might bond with your older cats, two bugging him and he won’t want to know.

Having lived through the nightmare of cats that hated each other, i’d never get two kittens, especially if you already have cats.

I would also totally disregard any adverts on generic pet sites that refer to pedigree crosses. Assume they aren't. There's a whole industry in calling vaguely fluffy bog standard cats part XYZ breed.

I googled and found £80 NFCs and if they are the ones then they don't look anything like NFCs.

If you want a pedigree, go to a registered breeder. It annoys me that people are being misled and ripped off by at best ignorant and at worst deliberately dishonest people.

The softest, friendliest, soppiest cat I've ever had - and I'm a lifelong mad cat woman - who lived for cuddles was a ginger moggie.

I'm no help in suggesting a dog like cat as I've got a British short hair who is a big baby! Loves cuddles, being carried around and sleeping all day. She is a lovely sweet natured cat who would make an ideal therapy cat.