Family cat suggestions

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Hello,
I always had cats growing up, just rescue ones. They were a bit of a mixed bag, some absolutely amazing ones and a couple of pretty feral ones who occasionally acknowledged us but made it clear they’d prefer we weren’t there 🤣
we have 3 kids (8,5,3) and they’re desperate for a cat. They adore the neighbours who is now becoming a little too comfortable in our garden as they lavish it with attention.

could anyone suggest a breed which would be good with kids and enjoy the attention rather than despise it!

thanks

I've had cats all of my life , some from kittens from the CPL and also a couple of adult rescue cats. The adult rescues were lovely - one was grumpy and aloof and the other one was a friendly lap cat but he would not have been good around children because as loving as he was he would scratch if not handled the right way.

My current cats are a pair of Burmese that we got from a breeder as kittens when my DC were toddlers. They have always been amazing with the kids and love nothing more than being carried around by them or snugging up with them. They were really good at soothing the kids if they were upset. They seem to be attracted to tears and if one of the kids was crying they would jump on their lap and wipe the tears away with their faces. I think a lot cats do that though.

Very!

The non-fluffy version would like it put on record that he is also uber-cute.

Please consider a rescue moggie! Rescue centres are always needing homes for their cats & kittens

Our old cat used to play fetch (and follow us if we went for a walk), neutered male black moggie!

My DBro has been overlorded by a female B/W and a ginger/white boy .
Both very friendly and interestingly , my Bro was "chosen" by both.

Our cats are standard black rescue moggies , becoming more friendly over time but don't like strangers at all .

If you do get a Ginger Boy , don;t forget to check he is on the rota to have his Share Of The BrainCell ( they have One between the lot of them )

Yes I agree, friendly kittens grow into friendly cats. Plus they grow up with you and bond with you. Our current cat is a tabby moggie, had her since she was 8 weeks when she used to climb up and snuggle under my chin and pur away

One of mine likes to help out with bedtime too. Jumps on the bed and listens to the story, then escorts me back downstairs. The other is my autistic 9yo's best friend. They adore each other. One black and white from a rescue, the other ginger, from a friend whose cat had an accidental litter. I'd been looking at rescues for a while but around here they don't even consider families young kids. Anyway, they're both just moggies, boys. Placid and friendly.

If the costs of a ragdoll kitten are too much for you, you can often find a retired breeding cat for sale by contacting breeders, just make sure the breeder is GCCF registered. They have a good idea of the cat's personality as they're older than a kitten, and they will come spayed and tested for genetic issues and vaccinated

We recently adopted a one year old ginger boy from CPL after losing our darling girl to cancer. He was in foster care so they had a good measure of him, but a couple of months down the line he is so much more than his “dating profile” said. He has a very annoying habit of trying to steal food (I caught him firing in to sausage rolls about to go in the oven this afternoon) but is otherwise the best boy. 🧡 He dances too!

If you doget a Ginger Boy , don;t forget to check he is on the rota to have his Share Of The BrainCell ( they have One between the lot of them )

I love this. I have heard it before.

Another person supporting allowing an adult rescue to choose you. Cats just appear at my door (well at work and choose me) current resident overlords arrived as an adult stray ( turned out to be pedigree Siberian who had been dumped) and two 7 week old kittens dumped in a carrier.
In my experience adult cats who have had a bad experience with staff tend to more grateful for well trained staff. Kittens just expect their staff to fall into line.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses I am completely in love with your cat! Can I ask his name?

We've always had British silver tabbies. Not only are they totally stunning, they are such lovely personalities. We've had a couple of older rescue cats too. And they've been wonderful but there's something special about watching a kitten grow up and they definitely bond with you. I've found a pair of boys work best.

Louie - also known as Hullabalouie, Louie-Boo, and Louie-Bear. He was found as a kitten sleeping in someone’s shed so he has landed on his paws here!

Second this. The ginger boy I had as my first cat was the friendliest cat I've ever had. My tuxedos and my tabby look at me like I'm their servant but rarely give me any affection!!!

In terms of breeds, most of the orientals tend to be very people oriented across the board. Siamese, Burmese, Bengals etc.

Any cat can be a lovely (or grumpy) cat but rag dolls are usually extremely friendly and noisy too

I’ve never owned a cat myself but both my sisters have had several over the years and we had a family cat when I was a kid.
One sister has had black cats, white cats and tabbies, the other had a tabby and a tabby and white. I think whites are particularly stunning but my sisters boy is rather aloof.
Friendliest of all was the ginger and white boy our family had when I was young. He was so sweet and as we say here in Scotland, a massive ‘sook’ if that’s the kind of cat you are looking for.

My Ginger, male sphynx is the most loving and playful cat I've ever owned. He loves the kids and they love him. He's very playful and also cuddly.

I highly recommend a breed called the ‘Korat’ which is not well known. Ancient thai breed, some Siamese in the line. IMO they are more like dogs than cats in the sense that they like strangers, will happily play with children, very social and present. Can be very chatty and opinionated though!

Can't beat a ginger tom. So soft and friendly. We've had a few.

We've got a blue British Shorthair. He's gorgeous and loving. Only thing is he's still only a baby but already massive and can be a bit naughty, but training is going really well lol my youngest caries him around like a baby and he just lets him 😂

How they are raised is more important than the breed. Staying with mum until at least 14 weeks is proven to produce a more mentally healthy, less aggressive cat. The socialisation period between 2 and 8 weeks is also really important in creating a well balanced sociable kitten, so a breeder who understands this and has put effort into lots of good experiences, will also produce a calmer happier cat.

That said I can't argue with all the people who have said an adult rescue. As they point out, you can look around and find a good match (and no doubt the kids will love helping you choose)

It's not about breed, it's about how they are brought up. I have moggies (long and short haired) who have been well handled from young kittens and are very sociable, keen to be groomed and cuddled. Hand reared kittens from a foster home with kids would be ideal...