British Short Hair or Ragdoll kitten?

[anon3455]

First time cat buyer here and would be grateful for some advice! We have been doing lots of research into getting a kitten after having decided that a cat will be the most suitable for our circumstances. We have a large spacious home, both my DH and I regularly work from home (although not always), and we have very gentle, loving children age 6 and 2.5 who are both incredibly gentle with animals. I am conscious that I have zero experience with cats, having been brought up in a home with dogs and horses and am keen to make sure I make the best decision re breed for our family. We would prefer an indoor cat due to living near a busy road and wouldn’t want to keep a cat indoors who didn’t want to be there. We have narrowed it down to the BSH and the Ragdoll breeds. I have heard that Ragdolls are more affectionate and happy to be handled, although have also heard that BSHs can also be too, although more shy. Any pros and cons of the breeds/ advice as to which we should go for would be much appreciated! I should add that I have exhausted all options re cat rescue charities and because of the age of our children we do not seem to be considered suitable. TIA ☺️

I have a Ragdoll and a Moggy.

The Ragdoll loves being left alone to sleep the day away, he was done with the bouncy active cat stage by about 18 months. He would hate the chaos and noise of kids, he also isn't a cuddly sitting on the knee cat and prefers his own company.

The Moggy, is a much better sociable family pet.

Obvs all have different personalities though.

^^ this….my Norwegian Forest will not tolerate grooming and as such costs me nigh on £200 in vet (sedation and grooming) bills every 6 months 😳

Howilive - I meant to respond to you. No offence intended, your cat is beautiful!

I have 3 BSH. The girl was so loving and affectionate and my DD would often pick her up and carry around when younger. Then got a boy he was huge. He was reserved but did like a clap and wouldn’t care if being picked up. Due to lock down couldn’t get to a vet and they made babies 🙈 kept one a girl she was the runt and she was funny. Very similar personality to dad cat. Never once scratched or bitten or hissed. They are well used to my DD. I also had domestic cats and they were amazing!!! I got 2 for £30 and one for free off gumtree lol xxx

I’ve had a BSH Silver tabby and a British Blue. Hugely different personalities. Both male. Neither would have liked being house cats. The silver tabby was affectionate and easy with dc. British Blue was fiesty. Looked $1 million though. Plush coat and amber eyes.

I’d say ragdoll.

i have a BSH and a Birman which is similar in temperament to a ragdoll i think. My Birman is very loving and cuddly. The BSH is quite aloof and a bit stand offish. Shes not mean, I can pick her up if I need to and she definitely prefers dh and will sit on him if she wants food and purr like mad till she gets some. But my Birman is properly soppy. So yeah, BSH (or a Birman).

We have birmans. Similar to ragdolls but not as large. I also think long haired cats need lots of combing partly to reduce the number of hairballs they bring up 😕

We have two Randalls and they are amazing. They are indoor cats and don’t try to go out. If I leave a door open (supervised) they just walk up it and stop!! The male is very vocal. Drives me a bit mad really sometimes as I don’t know what he’s trying to tell me! He loves the shower so I have to switch it on for him a few times every day. He likes to be around people but won’t sit on you for more than a minute.

the female is very different but very clingy. She sits on my lap every time I sit down - even on the toilet. If I leave a room and she didn’t notice me go, she cries until I call her name and then she happily comes running as she knows where I am! She’s extremely greedy and eats both cats’ dinners.

I would never get anything other than a ragdoll as they are amazing!

Have two Ragdolls and two kids. They are fantastic! They're 6 months now and a no regret addition to the family. Friendi, cosy and but demanding

Grandsons ragdoll is a great mouser which was a surprise. She was desperate to go out from about six months. She loves to sit on the garden wall and wait for school to finish. She gets lots of attention from the primary school children when they pass.

I think she has the soul of a dog the way she behaves

Persian exotic. The most amazing cats!

Very affectionate, happy for an indoor life. And costs easier to maintain than longhair Persians. Though they are totally fabulous too..

You could consider a Siberian. Often said to be quite dog like, and imo, beautiful. 😍

Thanks so much- these comments are all really helpful!

My two BSHs have been excessively (and at times annoyingly) affectionate. There is no opportunity to quietly sit down and relax without a furry, purry, heavy cat sat on top. In my experience they are much more of a lap cat than Ragdolls (I’ve had four Ragdolls) but they also seem to bond closely with one person and aren’t as affectionate to others. My Ragdolls will happily take the fuss and attention from anyone.

Tend to agree, unless OP does a lot of research on cat behaviour beforehand so she read the signals and avoid bad situations developing. And also not get upset at the cat for behaving like a cat- which can be bad news for a toddler sometimes if their parents aren't alert.

I have a BSH, she’s beautiful, but a strange mix of needy and aloof. She follows us around, is quite chatty and always wants to know what we’re doing. As a kitten she was reasonably affectionate and would sit on your lap and seek out cuddles. That all stopped when she was about a year old. Since then she will happily sit next to us, but no closer, and she’s not keen on being picked up. She sometimes seeks out affection but it’s very much on her terms. She’s a placid girl now but she was quite hard work as a kitten, she was in to everything and I needed eyes in the back of my head. I don’t have kids so can’t comment from that pov, but she’s quite laid back (as an adult cat). She goes out in the back garden (its cat proofed) but I wouldn’t let her roam free, I just don’t think shes street smart enough to look after herself. My verdict - she’s a lovely girl and I would definitely get another BSH!

My daughter has two BSH brothers. Very different personalities, one very inquisitive and loves exploring, the other timid and happy to be a house cat. Both very affectionate and very fond of my grandson ( 21 months, my ginger moggie flees him). These two adore him and are quite happy to have their tails pulled and all the rather clumsy affection a 21 month old dishes out. When he’s in bed they like nothing more than to drape themselves all over my daughter. Very placid and calm boys.

Second time cat owner here, we recently (two weeks ago so very new!) picked up our ragdoll kitten and we have 2 DDs 6 and 2.5. Safe to say he has fit in right at home, he is so affectionate and loving. Very patient with the kids and is really comfortable with them now. He’s very much a lap kitten so far and follows us everywhere. I don’t imagine he will like being alone much but we are always around. I say go for it!

The comments basically show that breed isn’t a guarantee of personality! If you get any of these breeds, expecting to get a cat that’s happy indoors and they turn out to have a more adventurous personality you either end up with a miserable cat shredding up your house or a worried you who has no choice but to let the cat out and risk the road. Can you cat proof your garden?

Or revisit rescues. We needed indoor cats due to a road and the rescue helped us find two very relaxed boys who needed to be indoors due to health conditions and are happy to be so. Both are moggys who have gorgeous friendly, cuddly personalities though be warned that indoor cats need lots of interaction to make up for the lack of outdoor stimulation. I think there are rescues who would rehome you an adult cat of the right temperament- don’t be put off by things like FIV, it doesn’t impact life span! When we looked for our second boy we needed an indoor only cat, who was FIV+ and was happy to live with another cat. It took 3 months of scouring rescues but we found him in an RSPCA branch 100 miles away and they delighted to send him home with us due to his very specific profile matching our home.

I’d wholly recommend Ragdolls. Affectionate, funny, often not all that bright (keep them indoors! No self preservation instincts!). Amazing with children. I would encourage you to get two though - they’re too needy to live alone.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/search/details/-/Animal/BIG_TOM/ref/BSA2143785/rehome

Big Tom looks like he might fit your bill!

We have a Ragamuffin! Cousin to the Ragdoll? He is perfection. My 3 year old carried him around from room to room. He loves to be where we are. Just loves being part of the family.

You want a ragdoll out of those two in terms of affection.

I got a kitten when my baby was about 5 months old. They've grown up together, and they're both obsessed with each other. They play together and he licks her hair when she cries.

Not a breed for everyone, but my boy is a Sphynx. He is hands down the the most affectionate cat I've ever had. He likes skin to skin contact under your top 😂 he's very needy though and doesn't like being alone. He is also very high energy and destructive if you don't play with him. But it's worth it for the fact he's my absolute best bud who licks my cheek and loves me endlessly. He's genuinely not got a bad bone in him. He's endlessly patient with my toddler. He's never once hissed or growled.

Another slightly hairier breed but with a similar temperament you may want to consider is a Devon Rex! Very People oriented and loving.

@OnlyOnAFriday A neighbour’s Birman used to wander around 1/2 mile from home! It also went for walks with the owners. Not sure they are good house cats. I just don’t think cats within a breed have identical personalities.

With a BSH, there’s all sorts to choose from. Maybe look for a kitten bred from an indoor cat? I chose my Silver tabby and British blue on looks and you get what you get. If looking for an indoor cat, I’d look for that in the breeding.