Getting a kitten!!

[Whiley]

I am so excited!

After an evening of coochying over Shelby and my SO's sisters cats Scooby and Stripes and we have decided we would love a kitten too, but as close to our specifications as we can get it really.

What Darren insists on:
Little to no moulting
Soft fur?
Super dooper friendly

We don't know what would be better, a male or a female? Should we get him/her spayed or neutered straight away? Is there a difference in gender behaviour and effection?

Is there a breed i should aim for? We'd like to help a rescue but will go to a breeder if needed for our specs, or a breed specific rescue for the best of both worlds...

Ee i'm so excited!

[janey83]

Lucky you!

Ive only ever had a male cat so dont really know how females work lol. Erm each cat is going to act differently obviously, so its just finding one thats right for you.

If the cat is old enough to be neutered or spayed id say get it done as soon as possible.

Ill let someone else explain (whos had both female and male) coz as you can see im not good at it lol.

Good luck

[Rosie]

Unfortunately I don't think you can get cats to order that don't moult and have predetermined temperaments the fun is in the fact that all cats have their own personality. I have always had moggies so don't know about pedegrees but not sure I have ever heard of one that doesn't moult.

[Grete]

Great news you are getting a kitten :) It's good to have some specifications but you do need to be a little flexible in them too.

Just a couple of things -Soft fur unfortunately means moulting - now moulting doesn't have to be too bad and you can help it a lot with regular grooming. Moggies you tend to have to take as you find them but if you went the pedigree route there are some breeds that have practically no fur (Devonshire Rex is one that came to mind). Of course Siamese or Burmese also have quite a short coat but are lovely too. There are lots of moggies that have short coats too so I guess it's a matter of preference :)

I've always preferred female cats, and have always been spayed when the time for it came. With boys if you leave it too long to neuter, they can start spraying. Saying that, I have had boys before and I adopted them already neutered and they were a complete joy.

How affectionate they are is entirely down to the individual cat and from a kitten it can be hard to know what they will be like. I like to have 2 cats as not only do they keep themselves company but also one tends to assume an affectionate personality while the other can be the standoffish one.

Anyway, I ramble ;) Hope you find the kitty you want!

[yola]

Good luck I have had 3 boys and 1 girl and al the boys have been uber-loving; the girl being a bit aloof. However this is probably not typical so balance comments with the opinions of others! I suspect your OH is being a bit idealistic in his criteria . . . ALL cats apart from hairless ones will moult!

But I also expect once he has a cat at home with him all his box ticking will go out of the window and he'll love the cat to bits; fur all over the house or not :D

[Grete]

But I also expect once he has a cat at home with him all his box ticking will go out of the window and he'll love the cat to bits; fur all over the house or not :D

I have to agree there ;) My hubby had some restrictions about the kind of cat I could adopt and then we got Bubbles and it all went out of the window ;)

[dandysmom]

About the moulting: if you get a special grooming tool called the FURminator it eliminates most of the loose fur on furniture, etc. , however an ordinary comb and brush will work. As to male or female, I've had both, pedigrees and moggies, and it isn't really the gender, it's the cat's own personality. I'd say my boys were a tad more affectionate. If you're looking for an especially friendly people-oriented breed, look for a Singapura! They're not too common, and pricey, but are incredibly affectionate and very smart cats. Abysinnians also! But you can't go wrong with a moggy; check the rescues and I'll bet one of the kittens will pick you out! Good luck whatever you decide, and do let us know what you do!

Edited to sat here's a link that will tell you about the Singapuras

http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/articles/singapura.html

[smudgley]

You lot should be on Furminator commision. :-D

[dandysmom]

Lol, Smudgley, but they do an amazing job! Seriously!