Can someone give me some advice? When I move out my cats (2 rescues) are going to stay with my mother, because I can't imagine a life without cats I was planning on adopting two new cats. I would like to have an intelligent, active cat who gets into trouble and makes life that little bit more interesting, but I also would like it to come to me for a cuddle. So I was thinking of a Tonkinese or an Ocicat, a friend told me that an Abyssinian or a Bengal would not be a good match for me because they won't cuddle with you. Can someone confirm this? And for my second cat I would like to have a rescue because I would feel guilty going to a breeder when there are shelters full of cats waiting to go to a warm home. I think the best way to make them get along is to ask the shelter for an active kitten around the same age as the kitten from the breeder. But I'm a little bit worried that they won't get along once they're older and one cat is much more active than the other. Is it possible to see whether a kitten is going to be active or not when it grows up? And can someone give some advice on the breed I should pic?

Rescue cats often fill these roles natural without resorting to the expense of a pedigree cat.
Seriously why not take your 2 rescues with you rather than leave them..

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Originally Posted by Curlyben

Rescue cats often fill these roles natural without resorting to the expense of a pedigree cat.
Seriously why not take your 2 rescues with you rather than leave them..

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I'm not "leaving" them. They feel good where they are right now, they have a lot of open space to play outside and they're also attached to my mother and sister. They are more our cats than mine and moving them would only give them a lot of stress. It's not like I'm leaving them with strangers. I now they are well looked after and I will be over to visit a lot. All the neighbours know our cats as well, so when something should happen to them the neighbours know where to go.
We have had 7 rescues over the years and we had two feral cats neutered and we are still feeding them whenever they come for a visit. (Yes I checked every site and shelter if they weren't just missing cats.) But I still want to have had one pedigree cat in my life.

Go to several shelters, if you refuse to take your current cats with you. Why won't you take them with you, by the way? ***ADDED I see you answered that.

I had a rescued (from a shelter) Aby (he adopted me when he was 6 months old) for nearly 15 years who was always into my business, was curious about everything, always made life interesting, had a huge vocabulary of sounds that all meant something, and who also liked to be brushed and cuddled (but like any cat, on his own terms).

Skip the breeder. Either take your cats with you or get one from a shelter. And there is no guarantee any new ones will get along.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Go to several shelters, if you refuse to take your current cats with you. Why won't you take them with you, by the way? ***ADDED I see you answered that.

I had a rescued (from a shelter) Aby (he adopted me when he was 6 months old) for nearly 15 years who was always into my business, was curious about everything, always made life interesting, had a huge vocabulary of sounds that all meant something, and who also liked to be brushed and cuddled (but like any cat, on his own terms).

Skip the breeder. Either take your cats with you or get one from a shelter. And there is no guarantee any new ones will get along.

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Okay, 'my cats' really was the wrong choise of words. Let me correct and say 'our cats'. They are fine where they are, why move them? I really love them, but they love my mother and sister as well as they love me so I think they would like to stay if they could make the choise.

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Originally Posted by Willeke

Okay, 'my cats' really was the wrong choise of words. Let me correct and say 'our cats'. They are fine where they are, why move them? I really love them, but they love my mother and sister as well as they love me so I think they would like to stay if they could make the choise.

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I agree. Cats hate change with a passion (mine go on strike if I move even one chair they might nap in). If "yours" are in a loving home and are happy, I do understand why you are "leaving" them.

Even shelters have pure-bred cats or cats very strongly associated with a breed. One of our rescued cats is a mostly Maine Coon who was born in our back yard.

I think you should research each breed very well, including the health issues of each. For instance, Bengals are extremely prone to serious heart issues. I had a Bengal and 2 part Bengals that I actually took in as rescues and they were/are extremely loving. There is no question that Bengals and Abyssinians can be more independent than some more domesticated cats. I think if you are seeking intelligent, active cats that are curious and playful yet lovable it will be more in how you handle them in then home. Rescues often have been allowed to do whatever they want whenever they want so you can get a bit of "bad" in them but usually they are very happy to find a human to love and cuddle them and respond well to it. The types of cats you mentioned do have a reputation for being more wild and independent though. I think a cat is as intelligent as you encourage it to be.

Hope this helps a bit...

Hugs, Didi

We have two Tonkinese cats about 10 years apart. The older one was brought into the house as a kitten with to be a companion to our adult orange tabby cat. They played and cuddled and bonded and became best friends. When the tabby died, we went several years before adding the second Tonk. They are as close as possible but still cuddle and sleep with the people in our family.

I have only wonderful things to say about Tonkinese as a breed. They are loving, very talkative, playful and extremely cuddly. We have 3 kids and they have tolerated a lot of handling and petting over the years. My experience has been that they like having people around. Your schedule is something to consider when choosing a breed.

Good luck in your choice

Personally, I find Maine Coons to fit all those roles. But that may very well be because I have one. They are very large cats (not at all unusual for them to reach 15-20lbs), have a long coat that rarely tangles, tend to be very intelligent, and like to get into trouble. They make good companion cats. Even though they aren't always cuddlers, they do tend to like being near their people, often following them around and sitting next to them.

However, cats are just like people, and personality means more than breed. One thing I have found to be fairly reliable is that males tend to be more cuddly than females.