Kittens are often the best cats to start out with. With a newborn kitten you are starting with a clean slate and you will have a friend that will quickly bond with you. Kittens are excellent because they don’t have any bad habits yet and you can begin training them your rules right away. Older cats are often best if you are a low energy person and you don’t have time to constantly be looking after a kitten to ensure they are not getting in any mischief. Older cats have usually been spayed or neutered, may be declawed and their maintenance is much easier in terms of feeding and vaccinations. Ultimately, it will be up to you to determine if your lifestyle fits a kitten or an older cat.

There are numerous cat breeds and it is important to choose one that is right for you and your family.

When choosing a newborn kitten the first thing you need to think about is whether you will be able to deal with a cat that is vocal. Some breeds can be almost noisy. Many people do not mind this vocalization, as they know that the cat is merely communicating with them, but it might be a problem if you live in an apartment or you already have a house of loud kids.

Vocal breeds include:

• Siamese
• Korat
• Bumese

Quiet cat breeds include:

• Scottish Fold
• Somali
• America Curl

We all know that a newborn kitten decide who they want to cuddle with and when. This also means that you can choose a breed that loves to cuddle or, if you’re not the cuddly type, then you may want a cat that is more aloof. Aloof cats are able to occupy themselves, while cuddly cats need more attention. Your lifestyle will also help you decide which type of cat you will want. Remember that cuddly cats are also best for children.

Cuddly cat breeds include:

• Snowshoe
• Abyssinian
• Maine Coon
• Ragdoll
• Tonkinese
• Himalayan Persian

Less sociable cats include:

• Norwegian Forest Cat
• Nebelung
• Russian Shorthair

If you want a cat that is not always in mischief or one that needs to be able to amuse itself, then do not choose:

• Sphynx
• Siamese
• Rex
• Balinese
• British Angora breeds