# Which Breed for Me: Abyssinian, Russian Blue, or ?



## Des_Esseintes (Nov 27, 2009)

Alcestis, a DLH and my constant companian for almost 13 years, passed away recently after a short bout with cancer.  

I'm starting to move past the loss, and I'm considering getting a new pet.

I'm thinking of getting a purebred this time, because some of them are very beautiful. I'm a little concerned about the genetic problems that seem to be associated with them, though.

I've always had female pets, so I plan on getting another female.

I definitely want a cat with a short coat. Alcestis was a very beautiful cat, but I think it would better for both me and the cat to have something a little easier to maintain.

I live alone with no other pets in a 1,000 square foot ranch house with a finished basement, so there's plenty of room for the kitty to roam. I work about five miles from my house, so I can come home at lunch time, but the cat will still be spending a good chunk of the day alone, so I would like a breed that won't go insane without constant attention. I'm more concerned about the cat's mental health than them damaging anything while I'm gone, as all of my good furniture is in the basement, and I can just close the door to the stairs when I'm not home.

Right now I'm considering getting either an Abyssinian or a Russian Blue, both of which I think are absolutely gorgeous cats. Neither seems to be too prone to any health problems, either. 

The Abyssinians seem to like a lot of attention, though, so I'm not sure how she would do being alone all day. Russian Blues seem to be a bit more laid back.

What do you folks think? Are there any other breeds I should be considering?


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

I don't know a lot about specific breed traits but it might be worth considering adopting two kitties together so that they always have someone to play with while you're not home.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

If you can afford it, two bonded or sibling adult kitties would be great. They have a harder time being adopted. You can find purebred kitties on Petfinder, and most breeds have rescues organizations.

I'm so sorry about Alcestis. atback


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

marie73 said:


> If you can afford it, two bonded or sibling adult kitties would be great. They have a harder time being adopted.


DITTO. If you're set on a purebred cat, get 2 from the same litter. Or consider adopting (even better). But either way I HIGHLY recommend that you get 2. IMO it's much easier on both the cat and the humans. Single cats are often quite lonely, and single kittens can be complete terrors. I can't even IMAGINE what my Jonah would be like if he didn't have Calvin to play with--just doesn't bear thinking about!


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

I concur about getting adult kitties from a breeder. I just wish I got Teddy and Leo at the same time. Teddy and Leo are litter mates, I got Teddy when he was a year old in May of 08. I picked up his littermate, Leo, 5 weeks ago and there has been some rough transitioning because Leo was intact until 3 weeks ago and he was only used to being handled by the breeder and her husband. He is still hard for me to handle but the fact that Teddy and Leo are playing tag right now is very encouraging to me. I'm glad that my goal of getting Teddy a buddy is working.


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