Decided to get a kitten (or two) :-)

PS. This is why we've fallen in love with the gorgeous british short hairs.....

My advice is that if you want a British shorthair please get them from a reputable breeder. Make sure the mother can be seen, they are GCCF registered etc. Good breeders will also offer microchipping and the kittens will have been vet checked and vaccinated. I wouldn't bother with a cross if a BSH is what you really want because chances are there won't be much in terms of price and it won't be what you really wanted. If you can afford it then go for it

Also as for working a lot will you be letting the cat outside or keeping them in?

Thanks for the replies everyone - we'd definitely consider rescuing, I've just not seen any british short hair kittens at the shelters we have been to. I'll keep looking though. We have a cat flap and live on a very quiet cul-de-sac so the cat would be free to mooch outside or to stay in.

I'm pretty against buying animals if it can be at all helped. Go to a shelter and rescue one instead.

Thanks for the website link, I already contacted them yesterday

I had two 'rescue' moggys from kittens. I say that they were 'rescue' as they weren't technically but their mother was a stray who turned up on someone's doorstep and gave birth to them. I got to know about them through the cleaner at work as she was asking around on behalf of her friend to see if anyone wanted them.

I loved having two as it was great watching them interact with each other. I also felt less guilty about being out during the day as they provided company for each other. Having one would also be fine though - mine sleep most during the day so I don't think it would be an issue that you weren't in during the day.

One of my friends has a British Blue and he is the most docile cat I have ever met.

I would never 'buy' an animal when there are so many out there that need homes already. I would have loved a Ragdoll or Birman but as soon as I saw our two at the shelter I knew I would rather save them

If you do buy from a breeder be really careful, there are so many scams nowadays. My bestie bought a Bengal that needed about £500 worth of vet bills in the first 6 months because they had falsified some of the documents for vaccines etc.

But if nobody bought them they would end up in rescue anyway.

For a BSH from a reputable breeder you are looking at around £500 per kitten. Did I see you post on the Pet Forums? They are the best people to speak to about breeders. We are adding a Siamese into our family and I syarted contacting breeders last year asking questions about their 2014 plans. I told them everything about me and wanted to know details about their cats (I.e. do they leave at 13 weeks, registered, vaccinated etc) Those that said no then I crossed off the list. The 2 breeders I have in mind are known to be reputable and are happy for me to let the kitten out when they are old enough. Some breeders do require indoor only so you do need to ask the question.

As far as rescue vs breeder then it is completely your choice. I have 2 rescues but wanted a Siamese due to their personality. Whilst there are no guarantees that the Siamese will have all the Meezer traits it is a lot more likely than a rescue cat hence me going to a breeder. Dont be tempted by breeders who cut corners, they will not have the kittens health as a priority and you could end up with a poorly cat.

Hope that helps.

I would definately recommend getting kittens from a rehoming centre. My Mum left her details with our local Blue Cross and they contacted her as soon as they had some new kittens in. She reserved two and was able to have them as soon as they were ready, plus they were fully vaccinated and newtered.

It might be worth leaving your details and what you would like with different rehoming centres.

But maybe they wouldn't keep breeding them if people didn't keep buying them.

I am with the others, I would never buy a cat when there are SO many in shelters. Plus you may have your heart set on a particular breed, but you may feel differently if you "meet" some shelter cats. I don't have a clue what breed my cat is (some kind of tabby cross I think), all I know is she's bloody gorgeous and both H and I fell in love with her at first sight.

Plus any decent shelter will ensure they are already vaccinated, microchipped and neutered, which saves you money.

Completely this!

this.

We went to our shelter looking for one or possibly two kittens. I had an idea of the colouring and everything. I came away with an eight year old black cat and I honestly love him to bits. Sometimes it's worth just going to see them. As soon as I laid eyes on my cat I knew I was taking him with me that day. Everyone was walking straight past him to look at all the kittens and he'd been there for three weeks.

I am pro shelter, but around here at least, their criteria for rehoming is just absurd, and we wouldn't have been accepted. To the point where you wondered if they actually wanted to rehome the animals at all.

If you want kittens, I'd go for 2 - they'll wear each other out and won't be lonely when you're out at work all day.

I have 3 rescue girls, the 2 youngest we got at 6 & 9 months of age, the rescue place had plenty of kittens available as well - however, we are also out all day and didn't want to leave babies to fend for themselves.

If you do decide to go the breeder route, please please go to a reputable breeder preferable ones who are registered with the GCCF or TICA. They will have performed appropriate health checks, be vaccinated and occasionally early neutered. They will cost more than someone advertising from a paper, but there is a reason for that. They know and love the breed and their cats are well looked after.

I don't have a problem if people want a pedigree cat, I do have a problem with people wanting "pedigree's" without the price tag and buying them from backstreet breeders. These are the ones taking homes from rescues and who will be dumped otherwise.

Thanks for the replies - we've decided to rescue (if we are allowed to, they seem very strict with criteria). One thing I was going to ask is can you have a pet cat if you are pregnant or have small children? I;m not expecting atm but we are thinking of ttc in the Summer. I've heard some people say it is fine to still have a cat and some saying we shouldnt be considering getting a cat if we want a family soon. Thanks for all the advice x

There is no reason you can't have cats and babies together. I was raised with cats and look how well I turned out...

Exactly what Flora said, minus the bit about a comfy place to sleep. My cat has never slept in her bed, she sleeps anywhere, the more uncomfortable the better. Her personal favourite is paper, we put all our wrapping paper in her room after we opened our presents at Christmas and she couldn't believe her luck.

Cats and babies are not an issue, just make sure the babies door is closed. I am sure it is a myth about them being suffocated but it seems silly to worry about it happening when you can just close the door. You can also get cot nets I think. Just make sure any small kids are supervised so that they dont get hurt accidentally or hurt the cat themselves.

The only thing I would advise against it having a kitten whilst being heavily pregnant or having a small baby purely because you want to give your kitten as much attention as possible, likewise the baby and both are very demanding!! That is something I have considered as we are thinking about a human addition next year but if all goes to plan our kitten should be a year old before I get to 6 months pregnant so I will still be able to play with him without needing a sit down every 10 minutes (I have no idea what being heavily pregnant is like but I imagine it is very tiring!). Our other cats will be 4 and will require less of my attention.

You might get people scaremongering about toxoplasmosis but if you will be handling cat litter during your pregnancy, get some disposable gloves and wash your hands.

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Or get your H to do it....thats what I did haha!