Which cat breeds are most adaptable to new environments?
My husband and I would really like to adopt a cat, however, our current lifestyle has us moving at least once every 6 months into a new home and I know this is very stressful to most cats. Are there certain breeds that handle this better than others?
Thanks so much!
Thank everyone so much for all your answers so far. This has been very helpful!
Please keep any additional tips/advice coming!
Thanks again.
Public Comments
1. Seeing that every cat is different, and about 98% of the cat population consists of mixed breeds, it will really depend on the cat you adopt. If you go to the shelter, it's a good idea to find the friendliest of the bunch, and see how long he/she has been there at the shelter. If the cat is very friendly while in a cage, and it's only been there for a few days, then it's likely that the cat doesn't seem too affected by the environment. It will probably do very well with moving from home to home.2. Properly socialized and conditioned to travel at an early age, will go a long way in a cat adapting to "change".
Our show cats love traveling, staying in hotels is great and they have fun. They never hide when in a hotel either.
I would say the more "social" types of cats are the Siamese/Oriental cats, Rex cats, Bengals, or Ocicats.
But you can find many outgoing cats in shelters that would do fine. Pick out a cat with a super outgoing personality and get them used to traveling and you should be fine.
3. I tend to agree with Ocimom about the very social breeds like Siamese, Orientals Cornish Rex, Ocicats, Burmese and Tonkinese , tend to be very people-oriented cats, more attached to people than to places. so as long as they are with YOU and getting your attention and love, they can deal with the moving.
I should point out that some people incorrectly call every shorthaired cat with a pointed coat pattern a "Siamese", but there are a lot of cats with that coat pattern who are less than 1% Siamese.
If you want a pedigreed kitten, look via breed clubs or visit cat shows to meet cats and breeders.
Or you could ask breeders about retired show/ breeding cats. They're usually just a few years old, and a former show cat would be used to travel.
Or you might consider a rescue group where cats are in foster homes, they would have a good idea which cats seem to be very adaptable.
