If your cat knowledge is limited to the essentials, at best, the process of choosing which breed of cat you want to add to your family can become quite a chore! When considering a cat, you must be sure to choose a breed that will best suit your lifestyle. While certain cat breeds require a great deal more grooming than others, you can also find breeds that need a lot more exercise–it’s all a matter of traits specifically belonging to certain breeds. Listed below, you will see the most popular cat breeds. Each breed has different personality types and grooming responsibilities that will be pointed out in this article.

The Oriental is one of the most popular cat breeds around. This breed tendds to develop very deep bonds with its family, and is very loyal and bright. It has large, pointed ears, and although its body is very sleek, it is still quite a muscular breed.

One of the most popular cat breeds for a family is the American Shorthair. The American shorthair originally was a breed known for its hunting skills, mostly for mouse hunting, which explains the lithe muscular structure and short hair. They do need a little exercise, but most are quite happy being a lap cat.

The Birman breed is thought to have originated from Burma. It can be most notable by its blue eyes, white, body, and smoky-colored face, ears, tail, and legs. Birmans possess a long, sturdy body structure with extensive, mat-resistant hair. They love to play and are quite gentle. Their personality is the type to give and receive affection without becoming needy.

If you’re looking for a very loving, snuggly cat, then a Sphynx may be the breed for you. Although they appear to have no fur, they actually have a peach-like fuzz all over their body. As they don’t have much hair to protect their skin, they should strictly be kept indoors. Extra care may be required to keep a cat of this breed nice and toasty, as the lack of a furry coat allows them to become too cold.

A very mild and gentle cat breed is the Ragdoll, appropriately named such as it can be quite floppy and relaxed when picked up. If you love a cat that accompanies you from room to room, this breed would likely be a wonderful match for you. They make an excellent companion for children as they are very gentle whilst playing around.

{Now that you have a better idea about the most popular, yet very different, cat breeds out there, hopefully you find choosing a cat to be a little less daunting than before. Be sure to remember that lifestyles are important factors to consider; so if you aren’t very active, you probably shouldn’t choose a cat that requires a lot of activity, and vice versa. Hopefully you have a better understanding of which type of cat would be best for you. Just keep in mind the requirements that each breed can demand, and be sure that whichever cat you choose, you are up to maintaining it. The best rule of thumb to go by is to choose a cat whose activity levels and lifestyle best match your own.}