Читать книгу Cats For Dummies - Gina Spadafori - Страница 30

One trait that is highly predictable by breed is noisiness. Some breeds are so quiet you hardly know they’re around, and others tell you every thought that crosses their minds, every minute they’re awake, with all manner of meows.

Siamese are probably best known for being chatty, but other breeds keep up their end of the conversation, too. The Balinese, a longhaired version of the Siamese, is, not surprisingly, very vocal, as are the Oriental Shorthair and Colorpoint Shorthair, also versions of the Siamese, and the Tonkinese, another breed developed from the Siamese. Other feline conversationalists include the Bombay, the Burmese, the Rexes, and the Ocicat.

The quietest cat breeds are generally those with heavier builds and more mellow dispositions: the Persian, the British Shorthair, and the Maine Coon.

Although these breeds can be a constant source of amusement with their energy and fearless ways, they can also be a handful. You should be prepared to endure cats on the drapes — the better to get up, up, up! — and kittenish behavior that endures for a lifetime. These cats never stop and are as likely to want to play at 2 a.m. as at 2 p.m. They surely want to be with you all the time, but on you? That’s another matter. Lapsitter kitties these are generally not — they’ve got things to do!

The people who choose these breeds do so for a reason: They’re fun! If one of these cats is in your future, get a good cat tree — see Chapter 9 — and lay in a huge supply of toys, because you’re going to need them.