Before my cat obsession research started, I didn’t even realize that there is such a thing as cat breed personality. In my ignorance, I thought all cats are the same: independent, curious and affectionate when they feel like it. But my good old friend Google proved me wrong: each breed comes with its own personality, with varying degrees of independence, playfulness, intelligence, attention seeking, friendliness and so on.  So I learned that choosing a cat breed is not only a matter of looks, but also of personality…
I had a pretty good idea of what my ideal cat would be like: fluffy, affectionate, playful (but not too crazy), blue eyed, “lap catâ€, and doesn’t require too much grooming (yes, I do realize my first and last points don’t really go together). Did I mention I also wanted it to be intelligent, good around guests & children, semi-independent, not too shy, loyal, and attention seeking? Yeah, yeah, I’m pretty demanding, but oh, well, no one’s perfect. Not even me!
There are many websites which can help you get an idea of what personality each breed has, here are a few I found useful:
http://www.suite101.com/content/cat-breed-personality-traits-a71064
http://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds?see-all=1
http://www.findakitten.co.uk/breed.html
I found this one particularly good: http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/catselector.do  They show you the best match between your preferred cat personality traits and different breeds.
After hours of online research I ended up with 2 finalists: British Shorthair and Birman.
British Shorthair
Brits are quiet, even-tempered, undemanding cats with a bit of typical British reserve, particularly when they’re first introduced. When they get over their initial shyness, however, they become extremely faithful companions. British Shorthairs tend to show their loyalty to the entire family rather than select one person with whom to bond. British Shorthair breeders describe Brits as cats that like to keep a low profile, sweet and affectionate but not clingy ‘in-your-face’ type cats. They tend to be independent and if left on their own can usually adapt quite well. (www.petfinder.com)
Birman
Birmans are sweet, affectionate characters who like interacting and being around people. They are particularly comfortable and friendly around young children and other domestic pets and are very people orientated cats. They are also very inquisitive and want to be involved in what you’re doing but they can also get themselves into mischief! They are quite intelligent cats and tend to bond strongly with their owner or family. This breed of cat tends to have quite a quiet meow and wont speak up unless something is wrong like their dinner isn’t on the floor! They are however rather talkative cats (males in particular) and will let you know when they want your attention. Birman cats are happy in the house but also love a garden to play and climb. They will however be happiest wherever you are and will follow you around to see what you’re up to! (http://www.findakitten.co.uk/breed.html)
A few more websites later, I found out that British shorthairs are usually not lap cats and also, their eye color changes (bye bye blue eyes). So, we have a winner, Birman it is!
What’s your favorite cat breed?
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