Pre Purchase Breed Question

Question
If you can give us any guidance, we would appreciate it.
We had 2 Oriental Shorthairs.  My husband was amazed at how interactive these cats are and they are the first cats that he has truly loved.  One always overshadowed the other.  The more assertive cat has since passed, and the other, though he initially missed his brother, is now blooming.  He is not as pesky as his brother, but is learning to assert himself more, and is more free and playful with us.  I think he is a happier cat now.  

He is aging, and we are planning to move cross country to Seattle for my husbands job.  We will retire there in several years.  

When our little guy ultimately leaves us (not a pleasant thought) we would not like to be cat-free.
One issue is, if we do get a pet we would have to find a service that might care for him when we die, if we go before the cat. We would be able to leave funding for the pet.  Is there any charity that would do this?  
We would probably travel a bit.  There are cat sitting services that come to the home to take care of the cat, but because of this we are considering to get two cats again.
We would like to avoid the passive/aggressive duo that we had before and have two well developed cats.  We like the Oriental because they remain active and curious until late in life. We like small short haired cats, as well.
We have considered the Singapura(hard to get), the Abyssinian, the Devon Rex.
I have always got male cats because they are less complicated to neuter.
Are females just as active but more cooperative with each other? Should we get 2 females?
Are any of the three breeds we mentioned ok for our needs?  Can we get one Devon and one Abyssinian?
If you can give us some direction, we would appreciate it.  

Answer
Joan,

Many breeders will take kittens they sell back after almost any number of years.  You can make arrangements with the breeders and then include instructions in your will.

As far as breeds getting along, most cats of most breeds will get along if you get them as kittens (4-5 months of age is a good age for kittens).  Kittens are much more tolerant of other cats than adults.  As to male or female, the debate rages on.  I have always felt that once they were neutered it does not matter what the gender is.  You can buy the kittens already neutered/spayed or have them fixed as soon as you get them.

As far as how the cats will get along, this is more individual related than breed related.  You can never predict how well a pair of kittens will get along and what kind of relationship they will have.  In general, Abyssinians do tend to be dominant, but not always.  Like people, cats are individuals, each with its individual personality quirks, so it is impossible to predict what will happen in your home setting.

BTW, in the Seattle area, you should have no trouble finding Abyssinians or Devon Rex.

I know I did not prescribe what you should get, but neither breed nor gender will probably make much difference in these breeds.

I hope this is helpful.

Best regards... Norm.