Selecting a cat

Question
I had to put my 15 year old cat to sleep a month ago.  She was part Persian and part domestic long hair.  She didn't have the flat nose like the persian, but she had long cotton-like hair.  She was very loving, although she did get a bit cranky in her old age.

I am trying to decide what breed of cat I should get.  I've read about Ragamuffins quite a bit, and I'm leaning toward them.  I've also read about Ragdolls.  

I know they are both loving and are known as "lap cats."  Are there differences between the two other than the fact that the Ragamuffin can have several colors?  

Do Ragamuffins grow as large as Ragdolls?

Why are Ragamuffins so expensive?

Finally, are there any other breeds you would suggest I look into that has the longevity and the loving personality I'm hoping to find?

Thank you,

Jennifer  

Answer
Hi Jennifer. Sorry I couldn't respond yesterday but I was away at a cat show this weekend.

First, I'm sorry to hear about your cat but I must congratulate you on caring for her so well that you had her as a companion for so long, and for having the courage to let her go when it was time. If no one has told you about this already, do a web search on the phrase "rainbow bridge" and you will find lots of things that may be comforting.

Secondly, I need to do some research on Ragamuffins myself as they are new to CFA.  Thus far I have judged one class of them and I wasn't overly impressed with their being distinctive from other breeds or having any sort of consistent look. I think they are still too new for the breeders to be able to make any real, credible claims about the personality type, especially considering that they are a hybrid breed. As a result, I think that it is inappropriate for then to be so expensive but this happens a lot with "new" breeds because breeds can come in and out of fashion and people tend to gravitate towards what is trendy.

So I invite you to write to me at my private email (purrform@tiac.net) and I will try to help you narrow down your choices. Please tell me also what part of the country you live in, as I may be able to refer you to breeders in your area. And go to the CFA web site  (www.cfainc.org) and look at pictures of the following breeds and see if any appeal to you: Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Exotic Shorthair, Selkirk Rex, Siberian.  Please tell me, of these 5, which has the most appeal to you. You don't have to like it better than a Ragdoll or a Ragamuffin, it's just to ell me more about what appeals to you.

iris