Top Cat Breeds For Seniors

It is difficult to provide a formula for selecting the top cat breeds for seniors because seniors have different personalities and lifestyles like anyone else. Some older people are very active and desire to be active as it promotes health. Some elderly people carry an illness, which despite best intentions, slows them down. The elderly active person will be the best cat caretaker as they are at home more and have the time to spend with their cat companion. Their lifestyle supports routine and security, something that cats love.

American Shorthair - highly suitable for seniors.
His name: "Tiger"

 

However, in general the retired person will be less active and seek a quieter lifestyle with minimum demands. That encourages me to think of cat breeds that are similar in character such as the Persian, British Shorthair, Ragdoll. Of these three the Brit is probably best as the others, particularly the very long haired Persian requires regular grooming to maintain the coat. The Brit SH has a fabulous coat to stroke - very therapeutic for an older person.


As to the Persian I would chose a traditional Persian as it is likely that there will be less expenditure in respect of veterinary bills. Two other cats are part of the Persian stable of breeds: the Exotic Shorthair (shorthaired Persian) and the Himalayan (pointed Persian). They are equally as good as the Persian.

The Russian Blue also comes to mind as a cat that likes indoor living. Cats that are suitable to full-time indoor life should be suitable for seniors as well. A lesser known cat that seems to shine is the Pixie-bob. They are solid performers, good with children and quiet. I would recommend this breed as one of the top cat breeds for seniors.

In fact I think a quiet cat is probably an attractive factor in a cat breed for an elderly person. The British Shorthair, already mentioned falls firmly into this category.

I don't think a senior requires a cat that is overly demanding, either. A degree of quiet independence is attractive. In that vein, the Maine Coon comes to mind too although some maintenance is ideally required. And we cannot forget the solid American Shorthair. This cat requires little grooming by their human companion (another important factor) and is quiet. They are gentle with seniors and good with children. The American Shorthair is a popular cat breed too, in the top 10 of all breeds.

The American Shorthair is my individual pick for senior members of society. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list by the way. Also what I am saying here does not exclude the beautiful random bred cat or other individual cats of other breeds.

Himalayan Cat Picture

Himalayan cat, flame pointed - Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

The Himalayan is a pointed Persian ("Colourpoint Persians"). You will see contemporary (flat-faced) and traditional (doll faced) Himalayan cats. The name is interesting as this cat has no connection to the Himalayas. Apparently some species of rabbits and goats in the Himalayas are pointed. I have not checked that. Whatever you say about the Persian you can say the same thing about this cat breed - e.g. rounded and cobby. The cat in the picture is by professional photographer, Helmi Flick,  and is an American cat probably photographed at a cat show -  a show cat. You can see the extremely long fur, which more or less dictates that the Himalayan is a stay at home cat as the fur might become unmanageable if it gets dirty outside. They are gentle, unadventurous cats. There are 22 different colors for pointing so I won't list them all here but flame pointing is popular. The original colors are: seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point (CFA). These were consistently added to. Other colors were added such as: lynx points in 1982 (popular at 2012) and cream points in 1979. You need a nice secure and calm home. See much more.

Himalayan Cat Personality

Most Himalayan cats are laid back and undemanding. They are generally happiest lounging around. That is why they are sometimes referred to a cat furniture. But to be realistic, you have to factor in individual cat characteristics as well. Not all cats of a certain breed possess the same personality traits.

Also we should recognise that the Himalayan is a pointed Persian and therefore when describing Himalayan cat personality we are also describing the personality of the Persian and the Exotic Shorthair (a shorthaired Persian).

Flat faced Himalayan - pointed Persian - Photo by woofiegrrl

These three cat breeds are not designed to be the most agile of all the cat breeds as they are cobby and have short, heavy boned legs. The Himalayan likes to feel secure in their environment and so can be a little nervous. I hope that is a fair comment. Ideally you need to provide them with routine and a feeling of serenity and security⁴.

Persians are considered to be relatively quiet and inactive, docile and gentle. They adjust well to new surroundings, it is said.¹

Dr. Fogle describes the Himalayan cat personality as calm and friendly.³

All the above traits are confirmed by Dr Ross Clarke who also says that this cat breed is playful and undemanding.²

You can see the extreme breeding in the photograph of the modern Himalayan on this page. It is not unreasonable to presume that this unnatural head shape causes some discomfort sometimes, which in turn may have a negative impact on the Himalayan cat personality.

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Sources:

(1) The Cat, Its Behavior, Nutrition & Health ISBN 978-0-8138-0331-9

(2) Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats ISBN 0-9634124-0-X

(3) The Encyclopedia of the Cat ISBN 978-1-4053-2149-5

(4) Legacy of the Cat 2nd Ed. ISBN 0-8118-2910-3