Five Types of Cats That are Perfect for Your Kids

Source: © Shutterstock

There are many types of cats that make great pets, but what about great pets for kids? If you have children, you know that the importance of choosing a cat that gets along well with your children is paramount, though few parents and pet owners put as much thought into this as they do choosing a dog. With as many types of cats as there are in the world, it is not always easy to determine which ones are the best for families with children, families with other pets and many other factors.

Since you want your kids to live with a cat that it loves and your cat to have the type of personality that allows it to get along well with kids – read,  patient cat – you want to do your research. There are dozens of types of cats to look into, so we thought we might narrow it down for you to the five types of cats that are the best for families with kids no matter their age. Young or older, these five types of cats are going to do quite well with your kids present whether they are the first born or not.

What Makes a Cat Kid-Friendly?

Before we discuss the five types of cats that do well with kids, we thought we’d make sure you are well aware of precisely what it is about each breed that makes them so good with kids. Cats have to have a few specific personality traits to get along well with kids. What we looked for when deciding which types of cats are best with kids includes a high level of tolerance for noise and sudden movements, breeds that are not territorial, breeds that are very social, cats that adapt well and cats that have an overall friendly disposition. Each of these characteristics makes it much easier for you to determine whether or not a cat is good for a household with cats.

While there are dozens of different types of cats in the world, these are the types of cats we like most with kids. Others are also great with kids, so don’t feel that just because your favorite breed is not listed necessarily means it’s not a good breed for kids. We just so happen to believe that these five types of cats are the best ones for your family.

Persian

Not only is the Persian one of the types of cats that gets along splendidly with kids, it’s also a cat that is quite lovely. These cats are very active, very lively and very friendly. They love attention and they love to play. They are very friendly and tolerant with kids, and they’ll just make themselves scarce if they feel that the kids in the room are getting a little too overwhelming or rowdy for them. The Persian is one of those types of cats that wants as much love and attention as kids are willing to give, and that is what makes them so popular as a family cat.

The only consideration to make when adopting or purchasing a Persian is that it’s a high-maintenance breed in terms of grooming. This cat requires ample grooming, and that means you have to be willing to find the time to brush the cat regularly, get it to the groomer when needed and you will have to learn to live with cat hair on everything. It is, after all, one of the many types of cats with long hair that sheds and gets on everything in the house.

Ragdoll

What makes the Ragdoll the type of cat you want to have in the house with kids is its friendly personality. It is the type of cat that is often referred to as a gentle giant because it loves to go completely limp when it is picked up – where it gets its name – so that it is less prone to injury or even retaliation when a child is holding the breed. The other good thing about this particular breed is that even though it has very long hair, it sheds less often and requires far less grooming than other long-hair cats.

Birman

When it comes to differentiating between the different types of cats you can adopt for your family, the Birman is one that is very adaptable. People love this cat because it can go anywhere, do anything and accept anything. It’s a cat that is very laid-back and adaptable, and it’s a very go with the flow kind of cat. It’s up for anything, it doesn’t require much in the way of grooming, and it loves kids. This is the type of cat that wants to be paid attention to, which means kids are great for it since they love to give attention to their animals.

American Shorthair

One of the most common types of cats in America, the American Shorthair is one of the best cats for kids. This breed is very friendly and fun, it has a very outgoing personality and it’s not afraid. It’s not going to hide from the kids and be the type of cat that doesn’t show up when the kids want to play. It’s social, energetic and it loves dogs. This means you’re going to find this cat spending more time with the kids than any other type of cat, and that’s what you want when choosing an animal for your kids.

Maine Coon

The Maine Coon is one of the biggest types of cat in the world, and that’s great for kids. Their large size keeps them fairly protected from kids who can sometimes be a little overwhelming and a little bit rough. It’s important to make sure your kids learn how to properly treat a cat, but this one is more likely to stay healthy at the hands of little ones not always aware of their strength. This type of cat is very mellow and loves kids, but it doesn’t require as much grooming as other cats with equally long hair, and that’s a plus for those looking for a cat for their family filled with kids.

Photo by Getty Images