How do you decide if a cat could be the perfect pet for you? These long-living felines (many live over 20 years) are at once loving and independent - so they can be one family's heaven and another's hell. This guide is part of the MyFamily help series on choosing pets.

Here are some questions to ask yourself, and your family, if you are thinking about adding a cat to your life.

Kitten or Cat?

The first choice to make when deciding between cats is whether you want a young cat or an older one. Kittens are an undeniably attractive option, but will soon grow out of their tiny, cute phase and require a lot of attention and expense – including housetraining, and medical expenses such as vaccinations and neutering. Kittens are also more delicate than older cats, meaning that young children might treat them too roughly, leading to distress or accidental injury for the animal. For these reasons an older cat may be easier to slot into your family life, and because older cats in rescue centres are harder to re-home than their younger fellows, you will also be doing a service to the cat.

Moggy or pedigree?

The vast majority of cats in the UK fall into the “mixed breed” category – that is non-pedigree moggies. As they are a mixed bag, if you get a moggy as a kitten, you won’t know in advance their eventual size or temperament. However, many owners enjoy this element of surprise and because cats vary less than dogs, choosing a breed is less important. Pedigree cats can also be more prone to genetic problems and ill health related to a particular breed. If you do want to go down the pedigree route, here are a few popular breeds to choose from.

1) Siamese cats for pets

• Originated in Thailand and imported into Britain in the 1880s
• Medium-sized slender cats that are graceful but muscular
• Pale short coat with dark face, ears, legs and tail, minimal grooming required
• Life expectancy of up to 20 or more years
• Outgoing and extroverted, can be extremely noisy

2) Persian Longhair

• Originated in Persia (Iran) and Turkey
• A solid long-haired cat with a broad, round head, a flat face and eyes set wide apart
• Long fur requiring extensive grooming
• Shorter life expectancy of 10 to 12 years
• Not very active, ideal as indoor cats

3) Russian Blue

• Probably originated in Russia
• Medium to large cat with a pointed face and short fur
• Short grey-blue fur (rare black and white cats do appear), minimal grooming required
• Often live well into their late teens
• Loyal to their owner but perhaps shy of strangers, playful when relaxed

Other tips:

• At times, cats shower you with affection, but at others they can treat you with withering disdain. You need to be ready to experience both ends of the spectrum, and not react to the cat's varying attentions.
• Although they can be playful, cats are sometimes downright aggressive, so be sure to warn your children so that they don't get hurt.
• Be prepared for their claws to get into everything, including your skin

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