Birman

Birmans are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect an average-sized cat that is low-energy, sheds a normal amount and needs regular brushing. It is a committed lap animal, so expect company whether or not you asked for it.

How long is that, really? Cats live longer than most people expect — about 11.7 years on average across every breed, and a well-looked-after Birman can reach 20 years. A kitten you bring home this year will still be curled up somewhere warm long after you have finished school.

Sources: VCA Animal Hospitals · PDSA breed guide · Teng et al., Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2024).

The Birman is the older, quieter answer to the same question. It is a pointed cat with a silken semi-long coat and four white paws, and those gloves are the breed’s signature — the front pair should stop in a clean line straight across the paw, which is the hardest thing a Birman breeder has to get right. A breeding pair reached France from Burma around 1919, and the European population came so close to disappearing in the Second World War that only one pair was left by the end of it; every Birman alive traces back through that bottleneck. The temperament sits in the middle of everything: sociable but not demanding, affectionate but soft-spoken, happy on a lap without living on one. The coat is the practical surprise — long, but it does not mat.

Day to day. Low-energy — a warm spot and a bit of gentle play is genuinely all this one asks for, which makes it one of the easiest cats to live with.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds a normal amount and needs regular brushing. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Company and noise. This one is a committed lap animal and quiet. Expect it on your lap, your keyboard and your chest at six in the morning — a cat bred for closeness does not negotiate. Give it a warm, high place to land in whatever room you are in; where you put things matters more with this one than what you buy.

• You want a cat that will put up with being picked up by a child
• You want a calm animal that mostly sleeps somewhere warm
• You want an animal that actually sits on you, not just near you
• You want a quiet home

• You want a pet that entertains itself while you get on with things
• A surprise vet bill would be a real problem this year
• A shelter cat would do everything this one does for a fraction of the price

Rough running cost: $$$ (one of the pricier cats on our list) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every cat brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Picked for this breed’s coat, size, energy and known health issues, not a generic list.

Rescues do have Birmans and Birman crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.

Ragdoll

Large, silky and famously relaxed — a cat bred specifically to be picked up.

🐆 Big😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding

Scottish Fold

The cat with folded ears — sweet-natured, and carrying a genuine welfare problem you should read about first.

🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding

Exotic Shorthair

A Persian in a plush short coat — the same calm cat without the daily brushing.

🐈 Average😌 Low energy🧹 Some shedding