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What Cat Breed Is Right for Me?

For cats the honest answer is often not a pedigree at all. Answer 10 questions about allergies, your home, how much company you want and how much noise you can live with, and you will get the breeds that suit you, what to look for on an adoption listing instead, and rescue cats available right now that match.

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Author: LocalPetFinder Team

The short answer

Four things decide which cat suits you: whether anyone in the home reacts to cats, how much company you want versus how much the cat will get, how much grooming you will realistically do, and how much talking you can live with. Breed predicts coat and size reliably and personality only loosely. And most cats in Australian rescue are moggies, domestic shorthairs, medium hairs and longhairs, so the useful output is a temperament to look for, not a pedigree to hunt down.

Question 1 of 10

Does anyone in the home react to cats?

How this cat breed selector decides what is best for you

Each answer adjusts a fit score across the things that decide whether someone is happy with their cat: the company style you want, how vocal a cat you can tolerate, grooming, hours alone, and who else is already in the house. The breed descriptions come from the Coordinating Cat Council of Australia standards and the Cat Fanciers' Association profiles summarised in our types of cats guide.

Allergies work differently here from most breed selectors. ASCIA says all cat breeds can cause allergies, so the quiz never scores a breed up as allergy friendly. Instead it points allergic households towards cats they can meet and test in person, and flags the breeds often sold as hypoallergenic. Our hypoallergenic cats guide explains how to test your reaction to a particular cat.

If you are still choosing between species, start with the dog or cat quiz. For the lighthearted version that matches your personality to a breed rather than your lifestyle, try what cat breed am I. And before you apply, read the cost of owning a cat.

Why “domestic shorthair” is usually the right answer

Domestic shorthair is not a breed. It is what shelters write when a cat has mixed or unknown ancestry and a short coat, and it describes most of the cats Australian rescues list. Pedigree types such as the Siamese, Russian Blue, Burmese and Bengal turn up far less often, and Sphynx and Rex cats are rarer still.

That is less limiting than it sounds. Because the domestic population is so large and so varied, you can be pickier about temperament than someone shopping by breed. If you want a quiet, self-contained cat that copes with a workday alone, or a bold lap cat that greets visitors, a foster carer can usually tell you which cat is which. Breed narrows your options; temperament matching widens them.

Read more in what is a domestic shorthair, and if you are weighing indoor against outdoor, our cat enclosures and catios guide sets out the rules in each state. When you are ready, browse rescue cats in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide.

Frequently asked questions

Tap a question to expand

Does breed actually matter when adopting a cat?▼
Less than most people expect. Most cats in Australian rescue are moggies, listed as domestic shorthair, domestic medium hair or domestic longhair, which describes the coat rather than the ancestry. RSPCA South Australia says purebred cats only occasionally come through rescue centres. What breed predicts reliably is physical: coat, adult size and, for a few breeds, a known health risk. For personality, a 2019 Finnish study of 5,726 cats found behaviour traits only moderately heritable, so the foster carer who has lived with the cat is a better guide than any breed profile.
Are any cats truly hypoallergenic?▼
No. ASCIA, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, says that as all cats have sebaceous glands, all cat breeds can cause allergies, and that includes the hairless Sphynx. The main allergen comes from skin glands and spreads onto the coat and around the home, so it is not really about fur. ASCIA also says up to 50% of allergic people do not react straight away, so one short visit proves little. If someone in your home reacts, see your GP first, then spend long visits on different days with the specific cat before committing.
Should I get one kitten or two?▼
Two kittens together are often easier than one, which surprises people. A kitten needs months of supervision and play, and a single kitten alone all day is the hardest version of that. Two keep each other busy, and some rescues discount a pair. If two is not possible and you are out at work, an adult cat is usually a better single choice than a lone kitten.
Kitten or adult cat?▼
An adult suits most busy households better. Its personality is already known, it is often calmer, and it is usually cheaper to adopt. A kitten needs months of supervision and play, and you find out later whether you adopted a lap cat or a curtain climber. Kittens are wonderful and there is nothing wrong with wanting one, but choose one for the experience of raising a cat, not because you think an adult will not bond with you.
Will a cat be all right alone while I work?▼
Many cats manage a normal workday, which is part of why they suit units and full-time workers. Independence varies, though. The Cat Fanciers’ Association describes the Norwegian Forest Cat as independent and not clingy, and the Siamese as vocal, affectionate and able to be insistent. If you are out long hours and want an affectionate cat, ask the foster carer how this cat copes alone, or consider a bonded pair, which keep each other company while you are gone.
Why do rescues ask for some cats to be adopted as a pair?▼
Because the rescue has watched those cats together and judged they are better off that way. Bonded pairs are usually siblings or long-term companions. It can look like an obstacle when you are browsing, but a pair is often a good deal: they entertain each other while you work, each has something familiar in a new home, and some rescues discount a pair. If a listing says bonded, treat it as information about those cats rather than a sales tactic.
Do I have to keep my cat indoors in Australia?▼
It depends where you live. In the ACT, every cat born after 1 July 2022 must be contained to its owner’s premises 24 hours a day. In Victoria many councils set curfews or full confinement rules, so check yours. The NSW Companion Animals Act does not require cats to be kept indoors, though cats are banned from declared wildlife protection areas. Elsewhere, check your council. RSPCA Australia says roaming cats risk injury and death from road accidents, fighting and disease, and a secure enclosure or catio lets a cat outside safely. Our cat enclosures guide covers each state.
Can I adopt a cat if I rent?▼
Yes, but many rescues ask for your landlord’s written approval before they finalise the adoption. The rules differ by state. In NSW, Queensland and South Australia a landlord can only refuse a pet for a reason listed in the law, and NSW Fair Trading’s own example is that a cat in an apartment cannot be refused for lack of open space. In Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory a landlord who wants to refuse has to apply to the state tribunal, and in Western Australia most refusals need the Commissioner for Consumer Protection to agree. Strata by-laws are a separate approval. Our renting with pets guide sets out each state’s rules and deadlines, so check it before you apply.
What does adopting a cat actually cost?▼
The adoption fee is the small part, and usually covers desexing, a microchip, vaccination, flea and worm treatment and a vet check. When we checked on 11 November 2026, RSPCA NSW listed $270 for a kitten under six months and $220 for a cat over six months. After that, RSPCA NSW estimates $1,090 to $1,640 a year for a cat, and Animal Medicines Australia’s Pets in Australia survey, released in September 2025, estimated cat-owning households spent around $1,656 a year. Fees and costs change, so check with the rescue: these are reference figures only, not quotes. Long coats add grooming, and some pedigree breeds carry known health costs. Our cost of owning a cat guide breaks it down.
What should I ask the rescue before committing?▼
Ask about the cat’s behaviour in care rather than about the breed. Useful questions: how does it behave when left alone, is it reliably using the litter tray, how is it with the children, dogs or other cats it has actually met, does it hide from visitors, and does it tolerate being picked up. Ask for the foster carer’s notes, not just the listing. If allergies matter, say so and ask for longer visits. Good rescues answer readily, because a placement that fails helps nobody.

Caring for the cat you matched

Breed matters less day to day than these decisions:

Sources

Standards, guidance, laws and figures as checked for our national guides on 9 to 11 November 2026. Costs are reference figures, not quotes. General information only: ask your vet about the health of a specific cat, and your GP about allergies.