I'm so glad to have found this board; thanks in anticipation for your help.

We live in Los Angeles, we own one elderly Persian whose litter-mate and companion died earlier this year, and we are serious about acquiring two new purebred kittens.

A family conference has produced a shortlist of breeds but I'd be grateful for any advice members here may be prepared to share about the suitability of these breeds to our circumstances (also listed below). Finally, if we have overlooked any particular breed that strikes you as appropriate for us, I'd love to know, as we are not "locked in".

Circumstances:

- Indoor cats only.

- We have two children, eight and six years old who are gentle with pets, respectful and deserving of a relationship with cats that actually like interacting with children.

- Decent furniture not suitable for over-zealous kneading/scratching: Is this characteristic breed-associated in any way?

- We need to do what we can to ease the transition for our cherished old Persian and this consideration should influence our choice of a companion breed if it's relevant.

- Short hair preferred this time around.

- The house is decent-sized but not huge and therefore not ideal for a stir-crazy cat. However we don't want a feline throw-pillow either!

- Nocturnal howling is also unwelcome and we'd prefer to avoid breeds known for this trait.

The breed shortlist, so far:

Abyssinian
Egyptian Mau
Ocicat
Bengal
Burmese

We are dedicated cat-people and will provide a wonderful home and much social and tactile stimulation for the right pair of kittens. We love the exotic nature of purebred cats and we're inclining towards the more lithe, shorthaired breeds, having owned Persians in the past. However, we do have two children and do not want cats that tend towards excess nervousness around children, aggression or greater than usual aloofness. We'd love to find cats that are social, playful, affectionate and only use their claws and teeth as a last resort. And we welcome the larger breeds, too.

Thank you again for your hospitality and I look forward to some very well-informed responses!

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