My first cat was a black cat named Fred. At the time there was a huge surplus of unwanted cats and the local shelter had several hundred. When we went to look most cats in their cages ignored us but one stuck his paws out trying to get our attention that is the one we adopted. Basically, he chose us rather than the other way around. I'm on my 7th cat now, off all the cats I've owned the first cat was the most moody. He could be super friendly and purr up a storm or he could be very put-offish and slice and dice on a whim. He was hands down the most handsome cat I've had of all seven, he had the most luxurious coat an animal could possibly have. The last cat before my current two was hands down the most affectionate animal I've ever owned consistently, he was ALWAYS up for human attention. He was a 17lb monster (not fat just large) grey tabby named appropriately named Monster. Unfortunately he acquired feline leukemia disease and it was fatal. My present two cats are indoor only because of this. They are also fairly friendly though not quite so much as he was. I've not named any of my cats, they've all been adopted and all had known names at the time I adopted them. My current two actually come when called by their names as did Fred so I would not even attempt to change them.

After my first cat passed, I felt the same way, and went quite a few years before I got another, but eventually I did and then the joy I felt I decided outweighed the pain of the loss so from the point forward I've never waited to adopt another cat when my previous cat or cats have passed. And the older I get, I am 63 now, the more I feel that is not an unwise decision. Monster was particularly difficult for me to lose and he got sick so fast. He went from apparently healthy to barely functional in two weeks time owing to feline leukemia. The vet I had used for years refused to do anything but put him down but I found a research study online involving a drug used for AIDS that had cured 12 of 12 cats of this disease so I found another vet willing to give it a try but Monster's bone marrow shut down and he quit making blood and stroked out before we could get the drugs. He was appropriately named being a 15 lb grey tabby, not overweight just a large house cat, and was the most affectionate of any cat I've ever had, never ever bit or clawed me, always up for human attention and with a purr you could hear a mile away. I will miss him always. The two I have now, a small 6lb female Siamese named Tulip and a grey with some faint tabby markings 13lb male named Lucas are both affectionate, and neither have ever intentionally attacked me but Tulip is deathly afraid of vets and the last time I took her in for her wellness check she climbed my face with her claws and shredded me up rather nastily. She was just trying to get away from the vet. Given her small stature I can understand her discomfort with strangers but her claws more than make up for her small size. Still Lucas likes to sleep up against me often purring until he passes out, and Tulip greets me in the morning. Tulip comes to her name when called, Lucas not so much, depends upon his mood.

Lucas

Tulip

@Swampcat I wish I could get a good picture of her standing, she kinks her tail in very weird positions that resemble Pikachu.

@Swampcat Our vet says it is a genetic defect common to Siamese, but I think what they're calling a defect is actually an adaptation, their tail isn't permanently that way, they can bend it any which way they want. Given that Siamese originate in Thailand and in Thailand they have a lot of small monkeys that also climb trees like cats, it behooves that cats to have excellent balance and I suspect that "defect" is actually a genetic adaptation that gives them better tail dexterity to aid in their balance. Just as their temperature sensitive myelin allele gives them the ability to change the color of their fur and make it white and more reflective at high temperatures common during summer in the region.