Get an orange tabby. They are almost always male (which is what you want in an orange), they live forever, they have wonderful personalities, and he will catch your mice.
Thanks! I had one before and he was a good lap cat in between hunting. I really wanted to get me a fru fru kitty this time but need one that will give the dogs hell.
For the past thirty years a succession of red tabbies males [my "little red-headed boys"] have "found" me. They have been the most fabulous cats of my lifetime. I just lost my 20 year old.
Almost 2 years ago, I broke the pattern by taking in a little feral female patch tortoiseshell [at least she has patches of orange] because she was starving. She has gone from frantically wild to one of the sweetest, most affectionate indoor kitties I have ever seen.
As long as they have a loving home they will turn out well.
One of my happiest Hurricane Katrina stories is about a friend who had to evacuate, left her two cats inside, and had someone lined up to feed them. They got out. After 6 weeks when she was finally able to go home ... her two cats were waiting under the house for her. Many people have put food out for the animals. There have been sad stories but many people have done wonderful work with the animals and deserve credit for a job well done.