a new kitty - how fun.

One thing that I've heard about personalities can be somewhat predicted by their body types. A very long lean kitty with big ears and eyes - like siamese, abys, oriental shorthairs - will be a handful! They will be loads of fun, but you need to be prepared to spend a LOT of time with them because they will get into everything. Some of them are also very talkative.

In contrast, your rounder, more stocky kitties have a better chance at being quieter and more laid back and mellow.

Of course, these are only guidelines. Shelters also write up personality profiles on the kitties that can be quite accurate. When I adopted Sid from a shelter, they reported that he was very shy and needed lots of TLC - this translates into "he isn't an affectionate lap cat" (but I love him anyway!).