All the cats we've had have been foundlings. The current one is from the SPCA. Long or short hair doesn't make any difference, they all shed. Rubber gloves are great for picking it up. We have a small cedar footstool that we gave him to scratch and it works great. I stapled a piece of sisal mat to the top and I scent it with dried catnip periodically. The kitty we got that was declawed seemed to do as much damage as the ones with claws. They just know which fabrics are most vulnerable!
An animal shelter will let you hold the cat and if it snuggles into you, you know it's gonna go home with you!