Question about cats!!?

ive never owned a pet before. when i get my own place i want to own either a cat or a dog.(most likely a cat cause ive heard they are more independent) i want to get a cat from a shelter so i want to know how likely do you guys think it is that i will find a persian or himalayan breed of cat at an animal shelter. how much do these breeds of cats even cost and are the hard to handle? i really want a persian cat but a himalayan would be fine