Thinking to get a (or two) Siamese kitten. Experiences please.

[Rubii]

Hi all,

I would really like to get a Siamese kitten as have been doing a lot of reading about them and like what I've been reading. Went to see some 13 weeks old Siamese kittens yesterday and they were just adorable.
I have two boys, 4 and 6 years old; no other pets.
I am currently studying and in uni 3 days a week, from 9-3. My husband is at home during the day as he doesn't start work till 4pm, but he isn't really a cat person and isn't keen on the idea of getting a cat.
The breeder we saw yesterday said Siamese cats don't like to be left alone and are inside cats.

I wanted to ask if anyone has had Siamese and what their experiences of owning such a cat. What's their temperament like, do they like going outside, are they good with kids. Can they sleep on their own or do they need to sleep in bed with you. Do they have any common health problems.
Will they be ok if left alone during the day if we go out for for a few hours (about 4 hours).

Thanks in advance.

ilovewelshratebit: That's so funny and scary about your cat eating everything and bringing in live snakes! I'd probably have a heart attack!

Re the age, I rang my local cat shelter and the lady I spoke to recommended a kitten about 4-6minths for us so the kids and kitten can bond with one another. Also I want a younger cat so it's quite playful and the kids can spend time playing with the cat.

I'm looking at pedigrees as I do like the look of them and the fact that they have a sort of preset personality. I'm struggling to find young cats in the shelters, and have been looking on Facebook also for any that need rehoming.

If the cat is still kittenish, my kids will be able to hold it and cuddle it. If they're adult size, I just don't think they will pay any attention to the cat as it won't be as cute and therefore they may not play with it and won't bond with the cat and vice versa.

Can anyone tell me how old they think this cat is?
The owner that is looking to rehome it is saying that the cat is 3 months and 6 days. But to me she looks much older?

Children should not be holding and cuddling cats. They are not toys.

HardAsSnails some cats love being held and cuddled by —anyone who’s willing— children.

However I am worried the OP says her DC will only be interested in a kitten, not a cat, because a cat won’t be cute enough...

I don’t like to say it, but your posts concern me a little.

I may have it wrong, but it comes across like you are only interested in appearance, while it is important to like the look of your pet things like it’s expected energy levels and inherited diseases should be much a bigger concern?

Like how you say you now want a Russian blue ‘because they are stunning’.
That shouldn’t be your main reason..

Also, as said previously cats aren’t for picking up and cuddling constantly, they are not toys and if you let your children treat them as such actually, a lot of cats will get annoyed and lash out, even if you have them from kittens.
Cats are famous for it.

Sorry if I come across rude but I am a little concerned that you aren’t really giving this enough thought

Also re age, 4 - 6 month kittens don’t like kittens, they look rather like smaller adult cats.

Kittens only really look kittenish up to about 12 - 14 weeks

As I said, I've been researching breeds to find out as much information as I could.

This is my own list I've devised of things I need to know:

Indoor/ Outdoor
Personality
Kids
Shedding
Grooming
Vocality
Health
Life expectancy
Lap cat
Size/ weight
Activity level
Intelligence
Companionship
Sleeping arrangements
Temperament
Loyalty
Stranger friendly

I've even got an excel sheet with all this information on the breeds I'm interested in to compare them and to determine what would suit our family the best. I've been looking at ways to secure the garden or getting a cat run as want to provide the best for our cat. All cats are beautiful but we all have our personal preference and may like the look of one breed more than another person would. That is normal and one should be allowed to express that appreciation.

I haven't fallen in love with a Blue Russian ONLY because they are stunning. I have done a lot of research on them last two days and they seem like they will be ideal for us in terms of temperament, maintenance, child friendly, energy levels, grooming, etc. However, they are also very expensive. Average price is £900.

With regards to kids cuddling a cat, I'm unsure where the idea has come from about it being doneconstantly. If anything, the opposite is my concern; that my kids will ignore the cat and they wouldn't bond as result and that is something I don't want as I want them to love the cat as a family pet, hence why I said if it was still youngish, the kids would show interest in the cat instead of ignoring the cat.

Posts do appear to be getting misconstrued and responded to negatively as a result. I guess that's the problem with written words. It can be difficult to correctly interpret them as you can speech.
I understand there might be concern that I'm looking to get a cat based on its looks, but that's just me expressing my love for cats. Lol. Any cat I see I just fall in love with. Rest assured, a cats appearance is the least of my worries.

I'm just trying to find a cat that would suit us as a family, as I want it to be a family pet, not just my pet. And once I read up on a breed and I think it will suit our family, then it's appearance just becomes extra appealing.

Honestly? The beat way to get a cat that comes anywhere near your list? Visit a rescue and listen to the people who work there about the characters of the adult cats.
But beware. You’re not purchasing a car. You’re taking a living being into your house. They are all different and part of having a pet is learning to live with their quirks.

Well, if you are looking for something low shedding that is generally placid and docile and kid friendly I would still say that of the pedigrees a Birman is probably the best choice.

I don’t know too much about Russian blues other than they used to have a reputation for being nervous and difficult to show.
That may be different now.

The bigger breeds tend to be more placid and cuddly in my experience.

All pedigrees will have inherited diseases, in larger cats like Persians, Birmans and Maine coons the main concern is DCM (dilated cardio myopathy), you’d need to see proof the parents are DCM heart tested.

All proper GCCF registered, pre neutered kittens from fully health tested parents will be expensive.
Anywhere from £500 to £1,000.

If you waited until January time I imagine you could get a very small, 8 week, kitteny kitten or two (they cause less mischief in pairs believe it or not) from just about any rescue.
They will likely be heaving with them.

My honest advice to you is to go to shelters and talk to rescues. Meet actual cats in the fur and see which one you fall for. You will be the cat’s main carer, it’s important that you bond with it, less so that your children do. You have a very romantic idea of how cat owning works. Young cats are not, in general, more affectionate and cuddly than older ones. Of all my fosters the cuddliest was a big old stray Tom who took a month to come out of hiding then just wanted to sit on knees and be carried around. Young cats and kittens are often too busy for that kind of nonsense! Kittens especially are often happy to sleep on you when they want to but don’t always like to be held and will use claws to escape.

Also echoing what chem says and to add that cats don't bond in the same way as dogs, you don't need a cat from kittenhood to form a strong bond, ultimately cats are master manipulators and will do whatever they need to to get what they want!

Cats are opportunistic creatures and will 'bond' with whoever is handing out the Dreamies.
I'd agree that whilst kittens are the cutest, sometimes the most affectionate and tolerant cats are the older ones. I'd also agree that getting a pair of kittens is less work - they play with each other. We got our shorthair kitten a short time ahead of his chum and DH genuinely spent at least an hour a day playing with him to keep the kitten amused and occupied.

I have a Manx/Siamese tabby. He's amazing. The can be very loveable and playful. I would make 2 suggestions...

1. Get a Traditional Applehead vs a Modern.
2. They prefer a mate.

And they can be trained much like a dog. Dawn