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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Siamese cats...

23 replies

pennypitstoppe · 23/06/2014 19:15

I've had cats all my life, but never a siamese. A friend of a friend was emigrating, so I agreed to have her siamese cat aged two, I have one elderly mog as well.

I've had the siamese two weeks and he's crazy! He yowls all the time, pulls up carpet if I shut him in and is very high maintenance.

Does anyone know if he'll chill a bit as he grows older? I give him lots of attention and chat, but with young dc as well it feels like he's harder work than them! I've bought him a big cat post and toys, he goes in the garden but seems to prefer yowling at me constantly and running round my ankles...

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 19:23

What can I say - they can be very high maintenance cats, some more so than others. You need to fill up their love needs in particular though or they'll often get quite ratty. Does he sleep with you? And how much one on one attention does he get from you each day.

(I'm assuming, here, that he's bonded with you and you've become his 'person'.)

AbbeyBartlet · 23/06/2014 19:33

We have had meezers since I was 5 - they are very high maintenance! When he talks, he might like it if you talk back to him (welcome to the world of being owned by a crazy Siamese! )

They need lots of attention and can be a bit 'wilful' if they don't get enough!

They are a wonderful breed and give so much love.

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 19:37

Yes - my first cat, those many years ago, was a Siamese. (The first of many.) I'm used to their ways - in fact I thought non-Siamese were extremely undemonstrative on first acquaintance.

NannyLouise29 · 23/06/2014 20:11

I was also "owned" by a rehomed Siamese - they are very high maintenance and very intelligent. They like to be part of your life in every way. My elderly Siamese now lives with my mum but likes to sleep in her "person's" bed every night.

She's a bush dweller so likes places to hide (boxes, under the bed, inside her nest bed), and when in the mood will play peekaboo around the doorframe. They need the person their bonded to to stimulate them pretty much all the time! And they are very vocal about it!

Good luck, I love mine, and she is far more rewarding than I ever thought she'd be :)

SecretNutellaFix · 23/06/2014 20:17

Talk to him- I have one very vocal cat, not a Siamese. Once you've had a chat he's quite happy. He'll still come and check up on me to make sure I'm around and have another chat.

KatyMac · 23/06/2014 20:21

Umm - they are normally very vocal - as the others say

but 4 Siamese/Orientals in and I'm desperate for another - I love them so much

But often rescue cats are older & I can't afford the insurance on them & I worry about buying kittens (so I know they have been safely bred rather than not wanting to pay for one)

furrlinedsheepskinjacket · 23/06/2014 20:22

yy welcome to the wonderful world of the meez

attention attention attention and then a bit more

they are NOT like other cats :)

Fluffycloudland77 · 23/06/2014 20:41

My dh wants a siamese one day, he thinks its lower maintenance than ASBO cat.

Bless.

Original poster

pennypitstoppe · 23/06/2014 20:52

Wow thanks for all the responses! I do love him and feel like we've bonded well :-) unfortunately as my dc is only 3 and tends to sleep in my bed at night it means that my meze has to sleep downstairs on his own (my mog is still a bit growly with him so they're in separate rooms when I'm not present).

My meze does get a lots of chat during the day (I'm just learning...) and strokes, though as I have dc he does need to learn he's not king (I'm not sure how to convince him of this!).

Although I love him I'm also a bit terrified of him, he's so manic and demanding! I do work part time, I'm a bit worried he will be stressed by this as he'll have eight hours of being alone three days per week, he's been alright so far though.

Hopefully he and mog may become friends, I think mog is intimidated by him though. Also I'm hoping he and dc will become good friends, dc is quite young at the moment (3) but in a year or two may become quite attached I'd hope!

Arrgghh I knew these cats were characters, didn't know they were this manic though (previous owner said he was an independent cat!).

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 20:52

Oh My. He'll learn.

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 20:58

I'd see if you can find some way to let him sleep in bed with you as soon as possible - in my experience, they really need that to feel secure and full of love. They're extremely well behaved in bed, by the way - and don't in the least mind more than one person. (They adapt.)

It also has the good aspect of making the bed a safe/love/'person' place for them so that if they're feeling low or ratty, they'll take themselves off there and have a rejuvenating snooze.

KatyMac · 23/06/2014 22:41

If he doesn't settle I could always "look after" him for you....... hopeful KatyMac?

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 23:03

You can always relax into him knowing that he'll never be without a home - there are hordes of experienced owners out there who would take a Siamese rescue cat without even sneezing. Last year I saw a venerable 19 year old boy who had lost his owner - and he was rehomed within a couple of days I think.

But let's trust it won't come to that, eh? (Sorry, KatyMac. )

Original poster

pennypitstoppe · 23/06/2014 23:03

Thanks Cozie, I will definitely try to let him spend more time on the bed in future, I'd love to let him sleep there, he's very cuddly. May try it for toddler naptime (I'll stay too) and then progress to nights once I'm certain he and toddler won't disrupt each other.

Katy I do love him, I will let you know if I have to rehomed him though unlikely as I'm quite smitten hehe

OP posts:

Original poster

pennypitstoppe · 23/06/2014 23:04

Thanks for all the tips, I do feel reassured!

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 23:18

One good thing about Siamese in my experience is that they quickly adopt the timing and routines of their person. So if you had him in to sleep with you, he'd quickly learn to sleep through with you. (By quickly, I mean maybe only one night! They love being close to their person so much that if you're in bed, they usually want to be with you.)

Afternoon snoozing with their person is also a favourite with them. He should be fine with the toddler as well. When Seniorboy came to me, for example, he had been given virtually no rules to follow but he was attuned to the House Rules virtually as soon as he bonded with me. (Rule 3 is 'No biting in bed' and he's only done it twice since with me - both times just a nip and under severe provocation: I'm dreadfully restless. He's cured now. )

hellymelly · 23/06/2014 23:23

I had a half siamese cat that I found, emaciated and mostly blind. He only lived for a few years, but he was quite extraordinary, and I would like another one. I miss having cats in general. (Am catless, and live on a very cat unfriendly road).

cozietoesie · 23/06/2014 23:36

Usually some indoor Siamese looking for homes, helly, (old, special needs etc) so the road wouldn't rule you out there.

BustyDeLaGhetto · 23/06/2014 23:42

I LOVE Siamese - 'my' cat which I grew up with was a beautiful apple head siamese and chatty and loving and demonstrative and EVERYTHING. He was the best.

I'm currently looking at rehoming a cat and have found a BEAUTIFUL blue point 8 year old Siamese with one eye :( - desperate to take him home. Apparently he likes to sit on your shoulders. I am meeting him at the weekend.

KatyMac · 24/06/2014 07:33

I'm so jealous Busty - do you think you will find insurance for him?

cozietoesie · 24/06/2014 07:39

Your day will come, KatyMac. It's just that you haven't found the right one for you yet.

hellymelly · 24/06/2014 10:22

cosie- is there a siamese rescue then? My neighbour has two she got recently from the RSPCA. She is only five minutes walk away, but slightly off the main road, i assume that is why she was allowed them, as they refused to give me one. (Quite rightly, given that a year or so later next door's cat was killed outside my door). My neighbour has one black one, he looks like a little fruit bat!

cozietoesie · 24/06/2014 10:41

There surely is - in fact a fair number depending on where you live. \link{http://www.siameserescue.org.uk/\Here's} the main one but you'll see that they have lots of links to other, perhaps more local rescues. Also, it's always worth giving the welfare officers a quick buzz or email. They frequently have or know of cats who aren't on their website for one reason or another and they also enjoy a good chat about Siamese!

It's also worth while keeping an eye on the \link{http://www.catchat.org/\catchat forum.} They sometimes have Siamese or orientals looking for privately arranged homes and you could always put yourself up on the 'Homes Offered' board as well.

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