Do Siamese have to be indoor cats?

[Pleasemrstweedie]

That's it really. I've been looking at getting a rescue Siamese, but I have been told that they have to be indoor cats. One lady told me I would not even be able to have windows open in the summer.

I couldn't live like that and I'm not sure a cat should have to either.

Is this true?

I've had both.

My cats don't look Siamese at all but are a Siamese cross so they have a lot of the Siamese temperament - vocal, friendly, seek you out for attention if you ignore them, fantastic hunters, athletic, and they are small slender cats. Personally I wouldn't get a pedigree cat if you can't let them out.

I adore Siamese and have always wanted one.

Afaik there are breeders who will only sell you a pedigree if you agree to not let them outside. I do think it depends on the cat though but on the whole I think that cats need to be able to go out unless there are specific reasons to keep them in I.e. Health reasons or un-neutered cats.

Personally I would probably opt not to have a cat rather than having one which I kept indoors. My last cat was sadly hit by a car after wandering on to a road which wasn't actually that close to my house, and it's put me off having another cat because I would worry about it going out and wouldn't feel it was fair to keep it in.

Some useful tips if you do keep your cats indoors
www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset=document&assetId=1232737553221&mode=prd

"Afaik there are breeders who will only sell you a pedigree if you agree to not let them outside."

I've never known how they enforce this.

Mrmagpie- I did not say your cats were. But Troys parents' cat obviously was.

Thanks everyone. I've made a decision now. We're off to look at a mog in rescue on Sunday.

I don't get this idea that pure breds shouldn't go out. With the exception of certain breed body types (e.g. Cats that can't jump or climb). I have Burmese and I honestly think they wouldn't thrive if they didn't go out, they love their daily patrols where they can exhibit all their natural behaviours. They only go out when we're home but they need that space and exercise, especially as Burmese are prone to becoming overweight. They are calmer indoors if they get to go out. Siamese are an intelligent and agile breed and can hold their own out there. There is always a risk but for mine it would be a half life indoors.

Having said that I do feel for the beautiful white Persians owner when I see him rolling around in car oil or covered in leaves.

My mum had a rescue Siamese YEARS ago and she went out and about without any issue with the other cats (rescue place never told us to keep her inside). She used to wait for me out front to come home from school and used to loudly tell us when she was departing through the cat flap and when she came in again (it was more embarrassing when I used to walk the dog at night as all the cats tried to come with us and I always ended up carrying her and another one round the block with her lying over a shoulder giving a talking commentary of the walk until we got home again)

Good stuff, OP.

How utterly adorable, BadCat.

I think a lot of posters are projecting their own feelings onto their cats! That they'll be "miserable indoors" and "miss going outside", no they won't if they've never been outside -- they can't miss what they've never known!

When you get a pedigree cat you usually have to sign an agreement with the terms of sale, saying you will not let them outside.

I've seen a huge change in the past 10 years, I see posters about missing pedigree cats constantly on every tree in my area :( unfortunately a lot of people think they can make easy money by stealing and selling pedigree cats :(

I'm much more relaxed now my cats are all indoors and I would only have indoor cats now, despite having a garden. They don't miss what they'll never know and having more than one cat provides enough stimulation for them to not need to go outside.

Some cats do need to be kept indoors. I have a ragdoll, he wouldn't last five minutes outside on his own. He can't jump for shit, and he has no fighting instinct, if he was attacked and couldn't run away he would be killed. He is also a complete idiot, and has been known to run away from butterflies. He does like the occasional stroll around the garden on a long lead, but he is so flooffy and conspicuous all the birds just laugh at him. And if he didn't get killed, someone would probably nick him because he is extremely pretty. So I'll stick to keeping him in, as my vet assures me he will lead a longer life that way.