A new home for kittens

Understanding the Breed: What makes Siamese and Orientals so special? It's important for a buyer to understand as much about these breeds as possible. They are not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill cat. Siamese and Orientals will entertain you, love you, tease you, play with you, converse with you, and torture you 24 hours a day! This is not a breed for the weak at heart! Here’s some things you can expect…

Intelligence… They never cease to amaze their humans! It has been said they are the most intelligent of the cat breeds. I’ve witnessed them opening closed doors by wrapping their paws around the doorknob and swinging back and forth until they met with success. They’ll let you know that something’s amiss by strategically placing themselves between and under your feet until you are compelled to follow their lead. They know precisely when you are supposed to wake every morning and “remind” you even if your alarm clock doesn’t!

Supreme Communicators… They're masters in the art of communicating their wants and needs to humans. Like… “are you aware there’s no water left in the glass?” (which is preferably placed beside the kitchen or bathroom sink at their insistence)… or, “how dare you leave me alone for 10 hours?” You’ll find yourself carrying on lengthy two-way conversations in no time and you'll know you’re hooked when your family and friends start suggesting that you consider therapy.

Affectionate nature… No encouragement required! Frequently referred to as purr-face lap cats. Prone bodies are especially appreciated, better yet when located under warm covers.

Sensitivity… They wear their hearts on their paws! They exhibit emotions such as grieving, jealousy, possessiveness, joy, and insecurity. They sense when their humans are out of sorts and respond accordingly. Nothing is more consoling than having this faithful breed by your side to share life’s challenges, or more endearing than the “sandpaper” kisses they offer to make your tears disappear!

Playful… They'll stifle boredom by inviting their humans to a rollicking good game of fetch and retrieve. Small pipecleaner “bees” and furry life-like “mice” are all the ammunition required. I keep several “toyboxes” around to provide amusement (for them and myself!). When the need for activity strikes, they select their toy and bring it to me to throw. (Note: watch leaving toys with feathers out – they tend to pluck them and can choke on the feathers!)

Acrobats… don’t be dismayed to look up and see your cat perched atop a door – or your curtains – or your antique hutch. Watching them jump and flip in mid air while playing with feather “teaser” wand toys is awesome!

Social… Expect to be greeted at the door when you return home. They'll also inspect all that enter your home – and let you know who they approve of!

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Locating Breeders: The best sources for finding a reputable breeder include your own veterinarian (or other veterinarians in your area), other cat owners, cat registries, and, of course, the Internet. Look for websites that feature breeder directories like the Feline Breeder Referral List (www.breedlist.com), Meezer Mania (www.meezermania.com) and others.

Organizations are always a good source. You can contact The Cat Fanciers’ Association, 1805 Atlantic Ave, Manasquan, NJ 08736 @ 732-528-9797 and they will provide you with a listing of breeders within a requested geographic region.

Other registries include: The American Cat Association (TICA), American Cat Fanciers Association, Canadian Cat Association, The Cat Fanciers’ Federation, and The International Cat Association.

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Qualify Breeders: This is actually a two-way process as breeders will want to know as much about you as you do about them!

Establish the qualities you are looking for in a breeder and your kitten, then prepare a list of questions to review with prospective breeders.

Here are some you can start with:

1. Do you have kittens available for adoption?

2. How do you raise your kittens, i.e., caged, under-foot, combination?

3. What age are kittens available for adoption?

4. Do you immunize your kittens prior to adoption?

5. What guarantees do you offer?

6. What do you charge for your kittens?

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Visiting Breeders: You should always plan on visiting with the owner/breeder to see the kittens before commiting to a purchase.

The cats’ and kittens’ environment should be clean, safe, temperature controlled, well light, and spacious enough for adults and kittens to exercise and explore.

Siamese are naturally social and curious. You can expect to be thoroughly examined and entertained during your visit!

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Selecting a Kitten: You should check the kitten out as thoroughly as possible prior to purchase. Look for a clean kitten… no dirt build-up in their ears, no signs of fleas, no unpleasant odor, and no suspicious looking skin irritations. The eyes should be bright and alert with no signs of conjunctivitis or partly raised third eyelids (“haws”). The coat should be sleek and shiny (note: sometimes young kittens will have a fluffier coat, eventually it will sleek down). The kitten should be muscular and exhibit a tubular body when stretched (although if they’ve just eaten they can look like a snake who’s just polished off a fat, juicy mouse).

One of the most common questions is – should I buy a male or female? I’ve always believed males are the born lovers (after they’re neutered especially!) but females can be incredibly affectionate as well.

It’s the same thing when it comes to colors! I don't really believe that colors determine personality although I have noticed a propensity for Blues to be the most active of the four colors! I’ve had buyers insist they wanted a Seal Point and fall in love with a Blue Point when they get here.

Another frequent question is, “should I buy a pair?” If you’ve never had a Siamese before, it may be too much! Siamese can do well on their own if someone is home with them most of the time (they will get bored if left to their own resources!). If you and/or your spouse both work, I would plan on buying a pair, or a second kitten within six months.

When it comes to selecting a pet, the best advice I can give you is to keep an open mind and let the kitten pick you. If you are determined to have a specific color/gender, you may want to be placed on a waiting list with a few breeders in order to insure you get what you’re looking for.

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Breed Information: The CFA provides an excellent Breed Profile for Siamese and Orientals. Visit this link for further info and some great resources! http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/siamese.html or http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/oriental.html

CFA Siamese come in four point colors: Seal, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac.

Seal Point: Color varies from bittersweet chocolate to an almost black color on their mask, ears, legs, and tail. Their body color is off-white when they're young, although many will darken up substantially as they mature (especially after they are spayed/neutered). Paw pads are dark.

Blue Point: Color varies from silver gray to a pewter color on their mask, ears, legs, and tail. Like Seal Points, their body color is off-white color when young, although many will darken up substantially as they mature (especially after they are spayed/neutered). Paw pads are dark.

Chocolate Point: Color is a medium to dark brown on their mask, ears, legs, and tail. Their mask and leg points darken much slower than Seal and Blue Points so its typical to see some uneven color points in kittens. Body color is a creamy white and generally stays light as they mature. Paw pads are a rosy pink.

Lilac Point: Color can best be described as a blend of silver/gray and very light brown on their mask, ears, legs, and tail. Like the Chocolate Points, their mask and leg points darken much slower. Body color is a creamy white and generally stays light as they mature. Paw pads are a rosy pink.

Both Chocolate and Lilac Points have very “pink” skin. I always find them easy to spot in a litter of newborns!

Orientals come in virtually every color, pattern, and shade known to man. The possibilities are endless! At this time, my breeding program is limited to these solid colors: Chestnut (a rich chocolate brown), Lavender (a pale silver/brown shade with pink undertones), Ebony (black), and Blue (gray). I'm hoping to expand into some of the tabby varieties in the years to come.

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Types of Siamese: There's a lot of confusion when it comes to Siamese "type." There's really three varieties...

Wedge – CFA show standard. CFA describes them as follows: “HEAD: long tapering wedge. Medium in size in good proportion to body. The total wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears forming a triangle, with no break at the whiskers. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. When the whiskers are smoothed back, the underlying bone structure is apparent. Allowance must be made for jowls in the stud cat." In addition, their body coat is short, glossy, and fine in texture, lying close to the body. Tails are generally whiplike and equal to their body length. Ears are “strikingly large, pointed, wide at base; continuing the lines of the wedge.” Wedgeheads generally weigh between 6 and 8 pounds at maturity - although I have a few who are considerably heavier!

Modified Wedge – shorter, broader head, smaller ears, less refined overall but otherwise very similar to a Wedge. These cats are generally heavier than their wedgehead relatives, averaging around 10 pounds or more at maturity.

Applehead (also referred to as Classic or Traditional) – round head, smaller ears, shorter tail, stockier body, longer, fuller coat (prone to shedding, whereas Wedge and Modified Wedge experience minimal shedding). I've seen Appleheads weigh in at close to 20 pounds but most are in the 12-14 pound range.