This is a special guide for those of you who have/going to have a Siamese cat. Read this carefully.
*Seleting A Siamese Kitty*
- Sex? There is really no difference between a male and female Siamese. Both are loveable,I have found that males have more character and spunk,but it really depends on your opinion. Just get what suits you best.
- Age? Which age to purchase also depends on opinion,as well as enviroment. If you have a house full of nice breakable things than you might want to get an adult cat. But if you have your heart set on a kitten,keep your eye on it and be careful with it.
- One or More Siamese? I think if you are capable of having two cats then get two. Becuase the cats will have a companion and will not be lonely. Plus as they grow,they become close,so if one gets in a fight with another cat then it's "brother/sister" will more than likely help it out in these situations.
*Feeding Your Siamese Kitty*
- Dry or Canned Food? Dry food is what I would choose. It gives the cat good excersize for it's jaw muscles and teeth. You can leave dry food out for a long time without the pesky flies getting on it. Canned food smells worse,but your cat might like it better than dry.
- How Much To Serve? When a kitten is about 12 weeks it should have four meals a day,when it is older you can go down to three a day. I think another advantage for dry food is that you don't have to play a guessing game on how much your cat wants to eat,you just put a reasonable amount of food in it's bowl and you can leave it out.
- Other Foods? You can feed your cat the foods you eat,they enjoy fish,chicken,fruits(some),cheese,egg yolk,and vegatables. But beware of splintery bones in some fish. Just experiment with different foods and see what your cat likes and doesn't like.
- Water? If a cat eats moist food then it will drink less water than it would if it ate dry food. Your cat must have easy access to water,have it in a bowl next to it's food. Most cats like tap water,but some don't because they can smell the different chemicals(like chlorine). So try tap and bottled,see what your cat prefers.
- How Many Bowls? You should have one bowl for food and one for water. Some cats like both dry and canned food. So you can get a plastic dish that has two bowls in it so you can put dry food in one little bowl and canned in the other. In this case you can use a little bowl of your own for it's water.
*Accessories Your Cat Needs*
- Litter Tray? Your cat NEEDS a litter tray. This is becuase it needs to be able to relieve it's self whenever it needs to. If not it will foul your carpet. There are many different types of litter trays. You need any fancy type. There are also many types of litter. Don't get the clumping kind,it can clump when your cat licks it's paw and swallows some litter,it can clump in it's stomach. I have the fresh scoop kind,it is a good smelling product. Cover the base of the tray so that your cat can scrath around and the litter can absorb urine. The tray should be cleaned after two or three uses. At least once a week you should dump it out and start over with fresh litter. House training falls in with the category "Litter Tray?" You need to house train when the cat is a kitten. If you see the cat starting to go to the bathroom or looking for a place to go to the bathroom,then gentally lift it and put it in it's litter tray. You might want to say "No" in a firm voice when you first see it looking for a place to go to the bathroom,NEVER after because then it won't understand. Watch the cat closely when it first wakes up and has played because these are times when a cat needs to go to the bathroom. Soon the cat will understand that it goes in the litter tray not on the carpet.
- Collar? Your cat needs a collar with a name tag on it. In some cities this is a law. It is a good idea to get a break-away collar. Both of my cats have a break-away collar for bad situations it might get into. Make sure that the collar is not too loose or too tight. You should be able to place a finger in between the collar and the kitty's neck. There are many sizes,styles,and colors of collars.
- Carry Box? It is a good idea to have a carry box around. In case of a trip to the vet or a trip in the car. It also makes a nice little bed for a kitten. You should put newspaper in the base of the carry box or a soft bedding for the cat. Make sure it is large enough for an adult cat.
- Scratching Post? It is also a good idea to have a scratching post. It is a good item so that your cat can scratch it instead of your furniture. They come in many different styles. You can get a stand alone or one that screws into the wall. If your cat starts to scratch your futniture then say "No" in a firm voice then take it over to it's post and gentally move it's paw up and down the post. Soon it will catch on and scratch the post and not your furniture.
- Brush? Your cat should have a brush when it gets dirty or it's fur gets matted. It needs it's own brush. Plus it is rather fun grooming a kitty.
- Cat Bed? Some cats like cat beds. So if you don't like your cat to sleep with you then you should get it a bed. You should get a soft bed and place it in the room next to the littler tray. My cats don't have beds because I like them to sleep with me :-)
- Cat Door? It is a nice idea to have a cat door. I have a cat door for my kitties. I use it so they can get in and out to the garage, where their food and litter tray is. My cat door as a lock feature incase you don't want your cat to get out. You should try it.
- Toys? It is a GREAT idea to have some toys around. I have a simple amount of toys. I have a few balls with bells in the,a fake furry mouse that they adore,and a little round toy that you put a ball in and they stick their paw in and bat the ball around. But you can never beat a good 'ol paper rolled into a ball. Your cat will love toys to play with.
*Discipline*
- Your cats do need discipline. Never hit your cat hard. You can tap it with rolled up newspaper and say "No" in a firm voice or clap your hands and say "No" if your cat is doing a bad thing. Just be nice and have patience with your cat. Treat it like a child and if it does something bad then discipline it.
*Siamese Colors*
- Seal Point:The body is cream or pale fawn. The points are a seal brown color. The mask on it's face is a seal brown. The seal point is the most common color.(My kitty Max is a seal point!)
- Chocolate Point:The body is an ivory color. The points are milk chocolate. The mask on it's face is milk chocolate.
- Blue Point:The body is sord of a glacial white. The points are a lightish blue. The mask is a lightish blue/grayish.
- Lilac Point:The body is an off white. The points are a pinkish gray. The mask on it's face are a pinkish gray/lavenderish gray.
There! That's basically all you need to know so you can go pick out your Siamese and take good care of it. Have fun with your kitty. And remember ALWAYS neuter/spay you cat!!!!!! :-)