OK, Siamese kitteh "owners"...help me out here.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

A friend of a friend has a kitteh that needs a temporary home, that may turn into a long term situation. This is the kitteh in question:



I have heard all the stories about their screaming, er...vocalizing -- how true are they? Has anyone had a quiet(ish) Siamese?? Anyone with experience in bringing one into a multicat household? Anything else, breed-specific, I should know about them before I commit? It may be hard for me to meet the kitteh before it comes to me, so I want to get as much info from the cat's "owner" and other Siamese people to help with my decision.

Thanks!

[malta blue]

1. when my ex and I were together, we incorporated his two cats

and my single cat. His Siamese got along best with my guy - and yes Siamese have a distinctive sound to them. It does not bother me at all.

Our cat was extremely skittish and only came around when there were no visitors, etc.

I have not seen him in over 6 years because I am now the visitor in the ex's house and so he hides. Little MB does not see him that often either :shrug:

good on you for helping him get a home - he is precious.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. I have terrible memories...

from childhood of a neighbor's unneutered Siamese -- the smell in their house and the yowling was unbelievable. :scared: What were the sexes of the teh two cats that got on best?? I have three males and one female right now, and the boys still act out after all these years -- pissing contests, hissy fits, and the like.

One of my current cats has some talker breed in him -- I'm just a little worried about having two talkers trying to rouse me in the morning to feed them. :D

[malta blue]

33. The boys got along the best. The female was a raging

wench and so the siamese and my orange tiger were cuddlebugs.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

2. We have a flame point Siamese/tabby mix named Morrissey

And he's probably the most delightful kitteh we've ever had. He is somewhat talkative, but not constantly noisy. We had two adult cats when we got him, and he fit right in. They were a little ticked off for a few days, but we kept him in a spare bedroom for a day or two to give everyone time to adjust. When we got a two-month-old kitten last October, Morrissey took to him right away, and they play together a lot. I've never seen such a mild-mannered kitteh as Morrissey. He always jumps on the kitchen island and walks around with his back arched to greet us when we come home. He fetches and returns paper wads. He plays with a cat ring/ball and turns to look at me, then jumps on the sofa arm for petting, then returns to the toy. He does somersaults in ecstasy when he wants to be petted. He is very sensitive - he hates it when we turn the oven on, for some reason, and he'll head for the hills. We wonder if something bad happened at his first home (we adopted him at PetSmart). He also gets scared when the doorbell rings and runs and hides, but as long as the visitors are not small children, he'll come down and cautiously inspect the visitors.

I really can't fully describe this sweetheart of a kitteh - he's just precious.

I have heard that Siamese are very protective of their people and like to be near them.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Morrisey sounds wonderful!

From what I have been reading they are supposed to have great temperments and be very people oriented. Glad to hear he was integrated into the household so easily. It sounds like you struck gold with your kitteh! Thanks! :hi:

[Shakespeare]

17. I have a tabby/siamese cat, too. Best cat EVER.

He does the siamese vocalizations, but it's certainly not annoying. He likes to stand in the hallway--presumably, the acoustics are best there--and run through his repertoire. It's really pretty funny.

Siamese tend to bond emotionally with their owners VERY strongly, so my only advice is that the OP be very watchful--and patient, if need be--for behavioral issues for the first few weeks until the kitty's all settled in (shifts allegiance from old owner to new owner).

They're marvelous animals. Smart, loyal and really sweet.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

24. I have a cat who wedges himself...

in a "v" the bathroom door and and ajoining wall makes and screams into it! :D Yes, it is all about the right acoustics.

I am really hoping for the kittehs sake this is only a temporary split from his "owner" -- if he makes his way to me, I will be sure to pay extra attention to his emotional needs during such a stressful time. Thanks! :hi:

[LoveMyCali]

39. My first cat was a lilac point siamese

that did the walking through the house vocalizing thing. I used to call it the Cato singing hour. She only used her scary yowl for special occasions like when she saw a raccoon through the window or when another cat was in our yard.

I have a rag doll now that meow's constantly and actually is much more annoyingly vocal than Cato ever dreamed of being.

[texas1928]

5. Ours we had were talkers, they are very conversational.

They will let you know they are looking for you. You will hear them, but it is not bad. But they will talk your leg off if you let them and talk back to them.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

8. Sounds like my Junior...

the current kitteh talker I have. It really is like having a converation, isn't it? :D I am compltely guilty of continuing the conversation once it is started.

[TroglodyteScholar]

6. Talkin Siamese

Yea, my Siamese (Mao Mao) is very talkative. Sometimes it's an annoyance, but he's also extremely loving, so it's okay. He actually looks a lot like the kitteh in question:



Really, I'm not sure Mao Mao's fully Siamese--he lacks the distinctive crossing eyes, and the slender body type. He was a rescued stray, too, so I imagine he's got a little something else in him.

[Brigid]

9. Mao Mao looks like a full Siamese to me.

The crossed eyes? Those are considered a serious fault, which breeders are trying to eliminate. Every Siamese I have known has been a talker, but they're also very smart and people-oriented. They say that it is usually best not to have one as an only cat, though, because they may become very destructive and even neurotic if they are bored and lonely.

[Brigid]

10. Mao Mao looks like a full Siamese to me.

The crossed eyes? Those are considered a serious fault, which breeders are trying eliminate. Every Siamese I have known has been a talker, but they're also very smart and people-oriented. They say that it is usually best not to have one as an only cat, though, because they may become very destructive and even neurotic if they are bored and lonely.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

11. It sounds as if Mao Mao...

has some classic Siamese in him -- the original, apple head kind, not the uber skinny, triangular-headed ones seen at cat shows today. I was also sad to see breeders view the cross eyes as a negative attribute. :( Too bad, I love them.

Mao Mao looks like a sweetie! :hi:

[Brigid]

14. I like the classic apple head Siamese better too.

:)

[zanne]

25. Mao Mao is knockout gorgeous. Those eyes are hypnotic. nt

[Duppers]

40. What a beautiful furbaby!

Looks to be a full siam to me. My old Siamese's eyes didn't mostly cross either--the trait was intermitten with her.

IF I could again have any cat in the world, I'd have a Siamese--truly. I miss my ole gal so much (she passed 25 yrs. ago), but the allergist says no more kitties period. She had to have the last word and we enjoyed talking to her--it was all fun & games for my hubby and me.

[AlGore-08.com]

7. I had a 50% Siamese/50% ADSH mix for nearly 20 years

She talked constantly and had an amazing range of vocalizations - - I thought it was great. However, she was fixed. An unfixed Siamese or Siamese mix would send most folks to a mental hospital when she was in heat...

[Hell Hath No Fury]

12. Ah yes, the unaltered Siamese cat sound...

I am familiar with that! :scared:

My Mom had a cat who was a very serious talker and it sometimes really got on your nerves, but after he died, the house was soooo quiet and depressing. :(

[carlyhippy]

13. and they sing, too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdDla0QW844

[nomorenomore08]

15. I have a 6-year-old neutered male that I guess would be considered a Siamese mix,

since he looks Siamese ("apple head" kind like the one in the pic) but his mother was white all over. He's not the noisiest cat, probably somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and the only real problem is that he repeatedly does things he KNOWS he's not supposed to do (jumping on the counter, scratching the door and window screens, etc.). I think he just likes to antagonize us.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. I think that most cats find it very amusing....

to annoy their people companions. :D In fact, I think it is a primary goal in their lives. Lord knows my kittehs LIVE to annoy the heck out of me -- especially at 5:300am when they demand their breakfast!

[nomorenomore08]

35. That's why we make our guy sleep in the garage. That and the litterbox odor.

nt

[ileus]

44. we do the same thing, ceptin' the Lbox is in our laundry.

[grace0418]

16. I have a tabby who talks CONSTANTLY and cries when I leave the room. So it could

happen with any cat. You get used to it, though. Especially when they're so sweet and affectionate. :)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

26. Kittehs saving grace...

is how "sweet and affectionate" they are -- otherwise, more than a few would be tossed like footballs out of windows during their more annoying moments! :D

[LaurenG]

18. Aw, I just loved my "vocal Siamese"

and I still miss him. (He died in 1985) I have two white cats now who are quite the talkers and I am reminded of him. I never think a thing about the vocal part, I just talk right back to them.

I know that my kitty was a very sweet if not assertive boy. I hope that the situation works out for all of you. :thumbsup:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

28. I hope so too...

I hate it when a cat is forced to find a new home. I took in one old gal who was 17 and had to find a new home -- the move was very hard on her, and she didn't last very long after coming to live with me. :(

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the owner will find a way to keep the kitty after all.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

19. They are inclined to be talkative.

I have a half-Siamese, half-tabby who talks all the time. Fortunately, she has a soft, trilling-chirping voice instead of the usual Siamese YAAAAH!, but she jabbers constantly. It's really cute.

[yellowdogintexas]

20. Our Thomas, age 15. A Talker. But not constantly, he sleeps a LOT!

I actually like his talking. Mostly he gets naggy at meal time, he does not yowl all the time but his voice is very distinctive! At least he doesn't whine like my black cat does.

Siamese are smart smart cats, and very loving. They tend to have a favorite person in the house and like to sleep on your bed.

here he is as a younger cat with my daughter:

and more recently



he is a very sweet and gentlemanly cat, with the best purr ever. He is our Senior cat. When we got him he was about 5 or 6 months old and we had him fixed immediately. Our two older female cats accepted him but the funny thing was that our oldest incredibly alpha female was far more accepting of him than the less dominant female. Go figure. Anyway, he wanted to play and the older cat kind of got into that and would play with him. He kept her pretty active too. She lived to be 17

OUr other kitties were born into this house and he was great with them. They still think he is the BIG CAT they have no clue that they are twice his size and could whip him in a heartbeat. They respect him.

edited to add: I would get the cat if adding a cat in general is not a problem. That cat is gorgeous.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

36. Thomas is a VERY handsome cat!

He looks great for a Senior Kitteh. :) How cats work out their pecking order is really an interesting thing to watch. I had a tiny, soft, girly kitten come into the household and completely terrorize the two older males, including one who is an enormous sumo cat -- she just road his ass around the house for months.

Adding a cat in need is never a problem in my house -- that's how I got the four I already have! :D

[yellowdogintexas]

48. Thank You. He is also very sweet. He is curled up in the rocking chair

across the room right now ...snoozing away.

[montanto]

21. I was owned by a siamese once,

and he didn't have much to say. I'm now owned by a russian blue, and he will not STFU. If he's awake he's got comment, and half the time when he's asleep he's got something to say, and if I'm gone for more than a day, oh man!! Plus he has to sleep with his ass in my face. Cats.

[mike_c]

22. I have four Siamese cats....

All are "vocal" in the sense that they are vocally expressive, but they rarely turn up the volume unless they are really not amused. They can be quite loud, but they rarely are.

[bertha katzenengel]

27. The current owner should be able to tell you about the vocalizing.

Our Petey does just fine with multi. cats, but then he grew up with them all. And he has a sweet, tiny meow that he doesn't use very often. He's a lover boy.

You note that cat's crossed eyes . . . that's a trait of Siamese cats, along with the wiggly eyeballs which I think is called nystagmus.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

37. "Wiggly eyeballs"...

This I gotta see!

I am a bit worried about bringing a cat that has been a solo cat in with the bunch of mutants I currently have, but hopefully it can go smothly with the right planning and execution.

I am hoping I can talk with the owner about the cat's behavior/likes/routines, but I have had cats given up to me with not a word from the owner! Too wierd.

[bertha katzenengel]

51. New day reply . . . have you heard anything, made a decision?

Inquiring cat lover wants to know!

Oh, yeah: here's a picture of Petey. Luckiest shot of my life:

[Arugula Latte]

29. Awwww! What a cutie pie!

*melts*

I've had lots of kitties, but never a Siamese. The ones I've been around have been smart and charming, though.

[Bunny]

30. We have a Siamese. She is very, very quiet. Does not do any of that Siamese caterwauling.

She gets along with our other critters (two dogs and a male cat) but she is shy and somewhat reclusive.

I call her my "cross-eyed cutie", which pisses my daughters off because they do not think she's cross-eyed, but sometimes when you look at her from certain angles she does look cross-eyed.

[SOteric]

31. My StirFry is actually fairly quiet, and like the kitty in your photo,

he's also cross-eyed.

:hi:

[EnviroBat]

32. He's cross-eyed.

That can only mean he's crazy evil. He'll kill you in your sleep.

I had a Siamese cat once named "Chairman Meow". He was evil.

[Mutley]

34. We had a Siamese when I was very young.

I don't remember much about him except that he was quite loud when he wanted to be. He came from one of those "cat lady" houses where there were about 100 other cats, and had a very submissive and anxious personality, but of course, your guy could be completely different. :D

[Hell Hath No Fury]

38. Don't be dissing crazy cat ladies!

I am on track to be the neighborhood's crazy cat lady -- single? check! big ol' corner house? check! cat sign on the front porch? check!

I think I am around four cats from satisfying the requirements. :D

Sorry to hear your kitty was so anxious -- he must have had a hard life before reaching you. :(

[Mutley]

42. Hey, I said "cat lady" not "crazy cat lady."

:P

He was really very submissive -- probably the lowest on the totem pole of about 100 or so cats. The cat lady said he probably didn't even get enough to eat regularly because he was made to wait by the other cats.

But he did well once he was with us. I miss that guy. His name was Tinker.

[fizzgig]

41. i've had two seal point males and neither of them talked much

they were very chill, but were also capable of tearing your face off, but i think that is more due to the fact that they were stray toms when we got them.

[ileus]

43. My Siamese doesn't make a sound, meows maybe once a week.

He's a wonderful kitty...Siamies seem to like peaches also.

[ThatsMyBarack]

45. Raphael is a Snowshoe Siamese!

He's very talkative, and so friendly and pesty. He is buddies with my orange tabby Goldmine.

Here's their picture together:

[Liberal Veteran]

46. I have three very quiet Siamese cats. Only Grendel is even remotely chatty and not often.

The other two never make any noise.

[jumptheshadow]

47. Oh, yeah, they meow a lot

I've had Siamese all my life and every single one of them has been vocal. Many of them are also very straightforward about what they want and will tap you or meow at you in the morning for their food.

I have loved every one of them. They are just different than most cats -- one-third feline, one-third canine and one-third almost human.

[Robeson]

49. We have a Siamese/Tabby mix. She's vocal, and we love her...

...She talks, as do we. She's part of our home....

[crimsonblue]

50. what's with the quotations around owner?

cats are animals. humans own animals. humans own cats.

[mikeytherat]

52. Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

mikey_the_rat

[Heidi]

53. Humans are animals, too.

Animals are a major group of multicellular organisms (kingdom Animalia). In a biological context, humans are animals.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animal

It's pretty common for cat people to humorously referred to themselves as "owned" by their cats. :hi: