The breeding and raising of Siamese Cats

The breeding and raising of Siamese kitten is not difficult. Siamese Cats are known to be very fertile, you often find six or more kitten in a nest. The peregnancy lasts between 65 and 67 days, about 3 to five more than for other breeds. You find a weight between 80 and 120 gram per kitten. Siamese Cats usually are very good and instinctfull mothers, who don`t need too much human assistance. But if a cat is giving birth for the first time, she will probably want and seek the company of her human friend. If you have a nervous and very anxious cat, you should watch her very carefully and if she has problems with her offspring better not use her for breeding again.Kitten should be inoculated around their 8th week, having reached a weight of 800-1000 grams.The first treatment against worms should take place, when the kitten are 4 weeks old, a second treatment is to follow 2 weeks later. Your vet will recommend an appropriate brand.But if you plan to breed your cat, you will read lots of books anyway, better talk to experienced breeders until there is no question left!!!!!Siamese kitten are born completely white without any marks.It takes some weeks (and a certain amount of experience) to determine the exact colour.
Soon after the birth each kitten shows its own personality, long before it shows the "points".You should watch them carefully, take them into your hands ans cuddle them right from the beginning. It is extremly important to the kitten to have contact with human beings from the end of the first week.If they have reached their 8th week they can get to know every possible creature. They are vaccinated now (see above) and there is no danger. The kitten should not be taken away from their mother and siblings before their 12th week, better later. They should be vaccinated a second time by then.

The keeping of a Siamese Cat

Living with a Siamese Cat will cost you lots of time!
You only need a few minutes and wet hands to keep her coat beautiful. You stroke her with wet hands and every loose hair will be gone. From time to time you "polish" her with a silk or leather cloth, to make her fur shiny. She probably likes ist very much if you brush her with a soft baby brush from time to time.
You need not give her a bath, except she has been in touch with oil or very smelly things. She will like a bit of yeast or some yeast flakes with her food to keep her coat nice. Feeding your Siamese Cat usually does not take time as well. If you follow the instructions of the breeder she should eat everything she is used to without a problem ( and special things she finds out herself!) If a Siamese Cat is too picky with her food, it usually has to do with her owner!!!
BUT:
a Siamese Cat will want a lot of your time and attention to be happy! She wants play-time, cuddle- time, conversation- time....and, and,and. She needs human company, even if she is pleased with feline company too. Cat-or dogcompany can never be a substitute for human relationship. Siamese cats want their people, they demand this contact and can become really neurotic, if they do not get it.
It is true: most of them like to live with a feline companion, but only as an additum! Siamese Cats are often quite jealous, so there should not be too many of them in one household. Otherwise you will have a lot of fights among them, some behaviour you might not like ( cats who do no longer use their toilets, destroy things or attack their human beings) and very unhappy cats. It does not happen very often, but there are Siamese Cats , who want to be "only cats" . A breeder, who watches his kitten carefully, will know that by the time the kitten are ready for moving into their new homes.

Merits of the Siamese Cat

People, who are attached to Siamese Cats can`t stop to praise their merits. People who don`t like Siamese Cats use just the same arguments against. Siamese cats are very vivid. They like to move, to play, to run, to jump, to climb.They are very intelligent, invent lots of new activities, want to have a partner for their "Hide- and seek"- or "I´ll collect- what- you- throw- away"- Games.

They like to communicate, non- verbal, but very verbal as well. Lots of typical Siamese Cats talk all day, with a small voice or very loud. A Siamese Cat in heat can sound like a lion and can be a real nuisance.
They like it warm,because their coat is fine and thin. Thats is why they like to sleep close to your central heating or in your bed.She will not accept it without protest, if you throw her out! Siamese Cats love to be outside. They will not move away far from the house and most of them will come back, if you call them. They are very good and effective hunters and will rather bring " presents" to their beloved people (spiders,mice,rats)than eat them themselves. They like to climb trees and sometimes the Fire Brigades have to get them down again.

The "Thai" - Cat
A century ago the "Standard of Siamese Cats" mentioned "marten- faces", meaning cats with long , triangular-shaped faces in combination with long, slim bodies and "apple-heads" with a rounder head and a more substantial body. The latter we know nowadays as "Siamese of the old type" , "Traditional Siamese"or "Thai"-Cats.
Some people prefer this type to the "modern" type. This is completely o.k., but NEVER a Siamese Cat should have a different breed in the pedigree. Some very irresponsible breedersfor example use British Shorthair Cats to get the rounder shape of the face. So the pedigree of a cat is meant to be an identity- card, an opportunity to get to know about the ancestors of the cat and is not meant as a subject of "prestige".

Possible diseases and hereditary defects

Like in any other breed there are typical health problems in Siamese breeding too.
Well known are
- Sternum (defect of the breastbone)
- Frog- Syndrom ( deformity of the chest)
- Cleft palate
- Open belly and umbilical hernia
- Enophtalmus
- Deformity of limbs
- Cancer of liver and intestines
- Inherited diseases of the kidneys
- Inherited diseases of the heart
- Nervous misbehavioursYou will not find any of these diseases in the catteries of responsible breeders, but of course there are "black sheep"also among Siamese breeders.
It is important to learn to read pedigrees (especially those of the sires), to know a lot about genetics and to be in touch with people, who are honest enough to talk about their problems. Some breeders still believe, it is bad for the "business" to let people know, what is going on in their catteries, that people would not buy a kitten from a breeder, who has had a heriditary defect in his population.
Quite the contrary: if somebody knows about the problem and takes consequences -not to breed with this cat anymore and have the offsprings neutred - he can be trusted much more than somebody who "has never had a problem at all".

Siamese Cats can become really old

If a siamese Cat has the opportunity to go out and can therefor get in touch with other cats she needs her annual vaccination not only against the "normal" diseases, but against rabies as well.And of course you must not forget the treatment against worms, which is given before the vaccination.
Siameses are - because of their thin coat- prone to colds, just as the other shorthaired breeds.So take care that she does not stay outside too long if it is cold, even if her coat gets thicker, when she goes outside regularly.
Keep her warm, feed her well, let her feel your affection, watch her carefully and do not hesitate to see the vet if in doubt.......then a Siamese Cat can easily become 18 or 20 years.

As you can easily see from these few lines: not everyone is good for a Siamese Cat.