Siamese Cats
Just like pet dogs, cat breeds also vary in their personality and looks. Some cats are more laid-back and accepting, while others can be more demanding. Some cats are large and spend a lot of time napping compared to other breeds which are active and curiously explore everything they can poke their noses into or fish out with deft paws.Siamese Cats are among some of the most popular cat breeds, for very good reason. They are very distinctive in their personality ... this means that they are not a breed for everyone, but for those that enjoy Siamese, many wouldn't want any other kind of cat.
Siamese are very intelligent cats, and very social. Because of this, they are not well suited for homes where they will be left alone too much of the time. They need to be actively involved with people or at least other pets for a portion of each day. A Siamese cat won't let you wonder whether or not they are pleased either ... Siamese are among the most "talkative" of cats and will express their opinions and feelings about everything going on around them. They are great companions for this reason though. One can hardly feel alone with a playful and friendly little sidekick that goes everywhere with you about the home and comments upon everything with a wide range of vocalizations that the owner will easily learn to distinguish.
Siamese are also very lithe, limber, and active cats. Their bone structure is very fine and they tend to be athletic. They don't do well being closely confined, and it is a good idea to secure any items you don't want them investigating. However, they are also very intelligent and can easily be trained to respect the boundaries you set for them, especially if they are happy with their lives otherwise.Among all of the cat breeds, Siamese are also perhaps the most recognizable. Their slender bodies are a white or cream color, with darker points on the face, ears, tail, and legs. Traditionally, these points should be chocolate, seal, blue, or lilac. Other colors of points are made by crossing out to other breeds of cat and may be red, tortoise, tabby, or cream. Tails are long and thin, and eyes sapphire-colored and are a slanted almond-shape.
Many people will remember Siamese cats as being more robust than the cats one commonly sees today, and with a lot of contrast between the dark and light areas. When I was growing up, almost all Siamese cats I knew had kinks in the tails as well. These are some of the characteristics associated with "traditional" Siamese cats, which may still be seen, but most of the cats bred today have the lighter body frame and un-kinked tails. The personality is quite similar, though.
Training of Siamese cats is much like training any other cat. Being very intelligent, the basic training is usually accomplished very simply. Just showing them the litter box is usually enough to let them know, although you may want to hold their paws and gently show them how easy it is to dig in the litter. The most important thing about raising and training a Siamese kitten is to keep them with you, interact with them, and talk to them. They will learn your tone of voice and be more interested in interacting with you than getting into trouble. The best method of discipline is often to say "no" and turn away from them, ignoring them for a bit. This is especially effective if they play too roughly with you.
Training them to stay out of an area should first be done by removing them and saying "no." If that doesn't do the trick, you can later resort to a means such as spraying them with a tiny stream of water or canned air, but be aware that Siamese will quickly come to realize that you are the source of the spray and will avoid the forbidden area only if you are around. If they don't expect to be caught, they might feel free to explore what is off-limits. Also, many Siamese are actually fond of water and may not be deterred by this method in the same way that many other cat breeds would be.
We will discuss more tips for cat training in a later post.
