It's Our TurnHi there! I and my brother and sister asked Mom if we could have our own page. She said no! She sure is particular about who uses that PC. She has two, you'd think that she could at least let us use one of them. But every time we try, she gets after us. Anyway, she said no, so we did the only thing we could do under the circumstances. Sid took the new couch, T took the curtains and I took the waterbed. How do you like our page so far??
Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves. Name, rank and serial number. That sort of thing. Mom is going to put some "real" pictures up on this page instead of some
"representative of breed" pictures. I'll keep after her. I'm good at that. What the hell is "representative of breed" anyway?
I'm Thai Chi of the Royal House of Siam. Ok, ok, I'm a Seal Point Siamese. There.
Happy? You can see what I look like from the picture on this page. I'm the oldest of the clan and I want it understood at the beginning, that I'm the one in charge. I turned 17 on the 12th of July, although I've been told I look much younger. Good bone structure will do that for you.
Over there on the couch, we have "T". Tekila, that is. She's only three and a half years old so she still has a lot to learn. I'm just not really sure when she's going to learn it. She's just a plain Domestic Shorthair Calico, but we love her anyway. But don't tell her that. She's conceited enough as it is. Sits around all day admiring herself in the mirror. Can you imagine? I'm the one that's decended from Royalty, yet she insists she's the one that should be pampered. Some day she'll find out that character is more enduring than beauty. And Mom says I have a lot of character. Or was it that I am a character. No matter, it's all the same isn't it?
And over there, sprawled across the carpet is Sid, short for Obsidian, although Mom calls him "Psycho Sid Vicious". He's not really vicious, just kind of ah...crazy. Yeah, that's it. Sid is a two year old black (and boy is he!) Cymric. He's ok. For a guy I guess. If he would just comb all that hair once in a while, and stop making a nuisance of himself. Mom swears (often) that he will grow up eventually and stop picking on T and I. Every once in a while, I just have to take time out and put him in his place. Show him who's boss, you know. Kids.... It's too darn bad that youth is wasted on the young. Unless those two "kids" get their act together, I'm not about to show them the secret to turning the appliances on and off or answering the phone. And neither of those two have even seen a mouse. I, myself, have three to my credit. Two more and I'll be an "ace". That's why I get the warmest corner of the bed. They'd just better watch their step.
Anyway, the three of us were talking the other day about this gray striped Tabby that lives across the way. You've never seen such behavior! She's an embarrassment, really. Always fawning over her humans. That can't be good for them.
Subconsciously they really want firm dicipline. She's doing them no favor by letting them do just anything they want. You've got to keep them in line or they become unmanageable. There are evidently some felines out there who are woefully uneducated in the fine art of running a proper household. So we thought we would do
our part to help the poor creatures out by giving them some of the information they obviously missed. If you think of any other things I should list just.......
Me
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This is just some general information on the Siamese, not from any "expert" standpoint, but from someone who has owned Siamese for the past 50 years. I am allergic to cats (which explains why I have three??) and when I was very young, the doctor suggested to my parents that, if I had to have a cat, it might be wise to stick to the Siamese as there was something about their coat that people had a tendency to be less allergic to. I don't know why that is, but it is true. My Aunts went together and paid $50 (which was a lot of money in those days) for a Siamese. It soon became apparent that the breed had a lot to recommend itself to my family (well, at least my father). They are very much like a dog in their behavior. They like to fetch and they easily adapt to a leash. They are a lot of company because they are very social and (note this!) very vocal. They talk a lot! About anything, to anyone....everyone. If you want a nice quiet kitty who will sleep on the hearth and blend into the woodwork, boy, did you get a wrong number. Siamese have very strong opinions which they are happy to share with everyone. And they have a ton of personality! Like this furry person that is stomping across the keyboard as I write this. And she is telling me just what to say, I am her ghostwriter. She is 17 now but still rules the house and our Vet says she is in wonderful condition, she will most likely to live to be 20.
Thai Chi is a "traditional" Siamese, as most of my cats have been. Traditional Siamese have the rounder head rather than the exaggerated wedge shape which is now the show standard. It is only a matter of opinion, but it seems to me that there are more respiratory problems in the breeds that have been bred for extreme head characteristics (Siamese, Persian). I am long past my show days (though I still enjoy going) so "none show" quality is just fine for me. The personality of the Siamese is what I find so appealing. The Traditional Siamese is an intelligent, people-oriented cat which enjoys human companionship - whether it be as a lap warmer or chasing a toy. They are inquisitive and friendly, and like nothing better than to sit in the middle of something you are trying to read. They talk to their people in an affectionate, conversational way. With their calm temperaments, they are well-adapted to life in either a house or an apartment. They are not in perpetual motion - they have a fairly balanced activity level and are just as happy to chase a toy as to curl up in your lap for a snooze. The CFA has provided a FAQ on the "Traditional Siamese.
The Cymric was once recognized as an individual breed but is now usually shown as a longhaired Manx, and like the Manx, has the distinctive hopping gait due to the hind legs being somewhat longer than the front. Also like the Manx, he may have three tail states ranging from entirely tailless with a dimple at the base of the spine, to possessing a 2" "stub". Sid is entirely tailless and has the "chunky" body time common to Manx, but his "fatbody" is covered with long silky black hair unlike his more familiar shorthaired Manx kinsmen. He also shares with them a voice quite small for his size (he is a tremendous bulk!). This is ok. My Siamese makes up for his silence. Sid has a very sweet disposition (Thai and Tekila object to this characterization, he teases them mercilessly) and a very "sweet" face, too pretty to be a boy cat. When stretched out across the hearth, he looks like a big black rug. Although they have long hair, they don't require the daily brushing of a Persian (although they love it, especially on the stomach). Manx are sometimes called a man's cat. If you are a dog lover the Manx is a good cat to purchase. They are very dog-like in their behavior . They love to fetch and will keep you busy for hours throwing things for them, they usually love rides in the car (truck drivers love them as companions), and they are drawn to water like a duck. Sid will usually dip his water up in his paw and drink it that way, he almost always has a wet face. They are easily leash trained and you can teach them to come by name or with a whistle. Loyal and people-oriented, most Manx are also easily reprimanded and learn the "no" command quickly. They are very protective of their home and their humans. You can find the Cymric judging standard here.
Calico is not a breed, it is a "color", the breed is Domestic Shorthair. The Calico coloring (defined as 3 colors usually black, orange and white) is one of those sex linked traits like Tortoishell. You will seldom find a male Calico. These cats were usually very hardy because of the large gene pool they came from. Today the Domestic Shorthair as a breed is still considered to be one of the hardiest and healthiest breeds with less genetic faults than most breeds.
The Siamese is definitely a character, but not many are like
Shasta, a Blue Point that belonged to my Aunt and then to me after her death. Shasta hated silence, so when my Aunt would go to work, he would turn on the radio or the tv or something to make noise. This would always make us uneasy because we were never sure if it was Shasta or a burgler (don't they always turn on the radio while they're robbing you?). He would also turn on the light switch. He understood that she had to work during the week, but he expected her home on weekends. If she went away for the weekend, he would pull all of her clothes out of the closet and pile them in front of the front door. If could have figure out how to pack her suitcase, he would have. When she got back he would be laying there, on top of the pile, glaring at her. Then he would usually pick up his brush and throw it at me because I was the one driving. You had no problem knowing what he was thinking. He lived to be 16.
