Posted on 08/04/2006 1:58:31 PM PDT by libstripper
Before Mother, I was never much drawn to cats. They seemed slithery and remote. I have a farm, and cats didn't appear to be useful.
I am partial to working dogs—especially border collies and Labradors—that can herd sheep, fetch sticks, hike with me, cuddle on the sofa, and swim in nearby streams. I didn't really get having an animal you couldn't herd sheep or take a walk with.
Then the rats came. They invaded my farm last summer, especially the big barns. They were fat—at first, I mistook one for a rabbit—arrogant, and fearless. The farmers told me there was nothing much to be done: Rats, naturally drawn to farms, were smart, hardy, and tough to get rid of, especially with other animals around.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
But a .22 won't remind you every Saturday and Sunday at 6:00am that your alarm clock didn't go off.
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Anyway, in short. I'm converted. I love these cats. And what's even more strange, I'm no longer allergic which was one of my biggest fears about having my friends move in with their cats."
Great post! You definitely "get" Siamese cats. I love them to pieces - wouldn't own any other kind. As you've already discovered they're personable, fun, smart-smart and they're wonderful companions.
I've never understood some people's resistance to the breed. Perhaps they watched "Lady and the Tramp" when they were little and bought the inaccuracies Disney dished out about the breed. Too bad because in that case Disney was way off base.
A vet once told me the short, close coat of the Siamese is the least likely to cause allergic reactions. Certainly appears to be that way around here.
The directness of the Siamese breed seems to appeal to a lot of men. They will definitely let you know how they feel about whatever's going on. And it's for sure they'll always let you know where you stand. Enjoy!
My, my, my what a beautiful girl! Just love her smarty-girl eyes. Our Taylor could be her twin.
Taylor could be her twin? Sam is a stray who, never having been claimed, is a mystery cat. I think she's gorgeous, but have no idea who her breeder was.
If you don't want to spend the money for a purebred, find a rescue cat (from either a private organization or a shelter) who is a Maine Coon/Norwegian Forest Cat/etc. mixed breed. You can save a life for usually well under $100. Purebred kittens are likely to cost you $400 and up (mostly up).
I'm really sorry to hear about your Maine Coon; someday I would like to own one of them, when I have the money to buy a purebred.
There are some of them with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart)... but a reputable breeder should screen his/her cats for this and avoid breeding any who come down with this disease (even though that won't 100% eliminate it).
Are you me? I've been a dog person my entire life.
My girlfriend is a cat person, a few years before going out a neighbor poisoned her cat. She was terrified of getting another one, after we moved in I encourged her to get a cat - just to make her happy.
And this cat, i use the exact same expression that you do, he's more like a dog. He'll bark, wait at the door when we come home.
And what's more amazing is we have a few homeless cats in the neighborhood and they are all friends. (one of the cats was pregnant and we didn't see her for a while, then she started to come around looking really skinny and hungry so we started feeding her. Then she started to hang out with the other cats again, and I thought the kittens were either abandoned or dead. But today (after a few days of typhoon rain at that) We saw the mother with 4 (FOUR) Kittens!! just off our balcony. Amazing.
Oh how cool!!! I'm really glad the kittens are okay! Those mother cats are good at squirelling away and protecting their little ones, so I'm not surprised.
So what kind of cat did you get? Is he/she a Siamese? I really love their personalities. They love people and just get so excited when we're around. The one will yelp with joy when I come out to the living room in the morning or after just being in my room watching TV for a while.
By the way, if you want a really cute read, pick up James Herriot's "Cat Stories." He was a vet in England who over the years collected a wide array of animal stories. He collected them in a series of books, and his cat stories are compiled in this particular book. They're incredibly heart warming and wonderful. It's a quick read, only took me an evening. There's a story in there that reminds me of the story of your kittens that will bring a little tear to your eye.
Anyway, you can pick it up for cheap from used book sellers on Amazon or just about anywhere else on the Internet. I got mine for $1 US on Amazon's used listings. You'll not soon forget the stories in there now that you're a cat lover!
What I've read about Siberians (a long-haired breed) is that they are also relatively hypoallergenic. The theory was put forth that their saliva doesn't contain a certain protein which makes humans itch. I've read that many people, who thought they were allergic and could not have a cat, have been able to tolerate Siberian cats just fine. FWIW. I've never owned a purebred.
I'm owned by three unrelated tortoiseshell females. The youngest, trapped as a young feral kitty, whom I adopted this past April, is a little over one year old. She may be part Siamese, but I only suspect that because (1) I was told that one of her siblings looked like it had Siamese markings, and (2) she has a yowly voice which sounds Siamese. Otherwise, she just looks like a "happy accident" cat.
Pinging you.
jm
Cute thread :)
Yes, it is a fun thread. I am more of a dog enthusiast, guess that's why the title caught my eye.
Burmese are extremely smart. Ones I was around loved to play fetch with balls of paper.
They also loved their perches and 'runs' . . . carpeted boards around the top rim of the room.
"That's a cat that's been around dogs before and knows how to handle them."
I had a little (10#) black & white tuxedo cat which I picked up while living in an apartment. The goofy woman downstairs would let her 2 beagles out every morning to do their business, usually in the breezeway, and they'd back my tuxedo guy into a corner. Their first mistake of the day, every day. He'd kung fu kitty nail them both on the nose and saunter off like the king of the complex (which he was).
He became a housecat when we bought the house, and died a couple of years ago at about 15. I still miss the little devil.
"Taylor could be her twin? Sam is a stray who, never having been claimed, is a mystery cat. I think she's gorgeous, but have no idea who her breeder was."
Sam may be a mystery girl but I'm confident any number of breeders/judges would tell you she's ninety-some-percent pure Siamese. And you're right, "she's gorgeous."
My vet said she's worth a lot of money, or would be if she had papers. All we can figure is she might have been on her way home with new owners (she was young!) and they had a car accident on the busy road nearby.
I didn't find her. I just took her because the girl who found her couldn't have cats. That girl made posters, called all the agencies including pet shops, and never heard a peep. The dog officer did get what had to be the brother, which was also never claimed, but that's where the trail ends. This was 8 years ago and Sam still looks like a kitten with only a little darkening.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.