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Member
 
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Last Login: 11/30/2007 3:08:27 PM
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| Hi, I am looking into buying a Siamese kitten from a breeder and was wondering what some average prices might be for a 'pet' quality kitten. Also any suggestions as to what to look for in a breeder would be appreciated. Many thanks. Victoria
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Forum Guru
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Last Login: 7/11/2008 10:47:21 AM
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Supreme Being
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| Shelter kitties are great - but purebred kitties need good homes too, and if you're in love with some of the characteristics of a particular breed, getting a purebred may be what you need. You can always get a purebred kitten and then get a shelter kitty for a playmate - two kitties aren't any more effort than one, and they do seem to particularly appreciate having a playmate cat! I don't know about pet-quality pricing for Siamese cats, but you can find breeders of all kinds on www.breedlist.com. I'd look for a breeder who shows his or her cats, because they have to pay more attention to type. Ask the breeder lots of questions about the breed and about his/her specific cats - what health concerns, if any, is that breed prone to? How are the kittens raised - are they caged, or do they roam free in the breeder's house? How many cats does the breeder have? How long has he/she been breeding cats? How long has he/she been breeding this particular breed? Why is the breeder breeding these cats? What does the breeder feed the cats, and what kind of litter does he/she use? What vaccinations does the breeder give? Expect the breeder to ask you lots of questions too - the more questions, the better. A good breeder really cares about the kittens he/she raises and will want to assure himself/herself that the kitten is going to a home where it will be properly cared for. You should be prepared to answer what kind of home you have - apartment or house, how many people, any children, other pets? Will you keep the cat indoors or outdoors or both? Many breeders will want the cat to be indoors-only. Will you declaw the cat? This is a hot issue, and many breeders will prohibit declawing in their contracts. Will the cat be left alone much of the time? What activity level are you looking for? Why are you interested in acquiring a cat? Why this breed? What veterinarian do you/will you use? Some breeders will even ask you for references, and many breeders will want to stay in touch and follow the kitten's growth. I have a purebred, and my breeder is always delighted when I send her updates on how my cat is growing and include photos of her. If you can, visit the cattery. Notice how clean it is. Observe the cats - do they appear healthy? Friendly? No runny noses, watery eyes, dirty rear ends? Kittens running around playing, or seem lethargic? Finally - the breeder should ask you to sign a contract. Usually the contract will describe the specific cat or kitten in terms of age, sex, breed, color, quality (pet, breeder, or show). It will list the price and show the breeder as seller and you as buyer. It may include clauses about keeping the cat indoors, declawing, vaccinations, provide that the cat will be provided a sanitary environment and provided necessary veterinary care, will or will not be given certain vaccinations. It will probably include a statement that the cat will never be given or sold to a research facility or a shelter - some breeders will specify that if you cannot keep this cat for any reason, the cat is to be returned to the breeder. Whatever the terms of the contract are, make sure you're comfortable with them. If you're looking online, lots of breeders have their contracts on their websites. Good luck in your search - hope we'll soon be hearing stories about the fun you're having with your new kitten!
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Senior Member
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If you want to look into adotping, instead of buying from a breeder, here's a link to Siamese Rescue: http://www.siameserescue.org/ . They even have kittens available frequently, though they'll only adopt them in pairs (or make you promise to adopt another kitten from a shelter), because kittens should not be alone. Or you can check your local shelters----Siamese are very common, and very overbred, and so most shelters have at least one Siamese cat up for adotion at any given time. Don't support a substandard breeder, no matter how cute the kittens are---not only do you raise the risk of getting a sick kitty, you don't want to encourage them in their bad breeding practices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Educate, don't amputate! Don't de-claw your cat! http://www.declawing.com/ http://www.pawsneedclaws.com/
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Member
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Last Login: 9/22/2007 3:52:37 PM
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| I want to politely disagree with your statement to look for breeders who show,as those show breeders have almost ruined the Siamese breed,and have tried to change it from what it originally was to a charicature of the beloved cat most of us grew up loving(like D.C. from That Darn Cat with Hayley Mills). I hate to even say that those of us who breed Classic/Traditional/Applehead type Siamese exclusively are mor or less preservationist breeders,but the Old-Style Siamese are becoming hard to find, and Appleheads won't even get a look in the show ring because some of the extreme wedgehead breeders got together and changed the breed standard to suit their (IMHO questionable) taste,regardless f the breed's historical appearence,temperament,and health! Showing has ruined many purebred cat and dog breeds(I have Czech line German Shepherds as American shepherds are junk these days,have poor nerves,can't work,poor hips,and do not meet the SV breed standard.) Find a good breeder with a record of breeding healthy cats,longevity,and good dispositions,regardless of breed.The pedigree is nice to have but ultimately a good pet is a good pet whether or not it has been shown! ----------------------------------------------------------------
WeAreSiamese Cattery Breeder of Applehead, Traditional, Old-fashioned, and Classic Siamese exclusively. TCA and or ACA and CFA registered kittens available. http://www.wearesiamesecats.com
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Supreme Being
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| WeareSiamese - I actually agree with you, I greatly prefer the "traditional" cats - Siamese, Persian, Himalayan, Balinese - to the more "modern-looking" cats of those breeds. But in general, I'd look for breeders who show their cats, because usually a breeder who succeeds in the show has sound, healthy cats. That having been said, though, I've visited your website and I do like your kitties and I like what you've said about your breeding program. Matter of fact, if I had room for one more cat, I'd certainly want to talk to you about your kitties! And I'm not sure I understand, are you saying that you cannot show your beautiful Traditional Siamese, or that they won't win? That's awful! I also will confess that I haven't ever owned a Siamese and don't know much about the breed, but I do know that some breeds are prone to health concerns that make breeding practices even more vital - I have a Scottish Fold kitten, and Scottish Folds are one of the breeds that you have to be extra-careful about breeding. Again, not knowing the Siamese breed, I don't know what health issues, if any, they're prone to.
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Member
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Last Login: 1/31/2008 7:21:07 AM
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| There is a website that links to different animal shelters and rescue. The website is petfinder.com. I found a siamese rescue in my own county.
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