Merry Christmas from the Siamese Cat Spot!

We'd like to thank all the kind members of this community for being here and playing a part. We're grateful and pleased to have you with us. And whether you celebrate Christmas or not, we wish you a great day and a happy, prosperous 2014!

CREDITS: Linda, Cindy, Sue, Jennifer, Susan, Barbara, Nicola, Felipe, Reprise Siamese Cattery, Beth, Tina, Kerry, Shelle, Debbie, Amanda, Tara, Venessa, Jami, Maverick, Pilar, Joanne, Joanne Marie, Charlotte, Ruth, Silvia, Martha, Ashley, Kelsey, Angelina, Gayle, Phoebe, Joie, Ellen, Alicia

​Be well, and please leave your comment below

Sassafras loves to play fetch, snack on turkey and is the ultimate snuggler! She has traveled across the country from Boston, to Chicago to Portland, Oregon by airplane and car and loves to tell everyone she meets all about her adventures!

 Sassafras is a cutie! Wishing her a very Happy Birthday!

Not Just Curiosity, But Affection Too

But also, it is a sign of affection and closeness. Your cat not only wants to see the world on your level, he wants to communicate on your level. And that means being in your face, literally. This is not as distasteful as it sounds. There are lots of purrs, head bonks, nuzzles, and face touching. He wants to climb on your back, drape over your shoulder, and be carried around. It’s a bonding time, and the only reason to discourage it is if you are trying to manage allergies to cat dander. Otherwise, you will come to develop little routines and signals that make your relationship with your meezer extra-special.

This is How We Do It

Gremlin (who we almost named “Gibbon”) could not jump onto my shoulder when he was a baby, but that didn’t stop him from trying! He learned to maow and reach up for me to pcik him up. It was so endearing; the only down side was if I didn’t notice his cries, he would take matters into his own claws and climb up my leg. Now that he is bigger and stronger he can, for the most part, make a clean jump himself. This is good and bad. Even though his claws are out, I don’t get scratched as often, but it can still be a bit of a shock if I’m not expecting it. Fortunately Gremlin is apprehensive around strangers, so we are not worried that he will “surprise” our guests. But I am still trying to teach him to be more patient for me to understand his signals, and for my part I’m trying to be more observant.

When we are communicating well, it looks more like this: Gremlin races me down the stairs, jumps on top of the dryer, then waits for me to come along and sling him over my shoulder. We take a walk and he looks all around, grabbing for whatever strikes his fancy, until I put him down a few minutes later. Counter surfing is a big no-no, especially during meal prep, so instead Gremlin hops from windowsill, to refrigerator, to the top of the cabinets, where he can look down on me. If I pick him up and he doesn’t want it, I get face-touching that is more claws out and pushing away… But when he is feeling affectionate, he gives a little meow before jumping into my arms. That’s when I get nuzzles and soft face-touching.

Can You Teach Your Cat to Do It Too?

What if your Siamese is not a Monkey Cat, and moreover does not like to be held? You can teach him to enjoy it! Start by picking him up and gently placing his front paws on your shoulder. Don’t take him by surprise; find moments when he is already being affectionate. While he will be nervous, he will also be curious and will be looking at all the things higher up that he may not have noticed before! As soon as he is ready to get down, place him on the floor as smoothly as possible. Repeat until he is relaxed when you sling him over your shoulder. Then you can start walking around with him. Over time, you and your baby will enjoy this bit of bonding.

1) Plastic/Cellophane Easter Grass

We all know that stringy things can be dangerous if eaten, and Siamese cats especially LOVE to eat things they shouldn’t! The plastic grass can get caught around the tongue or cause a bowel obstruction, so if you think your cat has gotten into some, take him to the veterinarian right away. Emergency surgery may be required. Do not try to pull any grass from your cat; this could make the problem worse.

Unfortunately, the worst case scenario can happen. One of our facebook page community members, Becky, issued this warning: Please do not buy plastic Easter grass (or similar stuff like Christmas tinsel & shaggy shiny garlands). It KILLED my cat when I didn’t know she ate some. It got tangled & stuck in her intestines causing serious infection. She died on the operating table. My veterinary friends say they see so many surgeries, and even deaths, a year from this! PASS IT ON!

Good Grass

It’s difficult to keep the grass out of reach and contained to Easter baskets since it is so lightweight, so best not to use it. Alternatives are shredded paper grass, tissue paper, or live organic wheat grass. Many Siamese love grass, so this makes a perfect holiday treat for your cat too!

As a side benefit, wheat grass can help maintain digestive health and aid with hairball issues, as well as provide a source of vitamins and antioxidants. (But this does mean that sometimes kitty will throw it up…) Wheat grass is sold in pet stores, online as seed or plants, and sometimes in the organic produce section of the supermarket. I bought some the other day and Gremlin loooooves it! That One is trying to get in on the action too – see that little orange paw?

2) Chocolate

Chocolate contains a chemical relative of caffeine, theobromine, that causes vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures and death in dogs and cats. Dark chocolate contains more theobromine so is more dangerous. However, cats only need to eat small amounts of any chocolate to feel ill. This means that chocolate bits that have accidentally fallen to the floor could cause trouble!

3) Lilies

Many plants are toxic to cats, and lilies are at the top of the list! Easter is a time when beautiful plants and cut flowers are likely to be found in homes, but they can be deadly to our cats. Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, Asiatic lilies, and the Stargazer lily can cause vomiting, loss of appetite, seizures, kidney failure, and death. All parts of these plants are toxic, in just small amounts. For more details on lily poisoning, read Lilies and Kitties Don’t Mix.

Can’t We Still Have Some Fun?

So many warnings about what NOT to eat start to take the fun out of the holiday, but you all are probably like me and always have some cat-safe treats on hand. I know I hate to leave the babies out of the celebration! Here they are enjoying some Cat-Sip lactose-free milk. They go crazy over this! Happy Easter to all!

Everybody knows something about how catnip can affect cats. But sometimes the effect can be surprising! If you want to give your kitty catnip or a catnip toy, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just pay attention to how your reacts and adjust his or her exposure accordingly.

Gremlin Protects His “Stash”!

As an example from our own experience, Gremlin normally is not at all aggressive toward our other two kitties, Petunia and That One (yes, that’s really her name!). But, although you don’t see it in this video, he became protective if they approached him while he had his catnip!

Who Wants to Know All About Catnip?

Infographic from http://catnipsum.com/sciency_stuff.html

Do You Like Happy Cats?

In this short video, our Siamese Kitty Gremlin plays with a sachet of Catnip. As you can see, he is, ahem, enjoying it quite a lot. Lol.

The Word On Catnip

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about how catnip affects kitties:

The common behaviors when cats sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip are rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, pawing at it, licking it, and chewing it. Consuming much of the plant is followed by drooling, sleepiness, anxiety, leaping about and purring. Some will growl, meow, scratch, or bite the hand holding it. Some cats will eat dried catnip; often eating too much can cause cats to be aggressive, typically making them hiss.

Have you given your Siamese catnip? How did he or she react? Let us know in the comments!

You’re in the right place. Meezers are delightful & unique kitties and have a fascinating history.

When you watch this short video from About.com, you will discover the inside scoop on the Siamese.

Check it out:

One of the most controversial topics surrounding pet ownership is whether to go through a breeder or a shelter. There is no question that cat overpopulation is a problem that plagues many countries, and that thousands experience tragic pain, suffering, and death each year. So, what is the best thing to do? Let’s consider that question now.

All Kitties Need Loving Homes

We all wish that more kitties could find safe, loving homes. Some claim that breeding is a major contributor to this problem — that every cat created through breeding directly results in the death of a cat in a shelter, because the person who purchased from a breeder now has one less “spot” open for a shelter cat. So, the argument goes that if we stopped breeding altogether, this would go a long way towards solving the problem. However, we here at the Siamese Cat Spot feel that the situation is a little more complex.

Focus On Responsibility

To get at the heart of the problem, the focus should be more on our responsibility to domestic cats in general and less on where these cats come from.

First and foremost, this means we should spay and neuter all pets. There is no reason for a household or barn cat to remain fertile. The urge to mate is natural and strong, so ensuring that there will be no “accidents” is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Sadly, too few people are willing to take the necessary steps to avert these accidents.

Secondly, only controlled, reputable breeding programs that are undertaken for the love of the breed should be supported. Responsible breeders are committed to improving the breed as a whole, and therefore focus on one or just a few specific types. They will often participate in shows to learn more about the cats as well as legal issues in the industry, to connect and work with other experts, and to enhance their reputations. (Interestingly, traditional Siamese cats are not recognized by some associations and thus cannot be shown.)

When responsible breeders sell kittens and cats as pets, they work hard to be sure their babies are happy, healthy, and placed in good homes. Kittens may be spayed or neutered early, before placement, or come with a spay/neuter agreement. Kittens are typically not released until about 12 weeks of age to ensure proper socialization. Reputable breeders should allow home visits from prospective owners so they can check out conditions for themselves, and they also make themselves available to help after the owner has brought their new baby home.

Irresponsible breeding in the form of kitten farms (and their canine counterpart: puppy mills) results too often in sickly, poorly socialized animals. The cats are overcrowded, females are bred too frequently, conditions are not clean, and the breeding is undertaken solely for profit, rather than for love of the animals. These breeders are not interested in the breed itself, and in fact may be producing cats from numerous breeds. There is little to no support for owners after they’ve purchased a new pet.

So What’s the Answer?

Cats deserve a loving home, no matter where they come from. We believe that an emphasis on education about responsible pet ownership and breeding, and commitment to spaying/neutering, will go a long way towards improving the situation for all. And to be clear, we take no issue with responsible, loving breeders since they are the reason the breeds we love can be maintained, and because they share our concern for the well-being of these wonderful animals.

We have so much fun, but unlike individual accounts, posts made by fans of the page are separated from posts made by administrators. This creates two facebook “walls” instead of one. It can seem like someone has hidden your photo, or worse, deleted it So we put together a tutorial to help you all upload photos and find them later. The gallery below shows step-by-step how to do it. Click on the first photo to begin:

When you first visit our page, the default is set to “Highlights.” These are the posts we’ve shared through your news feed–the ones you see even without coming to the page itself. You’ll also see a button you can click to post photos.

If you scroll down the page, the cover photo disappears and

(1) a bar appears that tells you where you are.

Click on the “Highlights” button (2) to see the drop-down menu, then click on “Posts by Others” to see ALL the posts shared with us!

If you want to share your own photo, click “Upload Photo/Video”. Then click “Choose File” and navigate the menu to find the pic you want from your computer. You can also type a description in the text box. Once you have successfully chosen your pic, the filename (underlined) appears. You may then click “Post”! Ta-Da!

If you have done this from the Posts by Others view, your picture should show up right away. If you are in “Highlights” view, you won’t see it. It immediately moves to the other wall In addition, you will always see the list of most recent posts off to the right, no matter which section you’re in.

This tutorial will help you with any community page, so have fun and come see us sometime!

We adopted Gremlin from the Bannock Humane Society in June of 2011. We had been looking for a kitten for a while, and went to the open adoption day one Saturday. We weren’t there for more than a few minutes before we spotted him.

We love cats, so we were drawn to all the kitties there, but Gremlin stood out. He was one of the cutest kittens we had ever seen and we knew right off that we wanted him.

So we adopted him.

And since Gremlin’s been a part of our lives, we have become fascinated with Siamese Cats. As anyone who has a Meezer for a friend knows, these kitties are delightful and unusual. They’re smart, curious, playful, talkative, and affectionate.

Gremlin At The Door

Here’s a video of Gremlin doing one of the many things we find charming and amusing: he loves to paw at smooth surfaces. Check it out!

Does your Meezer do something like this? Make a comment below and tell us what your kitty does that makes you smile!