Tips for choosing your kitten

Choose one that is alert and lively with a playful and inquisitive nature. Bear in mind that kittens do sleep much of the time, so don't assume a kitten is lethargic just because it might be napping or may have just woken from a nap.

Make sure the kitten runs and jumps with ease and look for bright eyes and clean nose and ears.

Check for healthy teeth and gums by looking inside the mouth and look for a shiny, silky coat free of parasites.

Bear in mind that some kittens are naturally more timid than others but are likely to make equally rewarding companion pets as those which are bolder and more extroverted. However, be wary of a kitten which is literally terrified of humans and which endeavours to avoid human contact at all costs.

Oriental type breeds such at the Siamese, Oriental and Burmese crave the company of humans, so don't buy one unless you are prepared to return the love and companionship you cat will give.

 

Bringing Your Kitten Home

The big day has arrived, and you're ready to bring your new cat or kitten home! Before embarking on your trip, there are some essentials you will need to take care of first so that your home is ready for the new arrival.

Food and water dishes are essential, a separate dish for each, and it's preferable that the dishes are ceramic - plastic bowls have been known to leak chemicals into food or water. A flatter dish, rather than a bowl, is perfect for food - easier for your cat or kitten to eat from. Fresh water should be always available for your feline.

Most breeders will generally advise you on what to feed your new cat. Radically changing a cat's diet is not recommended, so it's a good idea to feed the same kind of food that your feline is already accustomed to. If you wish to change the diet, this should be a gradual process.

Another essential is bedding. Your cat or kitten will need its own bed to sleep in, somewhere it will feel safe and can provide a retreat. There are many great cat beds on the market in various shapes and sizes...if you are buying for a kitten, remember your kitten won't always be tiny, so make allowance for its size as an adult. The bed should be soft and comfortable, and warm!

A litter tray is also a must, preferably a high sided one as it will help prevent spillage. There are plenty of varieties of litter available, but when you first get your cat or kitten home, it's a good idea to use the same kind of litter they are already accustomed to. You can always gradually change over to your preferred litter once your new feline is happily settled into your home.

Cat toys and scratching furniture are not necessarily essentials, but they are a worthwhile investment to keep your cat happy and occupied, and to help save your own furniture! Your local pet shop should have supplies of toys as well as scratching posts and/or furniture. Bear in mind, that if you plan to buy a scratching post, purchase one that at least is double the height of the cat when it stretches out. Posts that are too short will mostly likely be ignored! There is some wonderful cat furniture available these days, with towers and shelves, tunnels and hidey holes! Cats love them!

It is a huge adjustment for a cat to move to a new home, and it can be quite a frightening experience. Please be sensitive to your feline and allow them some space to inspect their new surroundings. Ideally, at least to begin with, food & water, bedding and litter tray should all be in the one room, if possible. This will provide some security and prevent the new arrival from having to "hunt" down these items from room to room.

Breed Information

Siamese  Siamese have fascinated folks around the world since they were first officially exported from Thailand, or as it was known then Siam, in the late eighteen hundreds. Their sleek lines, striking color contrast, finely chiseled aristocratic heads, deep blue almond-shaped eyes, and short silky coats make them living art. Combine this beauty with acute intelligence, inquisitive personality and a loving nature and you have the essence of the Siamese cat.

Siamese will go for walks with you, if permitted, and can be trained to use a harness and leash. They can also learn to fetch and retrieve toys, although for some this seems to be a natural trait - they will bring you their favourite toy and expect you to throw it for them, then dash off to retrieve it, bring it back and repeat the game again!

The first Siamese to appear in England were a gift from Siam to an ambassador who brought them home. They began appearing in English cat shows almost immediately, and in American shows by the early twentieth century.  

Seal points, still the best known variety, were the first to arrive. With their seal brown, almost black extremities and their pale fawn bodies, they were sensational. While chocolate points, with creamy white bodies and milk chocolate legs, tail, mask and ears did appear from time to time, it was the blue point that gained official recognition in 1934. The blue point has a bluish-white body with slate blue points. The chocolate point was recognized next. In 1955 the lilac point followed and completed the breed. The lilac point has pinkish grey points with a white body which makes it most ethereal and delicate in color. These days several other colours are also available such as fawn, caramel, cinnamon, red, cream and apricot.

While color is a prominent feature of this breed, structure is also important. The Siamese is a study in length. From the start the breed standard has called for a long, wedge shaped head and elongated body lines. The muscular, tubular body is supported by long legs and graced by a long neck and tail. Paradoxically the short, close lying coat accentuates the long lines perfectly.

The long Siamese head is delineated by an absolutely straight profile and well aligned chin. From the front, the outline of the face presents a smooth wedge with large wide ears that complete the wedge. The outstanding feature of the head is the pair of deep blue almond-shaped eyes (an eye’s width apart which are set at a slant.) If you have been able to resist all the other attributes of this breed, the eyes will captivate you. They radiate intelligence and emotion.

This ancient breed, perhaps the oldest of all our cats, is able to communicate like no other. The Siamese voice is legendary. They speak both with their voice and with their body. They are the quintessential “people” cat, for they love to be in your lap, on your bed, at your table--and in your heart!

Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or spaying and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching posts) for the natural behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements for maintaining a healthy, long and joyful life.

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Orientals The Oriental was developed to explore all the possibilities of color and pattern. Since its initial acceptance in CFA, Oriental breeders have maintained a constant pace to fulfill the breadth of this destiny. The Oriental has an equally colorful personality. They are closely linked to the people they claim as their own and desperately want to share their lives with you.

In the busiest moments, your Oriental will find a way to interrupt your activities; a little nudge while you eat, a close examination of your tooth brush prior to use, or some help tying your shoes before you leave in the morning. It’s understood you’ll need help deciding which items to select from the refrigerator! In the calmest of times they’ll share the warmth of your lap, provide a comforting purr, and nuzzle your chin when you need it the most.

They eagerly greet you at the door and tell you all about their day. If you’re late, they will scold you and tell you how worried they were that you didn't call. Hide their feather on top of the refrigerator? Wrong! Curiosity and intelligence combine, providing them a means of finding anything and everything. They have been known to open a drawer, or empty your purse to discover their favorite toy. It might be a pen or a crumpled up piece of paper that they can chase around the kitchen floor, it really doesn't’t matter. Give them the attention and affection they so desperately need, and they will do anything to please you. Ignore them, and they will droop with despair. These elegant, svelte cats remain playful, spirited and loyal well beyond their youth.

The Oriental is often referred to as the 'Ferrari' of the cat world. From the tip of its nose to the end of its long, whippy tail, the Oriental is a study in sleek design. This elegant cat gracefully glides across the room on its tall, slender legs. The lines of its angular head flow into its large flaring ears, and are complimented by its almond shaped eyes. Don’t be fooled by the svelte, tubular body; these cats have surprising weight and muscle tone and are neither frail nor fragile.

Orientals represent a diverse group of cats that have their foundation in the Siamese breed. When the Oriental Short hair was accepted for championship status in 1977 it rapidly became one of CFA’s most popular breeds. With the 1995 addition of the Oriental Longhair into this family of sleek, muscular felines the Oriental breed can provide a cat for just about anyone.

With over 300 different colors and patterns to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find an Oriental that will tickle your fancy. Imagine a Siamese wearing a head to toe coat in white, red, cream, ebony, blue, chestnut, lavender, cinnamon or fawn. These are our solids. For a sparkling undercoat, stir in the silver gene (to all but the white), and you have a smoke Oriental. Perhaps, instead, you'd like the color restricted to the tips of the hair. For this, we have the shadeds to whet your appetite. Paint splashes of red and/or cream on any of these coats and you have a parti-color.

If you like stripes on the legs, tail and face, try a tabby in any of four different patterns: classic, mackerel, spotted, or ticked. Cross the patterns and colors together for a bit of variety, and 32 different combinations emerge…but we’re not through. Once again add a patch of red and/or cream and voilá…another 24 combinations, referred to as patched tabbies. Layer in the sparkle of that silver gene, and you’ve added yet again 56 more! (That’s 112 tabby combinations if you’ve been counting!)

In 1995 Orientals added the bi-color pattern to their repertoire. With the clear white underside, legs, chest and inverted V on the face, these distinctly marked members of this breed have already developed a following of devoted fans.

Finally, breeders dedicated to developing another major addition to the breed added the longhair variety, paralleling their Balinese and Javanese counterparts. These beautiful felines carry the same graceful bodies with the addition of a silky long coat, goatee, and long plumed tail. For the short hair Oriental, the coat appears painted on, it is soft and satin like to the touch, and their long whippy tail seems to go on forever.

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Burmese Through selective breeding to Siamese, it was established that the Burmese is a distinct breed. Lighter colored kittens were occasionally produced and eventually the American breeders requested recognition from CFA for these “dilute” colors; first, as another breed named Malayan, then later as a dilute division of Burmese. The four colors recognized by CFA are: sable, champagne, blue and platinum.

Burmese carry surprising weight for their size and have often been described as “bricks wrapped in silk.” Their coats are very short, satin-like in texture, and generally require little grooming other than daily petting. There is a range in Burmese head and body type; the more compact cats with the rounder heads are seen in the show ring. Burmese have large, expressive eyes that are great pools of innocence and seductive appeal, irresistible in effect. These eyes are their most persuasive weapon in an arsenal of endearing traits that mask an awesome power to hypnotize their owners into life-time love affairs through which they effortlessly rule their families.

As kittens, Burmese are quite lively. They often seem clumsy when they attempt feats beyond their capabilities and land on their rears with solid little thumps. They will be playful well into adulthood. As Burmese grow, their high intelligence emerges and their own individual personalities start to unfold. They mature into charming, resolute executives who move in and take over a household, running it efficiently with those big eyes and a velvet paw. If encouraged, many Burmese converse with their humans, using soft, sweet voices (they are neither loud nor raucous). They are good with children, will tolerate the family dog, and if introduced to it at an early age as something pleasant, most will enjoy traveling in a car.

Burmese are extremely people-oriented; their personalities are almost dog-like in a tendency to shadow their owners and in a desire to give and receive affection. Many Burmese have delighted their “humans” by learning to retrieve. They love warm laps and caressing hands and enjoy cuddling up in bed either under the covers or on top of their favorite persons. They delight in helping to manage the house. Some of their favorite chores are assisting with paper work or reading (by sitting on top of the material), or going into cupboards (to demonstrate where things ought to be). Typically, Burmese are always with people. The females tend to request center stage and take an active role in ruling the household.

The males prefer to supervise from the lap position, are more laid back and less opinionated. If emotionally slighted by their owner’s obtuseness, Burmese may sulk, but, fortunately, not for long. Burmese often convert the most anti-cat person into a Burmese enthusiast. Be forewarned! They can be addictive, and like potato chips, you may find you cannot have just one. Many people find the complete Burmese experience is to have one of each sex or perhaps two (or more) colors.

Burmese should never be let outdoors as they are entirely too trusting and have little, if any, survival instinct. Their idea of survival is to turn their soulful eyes on you to attend to all their needs. This does not work for catching food, fighting off enemies or avoiding cars.