This is the Myth I hear more than any other. I have had people e-mail me asking if they should let their daughter play with the neighbor kid because they have a Siamese. Or one individual was afraid to "cat-sit" a Siamese for fear of their "wrath".

Siamese are not mean. Any animal can be mean of course if they have been mistreated just as any human can.

Now why would this myth be so widely believed? I have a couple ideas.

First of all, Disney released a movie called The Lady & The Tramp. There were two mean and nasty Siamese cats in this movie. Remember their famous line? "We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please." A stigma was forever stamped on the breed. Now- I'm not going to sue Disney, I personally love the movie, but as silly as it sounds, so many of our customers have vivid memories of these two cartoon cats and I feel their reaction bears noting.

The other reason for this "negative" reputation lies in the more realistic point that the breed, having been introduced to this country only 40-50 years before, became the #1 breed through the 1950s and 1960s. The demand alone created a situation were many kittens were bred too quickly and weren't given the socialization they required and the queens weren't carefully selected for their temperament. They were "mass produced" in large catteries (or should we say kitten mills) and were rather neglected in every essential way! This incredible breed is so social and active that they must be bred carefully with love and attention and provided room to move and exercise. There are few breeders even today who can breed on a larger scale and do so properly. When an animal is mistreated: raised just to produce more babies who are also mistreated and this process continues-there will be kittens that are adopted out into homes that are not suited for a family environment. These cats could very well have been mean and ill fitted. I believe for the vast majority, breeders have realized the weight of responsibility they carry both to the cats and to those potential owners who adopt their cats as pets and many of these abusive practices have stopped. Siamese that are true to their breed are not mean -not even one tiny bit. One can really see what a tragedy the situation created in the 1960s truly was!

This is not at all true. Now Siamese are so social they usually make their opinions known whether their tastes be good or bad. I have a cat or two that chose to lavish their great love in extra large portions to one special person. For instance, Autumn just loves my husband. She greets him enthusiastically when he gets home and it is usually his lap that she curls into when we sit down to watch a movie, but she doesn't exclude any one else. She is fun and loves everyone -No one excluded! This opposed to the German Shepherd that is know to be protective and gives it's devotion to only one member of the family, Siamese have love to spread around and won't refuse love from anyone.

Well as sneakiness goes, a Siamese is no sneakier than any other feline. In fact, it's inability to keep one's mouth shut gives it away more than not. Of course, cats walk on silent feet and a Siamese with its svelte graceful body seems to glide on air. This talent plus the slanted eyes may give an outsider the appearance of being sly and slick and "up to no good". A Siamese is very clever and will surprise you with its wit. Leaving you to believe he had to be plotting some little episode for days. I love what one breeder said "whatever he wants he gets, he will take it right from under your nose. Though you try to outwit him he is likely to get the best of you 9 times out of 10." Maybe if one is not aware or prepared for the intelligence of the Siamese, it could take one off guard -even feel a bit odd or supernatural...but sneaky? No. Just smart.

Siamese are lovers of all living things: people, dogs, insects and yes, even other cats-Siamese or otherwise. Now they love insects so much they eat them, but a Siamese is not going to eat, or discriminate, against other cat breeds. They mix well with any other cat and fit nicely into multi-animal households. A Siamese will usually come out as "top-cat" even while still a kitten. We see and hear over and over again of how the others in the household relinquish their rule and happily allow the Siamese to take the throne.

Of course any animal can be sick from time to time, but as a breed, Siamese are strong, resilient animals, not prone at all to certain illnesses. They are excellent in "child" birth, delivering quite easily-often carrying large litters. An average litter for Siamese is 5-6 and not at all uncommon is a litter of 8 or 9! They are excellent mothers, mothering not only their own babies but also anyone else's they come in contact with. They live long easy lives very often reaching the ripe old age of 20 (or more)! I had one person tell me he would never buy a "pure-bred" animal, as they were unsteady in their health and fragile. Under the wrong type of breeding I could agree with this man. If there has been too much "line-breeding" (where two related cats are mated) it would produce weak and sickly animals. Also from time to time, a certain male and female when bred together will produce a "sub-standard" litter. If this should happen-this mating must never be allowed to take place again -though the two cats themselves may be perfectly healthy. In the case of irresponsible breeding, these issues may be left unchecked.

Another reason one may assume Siamese are delicate is because of their fine body structure. Once you have the opportunity to pick up and hold a Siamese you will see why this is not an issue. Despite the petite appearance, a Siamese very muscular, well toned and heavy. I, as a breeder am happy to say this is a very hearty breed!