My First, Slightly Neglected, Children

Long before two wild daughters came into my life, I had slightly smaller, furry children. One of the very first things I did when I moved out on my own after college was adopt two kittens from the local shelter. One of those two was a Siamese, and since then, I’ve loved the breed and now have two Siamese cats.

Siamese, if raised properly, are actually very sweet and affectionate cats. They’ve had a lot of bad press thanks to Lady & the Tramp, and while they do like to get into everything, they aren’t mean. They’re like the dogs of the cat world – they love their people, they need to be around people, and if left alone they quickly become depressed and bitter.

Our two cats (we actually have three cats, but the third is like a ghost – we know she’s here, but others often don’t see her) and our two kids are usually friendly with each other. Dante, the older Siamese, has been with us since before Cordy was born. He was a little unsure of her when she first came home from the hospital, but after he got used to her they were always together.

Cordy and Dante, 2004

Kit, our younger cat, didn’t come along until Cordy was just over a year old. Siamese often like to be in pairs, and Dante was a little tired of having to share my attention with Cordy, so we found another Siamese for him. Kit is more high-strung and energetic (psycho kitty is what I often call him), but he’s also just as sweet with the kids. Mira pulls his tail all the time, and he generally doesn’t mind unless she tries to lift him by the tail. Even then, he doesn’t scratch or bite – he only tries to get free.

Cordy and Kit, 2005

Both cats do more than just tolerate the kids – they genuinely enjoy being with them. Some nights Cordy insists that he come into her room with her so she can sleep, and he willingly goes in and lets her shut the door behind him. Hours later, when she’s asleep, he’s meow at the door for me to let him out. When she’s awake in the morning, he’s often the one to let us know by meowing at her door. And Kit will often position himself next to Mira or Cordy in the living room, knowing they might pull his tail, but they might also pet him, too.


They’re attention whores, so they’ll take any attention, even if it’s a one year old pulling a tail.

And when they’re sick of the kids, they retreat to a high perch to cuddle together for warmth.

All together now: aww…

This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Burger King Corp.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...


Comments

  1. You are making me want to go out and get a pair of Siamese cats. I love kitties and they sound like they get along well with small children. Did you go to a breeder or did you get them from a shelter?

  2. And I concur… AWWWWWW. What a cute picture. Siamese have the best dispositions.

    We have one angry, bitter, old orange cat on our hands. But she’s traveled with me through 8 moves and tolerated 2 new children, so I’ll keep her.

  3. Your cats are adorable. I’ve always wanted a Siamese.

    My cat and dog have moved further and further down the importance chain. I feel sad for them and profound guilt some days.

    The dog is amazing with the kids and my cat/ Well, I hate him, but he’s not going anywhere.

  4. Nothing beats a well-loved pet hanging with the well-loved kids.

  5. such sweet cats. :O adorable.

  6. Those cats are so sweet. We have a cat and she has become really gracious with the boys–they just love her to death.

  7. Love them! I used to have a white Siamese named Tikka. He was such a bitch. Oh how i miss him.

  8. AW! that kitty snuggle one is great!