Gender selection

Question
Hi Jessica

I am planning to purchase a neutered male siamese kitten. I have a 13 year old cat (neutered) who is a plain black and white cat variety. I have thought about getting a boy as our existing cat has always been in the house with another male (died last year) and befriends other male cats. I have heard conflicting reports about siamese and wonder what you recommend about the gender choice in this situation. I have also been told that the male siamese will spray more than other male cat varieties and am wondering if 1)this is correct and 2) if the 2 cats could get into a spraying "war".

Answer
Hi Sharon.  I haven't found Siamese to be especially guilty of spraying.  I don't feel a Siamese will pose any more of a spraying risk than any other breed of cat.  To be very honest, I think my Siamese have been more well-behaved than the other breeds I've had as far as spraying goes.  The one thing I will admit is that some Siamese can be a little prone to anxiety problems.  Cats suffering anxiety can spray.  But as long as a Siamese is not kept by himself all day and won't suffer too many drastic changes in his life, he is generally going to be a pretty happy cat.

It is always possible that your cat and a new addition could get into a spraying war.  This is a risk we take when we add a new cat to the home.  The resident cat may start spraying first to reinforce the idea that the home is his, or the new cat may start spraying first to try to claim the home as his.  It rarely ever happens, however, if we introduce the cats very slowly over the course of a couple weeks.  And spraying isn't very common in households where all the cats are neutered and there are fewer than 5 cats.  To further reduce the risk of a spraying war, consider the use of a product called Feliway Comfort Zone before and during the introduction (www.feliway.com)

As for the sex, this usually isn't of much importance as long as the cat will be neutered, although I will say that in my own experience, male Siamese tend to form closer bonds with each other.  This is strictly anecdotal - there's no science behind it at all.  But since you know your kitty befriends males easily, it would make sense to go ahead with purchasing a male companion for him.

Good luck with your new addition!

Jessica