What breed do I have?

Question
I have two beautiful cats that were part of a litter of six that my boyfriend and I were baby-sitting. They were ferril when they were rescued(their mother was literally eaten by a pit bull.)  These kittens were all different colors and patterns, and we fell in love with three of them and kept them when our friend returned.  My son had a grey and black striped cat he named Squirrell.  This cat was a high energy cat.  And the second biggest of the litter. Unfortunately, he died while he was getting his unmentionables fixed.  So now we just have two, a boy and a girl.  I think they are part Siamese, due to the fact that their sister was a solid white with icy blue eyez. we nicknamed their sister lil mama because she took care of all the other cats.  She also didn't "Meow". She made this peculiar noise.  My boyfirend said siamese made that noise.  Our two are white, but also have the striped tabby markings on them like someone threw a piece of cloth over the top of them. Their faces- except the nose, whisker and under the neck- are striped with a dark grey/black and kind of brown color all across their back and all of their tail.  The male was the runt of the litter. He is affectionately called poopie.  When he was little he would always have poop clinging to his back end and so I would bathe him daily.  Now he is a big fatty.  I guess he will never get over the feeling that he isn''t going to get his share of the food.  I have to watch him or he will inhale his food and then his sister will obligingly move over and let him eat hers.  He rarely "Meows" but is my buddy.  He follows me everywhere and recently has a facination where things in the toilet go.  He will carry object all around our room like a dog does.  Today he ran off with my shoe and an empty can of cat food he had retrieved from the garbage.  He also has a thing for tipping over his water bowl.  I had to buy a large shiny dog food dish so he couldn't flood the carpet.  So now he just puts his front half in the bowl.  He especially does this when he is drinking water.  He has to have his paw in the water.  Its almost like he's making sure where the water is at.  Could it be possible that he has vision problems?  The female, who we call "Ki-Ki", is patterned just like the male with the exception that her tails size is different. The male has a lond skinny tail(and feet like skis!) where she has a shorter more plump tail and little dainty feet.  Her fur is also a little longer that his.She will "Meow" though.  If poopie ever slips out the door and we don't see she will begin this frantic meowing session going back and forth to the door.  She is also very jealous of any attention we give to poopie.  Normally she doesn't want to be bothered by anyone.  But when she wants attention she will literally climb up and sit on poopie's head if she has to, to make sure that she is the one being petted.  She fights with her brother like a boxer dog does.  almost batting with little paw fists. She picks up objects with her paws and flings them so she can chase after it and attack it.  Almost like she has thumbs.  Is it possible for my babies to be a mixtuer of two breeds? Like how humans and dogs can be?  I am a first time cat owner.  Always had dogs before.  But I think I'm a cat lover forever now.  The affection these two show, is unlike anything a dog ever did.  I think my boyfriend put it best when he said, dogs will go fetch something even if it kills them just to please their master; a cat on the other hand had it's own mind.  It doesn't do anything it doesn't want to, but they show affection for their owner like a child does.  And I agree.  My son is 7 and his moods are equally as changing and just as demanding as my boy cat.
One last question - are there any natural remedies to flea  control?  I am weary of using chemicals, because as much as they groom themselves it couldn't possibly be healthy for then to possibly injest the flea medication, plus I don't think I'm ready to tru and put either of them in the tub for a flea shampoo!  Both of my cats have their claws as it should be.  I saw a poor cat whos owners left him outside and he was completely declawed, and he didn't have a chance with the dog that found him.  Now he lives at the vets office.  Very affectionate, but scary at first to children who see this cat with one large glowing orange eye.  Any help on what kind of cats I own, and what to do about the fleas would be much appreciated! - Leigh

Answer
Hi, Leigh.  Cats can be mixed breeds.  I couldn't rule out the possibility that your two may be Siamese mixes, but your description of their physical appearance doesn't sound like a Siamese.  But 1/2 Siamese kittens can be any color; they don't necessarily have to have the color pattern of a Siamese.  If you have a photo and would like me to take a look, I could give you my opinion.  You can send it to my email - redkittycat@hotmail.com.  

Regarding their sister, true Siamese cats aren't white, although they all have blue eyes.  The Siamese's cousin, the Oriental Shorthair, comes in a stunning white with blue eyes, so that may be a possibility.  However, Oriental Shorthairs are pretty rare, especially the whites.

It's more likely that their sister was what is called an epistatic white.  This white gene is dominant to all other colors.  Blue-eyed epistatic whites are very often deaf.

Siamese do have a very distinct meow.  It sounds almost human, actually, like a baby crying.  Even in my Siamese mixes, you can tell by their meow that they have Siamese blood.

It's interesting, though, that poopie collects things.  Many Siamese cats tend to do this.  Mine prefer socks, underwear, and toys.  They'll walk around with them for a while and then drop them in their food bowl, or in a secret hiding place, or in their bed.  I think it's a very endearing trait.

Regarding his habit with the water bowl, that one's actually pretty common.  The truth is, cats probably CAN'T see the water in their bowl.  Cats are far-sighted and have difficulty seeing anything closer than 4-5" from their face.  That's where their whiskers come in.  Instead of seeing objects close up, they use their whiskers to feel them.  Sometimes, dropping a ping-pong ball or some ice cubes in the water can help them detect where the water's surface is.  Other times, it just encourages them to play in the water!

And some cats really do enjoy wading and playing in water.  In my experience, the love of water tends to run in families.

There are actually many natural flea treatments.  They tend to be rather difficult to use and aren't usually as effective as say Advantage or Frontline.  And it's important to remember that natural products can be just as dangerous, possibly more dangerous, than traditional pesticides can be, so be sure to follow instructions very carefully, and then observe your kitties carefully after application.

Here are some such products:

http://www.preciouspets.org/fleafree.htm

There are lots others out there, too.  Some people feel the best holistic approach to controlling fleas is to feed an excellent diet, which may boost the immune system.  They say the immune system is able to repel fleas on its own.  Two of those cat foods are Flint River Ranch and Nature's Abundance.  I can't say whether or not I agree with that approach because I haven't tried it myself.

If your cats have fleas now, chances are your house has fleas.  Fleas only spend a small portion of their lives on pets.  The rest is spent in carpets and furniture, where they lay their eggs.  The eggs hatch, and then the larvae live there until they reach adulthood, when they hop back on your cat.  A natural treatment for killing fleas, eggs, and larvae on your furniture and in your carpet is borax cleaner.  It dehydrates fleas, eggs, and larvae and kills them.  You should shake it onto all porous surfaces in your home, rub it in, and let it sit for a couple hours, and then vacuum it up.  Keep the kitties out of that room while the borax is on the floor.  Steam cleaning carpets and furniture and washing bedding in hot water can also help.

I'm glad you've chosen not to declaw your babies.  What a terrible thing!  And I'm so sorry you lost that one during his neuter.  How heartbreaking.

As far as being a catlover, I started out liking dogs, too.  But now I'm a cat lady to the core.  Sounds like you have a great boyfriend, too!  I always think the love of a cat is worth more than the love of a dog.  A dog loves you regardless.  You have to EARN the love of a cat. :o)

Best wishes to you and yours!

Jessica