Okay, so I wanted to talk about my little adventure trying to track down a Siamese cat here in Chicago. It wasn’t exactly planned, you know? It just sort of happened. I’d been seeing pictures of them online, those striking blue eyes and sleek bodies, and thought, “Man, I wonder what it’s like having one around.” Living in Chicago, I figured, how hard could it be?
First thing I did, like pretty much everyone these days, was hit the internet. I spent a good few evenings just searching around. Typed in all sorts of things like “siamese cat adoption chicago”, “siamese kittens chicago”, you get the idea. Lots of stuff popped up, mostly big adoption sites listing tons of cats. Found plenty of cute cats, definitely, but nailing down a pure Siamese, or even a very close mix, specifically in a Chicago shelter? That was tricky. Most listings were just general “domestic shorthair” or maybe “mix”.
Finding the real deal wasn’t straightforward.
So, I shifted gears. Thought maybe local shelters or rescue groups would be better. I made a list of places right here in the city and nearby suburbs:
- PAWS Chicago
- The Anti-Cruelty Society
- A few smaller, neighborhood rescues
I spent a weekend actually visiting a couple of them. Great places, doing amazing work, seriously. Lots of wonderful cats needing homes. But again, finding that specific look and personality of a Siamese? It felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. I saw some cats with points, yeah, but often they were mixes with different temperaments or looks. And that’s totally fine! Just wasn’t exactly what sparked my initial interest, if that makes sense.
Checking out breeders
Then I thought, okay, what about breeders? Did some more searching. Found a few listed in Illinois, though not many right in Chicago proper. Contacted a couple. Hoo boy. That was a different world. Very professional, knew their stuff inside and out about the breed. But the waiting lists were long, sometimes like a year or more! And honestly, the price tag was pretty steep too. Made me pause and think, you know? Was I ready for that level of commitment and cost? It felt like a big step.
During one shelter visit, just browsing, I did see this one cat. Wasn’t a purebred, the volunteer was upfront about that. But it had those darker points on the ears and tail, and these pale blue eyes. A bit skinny, kinda shy, hiding in the back. Spent some time just sitting near its cage. Didn’t try to push it. After a bit, it kinda peeked out. We didn’t have a big magical moment or anything, but it got me thinking.
It made me reconsider what I was really looking for.
In the end, I actually didn’t get a Siamese cat. Not yet, anyway. The whole process – the searching, the visiting, talking to people, seeing all those cats – it was an experience in itself. It kinda shifted my focus from just getting a specific breed to thinking more about finding a cat with the right personality that fits my life here in the city, regardless of its papers or perfect points. Chicago’s got tons of amazing animals waiting for homes, Siamese or not. So, my “siamese cat chicago” quest ended up being more about the journey than the destination. Maybe one day, who knows? But for now, I’m just keeping my eyes open and my options broader. It was a good learning curve, that’s for sure.
