My Hunt for a Siamese Cat in Texas
Okay, so I decided I really wanted a Siamese cat. Not just any cat, but a proper Siamese. I live down here in Texas, so I figured, how hard could it be? Started off thinking it’d be straightforward, you know? Just look up “siamese cattery texas” and pick one.
Well, that was the first mistake. The internet just threw a whole mess of stuff at me. Websites looked fancy, some looked like they were made back in the dial-up days. Trying to figure out who was legit and who was just breeding cats in their backyard was tough. Spent a good few evenings just clicking around, making a list.
Then came the contacting part. Sent out a bunch of emails. Some folks got back right away, super friendly. Others? Took weeks, or never replied at all. Had a couple of phone calls too. One lady sounded like she was whispering the whole time, like it was some secret operation. Another guy basically just wanted to know if I had the money upfront before even talking about the cats. Felt kinda transactional, you know?
Finding someone nearby wasn’t easy either. Texas is big, real big. Some places were like an eight-hour drive away. I wasn’t keen on driving halfway across the state just for an initial look-see. Found one place that seemed promising, only about a two-hour drive. Decided to check it out.
Went down there one Saturday. Place looked okay from the outside. Inside, well, it was clean, but there were a lot of cats. Like, more than I expected. The breeder showed me some kittens. They were cute, sure, but kinda skittish. Didn’t seem super well-socialized. The adult cats mostly kept their distance. It just didn’t feel quite right. Left feeling a bit disappointed.
That visit kinda reset my thinking. I realized what I really needed to focus on:
- Seeing the kittens’ parents.
- Knowing what health checks they do. Seriously, vet bills are no joke.
- Seeing where the cats actually lived day-to-day. Not just a quick peek.
- Talking to the breeder, really getting a feel for if they cared about the cats or just the cash.
Started the search again, but this time I was way pickier. Asked more questions upfront. If they dodged questions about health testing or wouldn’t let me schedule a proper visit, I just crossed them off my list. It narrowed things down quite a bit.
Finally found a small cattery, maybe three hours away. The breeder was super open, sent me pics, answered all my annoying questions patiently. We chatted on the phone for ages. When I visited, it was totally different. Just a few cats, clearly part of the family. Kittens were playful, curious, climbed right into my lap. Saw the mom and dad cat, both looked healthy and happy. She showed me all the vet paperwork without me even pushing hard for it.
Ended up putting a deposit down. There was a waitlist, yeah, but it felt right this time. It took way longer and was more hassle than I thought it would be back when I started. Hunting for a good breeder, someone you trust, it’s a whole process. Glad I didn’t just jump on the first fancy website I saw. You really gotta do your homework and trust your gut feeling when you visit.
