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Welcome, Crazy cat people!
The Siamese! What a wonderful breed of cat. Does the Siamese cat need a mate though or are they okay on their own?
I used my knowledge of this popular cat breed and did a little bit of research to answer your questions.
As a general rule, Siamese cats are happier when they have a companion to share their life with, especially if you are frequently away from home. They are a sociable breed with lots of energy and can get depressed if left alone, so having a mate around can help to make sure they remain happy and healthy.
In the rest of this post, we look into more detail regarding the personality of a Siamese cat and if they get along well with other pets and how you should best introduce your Siamese to another cat or dog.
Keep reading to find out more.
Do Siamese cats get along with other cats?
Siamese cats tend to get along really well with other cats. They would be suited to another cat breed who has a personality similar to their own and is affectionate with lots of energy such as a ragdoll or Siberian. They love attention and need regular stimulation and another cat could be a perfect companion.
Siamese cats are a super social breed and if you share your life with a siamese cat already you will know exactly what I mean, they will literally follow you around from room to room and always want to be on your lap.
Their social nature makes them a perfect breed to get along with other cats. They can however at times get jealous and very territorial so it’s important when you get another cat to make sure the introductions are slow and monitored at all times but I will go into more detail about introducing your siamese to other pets a little later in this post.
If you want to learn more about just how friendly the siamese cat is then you may want to take a look through another post I wrote about the Siamese which looks into more detail about how affectionate they are and some of the things that make this cat one of the most popular breeds around – Click here to take a look!
It is better to have one or two Siamese cats?
From the perspective of a Siamese cat, they love to have a companion to share their life with who can keep them entertained when you are not around. Having another cat around can also give you some peace from time to time and reduce how clingy siamese cats can be.
Imagine the things they will both get up to!
Siamese cats have so much play energy to use up every day and are very energetic, as you can imagine they will be playing all day long and chasing each other from room to room.
They may also spend the day talking to each other. Siamese cats are extremely vocal, if you want to see just how vocal they are take a look at this video below. These cats certainly don’t like that their owner is having a shower! 🙂
When you are thinking of adopting two cats there are always things that you as the owner and caregiver need to consider and one of those is the price of looking after two little felines!
In one of my blog posts (which you can read by clicking here) I looked into the price of owning a cat. Not only the initial costs but also how much it costs per month and the average price per cat was $79. So consider this before you take on board another pet.
Not only have you go to consider the price of your siamese but you also need to consider the extra time it will take to look after the two cats and the extra attention you will need to give them while you are at home. As long as you can provide all the love, attention and care that they need then two Siamese cats in my opinion is defiantly better than one for this super sociable, cooperative breed.
Can Siamese cats live alone?
Siamese cats can live alone if needed but it’s important to make sure they have regular attention and they would be more suited to a family where someone is at home all day.
If you are looking for an independent cat then the Siamese cat breed is not going to be for you. They need regular playtime to use up the restless energy they tend to carry around with them and they have a tendency to get jealous when ignored and may show signs of separation anxiety if you are out most of the day.
This article by the AVMA looked at separation anxiety and some of the behaviours associated with this can include inappropriate defecation, destruction of the home and also the article goes on to say that 75% of the cats studied that urinated due to separation anxiety did this on their owner’s bed!
So to avoid this if your Siamese is going to be alone then make sure their environment is fully enriched and they have lots of toys to play with.
In a nutshell, if they are left alone make sure it isn’t going to be for very long and make sure there are lots of toys, you can also include passive stimulation too such as providing fish tanks with secure lids and making sure your cats can see out of the windows during the daytime so they can watch birds and people walk by.
A cat doesn’t need to only physically hunt to keep them entertained they can hunt in their minds.
A bird feeder on the window is perfect for this, I bought one and it’s one of the best things I ever did for my cats! It took a while for the birds to notice it was there but when the birds started flying to the window it kept the cats entertained for hours.
Check out this cool bird feeder on Amazon by clicking on the image below!
Do Siamese cats like dogs?
The Siamese cat is a great cat to get along with the family dog. This talkative and energetic breed will spend hours playing with the dog and would suit a dog that likes to play gently.
In this article and study by plosone, several people were asked questions about how their cat and dog got along and 62.4% of people said that their dogs and cats played happily and easily together from day one. The studies showed that even though the dogs were more playful at times if the cats didn’t want to play they were more likely to ignore, run away and hiss at the dogs, letting them know they were not in the mood.
If you are introducing a new dog into the home you need to remember that the siamese although loving and playful also get extremely attached to their owner and can be quite territorial and protective so at first, they may get jealous so it’s very important when introducing a dog to your Siamese to do this slowly and carefully and to give your Siamese cat constant reassurance that they are loved and they are still cared for to reduce any jealousy that may arise.
When thinking of getting a dog it’s more a question of what type of dog will be suitable for my Siamese?
Some breeds of dogs are well suited to get along with cats and other breeds may find it more difficult.
Generally, terrier dogs or dogs that are bred for the hunt such as greyhounds are the least likely to get along with cats. It’s not to say that they won’t get along with them, it may just be a little bit more challenging and you may have a constant chase on your hands which can sometimes cause the cat stress if the playing becomes too rough.
Some breeds that may be well suited for your siamese are
- Golden retriever – A super friendly breed of dog and very patient and welcoming.
- Beagle – Originally bred as a pack animal so may see your cat as a member of their pack.
- Labrador Retriever – The gentle giant of the dog world, loving caring and cute.
- Pug – Very friendly, won’t chase your cat around all day. Pugs like to laze around but also love to play.
- Bichon Frise – Friendly, loving and playful a perfect companion for your Siamese.
- Poodle – poodles generally get along well with cats, they are protective and this often extends to other pets including your cat.
How to introduce a companion to your Siamese cat
When introducing your siamese to a potential mate the process to follow is very similar whether it’s a new cat or a new dog.
You need to remember above everything else to do this slowly, you can’t just put the two cats in the same room and hope for the best! Make sure that your existing cat is on a meal plan and in a good routine and stick with this routine as you want your cat to feel secure and happy before the introduction.
Step 1)
You will need a safe room for your new cat especially at first so both cats can be separate from each other. Inside this room, it’s important to include a litter tray, their food and everything else they will need whilst inside. The aim is to keep this new cat in the safe room for however long it takes until they settle in.
Just remember to spend an equal amount of time with both cats throughout this process.
At this stage don’t let the two cats see each other you want to introduce them through smell first so it may be a good idea to place a bed that has been used by each cat in the different rooms or to swap toys and let them slowly become introduced by the smell at least for the first couple of days.
Step 2)
It’s time to create positive associations between their food and the new cat as this will help to speed up the process and get both cats used to each others scent.
The way to do this is to feed each cat on either side of the door. This is to make sure that while they are eating their food they can smell each other and build up that positive association that is needed before a visual introduction.
Do this again over the space of a few days.
Step 3)
Now it’s time for visual access and time to allow the cats to see each other for the first time.
This can be done in several ways, one of the best ways to do this is with a screen door and this can easily be done by taking off your current door at the hinges and replacing it or
You can use a special pet gate such as this one on amazon.
What you want to do now is carry on feeding your cat while they can see each other, which will further embed the positive associations between their food and the new cat.
Step 4)
The introduction!
So at this stage, the cats will have already got used to each others smell and they are now visually familiar with each other.
When you finally introduce the cats to each other make sure you do this while the cats are occupied. You want to try to distract them from any confrontation. This can be done by introducing them when playing or by giving treats.
If the cats engage in the playtime without any confrontation then that’s okay but if they start to stare each other out and hiss or growl then it’s time to place the new cat back into the safe room and try again a little later on.
This step may take the longest and this is where you need to be patient and consistent until eventually they at least tolerate each other.
You may need to backtrack often and move the cats back to the safe room but eventually, the cats will be able to stay in the same room for longer periods and slowly they will get used to each other and one day you may even spot them cuddled up next to each other on the bed!
Key takeaways: Do Siamese cats need a mate?
- Siamese cats are very social and playful so a companion is a good idea.
- Siamese cats can suffer from behavioural issues if they are left alone for too long.
- They get along easily with other pets although they can get jealous so introduce slowly.
- If introducing another pet do your research and decide what breed of cat or dog will work well with your Siamese.
- Patience is key when introducing another pet into the home.
As always take care of yourself and your little fur babies! 🙂
Mark (The Crazy Cat Man)
