We are Siamese cats

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This article was published 07/04/2004 (7879 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHEN Siamese and Siamese-cross cats arrive at the Winnipeg Humane Society, it’s not unusual for them to last no more than a day.

This breed of cat adjusts poorly to new situations, and the shelter’s crunch for space means it sometimes has to decide which cats are more likely to be adopted, and which ones aren’t.

It’s often the Siamese cats who end up on the unfortunate end of that decision, said Krista Krueger, who started a no-kill shelter for the breed.

“They’re not the type of cat that’s going to do well in a new situation. They need a little time to adjust,” she said. “Are they going to put them up for adoption if they’re growling and hissing at the back of the cage? Probably not.”

Krueger helped found the Rescue Siamese shelter in 1996. A few months ago the shelter got a permanent storefront space at 960 St. Mary’s Rd. in St. Vital.

It is the only shelter dedicated to Siamese and Siamese-cross cats in Canada, said Andrea Lear, assistant manager at Rescue Siamese.

Siamese cats are distinguished by their blue eyes and coloured areas or “points”, which can include ears, legs, tails, or the face coloured differently from the rest of their body.

Because the cats are very loyal to their owners and sensitive to environmental changes, they have a tendency to freak out when they’re placed in shelters, said Lear. That’s why Krueger and two friends decided to dedicate Rescue Siamese to the breed. Rescue Siamese will take other breeds but only if they are part of the same mixed litter or come from a home with more than one cat. About 95 per cent of the shelter’s cats come from the Humane Society, said Lear.

Cats who come into Siamese Rescue’s care are sent out to volunteer homes for the first few weeks so they can adjust without the tension and unfamiliarity of being in a shelter environment.

“It lets them mellow out and chill out for a while. We get to know the cat, if it’s good with kids or other pets, things like that, before we put them up for adoption,” said Krueger.

After spending some time in a foster home, the cats are spayed or neutered, and given a health check and vaccinations before they’re put up for adoption. The shelter currently has about 15 adoptable cats , with another 25 in foster homes, said Lear.

The cats in the program are listed, along with their photos, on the shelter’s web site at www.rescuesiamese.com, so people can see what they like before they come down.

The shelter shares its St. Vital building with the Healthy Pets Raw Food Deli, and is only open Friday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.

Rescue Siamese used to bring its adoptable cats to the Pet Valu store on Meadowood Drive before opening the retail location a few months ago.

“It’s been a good move for us. We’re really getting our name out there now,” said Krueger.

Phone the shelter at 255-6896 for more information.

PHOTO LINDA WENSEL/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS