Cost of Siamese kittens

I have had an ongoing hankering for a siamese for some years now.

However the few breeders i have seen advertising in my local paper want in the region of £350 for a kitten.

I know that pedigree cats by their nature are going to attract a reasonable fee, but is this about the usual price of a kitten?

And how would i find a good breeder in my area?

Thankyou

I have bought two this year and paid $200.00 for each one here in the USA.

It depends on the type of siamese you want. If you want a modern you have to expect to pay more then a traditional. I would say that a normal price would be 350 for a limited registered modern and 300 for a limited registration traditional. Gayef correct me if I am wrong. If you want to breed then you will have to pay alot more for breeding rights. Breeding rights usually cost between 800 and 1500.
I am talking about American currenty in case you are in England.

Originally Posted by VampireCat

I have had an ongoing hankering for a siamese

for some years now.

However the few breeders i have seen advertising in my local paper want in the region of £350 for a kitten.

I know that pedigree cats by their nature are going to attract a reasonable fee, but is this about the usual price of a kitten?

And how would i find a good breeder in my area?

Thankyou

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Have a look at http://www.kittenlist.co.uk/ it list breeders/breeds by area.
I think that is about the average price. I paid £275 for my Oriental. I think Siamese are wonderful cats, but when I had to have my last one PTS I couldn't face another one that looked like him, so hence the Oriental.

Good luck and have fun looking
Anne

Wow just did a currency conversion

£350 = $614 looks like you got a really good deal gardenandcats.

I wont be breeding siamese, I was also thinking that there may be a breed rescue centre ?

Originally Posted by VampireCat

However the few breeders i have seen advertising in my local paper want in the region of £350 for a kitten.


Thankyou

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Mica was £300 which is I think a standard price in England. You can get an adult siamese for £250 from a breeder, and much less from a siamese shelter (again an adult).

Here is a link to the Siamese cat clubs kitten list:

http://www.siamesecatclub.co.uk/Kitten list.htm

*NOTE* Please be very careful with a breeder you choose make sure you see the pedigree paper and get them then and there (if possible), also make sure you see both the mother and the father if possible. The kitten should be at least 12 weeks old and in good health with clear blue eyes (make sure they are not cloudy), and six weeks insurance.
I had a bad exprience with a Siamese breeder in England whom I got Danielle from. Dani was ill and only 5 weeks old (the breeder said that she 10 weeks old) she subsequently died. You might have plenty of exprience (I didn't) with cats but I just wanted to warn you so your heart is not broken like mine was.

Siamese are lovely cats!

Originally Posted by VampireCat

I wont be breeding siamese, I was also thinking that there may be a breed rescue centre ?

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I got Ms SunLee from a "retired" purebred rescue, of sorts. It's a site where owners of purebred breeding cats offer their retired (recently, spayed and neutered) breeding cats up for adoption. Usually these cats are retired at a very young age. For example, SunLee was just 3 years old when I got her.

I'd say most breeders ask a small fee, however I was lucky. The breeder I got SunLee from didn't ask for anything, and in fact even paid to fly her to the Los Angeles area free of charge.

Shane is an old fashioned Applehead Siamese, and I bought him from what you could only call a Backyard breeder. I didn't know the truth about Backyard Breeders back in the day that I purchased Shane and I paid $100 for him, which is about £180 your currency.

I'd look into getting a retired breeding cat, if I were you. You would be getting a beautiful retired Pedigreed cat very cheaply. And you wouldn't be supporting Backyard Breeders.

Thanks for the links.

I love to have kittens in the house but i think that an adult is right for us and if we can give a home to a 'rescue' then that is ok with me.

After all my 3 are all rescue moggies who arrived w their various problems which we overcame with patience and tlc

Originally Posted by VampireCat

I love to have kittens in the house but i think that an adult is right for us and if we can give a home to a 'rescue' then that is ok with me.

A

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Here is a link for the THE SIAMESE CAT CLUB WELFARE TRUST:

http://www.siameserescue.org.uk/homeswanted.htm

The have some cats available They have some real sweethearts!

You need to be sure you are comparing apples to apples when pricing Siamese.

What I mean by this is you need to look at what you are really getting from the breeder. Whether it is a preservation old style or a show style Siamese these things apply.

There is a difference between a purebred and a registered purebred. A registered pedigree (family tree) assures you the breeder is concerned about the lines they are breeding with and that lines with known genetic problems are not being used. You need to do your homework or work with a breeder you trust to be honest about what is known in Siamese lines.

You should ask to see the certified pedigree of the kittens parents. A reputable breeder should not have a problem with this request. There is no excuse for a breeder not having one, this is breeding 101. The certified pedigree will contain the registration numbers and birth dates for all cats in the pedigree. Look at the birth dates for the parents.

Ask the breeder if you can register the kitten as a Siamese with one of the recognized major cat associations. Ask if the registration paper for the kitten is included in the price. (All my litters are registered the cost of a litter registration is $8.00 in the CFA.) There should be no reduction in fee for a non registered litter as the cost of registration is minimal.

If the breeder tells you a registry you have never heard of look it up and find out what the requirements are to register a Siamese with them. Will one of the recognized major cat associations accept a transfer of registration from them? There are internet registries/clubs that have popped up and require no ancestry. Some of the recognized major cat associations will register household pets with no ancestry, they are shown only as pets. You should be looking for a registered Siamese so you know it is a Siamese. Just because a cat has the pointing gene (the way a Siamese looks) does not make it a Siamese.

Ethical breeders register all of their litters, because registration papers (registered pedigrees) are the main tool that breeders use to trace and eliminate serious genetic defects. They also show that the breeder is willing to stand behind the quality of the cats they breed.

Look at what type of care the kitten is given prior to your purchasing it. Does the breeder use premium foods? Does the breeder self diagnose and medicate her kittens? (I don't, when needed they will see my Vet)
Does the kitten receive any of its vaccinations? (mine do, the age of the kitten will dictate the number of rounds.) Are they given by a Veterinarian or the breeder? ( My Vet always does them. The issue of vaccination site fibrosarcomas is important)

Will the kitten be altered prior to coming home with you? (mine are, My Vet will spay and neuter kittens at 8 weeks of age and older.) University studies have shown that the lowest incidence of postoperative complications was in the early age group. The American Veterinary Medical Association has approved the technique. I have had some pet owners question the effects of Early S&N causing stunted growth. Prepubertal gonadectomy significantly delays epiphyseal (growth plate) closure. As a result of the longer period of growth the length of long bones is increased and animal's size will be larger at adulthood. While this effect is well documented, it is not dramatic and you should not expect to see the difference.

If you are responsible for vaccinating and altering the kitten these are extra expenses that need to be added to the cost of your kitten.

A website is a tool to help you find a breeder. It doesn't tell you everything you need to know. Visiting the breeder is also very important. The home should not smell of cat urine. It should be clean and well maintained. I am still surprised by visitors saying "Your home doesn't smell like a breeder's house" Yes it does, a breeders house should not smell bad!

I keep a spread sheet of my expenses for each litter. I doubt a breeder who is charging a low amount is giving the kitten and the kitten's mother the right kind of care. I would also suspect the cats being bred are not registered purebreds. There may be exceptions to this, the best way to judge is to ask questions and determine the expenses the breeder incurs with their breeding program.

If you are not interested in breeding but want a nice pedigree cat and rescue is ok, then you should go that route. Its nice to see people interested in adopting rescues

Siamese are probably one of the cheapest breeds here in NZ, since they are so common.

If you don't care about a known pedigree and just want a Siamese-esque cat, you will probably be able to even find kittens in rescue in the springtime. You'd definitely be able to in the US, so it's probably the same in the UK. Contact the Siamese welfare league and see what they have to say.

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

Siamese are probably one of the cheapest breeds here in NZ, since they are so common.

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I think you mean "popular" rather than "common".

It's easy to see why they are so "popular" with their exotic good looks.

BTW - in England you are probably talking about a Modern style Siamese since Traditional/Appleheads are very difficult to find it at all from my understanding.

If you PM me I'll give you a web address that may have some retired breeders that you could check out.

Oh no, I should not have looked http://www.siameserescue.org.uk/homeswanted.htm
Some of those are only about 4 miles from me
I cannot afford another cat
I cannot afford another cat
I cannot afford another cat
keeps repeating to self
I cannot afford another cat

Originally Posted by Anakat

Oh no, I should not have looked http://www.siameserescue.org.uk/homeswanted.htm
Some of those are only about 4 miles from me
I cannot afford another cat
I cannot afford another cat
I cannot afford another cat
keeps repeating to self
I cannot afford another cat

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Sure you can
Sure you can
Sure you can
keep repeating to self
I can afford another cat

I cannot afford another cat and a divorce!!!!

I don't know about the UK, but here in the U.S, purebred Siamese in shelters and rescues are as common as dirt (but VERY desirable, lovable "dirt") Here is my beautiful traditional applehead sealpoint boy, Nibbley. At the shelter near me, the fee is waived for ANY cat over a year. He was nine when I adopted him.

I just want to say I love that sweatshirt - I want one!