Meezer Musings: September 2021
Why Do They Do That?

Welcome to September's Meezer Musings! I hope you, your family and the cats and other animals in your life are safe and well and enjoying the change in seasons - towards winter, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and summer for those in the south.

Last week we passed the autumn equinox, when the nights and days are of equal length - heralding a time of harvest festivals and Thanksgiving. In honor of our Canadian friends, whose Thanksgiving is celebrated this year on October 11th, let's begin with AmyLyn Bihrle's Cornucopia, symbolizing the abundance of the autumn harvest.

This month, inspired by some fun posts on our Facebook page, we're returning to the subject of Siamese cat behavior.

It's often said about Siamese cats that they're more dog-like than cat-like, and this does seem to be one of the features that differentiates Siamese cats from other breeds, coupled with a Siamese cat's strong bonds of loyalty and devotion to their humans.

Privacy, What Privacy?

And on that note ... Siamese cats are well known for wanting to stay as close to their humans as possible, wherever they may go. If you're at home you're never alone, as this fun photo from Annamay Simpson demonstrates!

Siamese cats will inevitably want to accompany you to the bathroom, watch you like a hawk while you're in there, and (often wailing piteously) wait for you while you take a bath or shower. They may even curl up for a nap in the sink while you do!

I adore the disapproving expression on Bluebell and Snowdrop's faces! Bluebell has just celebrated her second birthday, Snowdrop is six months younger, so it seems that this 'I will accompany you to the bathroom whatever you do in there' type of behavior is apparent from a young age.

Just Siamese Cats, Doing What They Do ...

Over the years on this site we've had all sorts of stories about Siamese cat behavior. There have been Siamese cats who love to ride in cars and trucks, who've taught their humans to speak Siamese, who wait until their humans aren't looking and then pounce, cats who've figured out how to open cupboard doors and fridges, who suck ear lobes (and eat wool), who've learned how to use touch lamps and switch on the heating.

We've had movie-watching cats, high-fiving cats, tail-chasing cats, shoulder-riding cats, hunting cats, dog-chasing cats, cats that solve problems, straw-drinking cats, spider-killing cats, communicating cats, retrieving cats, lots of Siamese cats who think they're dogs, and even a cat who broke into a cop car!

For the stories about all these different cats, go to this page and scroll to the bottom - you'll find links to all the relevant pages.

Among my favorite stories are the ones in which Siamese cats bring their toys to their food or water bowls - either to dip them in their water bowls to drown them, a behavior that seems to suggest they're treating their toys as prey (cats will sometimes do this with mice) - or, as the photo below shows, to neatly line them up and apparently 'feed' them.

This would seem to suggest that these cats are treating their toys as kittens, but who knows?

Face / Off

In another recent Facebook post, Kerri Pothier, asked whether it was normal for cats to turn their backs on their reflections in the mirror as her seal point Cafra, below, always turns away.

This is a great question! Some cats seem to be able to identify their own reflections, some take no interest at all, some will try and investigate what's behind the mirror (is there another cat there?) and some are positively hostile to their own reflections.

Oftentimes, when Bandit was alive, I'd stand with him on my shoulder facing a mirror to see what he'd do, which was usually a big fat nothing. He never reacted at all!

In the comments in reply to Kerri's question, some reported that their cats took no interest, some seemed gratified with their reflection, and appeared to be admiring themselves.

Seasonal Fun

It's hard to believe we've reached the end of September. This means, of course, that all the seasonal festivities are just around the corner.

Looking ahead, the first of these is Halloween, and in readiness, the orb web spiders in my garden are festooning the dying plants with their intricate webs and the spiders that manage to sneak indoors are creating cobwebs everywhere.

In preparation for the season I've been updating our 'Siamese cats at Halloween' page with some old favorites and some new, fun products - you can find it here.

And calendar fans, especially those of you who, like me, love Suzanne Le Good's work may like to know that Suzanne's 2022 Siamese cat calendar is now available. As usual, it's filled with beautiful artwork, not least the Van Gogh-like cover that you can see below. The calendar, and further details are available from Suzanne's Etsy store, Suzanne's Gallery, which you can find here.

Tail End ...

That's all for September. I hope you enjoy the seasonal transitions where you are. I'll be back at the end of October with some thoughts on cat health, further calendars to share with you, and a look ahead to the festive season.

Caroline

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