All of our girls and neuters live indoors as part of the family and our babies are also all raised indoors. At the moment our boys live indoors because Tsipouro and Azure are still very young and not ready to start their duties as stud cats. When that time comes they will be living partly indoors and partly outdoors in their own heated stud accommodation. Our cats all have access to our back yard as the yard is cat proofed so they can come and go as they please yet no harm can come to them. We also have purpose built cat accommodation outside which is heated etc. Some of our cats do choose to sleep there rather than in the home. It varies depending on their moods and the weather ;)

There is never a straight answer to this as it does vary. As you can imagine, being breeders, we sometimes have a litter which has a baby in it that we either wish to add to our own cat family and breeding program, or we develop a special bond with a baby and can't bear to part with him/her, or if a kitten struggles during the first 13 weeks and his or her future is uncertain, then that kitten remains with us, or if a family can no longer keep their Schimmel cats, then there you have yet another addition to our home. I can say that every single cat that shares our home is featured on our web site as we are extremely proud of each of our cats regardless of whether or not they are breeding cats or neuters. So I guess the best way to answer this is by suggesting that you visit our Queens page, Studs page, and Neuters page, and then count how many are on each page and add them up :) But don't forget to check them again in 6 months' time as they could be another addition.

Yes they do, we have 2 dogs, a Rottweiler named "Jag" who has run of the house alongside our cat family during the day, and 1 baby Pug named Caffreys.

With as many cats as we have, there is no way we can allow them all access to the bedroom, particularly as a chosen few of our cats won't hesitate to wee on the bed. We let the cats take it in turn to sleep with us, i.e. one week we will let a few cats in, the next week we will choose a different group. This arrangement works very well for ourselves and our cat family. The only time the cats are not allowed in the bedroom is if one of our pregnant mummies is due to give birth in which case she will be in our room until her babies are born.

We use 2 forms of protection against feline illnesses, homeopathic and conventional in the form of vaccinations and Feline Combination Nosodes. The Nosodes protect against the following diseases: Rhinotracheitis, Feline Peritonitis, Feline Enteritis, Calici Virus, Feline Leukaemia, Feline Chlamydia, FTLV. We feel that Nosodes offer a much better form of protection than conventional vaccinations, to say nothing of the side effects that can occur as a result of conventional vaccines. Being a breeding/show/multi cat home, it is also imperative that our cats receive the basic vaccinations for Cat Flu and Enteritis. Our cats are vaccinated for this annually, and our kittens receive the standard 2 kitten vaccinations for Flu and Enteritis prior to leaving home. Our kittens are also given Feline Combination Nosodes from 3 weeks of age.

Yes, being a multi cat home it is very important that our cat family is wormed. We use Panacur 10% liquid on our cats and our kittens. Our cats are wormed every 6 months and our kittens are wormed at 7 weeks of age and 11 weeks of age.

No we don't. Why would we when none of our cats have fleas? If we were to see a flea then yes we would treat the whole household but we have never had a problem with fleas and we will not put unnecessary chemicals into a kitten's body. If you choose to have your Schimmel kitten treated for fleas when they are in your care, that is your prerogative but we would suggest that this is only done if you actually experience a problem with fleas.

Towards the middle of 2008 we started weaning out all commercial foods and made the decision to move over to a completely raw diet. I can appreciate that raw feeding is not for everyone however we feel it is the right decision for our own cat family. We are still in the trial period of raw feeding.

Yes you can. If you aren't sure that perhaps the Siamese or Oriental is the right breed for you, or if you aren't sure which breeder you would like to actually buy a kitten from, then certainly come and visit us, meet our cat family. We don't mind where you obtain your baby from and we're more than happy to show off our cat family to visitors and chat with them about the breeds. The only thing I will say is please do not visit more than one breeder in a day. If you visit one breeder and then go straight on to another breeder, you are going to be spreading germs. Each multi cat household has their own "bugs" and they will all vary and it is extremely irresponsible to cause breeders to suddenly end up with an entire home of ill cats just because a thoughtless kitten visitor has been to see another breeder that same day.

As breeders we do specialize in specific colours/patterns and we also know what colours/patterns each of our cats carry so when we do a mating, we generally know what colours and patterns the babies will be. Of course there can be surprises sometimes! When we have babies booked from litters than have not even been born, this happens for one of three reasons........it is either a kitten family who already share their home with a Schimmel cat or two and they would like another one, or we are keeping a baby back ourselves from the forthcoming litter, or we receive an inquiry from someone who wants a specific colour or pattern. As we know which mating's will produce the families' chosen colour or pattern, we can place their name on a waiting list for that litter, although we obviously can not guarantee the kittens' gender. With regards to personality, at the end of the day our kittens are all raised in the home as part of the family, we spend a lot of time socialising them and loving them and they leave our home as happy, confident, children. That aside, our queens and our stud boys all have fantastic temperaments, they are highly sociable, very loving, very confident, and happy cats and a kitten's temperament is the result of two aspects only: correct socialisation by the breeder; and the lines behind them must have no temperament problems at all. Basically, if a queen or stud is nervous, aggressive etc. they should be neutered and removed from a breeding program. No breeder should ever breed from a cat that has anything other than perfect temperament because if you have an aggressive stud or queen, then you can guarantee that will come out in the kittens.

It has only ever happened once. That was with our darling Ivy who, for whatever reason, didn't find a kitten family of her own. At the time the only inquiries we had for her were from other breeders (we don't home kittens for breeding), so at around 5 months of age we stopped advertising and she joined our own breeding program. This turned out to be a blessing because Ivy and her sister, Mokatika are extremely close and adore each other. Apart from her, we've not ever been in that situation but if we were then it's only natural that the baby would remain in our home. We would keep the baby advertised until around 5 months of age however we will not drop our strict vetting standards for prospective families and unless the a family comes along that we feel will be perfect for the baby/s then any "unsold" kittens will remain here as part of our own family. It really is that simple. We would much rather our babies stayed here with us for life than be homed to the first person who walks in off the street.

Of course you can! We encourage all prospective new families to visit us while their "mum" of their baby is pregnant, as well as once the babies are born. We are happy for kitten families to visit our babies once the kittens reach 7 weeks of age. Obviously all of our new families can keep up to date with their babies' progress via our daily kitten diaries.

Yes of course, in fact, you will be introduced to every cat that shares our family because our cats have free run of the home and whenever a visitor comes through the door our cat family will all come up to say hello. If Ashanti is "working" at the time of your visit, then I will bring him downstairs to meet you, if he is not "working" then I will happily take you up to the stud room to meet him. The only time you would be unable to meet the parents of our babies is if we have used a stud boy belonging to another breeder.

We only accept deposits when our babies turn between 6 - 8 weeks of age, and after we have met the new kitten families and are certain that they are the "right" family for one of our babies. We will not accept deposits for any unborn kittens at all. The kitten deposit you pay (£100) is non refundable, so if you change your mind, or decide to obtain a kitten elsewhere, you are not entitled to your deposit back. The only time that a deposit is refunded is if your chosen baby falls ill and we can no longer home your baby with you.

All deposits and kitten sales are paid in cash or by postal order. We will not accept any cheques at all due to problems in the past.

We will not home a baby with anyone we have not met prior to collection and whilst I can appreciate that traveling long journeys to visit a baby can be difficult, at the end of the day, these are our babies and we are not prepared to let them go with the first person who walks in off the street. Email and telephone contact is simply not enough to convince us that a baby is going to a home where he/she will be cherished for life, so regardless of your location, we will insist on at least one visit prior to collection of your baby. The other thing to remember is that when you are looking for a baby, you should visit the breeder to ensure that the kittens are being raised properly and that the breeders' own cats are all friendly and well socialised. This is something that you can not be sure of with email and phone contact.

No, I'm afraid not. One of the fun parts of breeding is deciding on our babies' "posh" names.

No they are not, and nor should they ever be! I don't know how any breeder can suddenly raise the price by £50 or £100 or even more, solely because a kitten has show/breed potential. At the end of the day, all babies are raised the same. A show quality kitten is not fed any different food than a pet quality kitten. The show quality kitten is not loved or cared for any more, or any differently from a pet quality kitten so why on earth would the price be different? All of our babies are loved regardless of whether or not they might do well on the show bench. This aside though, NO breeder can guarantee show potential because babies can look stunning at 13 weeks of age and then totally "lose it" by 6 months of age, so if you are prepared to pay more for a show/breed quality kitten, then I suggest you get it in writing that if that baby does not do well on the bench, the difference between the pet and show price is then refunded to you :)

Yes, we use a 3 page kitten sales agreement which is legally binding and which must be signed by the new owner upon collection of their kitten. The reason we use our agreement is to ensure that our babies are protected for life and that their new families will do the right thing by them. A copy of our kitten sales agreement is sent via email or post to all prospective new kitten families who make inquiries to us regarding a kitten because it is very important that the new families are aware of our terms and conditions when they adopt a baby from us.

Sometimes, but not always. It depends on a number for factors, such as where you are on the "waiting list". For example, if someone has been waiting longer than you, then they will first preference. Also, if someone has asked us if they can show their kitten, then we won't choose that kitten for them, until the babies are older and we are sure of show potential. But this is why we encourage new families to visit all of the babies as often as they can manage it. Also, the personalities have to come into play because if you have dogs, and for whatever reason, one of our babies doesn't accept our own dogs, then that baby really shouldn't be homed in a family with dogs.

We have homed a few babies in the past for breeding, however, at the end of 2009, we brought in new out cross lines. This means that future mating's from 2010 onwards will not be mating's that we have done in the past and whilst I have researched the lines behind the new lines we've brought in, and have found no problems, I can not say with 100% certainty that the merging of all these lines with our Schimmel lines won't produce a problem that may not become apparent within the first 5 years or so of using these new lines. In which case, it would be extremely irresponsible, and unethical of me as a breeder to mix untested lines and then home babies for breeding because if a problem did crop up at some point down the line, if I've homed babies for breeding then that "problem" is being passed on over and over again. Unfortunately, not all breeders are prepared to neuter/spay breeding cats if a problem is in the line, particularly if they are getting show quality kittens out of that particular cat!

Most definitely not! We do not believe in the use of kitten pens or crates at ANY stage of our babies' lives. It is relatively easy to keep kittens safe from harm without having to resort to locking them pens. In our personal opinion, caging kittens stifles their development. Young babies from the age of 3 weeks love to explore, run around and play and if babies are penned, they are extremely limited as to what they can do. Playing games and running around is imperative for muscle growth, and exploring is also imperative as it stimulates the mind and teaches the babies to be confident.

Yes you can, however, as of January 2008, Schimmel kittens may ONLY be shown at TICA or FB governed shows. Prior to having a baby from us, if you are interested in showing and would prefer a kitten with show quality, please do let us know because at least this way we can try to ensure the kitten we home with you does have show potential, rather than home pet quality kitten to someone who has a keen interest in showing. If you decide, a few months or a year after sharing your home with a Schimmel baby that you would like to try your hand at showing him/her, you are more than welcome to give it a go. We will not make any guarantees that a baby will do will on the bench, if they do, then great, if they don't, then there is always another show. Showing is a very fun hobby and we will help you in any way we can. We will go through the procedure with you, we will help you choose your classes and help you fill in your entry form. We are also happy to try and show our own cats at the very first show you do so that you have someone with you to give you a hand throughout the day. The thing to remember about showing is that it IS a hobby, it is not the be all and end all, and if you don't get the results you want, does it really matter? You are still taking home the best cat in the show. We will not home any of our babies with a family who want a cat purely for showing. Our babies are homed only to loving, caring pet homes where they are valued for their personalities and who they are, rather than for how many rosettes they have won.

No, not in a million years, certainly not from us! Quite often we will keep the babies here until they are 14-15 weeks of age if we feel it necessary. The first 13 weeks of any babies' life is very important for both socialisation and health aspects. Sometimes new families think that their baby will not bond with them as they are over 3 months of age, as opposed to the kittens sold in pet shops or by unscrupulous breeders when they are 8 weeks of age, or younger. Of course your 14 week old baby will bond with you, we have spent the first 14 weeks raising him/her to ensure they they will bond with you and be part of your family. You only have to visit our Owners Gallery for proof of how well the babies bond with their new families.

Yes, we ask that you provide a reference from your current vet, or a vet who has looked after your previous pets. The reference may be posted to us or you can bring it with you when you visit your future baby. If you have never had pets before and have not ever used a vet, then we require 2 written references from close friends.

Okay, we can appreciate of course that raw feeding is not for everyone and at the end of the day, it is up to the kitten family to feed what they feel most comfortable with. Having said that, your new family member will have been raised solely on raw meat/bones and no commercial foods so our biggest concern obviously is that the baby does not get an upset tummy when/if they are put on commercial foods in their new homes. When you collect your new baby, we will supply you with some prepared, frozen raw food and continue to do this for the first couple of weeks to ensure that your baby's tummy is not upset by the change of diet. We will, of course, also provide you with some diet sheets for raw feeding should you wish to continue feeding your baby his/her natural diet.

All of our babies are litter trained prior to leaving home.

Unfortunately there are too many situations whereby a kitten family will visit a breeder, take a kitten home, and when the breeder tries to contact the new family it becomes apparent that the original details given were all false. This then means that the breeder spends the rest of their life wondering about the welfare of the baby that they lovingly raised. It is because of problems like this that we now require photo id which shows the name and address of the kitten family.

No, again, it is a clause in our kitten sales agreement that all Schimmel babies are to remain indoor cats. At no stage of their life are they allowed to roam outdoors at all. The only exceptions to this clause is if you have a fully enclosed cat run, or if you wish to take your baby for a walk on a leash and harness. Indoor cats are incredibly happy cats so long as they have company and stimulation. Cat runs are incredibly cheap to construct or buy and they are a wonderful alternative to allowing a cat to be safely outdoors where no harm can come to him/her.

Well apart from taking home a wonderful fur child, you are also given a folder which contains: Kitten Sales Agreement, TICA Registration Certificate, Vaccination Certificate, Pedigree Certificate, Neutering Certificate (to be signed/stamped by your own vet and returned to us), Kitten's weight chart and personal information, 6 weeks insurance cover (with Pet Plan), 3 months' supply of Feline Combination Nosodes (we will show you how to administer these, it really is very simply), Kitten Care Sheet, Kitten Diet Sheet, Kitten Recipes, Poisonous Plants List, Household Safety List, Contact Details for Siamese/Oriental organisations, Receipt for your adoption fee, 1 SAE for the Neutering Certificate to be posted back to us. You are also given one or two kitten toys, 2 kitten bowls, and a supply for frozen raw meals and Natures Menu pouches, as well as a "packed lunch" for your baby so that when you get home, all you have to do is put their own little lunch in their bowl and your baby will have a meal from home.

No. The kitten sales agreement you sign states you are not entitled to a refund should you decide for whatever reason you no longer want your kitten. Even if you bring him/her back to us within a few days of collecting him/her, we still will not refund you any money. Kitten families have no idea of the stress and trauma involved for a kitten when they are placed in a new home, only to be returned a few days or a couple of week's later. A baby is taken from a loving, caring environment, full of brothers, sisters and extended family members, their world is suddenly turned upside down when they are homed with a family. They then start to bond with their family and suddenly, their family decides that they don't want a kitten after all and bring them back to us. So for the 3rd time, this babies' world has been shattered, they have been uprooted yet again, returned to us which is yet another new environment as they were already settled with their new family. How dare anyone do that to a living being! So don't even bother asking us for a refund because we will not give one. Instead, we would suggest prior to obtaining a kitten, that you think long and carefully because a baby is a life time commitment.

As per the kitten sales agreement you sign when you collect your baby, then if you can't keep your Schimmel kitten/cat, they are to be returned to us. It makes no difference whether or not the cat is 2 years old or 12 years old, either way, they come back home to us. You do not even have to tell us the reason that you are no longer able to keep your baby. Sometimes people's circumstances changes, you may have split up with your partner, there may have been a death in the family, you may have to move overseas, we don't care what the reason is and we are certainly not here to judge or condemn you because you can't keep your cat. Please don't ever be ashamed to come back to us and say that you need to return your cat. All that matters is that our baby does not get passed on to someone else or end up in rescue. We raised these babies for the first 13-14 weeks of their life and to us, they will always be our children. As breeders, every kitten we breed is our responsibility for life, the duty of care does not just stop once a baby is in a new home.

We bought our first breeding queen in 2002 however we did not have our first litters until 2003 so we still consider ourselves to be "novice" breeders. When we bought our first queen we started showing her in 2002 and have continued to show since then.

Initially, we starting showing because we felt that as novice breeders, it was imperative that we knew and understood the difference between a cat of good quality and a pet quality cat because by understanding the differences is how we are able to strive to produce kittens who conform to the SOP (Standard of Points) for the breed. Over the years though, for us, showing has become a very enjoyable hobby and we tend to show our own cats, once a month, sometimes twice a month with TICA. For more information on TICA showing, please Click Here. We love showing our own cats and any kittens we keep, we love doing the same shows that some of our kitten families do as it's a great day out.

Our previous 4 stud cats were all retired between 2 to 3 years of age. 3 out of those 4 boys were all outside stud boys i.e. had their own houses and runs outdoors. Our current stud boy is an indoor boy and because of this, he will continue "working" until he is approximately 4-5 years of age and he will then be neutered. The reason we do not keep our boys "working" past the age of 4 or 5 is because no matter what anyone says, stud cats do have lonely lives and are rarely ever given the chance to be part of an actual family. Having owned both outside and inside stud boys, there is no way on earth that we would confine them to a life of solitude for any longer than absolutely necessary. Our girls are spayed when they reach between 5-6 years of age.

Yes we do because have kept daughters back from Ashanti and these girls can never be mated back to him. We only have one stud cat so Ashanti's children must go out to stud. We put a lot of thought into the boys we choose as "husbands" for our girls i.e. boys whose stud houses do not have a revolving door, boys who are an out cross to our own lines, boys whose health and temperament are second to none, boys who will improve on the faults that our own girls may have. Finding the right stud boys is never easy but they are out there :)

Normally, yes........................we have more than 10 breeding queens, and we like to always mate 2 girls at around the same time. The majority of our mothers are all content to share litters and there is nothing better than seeing 2 or 3 mummies all happily raising their babies together. In the case of a new mummy having problems or not accepting motherhood, it is also useful to have a "foster" mummy to help raise babies. We do find that having one litter in the home is not much different to have 2 litters, or even 3 at the same time. The reason being is that we are home 24/7. The only time I am ever, ever, away from our cats and kittens is when I walk Jag, our Rottweiler each day, usually 2 hours a day, and then when I pop to our local Tesco once a day and am gone no more than 1/2 hour. Even then, my husband is home all of them time so I'm away from the kids no more than 2 1/2 hours per day. Of course the one exception to this is cat showing but that is just one day a month.

This is such a difficult question to answer.........................Orientals (and Siamese) tend to be prolific callers. We have girls who will call for up to 7 days, every 3 weeks. The common rule of thumb is to mate a girl after the 3rd call as this reduces the risk of Pyometra which can be fatal. However, a girl should never be mated unless she is at optimum condition with regards to her health. Some queens bounce straight back after having a litter, others lose a lot of condition and need much more recovery time before ever being mated. In our home we have queens who fit into both those categories. For example, we have queens like Amaretto who really needs a long break in between litters because she is a tiny girl and by the time her babies are grown up and leave home, she is mentally and physically tired. Other queens, like Cointreau, Toussaint (just to name a couple) bounce back to perfect condition within weeks of giving birth, they will then come back into call when their babies are only a couple of weeks old. In an ideal world, you would mate a queen once a year but cats' bodies quite simply do not work like that. The biggest problem we previously had was when our 2 stud boys, Ashanti and Tuaca were both living inside as part of the family alongside our girls. This was a huge mistake on my part thinking that we could still control the boys. Obviously we couldn't and so we had a number of unplanned mating's with queens who had only recently had litters. After this, Tuaca was neutered, and Ashanti was then give his own stud room inside the home. We now mate each queen approximately once a year as we like to leave a minimum gap of 11 months between litters.

Sometimes yes......................what you need to realise is that if you have cats from "problem free" lines, then by doing line breeding, or inbreeding, what you are effectively doing is doubling up on the good points. For example, a mating between a half brother x half sister, who both have reasonable eye colour, may end up producing cats with stunning eye colour. I am not, nor have I ever been, against line breeding. Provided that a breeder knows the lines behind their cats, knows the possible problems, avoids breeding any 2 related cats that have even the slightest inkling of a problem, then yes, line breeding and inbreeding can be a very good thing and can do an awful lot for the breed. I have never hidden the fact that we do line breeding and inbreeding because quite frankly, I've been working with these lines for a little while now and there are definitely times when I can see that close mating's are going to make a huge difference with regards to improving on any possible faults and when I feel that certain close mating's are safe, I will do them. I am fully against breeders who do line breeding or inbreeding of cats with known problems in the lines. To me, that is barbaric and the effect this has on kitten families is awful, but more importantly, imagine the effect this has on a litter of deformed or stillborn babies. No queen, and no baby should ever be put through that solely for the sake of producing a Gr Ch.

We do not want to put our any of our boys at risk of injury or disease by allowing other breeders' queens in to them. Schimmel boys are solely for the use of Schimmel, Chrestomanci, and Lorimnailie.

You are joking aren't you? Breeding is a hobby, it is not a business and any decent, ethical breeder, spends far more money than they will ever make. To give you an indication of this, please visit our Cost of Raising a Litter page.

The information below about the Siamese and Oriental cat breeds will give you just a small insight into what it is like to share your home with one of these breeds. I can honestly tell you that merely reading about the breeds will not truly tell you what it is like to have one in your life. We would suggest that you visit breeders, meet their cats, see what their personalities and temperaments are like, speak with other owners who have Siamese and Orientals, join a Siamese and Oriental cat chat message board and chat with owners about their experiences of living with these breeds.

Siamese & Oriental cats are extremely sociable and they are not a cat who is best suited to a 1 cat home. Even if there are family members home 24/7, these breeds will want to have another feline to play with and curl up with. Being such a sociable cat they will get on with moggies as well as other breeds however if you have an elderly cat, we would recommend having 2 kittens so that your elderly cat is not upset or annoyed by the constant attention from a young Siamese or Oriental kitten wanting to play all the time.

Some of them can be very vocal. These are breeds who love the sound of their own voice and they love to have conversations with their family members. Some will talk more than others, but ultimately, all Siamese and Orientals can be vocal.

Most definitely. A Siamese or Oriental cat will never be a quiet, placid, lap cat. They are cats who must be involved with everything that is going on in the home. So if you are reading a book, your cat will probably sit right in front of the book to stop you reading, or will help to turn the pages. If you're having a bath, you can guarantee if the door is left open, your cat will want to join you and will walk around the edge of the bathtub. If you're sweeping the floor your cat will jump in front of the broom and try to play with the bristles as you sweep. When you have friends over, your cat will choose the friend who is not a cat lover and will spend the whole visit pestering that person and trying to get their attention. If you're eating dinner, you can expect your cat to want to share what the humans are having. If you are wrapping Christmas presents, your cat will help you by playing with the paper and ribbon. When you're trying to do your hair your cat will sit on your shoulders and help by licking your hair and pulling it out to make sure their human looks pretty. It really does not matter what the humans in your home are doing because your Siamese or Oriental cat will also want to participate. If ignored, tempers will flare, your cat will tell you off in no uncertain terms and will almost certainly turn his/her back on you and ignore you until they have decided they will forgive you. Anyone wanting a pretty lap cat to sit on their sofa looking sweet all day should NOT even consider the Siamese or Oriental breed.

These breeds are short haired cats and whilst you could actually get away with not grooming them at all, we do recommend having grooming sessions with a grooming mitt as this helps establish and confirm a lovely bond between your cat and yourself. Siamese and Oriental cats are extremely clean, they do not like to have their fur out of place or look dirty and so as a breed, they take extra delight and care in making sure they look beautiful at all times. Their claws, like any other cat, should be clipped once every week to two weeks.

Oh dear...............you have been watching Lady and the Tramp haven't you???????????? There's nothing like a film to give any breed of cat or dog a bad name <sigh>. I would defy anyone to find a more loving cat than a Siamese or Oriental. These breeds do not have a vicious bone in their body and if you ever come across a Siamese or Oriental cat who is extremely bad tempered and viscous then I would suggest you look at that cat's upbringing and what has gone on in their lives to make them that way. By all means, come and meet our own extremely large cat family, all you will find is curiosity, attention seeking felines, and lots of love. Until you have lived with one of these breeds you will never truly understand the depth of love that they have for their human family and once a bond has been established between a Siamese or Oriental cat and their owner, it will never, ever, be broken.

I would again defy anyone to find a breed more intelligent than these. Our cats can open doors, they can shut doors, they play fetch, they jump straight from the floor onto our shoulders, they play "paper football" with skill than would put Michael Owen to shame, they can, and will, pre-empt everything you are going to do, they are very easily trained. These breeds are also hoarders and it is not uncommon to be cleaning under a sofa only to find a stash of their acquisitions which can be anything from hair bands to pens. Just because you think you have put something away safely does not mean that your cat won't get his/her hands on it :)

Are your children well behaved and have they been taught to respect animals? If so, then yes. As mentioned, Siamese and Oriental cats love everybody and unless they are mistreated i.e. a child pulls their tail or is extremely rough with them, then you can expect to witness an amazing friendship and bond between your child and your cat.

Only if their breeder/owner has taught them to be fussy eaters. Like any animal, they may have a favourite food for months on end and then suddenly not want to eat it at all. As a rule, no they are not fussy eaters.

Again they are very social felines and if their humans are not at home during they day it is essential that they have another feline for companionship. A Siamese or Oriental cat left alone for long periods of time will be unhappy and it is not fair. If you know you are not going to be home during the day or evening, then either get 2 Siamese and Orientals or get a rescue kitten as a companion for your pedigree cat. There are 1000's of kittens who are abandoned and your new pedigree kitten will not care whether or not his/her playmate is a pedigree or moggie.