Siwa Our Siamese Cat
by Sharon Haggag
(Hurghada, Egypt)
Siwa - Today on the balcony !!
Hello! We moved to Egypt over 2 years ago, we had always promised our sons a cat when settled into our new home. Omar our oldest son (9) decided to get his cat manual and he read it from front to back and back to front!!! After reading all about the different breeds he decided that a Siamese would fit our family perfectly and also cope with the heat here in Egypt.
Time passed and at last we moved into our long awaited home and settled so now for a cat!! My husband's family are from a city about an hour away from Cairo called Zagazig. I had seen lots of really suspect pet shops there and to be honest had tried not to look too much as I was a bit upset at the standard of the care..
We started to look around and found quite alot of Persian kittens but no Siamese. We spoke to one of the shop keepers and he explained it wasn't the best time for them but in about two months you would find them everywhere as they were one of the most popular and oldest breeds in Egypt!
I never dreamt that there would be Siamese here in Egypt, in fact they are so common here. He offered to take us to a friend's shop to see if he had any kittens (we took along my husband's nephew who is a vet).
We went down a back street (like something from a film set) into a small dark shop and in a cage at the back of the shop was Siwa. She was was all alone and so noisy I had never heard a Siamese before so it came as quite a surprise for me.
My Husband's nephew gave her the once over and said that she was purrfect!!! We estimated her age as about 10/ 11 weeks. We agreed to get her and after alot of haggling they shook hands and did the deal: 60 Egyptian pounds (about 6 pounds English) with a carry case thrown in !!
We decided to make it a surprise for the boys. I was travelling back to Hurghada ( a couple of days before my husband) with the boys so we agreed that he should bring her after we got back.
I secretly got all the stuff we needed for her. The boys were asleep when they arrived. We put her onto Omar's pillow and, of course, she made the loudest miaow ever. Omar opened his eyes he could not believe his eyes !!! It was magical!
Siwa licked his face and Omar kissed her back and that was that the bond sealed...Siwa has just turned a year now and what a cat!!! what a character !!!! She is mustard !!!
You would think with three boys she would find the quietest place in the house but no, not Siwa she is in there with the boys and the playstation !!
She plays tag and hide and seek with them She plays fetch she gets in places that god only knows how she got there and she tells us a story every day !!!
Her favourite place to sleep is the basin in the bathroom!! She has a fascination with water
and she sits on top of the door enjoying it when you move it !!
She also has a stash of toys that she steels from the boys' beds and toy baskets; she has quite a collection now and if you take any away she won't rest til she finds them again.
She has toys that she kills, toys that she puts in her food bowl, toys that she loves and mothers and toys that she disembowels - these are her favourites!
Ive enclosed a photo of her. She has gone quite pale at the moment as she has moulted as summer her HOT HOT HOT.
I think she is more a traditional Siamese see what think !!!
Sharon
