I’m sure somebody already said it, but please adopt a stray from the animal shelter. Those kitties need homes.
I wasn’t going to speak up, but I would like to respond to people who said to avoid Siamese…
Siamese in general, yes, are bad-tempered, but not all mixes are. We adopted a Siamese-tabby, of all things, mix from a student of my dad’s who got a no-pets apartment. Not only was she incredibly beautiful - Siamese markings, but with a round tabby face and bright blue eyes - she had the sweetest temperment of any of the cats I’ve ever had.
So don’t rule out all Siamese…if they seem sweet in the shelter then by all means take them home anyway!
It was actually kind of amusing (alright, typical cat, says I) when we went to PetSmart. We ambled into the room full of cats, all of whom took great interest in seeing us. Great meows were heard as all kitties scurried to present themselves to us. By the time we were checking out the second cat, they’d all forgotten about us and went back to eating their food.
I have to strenuously disagree with this. My cat Achmed is half-Siamese, and he has all the Siamese/Oriental Shorthair qualities: blue, crossed eyes, white and chocolate striped coloring, loud voice. He is the sweetest, most loving, most wonderful creature on the entire planet, bar none. He is the physical embodiment of the purest kitty love that is possible for a cat owner to enjoy-- he sleeps wrapped in my arms at night, he purrs when I just even call his name, he is the only of my cats who gets along with ALL the other cats, AND he’s clean and fastidious.
If you were able to find a nice part-Siamese like Achie, you’d be very lucky and very happy. Don’t rule the Siameses out, if you could find one in the pound. You might miss out on a great kitty.
I also want to disagree with the advice to avoid Siamese-es. Our “kitten” Zoe (who is now almost three) is at least part Siamese (probably half) and she is one of the best cats I have ever known (of course my other two cats are the other “best cats I have ever known”). When she was very young, she used to talk to us all the time - and she makes this cute little sound that sounds kind of like a warble.
Now that she is older, she doesn’t talk to us Lowly Humans much any more (except when she follows us into the bathroom and wants some skritches), but she does talk to the Gang Squirrels who hang out in the tree outside our bedroom window. That is a guaranteed laugh riot, which always does a better job of cheering me up than any major religion.
Also, glad that you are considering adopting an adult cat. The latest addition to our entourage was adopted full-grown. He is absolutely w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. Owen is friendly, affectionate, talkative, and most importantly - appreciative. He knows we didn’t have to keep him, and he tells us every day that he is glad we did.
The best piece of advice that I can give you is this, though - regardless of what kind of cat you decide to get, start them early on a hairball treatment recommended by your vet. We give our cats canned pumpkin every few days (for the fiber) and our longhaired cat, Hallie, gets a bit of laxative once a week. Because no matter how you look at it, hairballs are nasty, and it’s better for them to come out The Other End than for your cats to hack them up in the middle of the night on your brand new down comforter.
I grew up with a Lynx-Point Siamese (who lived to be 23). Man, she put up with all my toddler cat-tortures. Dressing her in my underwear, stuffing her into closets, cutting her hair…
What a great cat. She was indestructable and had patience galore for me. Not all Siamese are insane! I reserve that title for my tortoiseshells. 
I adore Siamese cats. Gulo gulo, my mom similarly grew up with a Siamese who achieved great age – Princess was 22 when she died. I remember that cat from when I was a small child. Wow.
They ARE very talkative and have attitudes. But my mom’s little itty tortoiseshell Emily right now has a very Siamese attitude herself; she’s a riot. But if you’re looking for a quiet, docile cat, look elsewhere!
I’m hoping that someday I can have a pair of Siamese. We had one for years, and I miss those kitties.
gulo gulo: My tortie and white, Dolphie, is both insane and a bit of a moron, which adds up to a Mariah Carey-like divahood. However, she is very affectionate and sweet, and is a big groomer of the other cats. Overall, dumb, crazy, tempermental, but good natured.
What is it with tricolor cats? Are they all nutty or what? My dad had this pastel tortie who was the meanest, most obnoxious cat in the world.
Another suggestion for places to look for a cat–check with your local veternarian.
The office where I work will occasionally take in stray animals and adopt them out. These animals are usually ones that staff members find, or that very loyal clients find and bring in. Occasionally, we’ll get animals that owners just abandon and we can’t track down. So we adopt them out, sometimes to other staff members, sometimes to other clients, sometimes to clients that have had their pets euthanized that may be willing to take on a new family member.
I got my kitten Baldric from work. A client brought him in…she found him along a road. She wanted to make sure that he got a good home and didn’t want him to be euthanized after a few days at a shelter. I fell in love with him and took him home with me.
Hmm, vet is an interesting suggestion, I’ll have to look into that.