The Siamese is one of the oldest and best known cat breeds. The beautiful light-colored cat with the striking color points in seal, lilac, chocolate and blue made his Western Hemisphere debut in Victorian England, where he was touted as the Royal Cat of Siam, what we now call Thailand. He has been beloved ever since by people who appreciate his good looks and vocal talents.

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    The Siamese comes in two types: modern and traditional. The modern Siamese is a work of modern art, all lines and angles. He has a tubular body on long legs, a wedge-shaped head with large, triangular ears, and a long tail. The traditional Siamese, also known as the apple-headed Siamese, has a rounded head and chunky body. Both types have bright blue eyes that demand the worship due to all cats. Whether you choose a modern Siamese or a traditional Siamese, they should share the same wonderful personality.

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    Nicknamed Meezer, the Siamese may be more famous — or infamous — for his voice than for his looks. He will “talk” to you all day long and well into the night, expressing his opinion on what you’re feeding him, what you’re doing, how much (or how little) attention you’re giving him, and what the dog next door is doing. If you appreciate his sculptural looks and don’t mind his sometimes bad language, he may be just the cat for you.

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    Other Quick Facts

• The Siamese is great at learning tricks and even better at training his people to do what he wants.

• The Siamese has a distinctive “pointed” coat: a light-colored background with darker points on the ears, mask, legs and tail in seal, lilac, chocolate and blue. Other point colors include tabby, red, cream, silver and smoke.

• Siamese can live to be 15 years or older.

 

 

 

 

 

Personality

    Siamese are endlessly curious, but inclined to be smart and demanding. If you want a Siamese just for his looks, think again. This is a cat who has a passion for his people and will involve himself in everything they are doing. When they’re not around, he will entertain himself by turning on faucets, opening cabinets, seeking out new hideaways to frustrate anyone who might be searching for him, and watching television with clear interest. He may also be willing to walk on leash and play fetch with the same enthusiasm as a certain other four-legged animal to which he disdains being compared.

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    To keep your Siamese entertained and out of trouble, provide him with puzzle toys that require him to think and move to release treats or kibble, use a clicker to teach him tricks, toss a small ball for  him to fetch, train him to run an agility course (really!), place a bird feeder in your window for his viewing pleasure, or teach him to walk on a leash and take him for a stroll.

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    The Siamese loves people of all ages, including children, and asks only that you spend a lot of time with him, talk to him, play with him and just generally keep him entertained. He likes to be the center of attention, but he can get along fine with dogs and other cats. In fact, it’s a good idea to have a second Siamese or other animal to keep him company if you will be gone during the day.

 

Activity Level

    Siamese are agile, active, athletic cats. Despite their refined appearance, they are hard-bodied and muscular and can be quite lively and playful. They do well with lots of toys, a scratching post and some cat climbing furniture. This is a good breed for people who want a cat that gives them lots of attention and interaction. Siamese can entertain themselves with toys for hours on end. They also are natural fetchers.

 

Behavioral Traits

    Siamese always have a lot to say, and they usually always have the last word. One of their most well-known characteristics is the legendary ability to vocalize. Siamese are the most extroverted and vocal of all domestic felines. They will hold conversations over almost anything, with food and human attention being at the top of the list. Their loud, long meows sometimes sound like a human baby’s cry. Intact female Siamese (and almost all Torties and Tortie Points are female) have a particularly renowned noisy call when they are interested in finding a breeding partner. In a nutshell, these are cats with loud voices that match their big personalities.

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    Another behavioral trait of this breed is their tendency to thrash their tail when bored. They can be a bit demanding of attention. They are fastidiously clean and easy to care for as an indoor companion. They crave warm places and are fond of piling up with people or other animals. This is a breed of many extremes and makes a unique, wonderful companion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History

    While the exact origin of the Siamese is unclear, it is unquestionably a cat that originated in Thailand, formerly known as the country of Siam, perhaps as far back as the 1300’s. The Seal Point Siamese was described in a 15th-century manuscript of cat poems that was discovered in Siam, which seems to confirm that the breed was already well-established by that time. Called Cat Book Poems, and dating from 1350 in Ayudha, the ancient capital of Siam, this manuscript pictures a pale-coated cat with dark points. The Seal Point Siamese became known as the Royal Cat of Siam and could only be obtained by special favor of the King. Legend has it that one of these cats was put in each tomb of deceased royal family members to assist in the passing along of their souls. If the cat was found to have escaped from the tomb through ceiling holes or other escape routes, believers felt confident that the soul of their relative had successfully transmigrated from the burial chamber to the afterlife.

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    Siamese cats were described by a German explorer, Peter Simon Pallas, as early as 1793. This was one of the very first domestic breeds exported from Asia to Europe. The first breeding pair reportedly reached England in the 1870s or 1880s, as a gift from Siam to the English ambassador. They were seen in British cat shows almost immediately thereafter, although some experts believe that they made their debut in Europe in 1871 at the Crystal Palace Cat Show in London. Other Siamese were gifted by the Royal Court of Siam to British and American diplomats around the end of the nineteenth century, and they were seen in American cat shows in the very early part of the twentieth century. Some reports suggest that the first Siamese came to America in 1879, as a gift to the wife of President Rutherford Hayes from the US Consul in Bangkok. The early examples of this breed were much stockier and had rounder heads and faces than today’s Siamese. They were referred to as Traditional Siamese, Apple Heads, Opals or Thai Siamese and had much smaller ears, a pronounced squint and often a kinked tail.

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    The Seal Point is the most traditional color of the Siamese, first reportedly seen in Europe in the 1880s. It is also the darkest in terms of body color. The first Lilac Point Siamese may have been a cat exhibited in 1896 in Britain that was described as being “not quite blue,” and therefore was disqualified from finishing the competition. The traditional Blue Point Siamese began to acquire a strong following among cat fanciers in the 1930s, which continues to this day. The Red Colorpoint Shorthair caused some controversy when it was first exhibited at cat shows in Great Britain in 1934, because they did not conform to a traditional or even recognized Siamese coloration. Chocolate Point Siamese were not recognized fully in the show ring until sometime in the 1950s. The Lilac Point was recognized around 1955. The Seal Lynx Point reportedly occurred from an accidental breeding of a Seal Point female in 1960, which resulted in one kitten from the litter having tabby markings. Lynx Point Siamese were recognized in Britain in 1966.

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    While the Siamese has historically been one of the most popular of all pedigreed cats, it has lost some of its popularity to the newer modern breeds that have descended from it in recent years. The British GCCF and CA recognize all pointed, short-haired cats of Asian type as Siamese, as does the FIFe. The Cat Fanciers’ Association of the United States only recognizes the four original naturally-occurring colors.

 

Health Predispositions

    This is a long-lived and healthy domestic feline breed with a life expectancy averaging 15 years or more. Crossed eyes were once a common trait in Siamese cats, but this trait has almost been eliminated due to selective and conscientious breeding practices by responsible breeders. Siamese tend to mature rather earlier than most cats. Females can become sexually active by six months of age, although most breeders would not breed a female of any breed until much later. As with other breeds, Torties are almost always female.

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    All cats have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Any breeder who claims that her breed has no health or genetic problems is either lying or is not knowledgeable about the breed. Run, don’t walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on kittens, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her kittens are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons.

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    The modern Siamese cat with his wedge-shaped head may be more prone to respiratory and dental problems than cats with a less extreme head type, and some Siamese occasionally have problems with crossed eyes or a kinked tail. Other problems reported in the breed include bladder stones; eye problems like glaucoma and progressive retinal atrophy; heart problems; and certain types of cancer.

Remember that after you’ve taken a new kitten into your home, you have the power to protect him from one of the most common health problems: obesity. Keeping a Siamese at an appropriate weight is one of the easiest ways to protect his overall health. Make the most of your preventive abilities to help ensure a healthier cat for life.