Siamese Cat

Siamese Cat

If there is one breed of cat that is instantly recognizable by nearly everyone, including no enthusiasts, it must be the Siamese. No other coloring is as universally familiar as the classic Seal-Point Siamese.

The breed started quite some time ago in the Far East. Already in the late 16th century, Siamese cats were revered pets around the royal court in Siam, but it probably saw its origins in some as yet unidentified wild breed even further to the east.

It is coming to Great Britain and the United States is quite recent by comparison. The first Siamese appeared in British shows in the early 1870s, gifts from the King of Siam to the British Consul-General in Bangkok. It was 1890 before the cats made their way to tithe the United States, again as gifts from the King, this time to an American acquaintance.

The Siamese was the “in” cat during the early 1900s, creating such a demand that breeders began turning them out in great numbers with little regard for the animals themselves. The process, complete with much inbreeding, took its toll: The Siamese had become a weak, sickly breed and was nearing extinction when breeders finally recognized the threat and began exercising more care.

An extrovert in every sense of the word, the Siamese loves to have visitors into their home, to the point of sometimes being intrusive. It is free with its affection, and if given the attention it demands will be a dedicated companion. The Siamese can also be quite jealous of other cats and even humans. It is one of the few cats that can be trained to walk on a leash like a dog.

Its personality is also subject to unpredictable, wide swings, from a happy, playful cat one day, to a moody, sulking animal the next. The Siamese is one of our more vocal breeds, making frequent use of a loud voice that proves difficult to ignore.

There are only four recognized breeds in North America: Seal-Point, with a beige coat with seal-brown points; Chocolate-Point, with a snow-white coat with milk-chocolate points; Blue-Point, with a snow-white coat with grey points; Lilac-Point, with snow-white coat with pink-grey points. In Great Britain, the Tabby-Points, Tonier-Tabby-Points, Torte-Points (in all their colors), Red-Points, and Cream-Points are also officially recognized as Siamese, but in America, these are classed as a separate breed: the ColorpointShorthairs.

The fur of the Siamese is short, very soft, and exceedingly fine. The body is thin and slender, with long, thin legs and small, egg-shaped paws. The head is large and triangular, with medium-sized, almond-shaped eyes that are slanted; it has a pointed muzzle. The ears are large and pointed at the tips.

Common standard faults are noble eyes, spotting on the underside, malformed tail, malformed chin, weak legs, and white feet.

Daily brushing with a medium-hard brush is recon-mended to remove dead hairs, especially during shedding periods. An exclusive meat diet tends to damage the light colors of the coat, so fish and cooked vegetables should be used alternately with meat. Vitamin supplements are also advisable.

See more: Colorpoint Shorthair