General Information:
The Siamese cat is one of the oldest breeds of domestic cats. The explanation for its enduring popularity is an easy one. They are beautiful to behold, they are loyal, as well as affectionate and loving in temperament. This vocal breed has provided delight to cat fanciers for centuries.

The Siamese cat is likely the most vocal of any cat breed. Their constant talking may provide a source of annoyance to some, but for fanciers of this breed, the sound of a Siamese’s voice brings much pleasure. The Siamese is not a soft-spoken feline. He will usually speak loudly and uninhibitedly to those around him. His voice is decidedly deep and nasal, a sound that is very unique to the breed. They are a very affectionate cat,
and typically choose one special person to bestow all of their love and charms upon. This is not a one way street. The Siamese does expect his or her affections to be returned in the same heartfelt manner. If you do not express your love of him readily enough, he will demand you do so. Do not be surprised if you visit a house with a Siamese and find him sitting in the room demanding to be the center of attention. It is thought that the
Siamese regards himself as a person rather than as a cat. They have a strong love of people and affection. They do get along well with children, though they can loose their patience if teased too much. They will also get along with other animals in the house, but do better if raised with them. There can be issues with a Siamese and another cat if the new cat is brought in when the Siamese is an adult and unused to other feline companions.

This cat is smart and loving.  He is a people loving cat and expects attention.  He can also frustrate his human with his antics. He really dislikes to be left alone and can get into trouble if lonely. The manner in which the Siamese communicates is legendary. A female in season can be heard a round the block and sounds just like a human baby crying.  The Siamese is known to be high strong and active, always moving.

History:
For many generations the Royal cats of Siam where jealously guarded by the King of Siam at his Palace in Bangkok. It is probably owing to this confinement of the 'Palace' cats that there is little known of their true origins. The original Palace or Temple cats of Siam were said to be dark-colored with yellow eyes, not exactly what we would expect now as Siamese. In any event, sometime in the past centuries either one or several mutations occurred which caused the distinguishing 'Points' and Blue eyes that make the Siamese so distinctive. It is unfortunate that there are no records of who was responsible for encouraging and breeding this mutation, for without this person or group of persons, the Siamese breed may never have come into existence.

While the true origins of the Siamese may always be conjecture, we do know when the breed first began to      appear outside of Siam, or Thailand as it is called now. In 1884, a pair of Siamese cats were brought to Britain by Mr. Owen Gould, then the British Consul-General in Bangkok. This pair was given to Mr. Owens sister, Mrs.
  Veley who went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901, and were shown at the Crystal Palace in 1885.

Description:
The Siamese is a prime example of the oriental cat appearance; with striking deep blue almond shaped slanted eyes, an exotic wedge shaped head that rests upon a long neck, attached to a long, slender, muscular but elegant body supported by finely boned legs, that ends in a long graceful tail. The key word when describing a Siamese is ‘long’.  The Siamese is also well known for its beautiful coloring, called ‘points’. The term ‘points’
refers to the coloring of the head, ears, tail and legs. The recognized point colors are the traditional seal (the first recognized and accepted color), blue (accepted in 1934), chocolate (accepted in 1855) and lilac, which is the most recently accepted color. There are some additional point colors accepted by some organizations such as the tortie point, cream, caramel, tabby and red point, but these are not as widely accepted as the others. Their short coat is quite silky and lies smooth against the body; this has a streamlining effect that can accentuate the length of this breed.

The Siamese is a slender graceful looking cat.  It has a medium sized body that is long with strong muscles and fine bones. The eyes of the Siamese are always blue, the deeper and more vivid the better.The legs are long and slender. The coat is always shorthaired although in some groups the Balinese is called a longhaired Siamese.   Grooming is easy due to the short coat. Brushing or combing two times weekly is all that is necessary.

All Siamese are colorpoint cats.  They are all pure white at birth and the colorpoints appear as they mature.. They are seen in seal point, blue point,  lilac point, tortie point, red point, chocolate point and lynx point. The Cat Fanciers' Association refers to the red, tortie and lynx points as Colorpoint Shorthairs.

EARS: strikingly large, pointed, wide at base; continuing the lines of the wedge.

EYES: almond shaped. Medium size. Neither protruding nor recessed. Slanted towards the nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears. Uncrossed.

NOSE: long and straight. A continuation of the forehead with no break.

BODY: medium size. Graceful, long, and svelte. A distinctive combination of fine bones and firm muscles. Shoulders and hips continue same sleek lines of tubular body. Hips never wider than shoulders. Abdomen tight.

NECK: long and slender.

LEGS: long and slim. Hind legs higher than front. In good proportion to body.

PAWS: dainty, small, and oval. Toes: five in front and four behind.

TAIL: long, thin, tapering to a fine point.

COLOR: Body: even, with subtle shading when allowed. Allowance should be made for darker color in older cats as Siamese generally darken with age, but there must be definite contrast between body color and points. Points: mask, ears, legs, feet, tail dense and clearly defined. All of the same shade. Mask covers entire face including whisker pads and is connected to ears by tracings. Mask should not extend over the top of the head. No ticking or white hairs in points.  The colors are: seal point, chocolate point, blue point, and lilac point.

HOME BACK
This page was designed
by Kisser

Site Design and Content © 2001 by
Christina L. Remien/Kisser
All rights reserved.