Cat Breeds: Siamese

Siamese

Molly

The Siamese is one of the most popular breeds of pedigree cat and also one of the most easily recognizable. The Siamese originated in what is now Thailand and has been in existence for hundreds of years. Legend says that Siamese cats were sacred cats and guarded Buddhist temples. Siamese kittens were highly prized and it was considered a great honour to be given one. Theft of one of the Royal Cats of Siam from the Royal Court was punishable by death. They were finally imported into Britain in the 1880’s and arrived in America shortly afterwards. The original Siamese colour was the classic seal brown points with a warm cream coloured body but breeders in the west developed more colours by introducing other breeds of cat into the breeding schedule. The original Siamese had eye squints and tail kinks which are now considered serious faults but once these ‘faults’ were so common there are fables so tell of their origin. 

Merlin

One story tells of a valuable missing goblet and two Siamese cats who were dispatched to look for it. When they found the goblet one cat stayed to look after it while the other went back with the good news. The guard cat was so worried that the goblet might go missing again that she wound her tail tightly around the goblet and held it so tight that the tail became permanently kinked. All the time she was waiting for the other cat to return she stared at the goblet lest it disappear and her eyes developed a squint. Another story tells of a princess who was so scared her rings would be stolen she entrusted them to her Siamese cat to look after. The rings were placed on the cat’s tail but when the cat fell asleep the rings fell off. So the princess tied a knot in the tail of the cat so that the same thing could never happen again.

Milly & Molly

The Siamese is a medium sized cat with a long body that is graceful and elegant but still has a muscular feel. The body is well balanced and athletic. They have hind legs that are higher than the front. The legs are slender and the paws are small and oval. Their ears are large and pricked and are set so that they follow the lines of the triangle. The eyes are oriental in shape and slant towards the nose. The tail is long and tapering and free from kinks.

Sutnee

The Siamese is probably as well known for its loud vocal personality as for its classic looks. They are outgoing and can be extremely noisy. They demand attention and to be part of the family. A Siamese is not an ideal cat for someone out at work all day as they do not like to be left on their own but this can be overcome by having two Siamese. They are highly intelligent and need to be kept amused. Toys and scratching posts should be provided for their amusement and they can be taught to retrieve toys. Siamese are immensely loyal to their chosen human and they may not tolerate rivals for their affection. They tend to settle best with cats of their own type such as Burmese or Orientals.

Tune In Next Tuesday for more information on different Cat Breeds! 

*This information was gathered from Purina.com