Siamese cat

The Siamese cat is one of the most ancient breeds known to scientists, although it appeared in Europe only in the second half of the 19th century. Today, Siamese are recognized as the most popular shorthair cats on the planet.

Characteristics of Siamese cat

Basic moments

• Among felinological organizations there is no unity on the issue of distinguishing between animals of the traditional (classical) and modern (Western) types: the authoritative The International Cat Organization (TICA), World Cat Federation (WCF), the French Livre Officiel des Origines Félines (LOOF) consider them to be different breeds – Thai and Siamese , respectively, and in the list of breeds of The Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) and The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) you will not find Thai cats, they are classified as Siamese.
• Siamese cats are easily recognizable due to their contrasting coloration and expressive turquoise eyes.
• An equally characteristic feature of these pets is a loud voice with unusual intonations and a craving for “verbal” communication with people.
• They have a strong attachment to the owner and do not tolerate loneliness, but most Siamese are too jealous to share the attention of a person with other animals in the house, so it is difficult to call them non-conflict.
• Caring for cats does not cause difficulties, it is important to follow general recommendations, monitor nutrition and regularly visit the veterinarian for preventive examinations.
• There are a few diseases that this breed is prone to, but in general they can be considered healthy pets, with an average lifespan of 11-15 years.
• Strabismus and tail curls, previously not considered faults, are today carefully eradicated by professional breeders.

For decades, the Siamese cat had a special status in its homeland and could only belong to members of the royal family or high-ranking priests. Having moved from Asia to the West, graceful creatures with an unusual color and bright blue eyes quickly won the hearts of many influential and popular people: politicians, actors, writers, musicians.

History of the Siamese cat breed

Documentary evidence of the existence of a particular breed cannot always accurately report its age, because after the advent of writing, the first chronicles were made on fragile natural materials: tree bark, papyrus, palm leaves. Of course, over time, such scrolls were destroyed.

Sometimes they managed to make “lists” from them, that is, manually created copies, which were often modified and supplemented. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly when the original scientific treatise “Tamra Maew” was written – a poetic description of various cats that lived on the territory of modern Thailand. According to hypotheses, this happened during the existence of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya (Ayutthaya), that is, between 1351 and 1767. However, copies of the poem that have survived to this day, which are in the royal Buddhist temple Wat Bowon in Bangkok and the British Library in London, date from the middle of the 19th century.

Be that as it may, 23 cats of different breeds are depicted on sheets of ancient paper made from the bark of a Thai variety of mulberry tree. Six of them, according to the author, bring misfortune to a person, and the rest help to attract good luck. Among the latter, Wichienmaat stands out – a proportionally folded white cat with dark hair on the muzzle, ears, paws and tail.

For a long time, these animals were considered sacred, they lived in the temples of Siam (as Thailand was called until the middle of the last century) and at the court of local monarchs. Owning them by mere mortals, and even more so taking them out of the country, was strictly prohibited. The Western world learned about the existence of Siamese cats only towards the end of the 19th century.

In 1872, an unusual cat from Central Asia was presented to the public at the famous London exhibition hall Crystal Palace. The reaction of specialists and inhabitants was ambiguous, there was even a journalist who awarded the overseas guest with the epithet “nightmare”. However, many breeders were not so much frightened as intrigued by Dorothy Neville’s favorite. However, due to problems with exports, the development of the breed was not discussed. Only in 1884, the British ambassador Owen Gold brought a promising couple to Foggy Albion for his sister: a neat cat with rounded outlines Mia and a slender, elongated kitten Fo. Just a year later, one of their heirs became a champion. Soon the first European standard was approved and a club of breed lovers was created, selection work began.

A little earlier, in 1878, US consular officer David Sickels made a gift to the presidential couple, Rutherford and Lucy Hayes. The fact that the Siamese kitten was sent to America by ship is evidenced by a cover letter from a diplomat, which is stored in the archives of the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio. In just two decades, Oriental cats have become very popular in the New World.

Among the well-known owners of “moon diamonds” (as the Siamese are called in their homeland), one can recall another American president, Jimmy Carter, Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, writer Anthony Burgess, two Oscar winner Vivien Leigh, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, legendary musician John Lennon, actor Gary Oldman and others.

Video: Siamese cat

Appearance of the Siamese cat

As mentioned above, there are significant differences in breed standards. Most associations believe that the Siamese cat should have a slender but muscular body with elongated lines, and cats with smoother and more rounded features are already referred to as the Thai breed (or they are called traditional Siamese cats). Siamese cats are small in size, their weight is from 2.5 to 6 kilograms.

Head

Wedge-shaped, long and tapering from the narrow point of the nose to the tips of the ears, forming a triangle.

Ears

The ears of Siamese cats are unusually large, wide at the base, pointed at the end, repeating the same triangular shape as the head.

Siamese cat Eyes

Medium in size, almond-shaped, set somewhat obliquely. Always have a deep bright blue color.

Body

Elongated, flexible, muscular.

limbs

Long and thin, the back is higher than the front. The paws are small, graceful, oval in shape.

Tail

The tail of Siamese cats is long and thin, tapering towards the tip.

Wool

Short, fine textured.

Body

Elongated, flexible, muscular.

limbs

Long and thin, the back is higher than the front. The paws are small, graceful, oval in shape.

Tail

The tail of Siamese cats is long and thin, tapering towards the tip.

Wool

Short, fine textured.

Siamese cat Color

The Cat Fanciers Association allows four colors of Siamese:

• seal point, pale yellow to cream with contrasting brown spots on legs, tail, ears, muzzle, brown nose and paw pads;
• chocolate point, ivory base with milk chocolate shade spots, brown-pink nose and paw pads;
• blue point, bluish-white body with gray-blue spots, slate-gray nose and paw pads;
• lilac point, white body with pink-brown spots, lavender-pink nose and paw pads.

The International Cat Association considers a range beyond the four color-point colors recognized by the CFA as normative. It includes point tabby, red point, cream point, point tortoiseshell.

Photo of Siamese cats

Character of Siamese cats

There is an opinion that all Siamese cats have an unbalanced character, touchy, vengeful and simply aggressive. Breeders who have been working with the breed for many years are sure of the injustice of such words. Yes, these are quite capricious and demanding pets, so they should not be taken by people who dream of an accommodating companion who will behave quieter than water below the grass.

Communication for the Siamese is as essential as food and water. And it’s not just about joint games and affection! In the literal sense of the word, they talk with the owner, using a loud voice and expressive intonations, reporting everything that they like or dislike, that interests, worries, annoys. After being apart for several hours, a detailed “report” of what happened during the day will be waiting for you, and the pet, of course, expects a response to his tirades, he will gladly support the conversation.

By the way, Siamese cats are very sensitive to emotions expressed in human speech, they are offended by an angry, rude tone, so do not raise your voice unnecessarily – it has long been proven that animals can also experience depression, which leads to negative consequences for physical health.

Siamese cats are attached to their family members, do not like loneliness, they will readily accompany you while moving around the apartment and “help” with household chores. And when you finally settle down in a chair with a laptop or a book, they will gently snuggle up to the warm side and purr with pleasure.

Impressive royalty are not so patient as to constantly communicate with kids under the age of 6-7 years old, who do not understand the boundaries of personal space and, in delight at the sight of a beautiful “kitty”, forget that a living creature cannot be treated as unceremoniously as a plush toy. Siamese cats treat older children well.

As for other pets, no one can guarantee peace and harmony in the house, although some Siamese make friends with dogs. If one pet is not enough for the owners or if you want to protect furry family members from loneliness at a time when everyone is at work, the best option would be to purchase two Siamese kittens at the same time.

Siamese cat Care and maintenance

Preferably home content with short walks under the supervision of a person. These delicate creatures have lived for centuries in a warm tropical climate, so they do not have the cold hardiness that their Norwegian or Siberian counterparts can boast.

In the house, along with the kitten, a permanent place for feeding, a calm and comfortable corner for the toilet with a tray of a suitable size, toys designed to train not only muscles, but also the intellect, should appear. It is advisable to buy a cat tree house so that your Siamese can feel like a brave conqueror of peaks and look down on everyone a little.

The structural features of the short, smooth coat make caring for Siamese cats as simple and stress-free as possible. Frequent bathing is contraindicated, since the absence of a natural fat barrier impairs immunity. Cats are very clean and keep themselves in good shape. It is enough to go over the entire “fur coat” once or twice a week with a special mitten-comb – and your pet will look 100%. Of course, provided that he is provided with proper nutrition.

A complete diet for animals of any age is easiest to organize with ready-made premium and super-premium feeds. In this case, constant access to fresh water is especially important.

To avoid oral problems, regular brushing with pet toothpaste and a special brush that fits on the owner’s finger is recommended. Preventive examinations in a good veterinary clinic are called upon to prevent the development of other ailments.

Health and disease of the Siamese cat

Like other purebred animals, Siamese cats are prone to developing certain diseases.

• Amyloidosis is a pathological accumulation of protein in the kidneys, liver or pancreas, which leads to dysfunction of these organs up to their failure. It occurs much less frequently than in Abyssinian cats, but it is worth remembering this risk, because a disease that is incurable today, if detected at an early stage, can be significantly slowed down.
• Asthma and other bronchial diseases.
• Congenital malformations of the cardiovascular system, such as aortic stenosis or distension of the heart chambers (dilated cardiomyopathy).

But in general, Siamese are healthy animals, their average life expectancy is 11-15 years, there are also centenarians.

How to choose a kitten

In the case of Siamese cats, the advice common to all thoroughbred animals is relevant: you can only trust well-established catteries and breeders whose reputation is impeccable. Under such conditions, one can speak not only about the guarantee of the purity of the breed, but also about the concern for obtaining genetically healthy offspring.

It should be remembered that kittens are born with a solid light coat, and “branded” dark spots acquire in the process of growing up. Getting to know the parents can give you a rough idea of ​​what the baby will look like in a few years.

The main guidelines should be personal sympathy and health of the future pet. Suspicions are caused by apathy, poor appetite, bloated stomach, mucous discharge from the eyes or nose, unwillingness to make contact with a person.

Important indicators are not only the presence of a pedigree and age-appropriate vaccinations, but also decent living conditions for mothers with kittens: a spacious clean room with soft bedding that protects from the cold, and a sufficient number of toys that contribute to harmonious development.

Photo of Siamese kittens

How much does a Siamese cat cost

The price of a Siamese kitten largely depends on the success of its parents at exhibitions, color, individual characteristics (compliance with the breed standard). The city and eminence of the nursery are also of some importance.

On average, for a kitten that can become a pet, but does not claim to be a champion, they ask from 100 to 450$. The future exhibitor will cost the owners at least 500-600$. The cost of a kitten that is bought “for breeding” starts from 900$.