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Breed Characteristics
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Siamese
| Origin And History | The Siamese is one of the oldest breeds of domestic cat and has a history as long and colorful as the cat itself. The Siamese is also (arguably) the most recognizable breed on the planet. These sleek cats with the beautiful baby blues and outspoken nature originated in Thailand (formerly Siam, thus the breed's name), where they were treasured by members of royalty as companions and were thought to inherit the transmigrated souls of royalty en route to the hereafter. Early stories and myths involving the Siamese are plentiful, including fanciful tales that account for the cat's traits. One such story tells how sacred Siamese temple cats, charged with guarding a valuable vase, curled their tails around the vase and stared at it with such intensity that their eyes became crossed. Another story tells of Siamese cats appointed to guard princesses' rings: The cats kept the rings on their tails and the tail kinks developed to keep the rings from sliding off. The Siamese is described and depicted in the Cat-Book Poems, a manuscript written in the city of Ayudha sometime between 1350 when the city was founded and 1767 when the city was burned by invaders. The illustrations in the manuscript clearly show cats with slim bodies and legs, and pale-colored coats with dark coloring on the ears, tails, and feet. The book describes these pointed cats as having red eyes, possibly because of the way, as any cat photographer will attest, that the breed's eyes appear red when they reflect light. No one is sure exactly when the Siamese was imported to Britain. The earliest documented account tells of a pair of Siamese cats given to the sister of the British consul general in Bangkok in 1884, who exhibited the cats the following year in London. However, Siamese cats were exhibited 13 years earlier (in 1871) in the first modern-style cat show at Sydenham, London's Crystal Palace, where they were disparagingly described as 'an unnatural, nightmare kind of cat.' Despite the bad press, the Siamese rapidly became popular among British fanciers. At that time, the Siamese were noted for their crossed eyes and kinked tails; these didn't become conformation faults until later. The first British standard, written in 1892 and rewritten in 1902, described the Siamese as a 'striking-looking cat of medium size, if weighty, not showing bulk, as this would detract from the admired svelte appearance... also distinguished by a kink in the tail.' The breed must have become used to posh dwellings from its years with royalty; reportedly, the first Siamese to reach America lived in the White House. This often told, if not particularly documented, story tells of a Siamese given to Mrs. Rutherford Hayes in 1878 by U.S. Consul David Stickles. Another story claims that the Siamese arrived in America in 1890, given as a gift to an American friend by the king of Siam. The Siamese had certainly made the move to America by the early 1900s when Siamese cats began appearing in American cat shows. The breed rapidly clawed his way to the top of the cat fancy's scratching post, and is now the most popular short haired breed in America, and third most popular breed overall, according to the CFA's registration statistics (the Maine Coon nudged the Siamese out of second place in 1992). Due to its popularity, the breed has been used in the matrix of many modern cat breeds, including the Ocicat, Himalayan, Burmese, Tonkinese, Snowshoe, and myriad Oriental breeds (Oriental Shorthair, Oriental Longhair, Colorpoint Shorthair, Colorpoint Longhair, Balinese, and Javanese). Although the Extreme Siamese is favored in the show ring, the Traditional or Old Style Siamese (also known as the Applehead) has an enthusiastic following of breeders and fanciers who wish to preserve the Traditional Siamese. These fanciers believe the Traditional's rounder, heavier body style is closer to the original type that existed before humans began tinkering with it. The Traditional Cat Association, founded by Diana Fineran, is dedicated to preserving, protecting, perpetuating, and promoting the Traditional Siamese. Extreme breeders, on the other hand, believe that the Extreme body style is the original look, which became adulterated through dubious crosses in the early years. They are dedicated to preserving the natural, sleek elegance of the Extreme Siamese. Extreme and Traditional Siamese fanciers continue to hiss at each other over the difference in style, and it's difficult to say who is correct. The illustrations of the Siamese in the Cat-Book Poems show cats with long, slender legs and tails; however, the body type could be interpreted as either Extreme or Traditional, depending upon one's point of view. Both sides agree on one thing, though: Siamese make wonderful companions. If you're looking for a cat with personality, an impish nature, and a talent for conversation, both the Traditional and the Extreme will fit the bill. If you're looking for success in the show ring, the Extreme is favored. |
| Personality | Siamese are usually very affectionate and intelligent cats, renowned for their social nature. Many enjoy being with people and are sometimes described as "extroverts". Often they bond strongly to a single person. Some Siamese are extremely vocal, with a loud, low-pitched voice—known as "Meezer", from which they get one of their nicknames[6]—that has been compared to the cries of a human baby, and persistent in demanding attention. These cats are typically active and playful, even as adults, and are often described as more dog-like in behavior than other cats. |
Physical Attributes
| Appearance | The breed standard of the modern Siamese calls for an elongated, tubular, and muscular body and a triangular head, forming a perfect triangle from the tip of the nose to each tip of the ear. The eyes are almond-shaped and light blue, while the ears are large, wide-based, and positioned more towards the side of the head. The breed has a long neck, a slender tail, and fur that is short, glossy, fine, and adheres to the body with no undercoat. Its pointed colour scheme and blue eyes distinguish it from the closely related Oriental Shorthair. The modern Siamese shares the pointed colour pattern with the Thai, or traditional Siamese, but they differ in head and body type. The pointed pattern is a form of partial albinism, resulting from a mutation in tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin production. The mutated enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normal body temperatures, but becomes active in cooler areas of the skin. This results in dark colouration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, including the extremities and the face, which is cooled by the passage of air through the sinuses. All Siamese kittens, although pure cream or white at birth, develop visible points in the first few months of life in colder parts of their body. By the time a kitten is four weeks old, the points should be sufficiently clearly distinguishable to recognise which colour they are. Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and generally, adult Siamese living in warm climates have lighter coats than those in cool climates. Originally the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown, almost black) points, but occasionally Siamese were born with blue (a cool grey) points, genetically a dilution of seal point; chocolate (lighter brown) points, a genetic variation of seal point; or lilac (pale warm gray) points, genetically a diluted chocolate. These colours were at first considered "inferior" seal points, and were not qualified for showing or breeding. All of these shades were eventually accepted by the breed associations, and became more common through breeding programmes specifically aimed at producing these colours. Later, outcrosses with other breeds developed Siamese-mix cats with points in other cat colours and patterns including Red and Cream point, lynx (tabby) point, and tortoise-shell ("tortie") point. In the United Kingdom, all pointed Siamese-style cats are considered part of the Siamese breed. In the United States, the major cat registry, the Cat Fanciers' Association, considers only the four original colourations as Siamese: seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point. Oriental cats with colourpoints in colours or patterns aside from these four are considered Colourpoint Shorthairs in the American cat fancy. Many Siamese cats from Thailand had a kink in their tails but over the years, this trait has been considered a flaw and breeders have largely eradicated it, although it persists among street cats in Thailand. |
| Health | Based on Swedish insurance data, which only tracked cats up to 12.5 years, Siamese and Siamese-derived breeds have a higher rate of mortality compared to other breeds. The median lifespan of the Siamese group was somewhere between 10 to 12.5 years. 68% lived to 10 years or more and 42% to 12.5 years or more. The majority of deaths were caused by neoplasms, mainly mammary tumors. The Siamese also has a higher rate of morbidity. They are at higher risk of neoplastic and gastrointestinal problems but have a lower risk of feline lower urinary tract disease. Vet clinic data from England shows a higher median lifespan of 14.2 years. The most common variety of progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in cats (among them the Abyssinian, the Somali, and the big group of Siamese-related breeds) is related to a mutation on the rdAc-gene and a DNA-test is available. The same albino allele that produces coloured points means that Siamese cats' blue eyes lack a tapetum lucidum, a structure which amplifies dim light in the eyes of other cats. The mutation in the tyrosinase also results in abnormal neurological connections between the eye and the brain. The optic chiasm has abnormal uncrossed wiring; many early Siamese were cross-eyed to compensate, but like the kinked tails, the crossed eyes have been seen as a fault and due to selective breeding the trait is far less common today. Still this lack of a tapetum lucidum even in uncross-eyed cats causes reduced vision for the cat at night. This trait has led to their dependence and interest in humans, as it affects their hunting ability, a desirable trait for many owners. However it also makes them vulnerable to urban dangers such as night-time vehicular traffic. Unlike many other blue-eyed white cats, Siamese cats do not have reduced hearing ability. |
