Siamese Cat
History
The Siamese
cat is one of our oldest recognized breeds of cat.
They are believed to have originated in South-East Asia
where they were often kept as sacred temple cats. Their
Thai name means 'moon diamond'. Siamese
cats were first brought to Europe from Thailand (then
called Siam) in the late 19th century, when a gift of cats
was made to a returning Ambassador. They soon began appearing
at cat shows in the UK, and arrived in the USA in the early
20th century. Since then the Siamese has been crossed with
other cats to form several new breeds including the Balinese,
Tonkinese and Himalayan.
Appearance
The Siamese
has a light colored body with darker points on face, ears,
paws and tail. This is caused by a genetic abnormality which
brings about partial albinism. The pigmentation can only
develop on the coolest parts of the body, that is the extremities
and the face, which is cooled by the respiratory system
and sinuses. For the same reason, Siamese cats living in
colder climates will tend to develop a darker body that
those living in hot countries. At birth they are pure white
or cream. The pointing develops in the first few weeks of
a kitten's life. The rest of the body will slowly darken
a little as they age. The color pointing may be seal (most
popular), blue, chocolate or lilac. The almond-shaped eyes
of a Siamese
are a very striking and vivid blue. A tendency to crossed
eyes has been bred out now, except in a few cases. The head
is wedge-shaped and the ears are large and set wide. The
body is long, slender and elegant with a sleek short coat
and slim tail. No grooming is required. In their native
Thailand, many cats have a kink in the tail but this also
has been bred out of their Western cousins.
Temperament
They are affectionate and intelligent cats,
full of curiosity. They have a loud and distinctive voice
nicknamed 'meezer' that can sound plaintive, like a crying
baby. They are great communicators, both with their voice
and their body, and are persistent in their demands for
attention. They love to spend time with their owners and
they are great lap cats. Their coloring makes them less
able to camouflage themselves than many cats, they do not
see in the dark so well and they are not so active at night
as other breeds. They may also, like many blue-eyed white
cats, have a tendency to deafness. These could be some of
the reasons for their sociable nature and happy dependence
on human beings. The beauty and elegance of the Siamese
cat makes it one of the best known and distinctive
breeds.
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