Photo of a fluffy Siamese cat

History of the origin of the Siamese cat breed

Looking into the blue eyes of a Siamese cat, you always want to know the answer: where does this wonderful and amazing creature come from. History does not have a clear answer to the question of the origin of the beautiful cats that today are classified as the Siamese breed. All that remains is to listen to the beautiful legends, each of which may turn out to have a large share of truth.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

One legend tells us that the first representative of cats from Siam appeared on Noah's ship, as a result of crossing a monkey and a lion. An amazing hypothesis, but there is another one that explains the small kink at the end of the cat’s tail. According to legend, the Princess of Siam kept jewelry while bathing by stringing it on her pet’s tail and tying its tip in a knot. About the same story is told that the cat Chula protected the golden cup of Buddha and wrapped her tail around it. The kittens born from her also had the same feature as strabismus.

It is known for certain that the homeland of the cat can be called the state of Siam, which has now become the country of Thailand. These animals were revered and lived only in rich and noble houses. Another variety of the breed, the Thai, also comes from there.

The first pair ended up in Europe at the end of the 19th century as a gift to British Ambassador Owen Hood from the King of Siam. Since then, the career of this breed has gone up, and in 1892 the first standard was written, changed in 1902 in favor of the modern appearance of cats.

History of the Siamese cat breed

Siamese cat
Documentary evidence of the existence of a particular breed cannot always accurately indicate its age, because after the advent of writing, the first chronicles were written 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, to which changes and additions were often made. Therefore, it is difficult to say exactly when the original scientific treatise “Tamra Maew” was written - a poetic description of various cats that lived in 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, the surviving copies of the poem, which are in the royal Buddhist temple Wat Bowon in Bangkok and the British Library in London, date back to the mid-19th century.

Be that as it may, on sheets of ancient paper made from the bark of a Thai variety of mulberry tree, 23 cats of different breeds are depicted. 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 built white cat with dark hair on its face, 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. Possession of them by mere mortals, much less 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.

Siamese kitten

In 1872, at the famous London exhibition hall Crystal Palace, an unusual cat from Central Asia was presented to the public. The reaction of specialists and ordinary people was ambiguous; there was even a journalist who awarded the overseas guest the epithet “nightmare.” However, many breeders were not so much afraid as they were intrigued by Dorothy Neville’s favorite. However, due to problems with exports, there was no talk of developing the breed. 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 body kitten, Fo. Just a year later, one of their heirs became champion. Soon the first European standard was approved, a club for breed lovers was created, and selection work began.

A little earlier, in 1878, US consulate employee 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 kept in the archives of the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio. Just two decades later, oriental cats became very popular in the New World.

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

Siamese cat in motion

Taking sunbathing

Description of Siamese cats

The external features of Siamese cats include their small body size and small bone structure, which goes well with well-developed muscular shoulders and hips. They are graceful domestic cats with a very flexible body. The animals are proportionally built, although they appear thin. The hind legs are longer than the front legs and the paw pads appear small.

The word “convex” fits the description of the skull. The head is pronounced wedge-shaped and elongated, the muzzle should look elegant due to the jaws and chin of medium size, a straight nose, there is no transition from it to the frontal part. The nose has a very small lobe.

Pointed ears should also have the characteristics of being large and wide.

In a purebred Siamese cat, the main characteristic of the breed will be slightly oblique almond-shaped eyes with a radiant bright blue color. Sometimes cats have squinty eyes. This is due to the location of the organs of vision; strabismus is not common to all Siamese.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

The tail, which looks broken at the very tip, played a role in the cat’s biography. Today the standard does not specify this as a main characteristic.

An interesting fact about the coloring of this breed is the terminal point coloration with dark markings on the ears, muzzle, paws and tail. The ability of wool to darken at low temperatures is noteworthy. The final color is determined by 9-10 months of the kitten’s life.

Siamese cats are short-haired, the hairs of their coat fit tightly to each other.

Unlike its relative the Balinese cat, the Siamese is not hypoallergenic.

The breed has enough colors: they differ from each other in the variability of shades of light and dark components of the coat color (seal point, chocolate, blue point, lilac, blue, flame point).

Dimensions and weight of Siamese cats

The Siamese cat cannot boast of size: it is an elegant small creature.
The weight of females differs from the weight of males due to physiological reasons. Males weigh 4-6, maximum 7 kg, and females 3-4 kg. Table of approximate weight of a Siamese cat by month

Types of Siamese cats

The beautiful Siamese have relatives that are varieties of the breed. They differ from each other in appearance, coat length, body parameters, and, nevertheless, they are very similar to each other.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

All furry beauties belong to the Eastern-Oriental group. A striking representative of the group are Thai cats, which can be considered the ancestors of today's Siamese beauties.

Actually, oriental cats also resemble Siamese in their body type, but they have differences in appearance, and their color is by no means pointing.

The Mekong Bobtail is similar in appearance to the Thai, but does not have a long tail, but a small stump.

Descendants of Siamese include the fluffy Himalayan cat, the sacred Burmese, the long-haired Neva Masquerade, the smooth-haired Snowshoe, the Seychelles and the Balinese cat.

Thai and Siamese cats: differences and similarities

In order not to confuse the Thai and Siamese breeds , you need to find out how they are similar and how they differ. Although both branches belong to the Siamese-Oriental group, the WCF organization provides comprehensive descriptions of two different breeds with a common ancestor.

The first difference between a Thai and a Siamese is their body proportions. The Thai cat has a small body, while the Siamese exhibits the flexibility of a long, slender body. The limbs of the latter are also longer, as is the tail. The head of the Thai pet is rounded, while the Siamese is wedge-shaped. The profile of the Siamese is a straight line.

The differences in ear shape are obvious: the tips of the Siamese's ears are pointed.

But representatives of these breeds are similar in eye color, coloring, character traits and temperament.

Colors

The most popular colors are the following:

• Chocolate point (the main color is ivory, there are a small number of milk chocolate spots, the paw pads and nose are light brown with a slight pink tint);
• The seal point color is a whole palette of shades. Cream to light yellow as the base color and brown flowers on the limbs and face.
• The Blue Point, as the name implies, boasts an elegant bluish-gray color. At the same time, the cat’s nose is colored slate gray, as are the paw pads, and gray-blue spots and inclusions are allowed on the body.
• The lilac point includes a pink nose, lavender paw pads and a white body with blue and gray spots.

In the photo there is a Siamese cat of the main colors: chocolate, blue, lilac.
The above colors are accepted by the Cat Fanciers Association. And the International Cat Association allows a few more: red point (apricot or red spots on a snow-white body); caramel point (pale shade of cream, caramel pink paws and nose); cinnamon point (the coat has a noble shade of bone, pink-brown paw pads and the nose of the same shade).

Habits and character of Siamese cats

It is not for nothing that, according to legend, these cats guarded the temples of Siam - their intelligence exceeds that of many of their feline counterparts. They are easy to train and learn to correct their own behavior thanks to an attentive owner. Kotofey is able to learn to perform some tricks, which allows you to compare the animal’s habits with the behavior of a dog.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

The volume of the Siamese representative's voice is extremely strong. The cat's intelligence allows it to evaluate this ability and use it for the purpose of blackmail in an attempt to demand the desired item from the owner. A separate chapter in the book can be devoted to describing the beauty and power of voice timbre.

If you raise a purebred animal correctly, it turns out that it gets along well with the family, does not scratch children, and regularly goes to the litter box. Reviews from amateurs about the breed will help reveal character traits such as rancor and vindictiveness. But if you don’t offend your pet and don’t forget about the process of education, then he won’t have a reason to remember evil! They will release their natural temperament and, for example, catch mice. But you have to take into account the cat’s character, which is something that every child in the family should be warned about more than once.

But cats are not very fond of dogs, and here such a description of the cat’s character as “vindictive” would be very appropriate.

Are Siamese cats evil?

The main question that worries the buyer of a Siamese cat is whether they are evil? It is believed that their character is vindictive, and they themselves are aggressive. This is partly true: cats have an exceptionally good memory, and they remember evil directed at them for a long time. It is unrealistic to offend a cat and not get a logical answer.

And the myth that cats are evil comes from the fact that the first cats that appeared in Russia often crossed with closely related or outbred animals. This is where the defects in the character of those animals arose. But today you can reassure yourself: good people have no reason to worry about the temperament of their pet.

Feeding and caring for Siamese kittens

It's good that short hair doesn't require as much care as long hair. Although the undercoat of Siamese cats is thick, it is easy to comb and should not be done more than once a week.

You can wash your beauties once every six months with a suitable foaming shampoo.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

Discharge from the eyes can be removed with a damp cotton swab, but if it becomes excessive, contact a specialist.

Caring for your ears is simple: large ears can be easily cleaned with a swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide. If necessary, special drops are placed in the ears.

Once every two weeks, your pet needs to have its nails trimmed, but it’s better to brush its teeth every day.

Proper maintenance of a pet at home is impossible without proper nutrition. The kitten should be fed strictly according to its age by month.

What to feed a Siamese kitten at 1 month

The ideal food consists of meat: beef, horse meat, veal and poultry. But it is better to exclude grains from feeding, as well as excess fish, which they love. Cats will also readily eat specialized food from various super premium brands, such as Royal Canin and others.

Care and maintenance

Shorthaired Siamese cats are clean by nature and require minimal grooming.

The most important thing is to provide cats with sufficient attention from the owner, care and affection. Then the myths about the breed’s viciousness of these cats will remain exclusively myths. In an atmosphere of love and care, these beauties turn into gentle, affectionate and devoted pets.

Content Features

Cats have very short hair with no undercoat, so they are very sensitive to cold. They can only be kept warm, in a place without drafts. The optimal temperature for kittens is 25-28°C.

If Siamese are kept in a cool room, it is necessary to insulate the resting place and organize a warm bed. During the cold season, you can place a heating pad wrapped in a towel on the mat. The breed is completely unsuited to being kept outdoors.

Cats are smart and quick-witted, they easily learn to walk on a leash (harness). Their habits are very similar to those of a dog; cats of this breed can be taught commands and tricks. Siamese love long walks and don’t mind going on trips themselves, so you need to keep an eye on windows and entrance doors. If left open, cats may escape.

Siamese cats are very sensitive, they can distinguish the intonations of a human voice and understand words. Besides, they are touchy. If you scold or punish your pet undeservedly, he may harbor a grudge and try to take revenge. Raising a Siamese kitten and an adult animal is necessary in an atmosphere of calm and love. Cats can become attached to one family member, choosing him as their owner. They experience separation from this person very painfully.

Siamese cats are active and love active games; they can run around the house for hours. It is important that they have enough space. All dangerous devices, electrical wires, and breakable furnishings must be removed out of the reach of cats. Please note that Siamese are very curious; the blood of a hunter and explorer flows in their veins. Cats can climb into closets, bedside tables, washing machines and other unexpected places.

In the absence of their owners, they can play pranks, sometimes their pranks have a destructive effect. Overturned flower pots, unwound balls and rolls of toilet paper, a reprogrammed TV receiver - all this may be waiting for you when you return home after work. Cats have nimble and very long fingers, and they quickly learn to use them.

To prevent your cat from destroying the apartment out of boredom and longing for its owners, buy it several logical puzzle toys. Siamese are smart, they enjoy playing with such toys. To implement cat activity, you can build or purchase a vertical multi-level house or play complex. But the best escape from boredom for a cat is a companion animal. Ideal companions for Siamese can be small active dogs or relatives with a similar temperament.

Smart cats learn to use the litter box quickly. The main motivators for them in this process are your attention and praise. The whip method should not be used with these cats. Unpleasant notes in the voice, coercion - all this will be perceived with hostility by the wayward and freedom-loving Siamese. An offended kitten may completely forget how to go to the litter box. Sometimes adult pets do this too - this is how they express protest and punish the owner.

Features of care

Cats have smooth, very short fur and no undercoat. These cats do not need to be combed - just run a damp hand or a massage mitt over the fur to collect dead hairs. And sometimes clean the fur on the ears with a piece of velvet cloth. But caring owners do not neglect this procedure; they brush their cats weekly with a wide-toothed comb or a brush with natural bristles. To add shine to the coat at the end of the procedure, use suede.

Siamese don't like water. They don't like her in a panic. They have no undercoat - cats are cold all the time. Therefore, there is no need to rape an animal. Cats are bathed very rarely, only if their fur is heavily soiled with sticky, foul-smelling substances (oil, resin, paint). Immediately after the procedure, dry your pet and wrap it in a warm, dry towel. To quickly dry the animal, you can use a hairdryer.

Oriental beauties have a predisposition to dental problems. Sufficient attention should be paid to caring for the oral cavity and teeth. Your teeth should be examined and brushed weekly using a special toothpaste and brush. Siamese dogs are taught this procedure, which is not very pleasant for cats, from an early age. To cleanse the oral cavity, cats are given special treats. To promptly detect and remove tartar, pets are taken to a veterinarian.

The breed actively uses a scratching post, this is how the claws are worn down naturally. If this is not enough, you need to trim the claws with a nail clipper and trim them with a special nail file. This must be done carefully and very carefully. Remember that Siamese are sensitive, if you hurt them, cats may be offended. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to trim nails correctly.

Your pet's large ears should be inspected once a week to check for unpleasant odors, crusts, and unnatural discharge. All this is a reason to take your cat to the veterinarian. If everything is fine with the ears, they are cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in Vaseline oil. Cotton swabs are not suitable for cleaning cat ears. The veterinarian may recommend another product from a veterinary pharmacy to clean the ears.

The beauty's almond-shaped eyes can sometimes turn sour. If this happens rarely and the discharge from the eyes is colorless and odorless, there is no reason to worry. It is enough to examine and wipe your pet’s eyes with a cotton pad dipped in warm boiled water. Purulent and profuse discharge is a reason to consult a veterinarian.

Siamese cats are incredibly clean. Therefore, owners will have to wash bowls with hot water immediately after eating. You need to do this every day. The feeding area must also be kept clean.

Siamese do not like unpleasant odors and may refuse to eat in a dirty place. Also, you need to carefully clean the cat's litter box - clean Siamese will not do their business in a dirty litter box.

Important!

Place the tray as far away as possible from the place where food and water bowls are located. Siamese will not eat where they are toileting. Food bowls are placed in a secluded, quiet place.

Siamese health

There are some diseases that can manifest themselves in different genetic lines. This is amyloidosis - a disorder of protein metabolism, the formation and deposition of a specific substance amyloid. Diseases of these cats include asthma and congenital heart defects.

your Siamese pet's health does not fail , it is imperative that vaccinations are given on time according to the vaccination schedule determined by the veterinarian.

When trying to breed, take into account that the first heat may appear at 4 months, but you need to wait with mating. The cat is ready to bear its first offspring at 1-1.5 years. Pregnancy lasts longer than in other breeds; birth occurs on the 65th day.

If mating is not planned at all, it is better to castrate or sterilize the pet after the first signs of puberty appear.

How many years do Siamese cats live?

This cat has enough energy to live a long life at home under the care of a caring person. Life expectancy with good care is on average 15-20 years

.
global $ads_google;
//data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?> Neutered pets live longer, but without proper care, no pet’s health will be enough for a long stay in this world. There were representatives who crossed the 20th anniversary mark by many years. To prolong the life of a pet, it is necessary to follow the rules for the care, nutrition and general maintenance of the animal. Your cat's health will deteriorate without adequate exercise and a balanced diet.

What to feed Siamese cats?

Beauties from Thailand are very picky when it comes to food; they can eat everything from sausage to beef-flavored pillows. But! Experts advise including commercially prepared food in your cat's diet. Manufacturers usually include in such food all the necessary additives necessary for your pet to:

• grew and developed properly;
• delighted you with his playful and wonderful behavior.

How much your cat will eat is up to her; she is not capable of overeating. For small kittens up to 6 months of age, feed 4 times a day. From 6 months to 1.5 years - 3 times a day. Next, transfer your pets to 2 meals a day. If your cat gets sick, don’t try to cure it yourself; take it straight to the veterinarian; an experienced professional will be able to accurately determine the cause of the cat’s illness and cure the creature. Also, a fluffy Siamese cat will be considered your favorite pet. Find a common language with this creature, and you will be fully thanked by the cat.

© shutterstock

Buy a Siamese kitten

Due to the beauty and pedigree of the cat, its pedigree, rooted in the distant past of Siam, the cost of a Siamese kitten cannot be too low. It is even more suspicious to purchase a cat on the black market: sometimes the owners themselves do not know for certain what breed they are offering to people.

The sale of Siamese must only take place through official kennels. Sales begin when babies are 1-2 months old. It is at this time that they are divided into categories: pet, breed and show class. A pet-class cat will cost the least: its price is 3000-8000 rubles

. These are cats “for the soul”.

A breed-class kitten has a good pedigree and minor deviations in appearance based on the requirements of the standard. To buy such a cat, they are preparing 10,000-15,000 rubles

.

Show class cats are impeccable and suitable for exhibitions and competitions. Their cost is high: over 25,000 rubles

.

What to name a Siamese cat

Buying a young cat can bring a lot of joy to your home. To do this, you should choose the most suitable name for your baby. It turns out that this is not at all easy to do. Some people, without a moment's hesitation, give a new cat the name of a previously deceased pet, while others try to choose the most rare name possible.

The kitten must respond to its name, so it is desirable that it contains hissing sounds, which are found in Russian cat names. Despite the fact that the breed is far from local, the Russian nickname is quite suitable for a Siamese cat .

Boys are more often given either serious, important names or eccentric and funny ones, while girls’ nicknames sound more elegant, oriental.

A beautiful appearance implies a euphonious name. You should take into account all the features of the animal: blue eyes, huge pointy ears will also help in choosing a nickname.

global $ads_google; //data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?>

When choosing names from a long list designed to help in this important matter, you should look at your pet and notice its habits.
Probably, the wayward Siamese will suggest a solution himself. Nickname table

What is the best name for a Siamese cat?

The general rule that applies when choosing nicknames for any domestic cat is that it should contain hissing sounds: this will make it easier for the cat to get used to its name, love it and willingly respond to it. Fortunately, there are plenty of “sizzling” Russian nicknames and, despite the fact that the origin of your pet is by no means local, he will certainly like one of them.

A Siamese boy can be called Barsik, Darcy, Kuzya, Archie, Elastik, Zenit, Baikal, and for girls Arisha, Shunya, Lusha, Yasya, Pusha, Snezha, Plyushka are perfect. One way or another, when choosing a name from a long list of options, you should pay attention to the individual characteristics of your new family member: it is possible that a suitable nickname will “find” him or her on its own.

Conclusions about the breed

The beautiful and capricious clever Siamese cat will not accept the role of decorating a pillow. This is a full-fledged member of the family, whose opinion you should not even try to ignore. The amazing memory for evil towards a cat will amaze anyone, but the pet also does not forget every good deed. Such character traits do not reduce the popularity of the beast and the number of its fans.

The cat's health is good, but it will remain so only if the owners pay close attention to it.

Caring for the breed is not difficult, but the willful Siamese needs to be accustomed to all procedures from early childhood, while simultaneously raising and training her. This is actually a kind, loyal and sociable friend of man!