Siamese Cat

History of the Siamese cat breed

Documentary evidence of the existence of a particular breed cannot always accurately report its age, because after the appearance 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 when exactly the original of the 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, the surviving copies of the poem, which are located in the royal Buddhist temple of Wat Bovon in Bangkok and the British Library in London, date back to the middle of the XIX century.

Anyway, 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 second, the Wichienmaat stands out – a proportionally folded white cat with dark fur on its muzzle, ears, paws and tail.

For a long time these animals were considered sacred, they lived in the temples of Siam (the so-called Thailand until the middle of the last century) and at the court of local monarchs. It was strictly forbidden for a mere mortal to own them and even more so to take them out of the country. The Western world learned about the existence of Siamese cats only by the end of the XIX century.

In 1872, an unusual cat from Central Asia was presented to the public at the famous Crystal Palace exhibition hall in London. The reaction of experts and ordinary people was ambiguous, there was even a journalist who awarded the overseas guest with the epithet "nightmarish". However, many breeders were not so much scared as intrigued by Dorothy Neville's favorite. However, due to export problems, the development of the breed was not discussed. It was only in 1884 that the British ambassador Owen Gold brought a promising couple to Foggy Albion for his sister: a neat kitty with rounded outlines Mia and a slender, elongated-bodied kitten Fo. Just a year later, one of their heirs became the champion. Soon the first European standard was approved and a club of breed lovers was created, breeding work began.

A little earlier, in 1878, an employee of the US Consulate, 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 the diplomat's cover letter, which is kept in the archives of the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio. Just two decades later, oriental cats have become very popular in the New World.

Among the famous owners of "moon diamonds" (the so-called Siamese at home), one can recall another American president Jimmy Carter, the founder of the Pink Floyd group 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.

Video: Siamese Cat

Appearance of a Siamese cat

As mentioned above, there are significant differences in breed standards. Most associations believe that a Siamese cat should have a slender but muscular body with elongated lines, and cats with smoother and rounded features are already classified as 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 tapers in the direction 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, repeat the same triangular shape as the head.

Eyes

Medium-sized, almond-shaped, somewhat obliquely set. They always have a deep bright blue color.

Body

Elongated, flexible, muscular.

Limbs

Long and thin, the hind legs are higher than the front ones. The paws are small, elegant, oval in shape.

Tail

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

Wool

Short, has a fine texture.

Color

The Cat Lovers Association allows four Siamese colors:

• power point, from pale yellow to cream with contrasting brown spots on paws, 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;
• purple 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 to be normative. It includes point tabby, red point, cream point, point with tortoiseshell markings.

Photos of Siamese cats

Character of Siamese cats

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

Communication for Siamese is as urgent a necessity as food and water. And it's not just about playing together and petting! They literally talk to the owner, with the help of a loud voice and expressive intonations, informing about everything that they like or dislike, are interested, worried, irritated. After being separated for a few hours, you will be waiting for a detailed "report" on what happened during the day, and the pet, of course, expects a response to his tirades, he will be happy to support the conversation.

By the way, Siamese cats are very sensitive to emotions expressed in human speech, they are hurt 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, will readily accompany you during your movements around the apartment and "help" with household chores. And when you finally settle down in an armchair with a laptop or a book, they will gently cuddle up to your warm side and purr with pleasure.

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

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

Care and maintenance

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

In the house at the same time with the kitten, there should be a permanent place for feeding, a calm and comfortable corner for the toilet with a tray suitable in size, toys designed to train not only muscles, but also intelligence. It is advisable to buy a cat house-tree so that your Siam can feel like a brave conqueror of the peaks and look down on everyone a little bit.

Features of the structure of the short smooth coat make the care of Siamese cats as simple and tireless as possible. Frequent bathing is contraindicated, since the absence of a natural fat barrier violates the immune system. Cats are very clean and keep themselves in good shape. It is enough to walk around 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 full-fledged 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 problems with the oral cavity, regular cleaning is recommended with the help of toothpaste for animals and a special brush that is put on the owner's finger. Preventive examinations in a good veterinary clinic are designed to prevent the development of other ailments.

Health and diseases of the Siamese cat

Like other purebred animals, Siamese cats have a tendency to develop certain diseases.

• Amyloidosis is a pathological accumulation of protein in the kidneys, liver or pancreas, which leads to violations of the functions of these organs up to their failure. It is much rarer than in Abyssinian cats, but it is worth remembering about this risk, because the currently incurable disease, 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 stretching of the heart cavities (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 purebred animals is relevant: you can only trust well-established kennels and breeders whose reputation is impeccable. In such conditions, we can talk not only about guaranteeing the purity of the breed, but also about taking care of obtaining genetically healthy offspring.

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

The main guidelines should be the personal sympathy and health of the future pet. Suspicion is caused by apathy, poor appetite, swollen 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 conditions for keeping a mother 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.

Photos 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 the name of the nursery are also of some importance.

On average, for a kitten that can become a pet, but does not claim championship titles, they ask from $60 to $250. The future participant of the exhibitions will cost the owners at least $270-$350. The cost of a kitten that is bought "for breeding" starts from $500.