The Siamese Cat Breed

The Siamese cat breed was first described in a 15th century Thai manuscript and in fact the seal point was the official cat to the king of Siam. 

The belief was that the cat could aid the deceased sprit into the next world and so the cats were often buried with members of the royal household.

Evidence of holes made in the roof of the tombs further enhanced this belief as it was believed that this indicated that the cats had taken the souls through to the after life.

The first breeding pair of Siamese arrived in Britain during 1884 and were of the traditional variety which were stocky, with rounded heads and with quite small ears. They also had a pronounced squint and a kink at the end of their tail.

Modern Siamese are quite different and have long bodies with dainty oval paws. They have a wedge shaped face with pronounced large ears.

Colour Variations

The colour variations of this cat breed are known as:

Seal Point - Fawn coat with almost black points on ears and nose.

Chocolate point - Paler coat than the seal pint and the pints are a lighter chocolate colour.

Blue Point - White colour body with hints of pale blue/brown points

Lilac Point - A slightly off white body colour with frosted blue/grey points. There is a touch of lavender in the point colour and has matching lavender/pink nose and paw pads.

Red Point - Ivory coloured body with slightly red/gold points. Nose and paw pads are pink.

Cream Point - This is a dilute version of the red point. The cream on cream has a very subtle tonal difference.

Tabby Point (Lynx Point) - The tabby point can come in many different colour variations. The cat breed has tabby markings on forehand and tail.

Tortie Point - The colour points are randomly mottled with shades of red and cream.

Breed Characteristics

Coat: The Siamese has a very short, fine coat that is glossy and close lying to the body. Eyes: The cat has almond shaped eyes that are also slightly slanted. Brilliant blue in colour. Grooming: The Siamese has a easy coat to maintain but to help keep the gloss must be groomed regularly.

Siamese Cat Temperament

This cat breed is extremely intelligent and some people use them as guard cats as they are quite bold and vocal and are protective of their owners. They are very lively cats that love to play and needs lots to keep them occupied and fit. They are known to be rather aloof and sooty but are also very affectionate cats when they want to be.

More information on the types, colors, behavior and temperament of these beautiful cats (as well as what it's like to live with one!) can be found at Life with Siamese Cats. 

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