Siamese

History

The actual origins of the Siamese have been lost, but it is fairly certain that it is Eastern in origin. Manuscripts from Ayudha, the ancient capital of Siam (now Thailand), record native cats. One of these manuscripts, Cat Book Poems dating from 1350, pictures a pale-coated cat with a black mask, tail, feet and ears. The Siamese made its debut in Europe in 1871 at the Crystal Palace Cat Show in London. In 1879 the first Siamese arrived in the United States as a gift to the wife of President Rutherford Hayes from the US Consul in Bangkok.

The original Siamese shown were seal points, but as blue, chocolate and lilac colors appeared, they were accepted for show. In the seventies tabby points and red and cream points made their appearance on the show bench. 1989 saw the acceptance of silver tabby points and smoke points. Around the same time particolor points were accepted for show. TICA currently accepts all colors and patterns of the pointed category for show.

Personality

The Siamese is the perfect pet for someone who wants lots of interaction and activity. They are wonderful with children and other pets. They are very loving, loyal, intuitive, demanding and social. It has been said by many who have owned Siamese that one should have two - so that they can entertain each other while their owners are away. Otherwise, one must be prepared to drop everything upon returning home in order to spend half an hour or more "hearing about the day". Siamese are very intelligent and have a lot to say...they always have the last word.

They are very playful, entertaining themselves for hours. They have their favorite toys and never tire of playing throughout their lives. They are natural fetchers and will fetch as long as someone is there to toss! They are very amusing pets.

They love to pile up in a heap, whether it is in a lap or in front of the fridge to soak up the warmth or in a kitty kozy. They are as likely to crawl under the covers and snuggle as they are to curl up in a warm windowsill. They LOVE warm places.

Traits

The Siamese, like the other breeds in its group, is a long elegant cat that is defined by extremes - long tubular body, long well-angulated legs, long tapering tail, long triangular head, huge triangular ears. Nothing about the Siamese is round. It is angular in every way. In contrast with all of the long physical features, its coat is very short, glossy and sleek, and lies close to the body with a very fine texture.

One of the most striking features of the Siamese is its medium-large expressive almond eyes in a deep rich blue color. Eyes set in an oriental slant are like no other breed of cat (outside of the breed group). Eyes create the expression that says "Siamese". The almond shape gives the "oriental" appearance to the face. Together with the ears, the eyes create the unique look or "essence" of the breed.

The contrast between the point color - the color of the ears, mask, legs and tail - and the paler body color makes for a very striking and attention-getting pattern. Together with the long tapering lines, svelte and lithe body, solid weight without bulk and refined boning, the Siamese is a work of art, distinct from all other breeds of cats.

Health Issues Common to Siamese

The Siamese cat may be more prone to respiratory and dental problems than cats with a less extreme head type, and they occasionally have problems with crossed eyes or a kinked tail, but by and large they're a fairly healthy breed.

Nonetheless, all pedigreed cats have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Run, don't walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on kittens, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her kittens are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons.

Pet Insurance for Siamese

Pet insurance for purebred cats costs more than for mixed breed cats. This is because a purebred cat is more likely than a mixed breed cat to make claims for hereditary conditions that are expensive to treat.

Embrace cat insurance plans offer full coverage for all breed-specific conditions (excluding those that are pre-existing) to which purebred cats are susceptible. The best time to get pet insurance for your cat is when he's a healthy kitten. You can't predict what will happen in the future, and pet insurance is the one thing you can't get when you need it the most.