Siamese - Self Pointed Cats

History

It is widely accepted that this breed originated from Siam (now Thailand). This is an ancient breed with the earliest record dating back to 1350. The Siamese was described and illustrated in manuscripts called ‘Tamra maew’ which translates to Cat poems. The poems described a cat with a pale coat and a black face, tail, ears, and feet. The first Siamese cat in Europe was shown at the Crystal Palace Cat Show in London in 1871. The first Siamese cat was exported to America in 1879. The cat, named ‘Siam’, was a gift from the US consul in Bangkok to the wife of President Rutherford Hayes. In 1884 Edward Blencowe Gould brought home a pair of breeding cat named ‘Pho’ and ‘Mia’ to the UK. Pho and Mia had their first litter in 1885. The whole family of Siamese cats were shown that year at the Crystal Palace show in London, but soon dies of unknown causes.

In 1886 Eva Forestier Walker imported more Siamese cats from Siam. Several breeders in the UK took an interest in this new exotic breed and also began to import cats. These imported cats made the foundation for the breed in the UK. The original Siamese imports were slightly more stocky than the Siamese cats we see today. This is because many breeders developed the breed to look more striking. The breed has now developed to be long, with a tubular body, slender legs, a long thin tail and a long wedge shaped head with large ears set far apart.

Behaviour

The siamese cat has a very outgoing temperament. This cat has a larger than life personality and is very vocal. They have a low pitch, loud meow. When you arrive home a Siamese will often talk to you for quite sometime until you pay them all the attention they want. This is a playful and inquisitive breed and will bond strongly with one family member. They make great family pets as they get along well with children and other animals. Siamese cats are very social and if you are likely to be out for long periods of time it is advised to get two cats to keep each other company.