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Siamese, If You Please: All About the Beautiful Siamese Cat!
December 29, 2022 Jessica Northrup

Siamese, If You Please: All About the Beautiful Siamese Cat!

An image of a Siamese cat with a vibrant blue background

 

Is there any cat breed that’s more recognizable than the Siamese? With its “pointed” coat (pale body with dark face, ears, feet, and tail), striking blue eyes, and sleek, elegant physique, the Siamese is hard to mistake.

And if you’ve ever spent any time with one in person, you know the Siamese is one of the most talkative cat breeds. Here are some more interesting facts about the captivating Siamese cat.

 

A Siamese cat lying down on a cat bed

The Siamese cat’s distinctive coat colorings originated with a genetic mutation that occurred in Asia over 500 years ago. Pointed fur occurs when the cool parts of the body become more darkly pigmented than the warmer parts of the body. Pointing also accounts for the blue eyes.

 

A photo of a place in Thailand showing statues and temples

Historically, the country of Siam (now called Thailand) was very protective of the breed and allowed very few Siamese to leave the country.

Although some Siamese (probably smuggled) appeared at a cat show in England in 1871, the first “official” Siamese cats arrived in England in 1884…a pair given as a gift by the King of Siam himself.

 

A black and white image of President Rutherford B. Hayes

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The first Siamese cat came to the U.S. in 1871, as a gift to the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes from the U.S. Consul in Bangkok.

The Siamese is the genetic source and general inspiration for many newer cat breeds, including the Balinese, Javanese, Birman, Oriental Shorthair, Himalayan, Burmese, Ocicat, and Havana Brown.

 

Blue and gray yarn

Siamese and some other oriental cat breeds can exhibit an odd behavior called “pica.” Pica is a compulsion to eat non-food things. In Siamese cats, this usually manifests itself as sucking or chewing on fabrics, especially wool.

Two Siamese cats sleeping on a cat bed

The Siamese is one of the most affectionate, intelligent, social, and playful breeds of cat.

They can be very demanding of your time and attention, following you around and meowing, so it’s best to make sure your Siamese cat has a feline (or other animal) companion and lots of toys if she will be left alone for long periods of time.

 

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Up Next: Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds: Which is Your Favorite?

Filed in: Cats, Cute, Informative, Pets
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Comments

Pam - May 18, 2016

I noticed that there was a Siamese breeder on here and I had a question to ask. I just purchased two Oriental short hair kittens from a breeder that was not in my area. I realize they are not Siamese but have been told that the two breeds are pretty much the same. They were delivered to me via car as the breeder would not air ship her kittens. She has a friend who does car transport for a price. The breeder noted on her website that the kittens were raised in a family atmosphere and obviously were well cared for, they were not allowed to leave till 12 weeks and I actually ended up getting them at 16 weeks because of delivery issues. . I have had these two kittens for three days now and they have yet to come out of hiding unless I pull them out which I have to do to feed them otherwise they wont eat. I also have to feed them by hand as they refuse to eat out of their dish. They are horrified of everything, any little noise terrorizes them, I terrorize them :( Even after feeding them which they seem to enjoy and will purr for a brief moment but as soon as they are done they take off, then the next time I go to feed them it’s like they have no clue who I am and hiss and spit at me. I’m starting to wonder if the were really raised underfoot or if they were in a cage. Is this normal behavior for this breed, am I expecting too much too soon? My daughter purchased a Siamese from a local breeder and her kitten moved right into their home without any of these issues. I don’t want to ask the breeder this question as she may take it insultingly if I’m wrong well maybe if I’m right too:) . I’m looking for an unbiased opinion and any feed back would be appreciated! Any tips on what I should do to help them transition also? I’m feeling doubtful about my decision to purchase this breed as I was told this breed is very outgoing and friendly and I wanted nice companion/ cuddle buddies and it’s not happening :(

CVeraS - March 13, 2016

My first cat was a seal point traditional Siamese and I am sitting with a blue point in my lap now. He loves to play fetch and pester the dogs and other 2 cats. I do like the look of the traditional Siamese better than the new type. I am glad people are still breeding them, so we have a choice.

Angela - March 13, 2016

Beautiful write up BUT you have picture of a seal point domestic shorthair on here! The cat stretched out is NOT a siamese but just a regular cat. You can tell this by the fact that its head is round on all levels, ears are smaller and it has a double coat. Your opening picture is a traditional siamese with the beautiful wedge head, big ears, triangle planes to face and obvious single coat (no fluffy look). The picture of the two cats are closer to apple heads but I have to question whether they are pedigreed as the ears are too small, eyes too round and they appear to have a slight undercoat.
The dominate traits of the siamese are the wedge head, ears and coat style – therefore genetically if you take cat one and breed it to cat #2 the kittens will be more like cat #1 – to have cats looking like the cat in picture #2 means you have no siamese in there!
Color points are also present in birmans, ragdolls and several other old breeds; longhair is recessive in cats so if you take a seal point ragdoll and cross it to the cat in picture #2 you will get mostly cats like cat #2 (longhair will only occur in the kittens if the cat carries the longhair gene).

A pet peeve of mine as a registered breeder as I want to work on proper education of the breed.

Kristie - March 12, 2016

My mom and I got our first Siamese when she and my dad got divorced! I was 6 years old, she was such a joy in our lives and helped me through many things as a child!! She was 22 when she died!! About 2 years ago I finally got another one she isn’t a full breed Siamese but she looks just like one and has the same attitude!!! I love her dearly!! There is no other cat like a
Siamese ! They are awesome and I would love to have another !

James - March 10, 2016

I too love the Siamese breed, but I much prefer the traditional or Applehead Siamese cat. Today’s “recognized” breed is so inbreed and so far from the natural Siamese that other than personality, they are sometimes unrecognizable. The Applehead is the real Siamese and should be recognized again.

MAggie - March 9, 2016

i was a young girl and my mom brought home an adult Siamese cat. That was day one of getting Siamese cats that we loved and cared for. I still have Siamese cats and always will. They live very long and I feel they are amazing companions that warm my heart. My Siamese have always been great with people, children and other animals. Beautiful?

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