| The Siamese, (if you please) are very wonderful | | | | breeders and several organizations were formed for |
| cats. | | | | the preservation of the breed. The organizations put |
| Their history is a little sketchy as no one knows the | | | | on shows and gave prizes and today the future of |
| exact place of their origin. It is believed that they | | | | the traditional Siamese cat is quite secure. |
| came from Southeast Asia and are descendents of | | | | The traditional Siamese cat makes a wonderful pet. |
| the scared temple cats of Siam (Thailand.) | | | | This cat loves human company. It is very |
| The Siamese cat that you may remember from your | | | | affectionate, has an almost a "dog-like" intelligence |
| childhood is not the Siamese cat that is bred today. | | | | and is very social. |
| Today's Siamese cat almost looks like it landed here | | | | Siamese cats are known "talkers" and will carry on a |
| from outer space. It is longer, slim, has an angular | | | | conversation with you. They get along with other |
| pointed face and large ears. The traditional Siamese | | | | cats, though they more than likely will be the |
| (known as the applehead) had a round head, | | | | dominant one. Siamese are active and playful and |
| almond-shaped blue eyes and were of fairly sturdy | | | | seem to be quieter at night than other cats. |
| build. | | | | This may be due to the fact that blue eyed cats do |
| What happened? | | | | not have the night vision that other cats have. |
| Let's go back in history for a bit and trace the origin | | | | All Siamese kittens are born either white or cream |
| of the Siamese from whence it became known to | | | | and will develop color on the "cooler parts' of their |
| the western world up to modern times. Back in the | | | | body as they get older. |
| late 1700's in southern Russia, some pictures of a cat | | | | The resulting color pattern is due to a mutation in an |
| with Siamese markings was found by a man named | | | | enzyme that is heat sensitive. This mutation does not |
| Mr. Pallas, but it was not until the late 1800's that | | | | work on parts of the body that are warm, but colors |
| anything could be documented. | | | | the body parts that are cooler. |
| In 1884 a British-Consul-General was given Siamese | | | | By the time a Siamese kitten is 4 weeks old it is |
| cat by the Siamese king as a parting gift. This was | | | | possible to see what color the points are going to be. |
| considered a great gift as the cat had been bred in | | | | The original Siamese were almost dark brown to |
| the royal palace. | | | | black, but with breeding and genetic changes the |
| The Siamese cats at that time had kinks in their tails, | | | | colors have changed as breeders have developed a |
| which is a story I will tell you later. | | | | Siamese-mix that offers different choices. |
| This cat had kittens, which the then retired | | | | The Cat Fanciers Association only accepts the four |
| Consul-General gave to his sister, Mrs. Lillian Velvey. | | | | original Siamese colors (dark brown, blue, chocolate |
| She entered them in the 17th Crystal Palace Cat | | | | and lilac points.) |
| Show in England on October 1885. The cats were so | | | | The original Siamese had tails with "kinks" in them, |
| extraordinary that they were photographed and | | | | this has since been bred out of the breed. There are |
| quickly became a favorite and in 1902 England | | | | several stories of how the Siamese cat originally got |
| formed the first Siamese cat fancier's club. | | | | the kink in its tail and my favorite one is: |
| No one is certain when the first Siamese arrived here | | | | Once upon a time at one of the Siamese temples a |
| in the United States, but in April 1909 the first | | | | beautiful royal goblet was missing. A search went on |
| Siamese Cat Society of America was formed. | | | | and the goblet could not be found. In an effort to |
| In the 1950's and 60's the Siamese cat was one of | | | | help in the search, a young cat and his wife went |
| the most popular breeds around. | | | | into the jungle to search on their own. A luck would |
| These wondrous cats appeared in many movies such | | | | have it, they found the royal goblet, but had no way |
| as Bell, Book and Candle, That Darn Cat and Lady | | | | to carry it back to the temple. A decision was made |
| and the Tramp. | | | | by the couple that the young wife would stay and |
| While the Siamese breed was gaining popularity here | | | | guard the goblet while her husband went back to the |
| and in Great Britain very few people were breeding | | | | temple to tell the priest. |
| them in Siam (Thailand.) In the early 1960's breeders | | | | The little cat made herself a nest and wrapped her |
| were becoming bored with the "traditional Siamese" | | | | tail around the stem of the goblet to keep it safe. |
| and decided to change the conformation of the | | | | When her husband and the priest returned four days |
| breed to the longer, slimmer more exotic cat we see | | | | later, they not only found the cat with her tail around |
| today. | | | | the goblet, but they also found five beautiful kittens. |
| This change caused a great deal of unhappiness | | | | The royal cat was so conscientious about the safety |
| among the breeders of the more traditional cats. | | | | of the goblet that as a reminder of her loyalty, a |
| By 1986 the original Siamese breed was no longer | | | | permanent kink developed in the end of her tail and |
| shown in cat shows. Many breeders stopped raising | | | | believe it or not, all five kittens had one, too. |
| them and it seemed the original Siamese cat was | | | | As the popularity of the "traditional" Siamese grows |
| doomed. | | | | and it finds its way back into the main show ring |
| However, there fortunately were some diehard | | | | maybe, just maybe the "kink" will come back, too. |