This article is about the modern, wedge-faced breed. For the traditional, round-faced type, seeThai cat. For the 1943 Hungarian film, seeSiamese Cat (film).
The traditional "old-style" (rounder-built) cats were split off from the Siamese breed and re-established by multiple registries as the separateThai cat breed.
TheSiamese cat (Thai:แมวไทย,Maeo Thai;แมวสยาม,Maeo Sayam;แมววิเชียรมาศ,Maeo Wichien Maat) is one of the first distinctly recognisedbreeds ofcat. It isselectively bred since the end of the 19th-century from theWichianmatlandrace, one of several varieties of cats native toThailand (known asSiam before 1939), and ispedigreed in all majorcat fancier andbreeder organisations. Siamese cats have a distinctivecolourpoint coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type ofalbinism. Distinct features like blue almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large wide-set ears, an elongated, slender, and muscular body, and various colours of point colouration characterise the breed.
The breed was one of the most popular cat breeds inEurope andNorth America in the 19th century.[1] Around the 1950s, the modern-style body with slender and angular features became the preferred type by Siamese enthusiasts.[2] From the 1980s onwards, the traditional "old-style" (rounder-built) cats started to officially split off from the (modern-style) Siamese breed and were re-established by multiple registries as the separateThai cat breed. The terms "Siamese" or "Thai" are used for cats from these specific breeds, which are by definition allpurebred cats with a known and formallyregisteredancestry, also known as the cat'spedigree or "paperwork".[3][4]
The Siamese is used asfoundation stock in several new cat breeds; bycrossbreeding them with other cats. TheOriental andColourpoint Shorthair were developed to expand the range of Siamesecoat patterns. Crossbreeding withPersians resulted in a long-haired colourpoint variant called theHimalayan. The long-haired Siamese is recognised internationally as theBalinese. Crossbreeding also introduced Siamese features in several hair-mutation breeds, including theCornish Rex,Sphynx, andPeterbald.
A description and depiction of theWichianmat (Siamese cat) first appears in a collection of ancient manuscripts called theTamra Maew (The Cat-Book Poems), thought to originate from theAyutthaya Kingdom (1351 to 1767 AD). Over a dozen are now kept in theNational Library of Thailand. The manuscripts have resurfaced outside of Thailand and are now in the British Library and National Library ofAustralia.
At the end of theBurmese–Siamese war, the capitol was sacked on 7 April 1767. The Burmese army burned everything in sight and returned to Burma, taking Siamese noblemen and royal family members with them as captives. A Thai legend states that the King of BurmaHsinbyushin found and read the poem for theThai cats in the Tamra Maew. The poem describes Thai cats as being as rare as gold, and anyone who owns this cat will become wealthy. He told his army to round up all theSuphalak cats and bring them back toMyanmar (Burma) along with the other treasures.[5]
The pointed cat known in the West as "Siamese", recognised for its distinctive markings, is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called "Tamra Maew" (Cat Poems). The "Tamra Maew" is estimated to have been written from the 14th to the 18th century.[6] In 1878, US PresidentRutherford B. Hayes received the first documented Siamese to reach theUnited States. The cat, named "Siam," was sent from Bangkok to the US Consul.[7] In 1884, the British Consul-General inBangkok,Edward Blencowe Gould (1847–1916),[8] brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia (พ่อและแม่), back to Britain as a gift for his sister,Lilian Jane Gould (who, married in 1895 as Lilian Jane Veley,[9] went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). In 1885, Gould's UK cats Pho and Mia produced three Siamese kittens—Duen Ngai (เดือนหงาย), Kalohom (กลาโหม), and Khromata (กรมท่า)—who were shown with their parents that same year at London'sCrystal Palace Show. Their appearance and behaviour attracted attention, but all three of the kittens died soon after the show, their cause of death not documented.[10]
Wankee, born in 1895 to foundation stock parents in Hong Kong, became the first UK champion in 1898.[11]
By 1886, four Siamese cats were imported to the UK by Eva Forestier Walker (surnamed Vyvyan after 1887 marriage)[12] and her sister, Ada. These Siamese imports were long, had rounded heads with wedge-shaped muzzles, and large ears.[citation needed] The cats ranged from substantial to slender but were not either extreme.[citation needed] The difference in the pointed coat pattern had not been seen before in cats by Westerners.[citation needed] Over the next several years, fanciers imported a small number of cats, forming the foundation stock for the entire breed in Britain. Due to digitalisation of the extensively kept ancestry paperwork by the cat registries, it is possible to trace the pedigree of most Siamese cats of today back to (one or more of) these original imports.[13] In Britain, these original imports were called the "Royal Cat of Siam." Some reports say that they had previously been kept only by Siamese royalty.[14] However, research does not show evidence of any organised royal breeding programme in Siam.[6]
In the 1950s–60s, as the Siamese was increasing in popularity, many breeders and cat show judges began to favour the more slender look.[2] Breeders created increasingly long, fine-boned, narrow-headed cats through generations of selective breeding. Eventually, the modern show Siamese was bred to be extremely elongated, with a lean, tubular body, long, slender legs, a very long, very thin tail that tapers gradually into a point, and a long, wedge-shaped head topped by extremely large, wide-set ears.[2]
Comparison of seal point Siamese cats in the 1950s
While some show quality specimen from the 1950s still exhibit relatively moderate characteristics, the breed standard was setting the stage for the modern Siamese, with its call for a "dainty, long and svelte" body, a long head that "taper[s] in straight lines from the ears to a narrow muzzle", "ears large and pricked, wide at the base" and tail "long and tapering".[2]
By the mid-1980s, cats of the original style had largely disappeared from cat shows. Still, a few breeders, particularly in the UK, continued to breed and register them, resulting in today's two types of Siamese: the modern, "show-style", standardised Siamese, and the "traditional" type, nowThai, both descended from the same distantWichianmat landrace ancestors, but with few or no recent ancestors in common, and effectively forming distinct sub-breeds. As a result, from the 1980s onwards, multiple cat registries re-established the "traditional, old-style" breeding lines into a separate breed. In addition to the modern Siamese breed,The International Cat Association (TICA) and theWorld Cat Federation (WCF) now accept cats of the "old-style" type, and anyWichianmat cat imported directly from Thailand, under the new breed nameThai.[15][16] Other unofficial nicknames for the Thai variety are "Old-style", "Classic", or "Traditional" with this variation (previously) derogatory nicknamed "Applehead" in the US.[17][18]
Comparison ofThai (traditional) and Siamese (modern) cats
Seal point traditional Thai cat with a round head
Blue point traditional Thai cat with a round head and a bulky-build body
Seal point modern (front view) with the typical large, wide-set ears and a slender-build body
The breed standard of the modern Siamese calls for an elongated, tubular, and muscular body and a triangular head, forming a triangle from the tip of the nose to each tip of the ear. The eyes are almond-shaped and light blue, while the ears are large, wide-based, and positioned more towards the side of the head. The breed has a long neck, a slender tail, and fur that is short, glossy, fine and adheres to the body with no undercoat. Its pointed colour scheme and blue eyes distinguish it from the closely relatedOriental Shorthair. The modern Siamese shares the pointed colour pattern with theThai, but they differ in head and body type.
Many foundation stock cats from Thailand had a kink in their tails, but over the years, this trait has been considered a flaw. Breeders have largely eradicated it around the 1950s,[2] but the kinked tail persists among street cats in Thailand.[citation needed]
The colourpoint pattern is a form of partialalbinism (acromelanism), resulting from a mutation intyrosinase, anenzyme involved inmelanin production. The mutated tyrosinase enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normalbody temperatures but becomes active in cooler (< 33 °C) areas of the skin.[19] The heat-sensitive enzyme results in a dark colouration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, like the extremities and the face, which are cooled by the airflow through theirsinuses.
Due to the temperature-sensitive pigmentation, Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and generally, adult Siamese living in warm climates have lighter coats than those in cool climates. Siamesekittens are cream to white at birth and develop visible points in the first few months of life in colder parts of their body.[20] By the time a kitten is four weeks old, the points should be sufficiently distinguishable to recognise which colour they are.[citation needed]
Originally the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown, almost black) points, but occasionally Siamese was born with "blue" (a cool grey) points, genetically a dilution of seal point; chocolate (lighter brown) points, a genetic variation of seal point; or lilac (pale warm grey) points, genetically a diluted chocolate. These colours were considered "inferior" seal points and were not qualified for showing or breeding. These shades were eventually accepted by the breed associations and became more common through breeding programmes specifically aimed at producing these colours. Later, outcrosses with other breeds developed Siamese-mix cats with points in other cat colours and patterns, including red and cream points, tabby (US English: lynx) points, andtortoiseshell ("tortie") points.[citation needed]
In most cat registries, all pointed Siamese-style cats are considered part of the Siamese breed. TheCFA (predominantly operating in the US), considers only the four original fur colours as Siamese: seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac point.[21] Siamese cats with points in colours or patterns aside from these four are considered Colourpoint Shorthair in the CFA registry. TheWCF has also adopted this classification, treating the Colourpoint Shorthair as a distinct breed.[16]
Siamese are usually very affectionate and intelligent cats, renowned for their social nature. Many enjoy being with people and are sometimes described as "extroverts". Often they bond strongly with a single person.[10] Myrna Milani describes the Siamese as being more diurnal, more likely to stay close to their owner, and less likely to hunt than other cats.[22]
Blue point kitten
Blue point kitten
Typical side view of the head of a seal point adult
This Siamese cat demonstrates the once commoncross-eyed trait that has largely been bred out.
Based on Swedish insurance data, which tracked cats only up to 12.5 years, Siamese and Siamese-derived breeds have a highermortality rate than other breeds. 68% lived to 10 years or more and 42% to 12.5 years or more. The majority of deaths were caused byneoplasms, mainlymammary tumours. The Siamese also has a higher rate ofmorbidity. They are at higher risk of neoplastic and gastrointestinal problems but have a lower risk offeline lower urinary tract disease.[23][24] A UK study of veterinary records found a life expectancy of 11.69 years for the Siamese compared with 11.74 years overall.[25]
The samealbinoallele that produces coloured points also results in abnormal neurological connections between the eye and the brain.[26] Theoptic chiasm has abnormal uncrossed wiring; many early Siamese werecross-eyed to compensate, but like the kinked tails, the crossed eyes have been seen as a fault, and due to selective breeding the trait is far less common today.[2] Unlike many otherblue-eyed white cats,[27] Siamese cats do not have reduced hearing ability.
The Siamese suffers from abnormal visual projections due to the lateral geniculate body of the eye differing from normal felines. Fibres located in the temporalretina cross over in thechiasm instead of remaining uncrossed.[28] The breed has also been found to have a predisposition toprogressive retinal atrophy.[29]
The Siamese is one of the more commonly affected breeds forgangliosidosis 1. Anautosomal recessive mutation in theGBL1 gene is responsible for the condition in the breed.[32]
Balinese are also known as Longhaired Siamese, being distinguished by coat lengthOrientals have the same head and body type, but non-blue eyes and a wide variety of coat patternsHimalayan, a breed derived from crosses ofPersians to Siamese Seal pointDomestic Shorthair, a breedless cross between a Siamese and aDomestic Shorthair
Balinese – Natural mutation of the Siamese cat; a longhaired Siamese. In the largest US registry, theCFA is limited to the four traditional Siamese coat colours of seal point, blue point (a dilute of seal point), chocolate point, and lilac point (a dilute of the chocolate point). Other registries in the US and worldwide recognise a greater diversity of colours.
Birman – After almost all the individuals of the breed died out during the years ofWorld War II, French breeders reconstructed the breed through interbreeding with various other breeds, including the Siamese. Modern Birman cats have inherited their pointed coat patterns from the Siamese.[33]
Burmese – is a breed of domesticated cats descended from a specific cat, Wong Mau, who was found in Burma in 1930 byJoseph Cheesman Thompson. She was brought to San Francisco, where she was bred with Siamese.
Havana Brown – resulted from crossing a chocolate-point Siamese with a black cat.
Colourpoint Shorthair – a Siamese-type cat registered in CFA with pointed coat colours aside from the traditional CFA Siamese coat colours; originally developed by crosses with other shorthair cats. Considered part of the Siamese breed in most cat associations but considered a separate breed in CFA and WCF. Variations can include tabby (lynx) points and tortie points.
Himalayan – Longhaired breed originally derived from crosses ofPersians to Siamese and pointed domestic longhair cats to introduce the point markings and the colours chocolate and lilac. After these initial crosses were used to introduce the colours, further breed development was performed by crossing these cats to the Persian breed. In Europe, they are referred to as colourpoint Persians. In CFA, they are a colour division of the Persian breed.
Neva Masquerade – derived in Russia by naturally or selectively crossingSiberian cats with Siamese cats or related colourpoint cats. It bears the Siamese colourpoint gene,[33] but the originalfoundation stock is unclear.
Ocicat – a spotted cat originally produced by a cross between Siamese andAbyssinian.
Oriental Shorthair – a Siamese-style cat in non-pointed coat patterns and colours, including solid, tabby, silver/smoke, and tortoise-shell.
Ragdoll – selectively bred from "alley cats"foundation stock in the USA. It bears the Siamese colourpoint mutation gene.[33]
Savannah – a domestic hybrid cat breed. It is a hybridisation between a serval and a domestic cat. (The first was bred with a Siamese)
Snowshoe – a cream and white breed with blue eyes and some points that were produced through the cross-breeding of the Siamese and bi-colouredAmerican Shorthair in the 1960s.
Thai Cat – also called the Wichian Mat or Old-Style Siamese, the original type of Siamese imported from Thailand in the 19th century and still bred in Thailand today; and throughout the first half of the 20th century, the only type of Siamese.[34]
Tonkinese – originally a cross between a Siamese cat and aBurmese. Tonkinese × Tonkinese matings can produce kittens with a Burmese sepia pattern, a Siamese pointed pattern, or a Tonkinese mink pattern (which is something in between the first two, with less pattern contrast than the Siamese but greater than the Burmese); often with aqua eyes.
Toybob – cat breed of Russian origin. It bears the Siamese colourpoint mutation gene.[33]
Siamese cats have been protagonists in literature and film for adults and children since the 1930s.Clare Turlay Newberry'sBabette[35] features a Siamese kitten escaping from a New York apartment in 1937. British publisherMichael Joseph recorded his relationship with his Siamese cat inCharles: The Story of a Friendship (1943).[36] The "Siamese Cat Song" sequence ("We are Siamese if you please") inWalt Disney'sLady and the Tramp (1955), features the cats "Si" and "Am", both titled after the former name of Thailand, where the breed originated. The 1958 film adaptation ofBell, Book and Candle featuresKim Novak's Siamese cat "Pyewacket", a witch's familiar.
The Incredible Journey (1961)[37] bySheila Burnford tells the story of three pets, including the Siamese cat "Tao", as they travel 300 miles (480 km) through the Canadian wilderness searching for their beloved masters. The book was a modest success when first published but became widely known after 1963 when it was loosely adapted into afilm of the same name by Walt Disney. Disney also employed the same Siamese in the role of "DC" for its 1965 crime caperThat Darn Cat!,[38] withThe New York Times commenting "The feline that plays the informant, as the F.B.I. puts it, is superb. [...] This elegant, blue-eyed creature is a paragon of suavity and grace".[39]
^abcdefBrown van der Meid, Louise (1960).Siamese cats. Internet Archive. New York, Sterling pub. Co.; distributed to the pet trade by T. F. H. Publications, Jersey City, N. J.
^Giuliano, EA; van der Woerdt, A (1 November 1999). "Feline retinal degeneration: clinical experience and new findings (1994-1997)".Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.35 (6). American Animal Hospital Association:511–514.doi:10.5326/15473317-35-6-511.ISSN0587-2871.PMID10580912.
^Hnilica, Keith A.; Patterson, Adam P. (19 September 2016).Small Animal Dermatology. St. Louis (Miss.): Saunders.ISBN978-0-323-37651-8.
^Rhodes, Karen Helton; Werner, Alexander H. (25 January 2011).Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion. Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 389.ISBN978-0-8138-1596-1.
^Oliver, James A.C.; Mellersh, Cathryn S. (2020). "Genetics". In Cooper, Barbara; Mullineaux, Elizabeth; Turner, Lynn (eds.).BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing (Sixth ed.). British Small Animal Veterinary Association. p. 131.ISBN978-1-910-44339-2.
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