Siamese Cat

Siamese are good looking, handsome, and very beautiful cats in the world. They are famous for their cleverness. They make their space in many families with their affectionate and social nature.

It belongs to Asia and probably the 1^st recognized Asian cat breed. Their graceful personality won the heart of western people and was very popular in the 19^th century.  Cat Financier Association declared Siamese as 13^th most adapting cat breed in the year of 2018.                   

Thailand is the origin of Siamese cat and they are called Siam there. They are valuable cats in Thai culture and they keep these cats in their temples and religious places. These cats are sign of good luck for them.

There is no exact figure available because Siamese cats are available all over the world. Western countries have Cats registration bodies where registered number of cats is available but no data is available in Asian countries like Thailand, India and Malaysia where a big number of Siamese cats live.

According to data collected from European breeders and registration bodies, more than 45000 cats live in Europe. But their actual population is many times higher than it.

Siamese cats are not much expensive. Their kitten is available in the range of $400 to $1000. Adult cat will costs between $2500 to $5000 depending on its physical appearance, characteristics and personality traits.

Siamese National Cat Club declared Siamese as one of the oldest Asian cat breed in the world. Peter Simon Pallas, a German zoologist discovered a cat in 1700s while exploring Caspian Sea and nearby areas. He described it as medium sized body smaller legs than other cats and longer head towards the nose and thinner long tail. It was probably the Siamese cat.

  As we know that these cats belongs to Thailand, people feel happy to keep them as pet. But in the Europe, North America and other western countries, these cats are also loved by the people. Siamese cats are also accepted as “royal cats of Siam”.

The king of Siam gifted a pair of this breed named Pho & Mia to English Council General Mr. Gould in Bangkok in last quarter of 1800s. He brought them to England and gifted them to his sister in 1884. These cats were 1^st time shown in Crystal Palace Show in London in 1885 by her.

In 1878, the king of Siam gifted a Siamese cat to his friend in USA. That was the 1^st Siamese cat in USA. These cats were rare until 2^nd world war but after they became popular among people and many cats were imported from England and other countries to USA.

Cat Financier Association recognized this breed just after its foundation in 1906. A male seal point Siamese cat was selected as cat of the year in 1975-76 by CFA. The National Siamese Cat Club was also founded in 1946 with affiliation of CFA. This Club organizes Siamese cat shows and events since then.

Siamese cats are divided into two types according to their physical features.

• Traditional Siamese
• Modern Siamese

The key features and personality are same of both types. Only some body features distinguish them from one another. Some major differences are described in the table below:

Body Parts	Traditional Siamese	Modern Siamese
Head	Apple head	Wedge head
Tail	Long tail	Loner and thin tail
Face	Apple like face	Triangular face
Ears	Big pointed ear	Bigger lean forwarded ears
Muzzle	Natural Muzzle	Longer Muzzle
Torso	Athletic like torso	Muscular torso

Other key characteristics are as follows:

Siamese cats can live up to 15 years. It is said that traditional Siamese live longer than modern Siamese. Some Siamese are seen 20 years old. So we can say that average life of this breed is between 15 and 20 years.

Siamese are medium sized short hair cats. Their body structure looks like normal cats but their coat colors make them different from other cats. Below table shows the size and weight of these cats:

Measurements	Male	Female
Height	11-12 inches (29-31 cm)	10-11 inches (25-28 cm)
Length	15-20 inches (38-51 cm)	12-18 inches (30-45 cm)
Weight	8-12 lbs. (4-6 Kg)	5.50-9.50 lbs. (2.5-4.5 Kg)

Click here to read more about the growth of a Siamese cat.

Siamese cats have strong but slim body structure. Their long thin tail is different in color from other body parts. In fact, their tail, paws, ears and face has darker color from the other body. Their elegant appearance won the people’s heart. Mostly Siamese have blue eyes in almond shape and they look very clever. They are well known for their dark color-pointed ears, tail, face and paws. Some cats have ears bigger than their ace.

As discussed earlier, some of their physical features divide them in two types, traditional and modern. The major difference between them is their head shape. Traditional cats have apple-like head while the modern cats have thin wedge-shaped head.

Overall these are brilliant cats and look very graceful. Siamese could be a wonderful addition to your family if you decided to pet them.

Like other cat breeds, Siamese also have many colors and patterns. Different Associations accept different colors. CFA registered only four colors of Siamese which are Lilac point, Seal point, blue point and chocolate point.

But this cat is available in almost 32 colors and patterns which are as follows:

Colors Point Pattern:

1^St four colors are officially recognized by CFA. Other Colors are available but those colors are the result of mixed mutation.

Lynx Point Pattern:

Siamese cats also available in some lynx point pattern. This pattern is also known as tabby Pattern. Following are some Siamese cat colors available in Siamese Cats:

Tortie Point Pattern:

Some patches of lighter or darker color on the body makes a tortie pattern. Siamese are also available in Tortie point Pattern. Some colors in tortie pattern are as follows:

Snowshoe Pattern:

Another color pattern of Siamese cats is called snowshoe pattern. It is the combination of different colors with white markings on face, paws or chest. Some Colors in snowshoe pattern are:

Siamese cats are considered having unique and active temperament. They are very friendly, social and intelligent. They are also known as human-oriented cats due to their affectionate nature. They can express their feelings, try to communicate with their human in different ways like loud meows, purr and chirps. They follow you in search of your attention.

They can easily be trained because they are quick learners and intelligent. Another thing about them is that they are quiet loud, so keep them as a pet if you like chirps or trills in your house.

Siamese are very adaptable cats due to their personality traits. Their Special and distinct personality makes them different from other breeds.

Some major personality traits of these pretty cats are as follows:

Siamese cats are very intelligent and curious cats. They are clever as well and like to play with problem solving toys that challenges their mind. If you bought a kitten then you could see their intelligence level due to their quick learning.

Their communicating ability is amazing and they convey their message to you whenever they need. If they are hungry they will ask you for food. They will convince you to play if they want.

They are very affectionate to their humans. They enjoy cuddling and love to sit on your laps, shoulders and sleep next to their human. They are sensitive and do not shy to share their sentiments and affection with you. Also sharing your emotions with them helps you to release your stress.

It is important to know that each cat have her own affection level but, in general Siamese is a loving breed. Give them a name and call them using that name. They will come to you just like your family member. To choose a name for your cat, Click here.

Siamese cats are good with kids, but if we talk about their behavior with other pets, it depends on individual cat’s personality and the other pet’s behavior with them. They enjoy the company of kids and other pets including other cats and dogs until the other pet teases them.

Another point is that they can be jealous of other pets. If you are playing or giving food to the other pet then they can become jealous. So do not make any difference with your Siamese and the other pet.

Siamese cats are renowned as very vocal cats. Sometimes you may be surprised and think how loud they are? They are famous for their loud vocal calls. As discussed earlier that they have good communication skills, so there is no doubt that they are very vocal.

Their meows sound like they are trying to talk to you. They meow loud and long, so some times their meows sound like a baby cry.

They are very sensitive and highly dependent on their owner. They always seek attention of their humans and can’t live more time without social interactions. They can become stressed if ignored for a long time.

So give proper time and play with your Siamese to ensure their healthy and long life.

Their Slim and athletic style body makes them impressive hunters. Their intelligence and energy level supports them in hunting. If they are hungry then they will never shy to hunt their prey in front of you.

Like other breeds, Siamese can also face some health issues. Following table shows some common heath issues they can face:

Diseases	Explanation	Symptoms	Treatment
Hips Dysplacia	It effects hip joints. Abnormal developments of joints.	Cats feel pain in hips and couldn’t walk properly. You can note the difference in size of their legs	Proper veterinary checkups and X-rays if you see any symptoms of Hips Dysplasia.
Amyloidosis	It’s a rare group of diseases which influence the organs and tissues all through the body.	Each type of disease has different symptoms including unnecessary fatigue, swelling, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea and some kidney problems	Treatment depends on the type of disease. Each type defects different part of body and treatment should be done accordingly.
Asthma	Condition in which the air pipes to lungs become narrow and cats feel difficulty in breathing.	There are some symptom including coughing, Slow or fast breathing or some sound during breathing.	Regular veterinary checkup, maintain their weight and provide them clean environment.
Respiratory Infections	It effects the respiratory system which includes lungs, nose, throat, Trachea and Larynx.	Symptoms are based on which part of body is affected. Some common symptoms are breathing issues, fever, liquid discharge from nose and eyes, dehydration and sneezing.	Use nebulizer if cat face breathing problems. Give them proper antiviral and antibiotic medicine on time. Improve their oxygen level by giving oxygen therapy.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	It’s a hereditary eye disease that affects retina cells. The affected cats can become blind or loss their eye visioning.	It’s symptoms include vision loss, Night blindness, Less Pupils motion and tapping reflection	As it’s an inherent disease, so there is no proper treatment for this disease. Stop mating two cats affected with PRA to avoid affected kittens. Provide Big space & take special care if you have an affected cat.
Vestibular disease	It effects cat’s vestibular system. It is defined in two types. Central vestibular disease that affects central vestibular system and Peripheral vestibular disease which affects some peripheral components of vestibular system.	The affected cat my walk in circles, bouncing or jerking their eyes, Dizziness, loss their balance and fall on one side and their head can be tilt to one side.	Research for the cause of disease, give them antibiotic medicine and follow the instructions given by veterinary doctor. Do supportive care of your cat.

Caring of your cat means a lot for your pet. Their personality and activities are highly dependent on how much care you do for them. So some main caring steps are recommended for you which are as follows:

A well balanced food plays vital role to maintain their energy level and keep them active and healthy. Make a feeding schedule and give them enough amount of food. Don’t keep them hungry and also don’t overdose them. Many experts recommend grain free wet food for Siamese cats.

Fresh water is essential for them. They would prefer to drink flowing water so try to keep a fountain at home full of fresh and oxygenated water. Take special care during summer and arrange cold water for them.

Siamese are short haired cats so there is no special requirement for their skin and coat treatment. They are easy to maintain. Bath and brush them once in a week and clean their teeth also. Pay special attention to the eyes because their eyes are little bit sensitive. Talk to veterinary doctor if you notice redness, vision loss or any other eye infection in your cat.

Click here to learn more about a Siamese Cat Grooming.

Exercise is very important to keep them active and healthy. They enjoy physical activities such as climbing, running and chasing.

Bring some toys that encourage their physical activities. Go for a stroll with them daily. Experts recommend to exercise them daily for 30 minutes.

They are social cats and they always seek their owner’s attentions. They follow them, lay with them and enjoy their company. They are good communicators and able to share their sentiments and affection with you.

You need to answer them when they communicate with you. It will develop a friendly connection between you and your cat.

They can get bored if left alone for a long time. If you can’t give time to your cat then try to bring some toys that entertain them. They are curious cats so bring problem solving toys. Keep them busy playing with puzzle toys and you can do your work easily.

Keep their litterbox clean and place in easily accessible place. Selecting a perfect litterbox is another science. Experts suggest to select a large size, 1 to 2 inch depth litterbox for Siamese cats.

Avoid dangerous chemicals to wash litterbox and use only soap, mild and water. Wash litterbox after every 3, 4 days.  

Here are some advantages and disadvantages for this breed. Must read before making a decision to pet a Siamese cat.

Siamese cat is briefly described in this article. It’s history, characteristics, appearance, colors, personality, health issues, caring tips, in fact, nothing left behind to explain them. They are much valuable in Thailand as they have a royal status there. They are attractive cats and capturing every body’s attention due to their graceful look.