Siamese Cat - Breed Information

Siamese is the oldest domestic cat breed. Its aristocratic origins go back to the royal court of Siam (now Thailand), where only Buddhist monks and the royal family were allowed to have a cat.

Extremely extroverted and vocal, the Siamese cat can give the impression of being stubborn and needy.

On another hand, it’s also extremely smart, affectionate and loyal.

Siamese Cat – Personality

Siamese cats are highly intelligent, distinctly extroverted and vocal. They have a distinctive, loud, low-pitched voice, which has been compared to the cries of a human baby – it’s impossible to ignore. Therefore, if you are after peace and quiet, Siamese may not be a good much for you (if you’re looking for a quiet cat you may like to check out Chartreux or Abyssinian).

As befits aristocratic cat, Siamese cats can also be demanding and often jealous or downright intolerant of any rivals in the household. They love attention and are quite needy.

On a positive side, Siamese cats love the company and are extremely affectionate. They can be very loyal to the owner. When in the family, the Siamese cat often bonds strongly to a single person.

Being playful and entertaining Siamese cats make for great family pets.

Siamese Cat – Physical Attributes

Siamese cats have long, lithe and athletic bodies with long and slim legs. A long, narrow, wedge-shaped head carries large, pointed ears. The tail is long, thin and tapering.

The coat of a Siamese cat is short, fine-textured and glossy, which makes it easy to groom. The eyes are medium in size and almond-shaped, in a beautiful deep blue color.

Siamese kittens are born without points. The distinctive coloring develops gradually but it becomes distinct enough to recognize the cat’s color by the time the youngster reaches four weeks of age.

Size: medium

Body shape: long and lithe

Head shape: long, narrow and wedge-shaped

Wight: 2 – 4.5kg (4.5 – 10 lb)

Coat: short, fine-textured and glossy

Lifespan: 14+ years

Colors: pale (magnolia, ivory, off-white cream), with frosty-grey shading on the ‘points’ (mask, ears, legs and tail); the main four point colors and the only ones recognized by the breed societies in the USA are Seal (dark brown, almost black point), Blue (the most popular), Lilac and Chocolate (the body is ivory with little or no shading, brown points are warm in tone); other varieties are Red-point, Cream-point, Seal Tortie-point, Blue Tortie-point, Chocolate Tortie-point and Lilac Tortie-point

Eyes: medium in size and almond-shaped, sapphire blue

Siamese Cat – Origin

Siamese cats were kept as pets in the royal court of Siam (now Thailand) in the 16th century. In ancient Siam, the cat was considered sacred. Only Buddhist monks and the royal family were allowed to have a cat.

The first Siamese cat arrived in the US in 1878. The cat, called Siam, was a gift to the US president, Rutherford B. Hayes from a consul from Bangkok.

Siamese Cat – Grooming

With a short and fine-textured coat, Siamese is a low-maintenance cat. A brush once a week is enough to maintain the cat’s coat in good condition.

Siamese Cat – Health

Siamese cats are generally healthy. Like other blue-eyed white cats, Siamese can have some degree of reduced hearing ability, but the vast majority are not deaf.