Siamese Cat Breed Description

Active: Siamese cats are highly active cats that demand love and attention. They will follow their companions around and strike up a conversation about everything and anything.

Size: Siamese cats are medium in size and weigh between 6 to 14 pounds.

Characteristics: Siamese cats have a medium size, svelte body that is lean and muscular. They have "long" everything: long tails, long bodies, long heads and long legs. Their head is a wedge shape and sitting atop their wedge heads are large, triangular-shaped ears. One of the most beautiful and striking features of the Siamese cat is their lovely almond-shaped eyes. These blue eyes are striking and endearing all at the same time.

Temperament: The Siamese cat is an affectionate, active and playful cat. They are wonderful pets for families and get along well with children. They love to use their muscular bodies to climb to great heights and show off their agility. They are highly intelligent and curious cats that want to know what you are doing, at all times. They will demand your attention and affection. They are known for many silly antics like opening cabinets and finding new and difficult-to-find hiding spots. They are very chatty cats and will engage you in a long conversation and will happily chat your ear right off! Because of their intelligent and curious nature, they do not do well being left alone for long periods of time. Be sure to engage with your Siamese and give them plenty of play time.

Care: While the Siamese may demand a lot of your attention, their grooming will not. Their short, fine coat simply needs to be combed once per week. They only need to be bathed when absolutely necessary and just need their nails trimmed and ears cleaned as needed. Lastly, it is important to brush your Siamese cat's teeth often to prevent periodontal disease.

Coat: Siamese cats have a short, fine coat that comes in four colors: seal point, chocolate point, blue point and lilac point. But, accepted colors do vary between each organization. If you are looking for a hypoallergenic cat then the Siamese cat is a great candidate. They produce less of the Fel D1 protein which is the true cause for your allergic reaction. There is no cat that is 100% allergy free so increasing the frequency of grooming and bathing your furry friend will also help.

Origin: The Siamese cat breed is one of the oldest breeds in the world and has a history that dates back centuries. Because of the cat's beauty and wonderful personality, it was adored by everyone, even royalty. It was believed that when a member of royalty died, their spirit entered the body of their beloved Siamese cat. As with other cats with such long history, there are many stories and long tales of how the Siamese cat came to be. There are myths explaining how the cats eyes became crossed and myths that explain how their tails became crossed. One of the earliest records of the Siamese cat is in the Cat-Book Poems, a manuscript from between 1350 C.E. and 1767 C.E., the exact date is unknown.

The book depicts cats with a very similar appearance to Siamese cats, they had the same pale coat, black masks and slim bodies and legs. Siamese cats were beloved and treasured cats in Thailand and were usually kept within the country as they were not often given away. By 1871, it was known the Siamese cats had made their way out of the country because they began to show up in cat shows in Britain. A Siamese cat competed in the 1871 Crystal Palace Cat Show in London and a British breed standard was written in 1892. By 1879, Siamese cats made their way to the United States. Fascinatingly, the U.S. consul in Bangkok, David B. Sickels, sent a Siamese cat to the First Lady of the United States, Lucy Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes. The gift is well documented, with a letter from Sickels, noting that this was the first Siamese cat to make its way to the United States.

It seemed fitting that the cat, adored by royalty for centuries, would first arrive as a gift to the First Lady of the United States. It took very little time for Siamese cats to grow in popularity. Siamese cats began to be showed in cat shows in the United States and has been widely used in breeding programs for many other cat breeds such as Balinese, Tonkinese, Burmese, Himalayan, Ocicat and more. Initially, only seal point Siamese cats were shown, but now more colors are allowed to be shown. The Extreme style of Siamese has the preferred appearance for today's Siamese cats in the show world but some breeders favor the Thai style of Siamese, also known as Old-Style Siamese. Whatever your preferred style is, they are a wonderful and very loved breed among cat fanciers today.