The amazing Siamese cats are mostly known for their elegant posture and amazing eyes. Moreover, they are known for having a silver-gray color and always dep blue eyes. Interestingly, kittens of this breed tend to be cream, brown, and even orange. Discover what else makes this breed unique.
Siamese History
As the name suggests, Siamese cats are originally from Siam, today’s Thailand. However, it’s still a big mystery of how this breed got to Amerian soil. Although we don’t know-how, we know when.
The very first Siamese reached the States in the late 19th century. Thanks to their calm and sociable nature they become the country’s favorites. At the moment, Siamese is the 12th most popular feline in the States according to registration statistics compiled by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA).
The Siamese is considered to be one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. According to numerous Thai manuscripts, they existed even in the 14th century. Therefore, they are one of the oldest cat breeds in the world.
Siamese Physical Appearance
The amazing long-haired Siamese breed reached its peak in the 1950s-1960s when the majority of cat fanciers started to favor the more slender look. As a result of selective breeding, the breed developed rather unique traits including fine-boned and narrow-headed cats. In addition, they had also slender legs, tubular and lean bodies.
This breed also has a rather interesting coat, which can be an incredible range of colors. What makes their coat interesting is the fact that the color of their coat is never only affected by genetics. Little is known but this breed comes with a special modifier gene that inhibits pigment from developing in the fur, which results in albinism.
Overall, albinism in cats is rare. Siamese cats are mostly born completely white and develop their interesting markings later on. Why does this happen? The womb is very warm and works by blocking the cat’s color gene from reaching her fur. Following the birth and being exposed to numerous external factors, including the cooler temperature for a few weeks, Siamese kittens will start to develop pigment around their paws, tails, and faces.
As an athletic and agile breed, your Siamese will always be a medium size:
- males can weigh 3.8-4.8kg
- females can weigh 2-4.2kg
If you provide the proper environment and provide proper nutrition needs you can share your home with Siamese for 15-20 years.
Siamese Kittens
Kittens are adorable, but there is something special about Siamese kittens. They are born, as mentioned earlier, completely white and they will remain white until they reach one year. After all, the growing cycle in cats takes longer. However, they will start showing their first marks around 3 weeks.
Like any other kittens, Siamese kittens are high in terms of energy and attention. Therefore, it’s vital to provide them much needed attention and love, or they won’t be socialized properly.
Siamese Temperament
Just like any other cats, Siamese will with time show its treats and uniqueness. Although there is a belief that cats love to be left alone and not disturbed, it can’t be further from the truth, especially with the Siamese breed. They are loving, cuddling, and love to spend hours just being rolled in a lap. But, you will have to provide some little extra love to your Siamese. After all, they were living with royal families, so they love to be pampered.
Siamese Are Celebrities
Although they were popular for centuries in Asia, they didn’t appear in the States until the late 1800s. But, once they did people couldn’t stop talking about them. They were seen everywhere. Even in the White House. Interestignly, one of the earliest known owners of a Siamese cat was actually President of the States, Rutherford B. Haye’s wife, Lucy. Her feline was on a special mission of nurturing relations between the States and Thailand. After all, Lucy’s cat was a gift from a U.S. Diplomat in Thailand. The cat was named Siam.
Because Siamese has so calm nature and love being around humans, they are often used in movies. This is one of the rare cat breeds that you can actually train and inspire to do some acting. That being said, you know the movies ‘The Incredible Journey’, ‘That Darn Cat!’ and ‘The Lady and the Tramp’? If yes, you have probably noticed a white-like cat moving around, right? Well, that’s the beloved Siamese.
While Siamese DC from That Darn Cat! helped prevent a fictional kidnapping, two real-life Siamese cats are actual heroes, for stopping big espionage happening back in the 1960s. During those years, two Siamese kitties lived at the Dutch embassy in Moscow. One of the kittens named Russia started acting weird and strongly scratching at a wall. This behavior made owners suspected because it’s known that cats tend to react to something that a human ear can’t hear. What was behind the wall? 30 small microphones. So, if you are blessed to have this breed in your life, you may expect to be protected all the time in the most unusual ways.
Siamese Are Talkative Breed
This is a breed with a strong opinion, and they are not scared to share it. So, if you have just spent some time around the Siamese, or you have one, then you know that they are extremely talkative. They simply love to vocalize their opinion about everything, from food, observation, or anything else that they find interesting throughout the night and the day.
If you are not passionate about hearing rich cat sounds or talking with them through the day, maybe you should think about some other breeds . On the other hand, if you are fine with chattering you may so your Siamese as your new best friend. Just make sure that you provide your Siamese enough companion and not live her alone for too long. Overall, the Siamese is agile, athletic, highly intelligent, and loves to play.
Provide puzzle toys for mental stimulation and development, but don’t forget physical activity as well. Make sure that your Siamese always has a big tree to climb upon. If you want to spend interactive time with your cat than choose Siamese. This is a playful and loyal feline who will suffer without enough attention. In the right home and with the right family members Siamese will thrive for years.
Siamese Health
Cats are known for being delicate and for hiding when something is wrong. Unless you can see something on your cat’s body or in her litter box, it’s unlikely that you will know that your felines suffer. So, regardless of you having a pure breed or mixed-breed cat, you should know that they may be prone to genetic health issues. When it comes to Siamese and common health problems, you may expect:
- Asthma, or any other type of bronchial disease.
- Congenital heart defects, including aortic stenosis.
- Amyloidosis, this is a disease that occurs when a type of protein called amyloid is deposited in body organs, primarily the liver.
In order to keep your feline healthy as long as possible, you shouldn’t only be focused on genetic. You should provide proper nutrition, serve adequate meal portions, and put special attention to grooming.
Siamese Grooming
Siamese cats are known for having a soft and tender coat, which demands a proper amount of grooming. Make sure that you have a well-shaped and constant grooming routine, including:
- Brushing your feline minimum once a week, with proper grooming tools
- Checking ears weekly
- Checking teeth once a month
- Cleaning her from internal parasites once in every three months
- Protecting her from external dangers, such as fleas
In addition, just like any other breed, your Siamese may suffer from cancer or intestinal tumors. Furthermore, they may suffer from the eye condition progressive retinal atrophy, which may eventually lead to blindness and mild loss of vision, in rare cases. These felines are also known for having a sensitive stomach, therefore they are prone to vomiting, which can be helped by avoiding rich cat foods.
Siamese With Children And Other Pets
If you have children or other pets, including dogs, you shouldn’t worry about your Siamese and them getting along. They will love to spend their time together very much. After all, Siamese is known for being social and playful. Therefore, social and active Siamese is a perfect choice for families with dogs and children, even toddlers.
You can expect your child to play fetch as any retriever, learn tricks, and love every minute of attention. As long as children treat your Siamese with respect, polite, and with love.
Is A Siamese Cat Right For You?
Having a cat is a great responsibility and you should think about it when you are getting your new family member. After all, Siamese cats are great and will be amazing pets – they are also mesmerizing to look at and they want to be involved in family life.
Simply said, they are family. Therefore, they will suffer if they are left alone for a long period, so Siamese may not be the right for a home that is often empty. They also love the routine, predictable environment, and will be disturbed with sudden changes to habitat or their routine.