Siamese cats are a very distinct breed that has been recognized for hundreds of years.
They were mentioned in the Tamra Maew ( a Thai or Siam book of cat poems) that was written between 1351 and 1767 AD.
It is a variety of cat native to Thailand (formerly known as Siam).
In Thailand they are known as Wichien Maat (Thai: วิเชียรมาศ) which translates to Moon diamond.
Eyes: Very blue in colour and almond shaped.
Head: Very triangular in shape though the oldest style has a more rounded head
Appearance: The cooler parts of the Siamese cat’s body are the areas that darken. This is usually the faces, ear tips, tail and feet. These areas turn quite a dark brown with almost black faces. Other point colours are found including seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point.
Their bodies are muscular with long slender tails.
Fur / coat: These cats have short glossy fur. They have no undercoat and so their fur sticks well to their bodies. This means that they don’t shed too much hair around the house. A good combing once a week is all that is required to remove dead hair from their coats.
Siamese cats lack a feature found in the eyes of many animals, especially those that are night hunters. It is called the Tapetum Lucidum and is a layer of skin found behind the retina which reflects light back into the eye.
Because of this Siamese cats with their blue eyes do not see as well as other breeds in the dark. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that these cats seek out human company. Siamese cats have very refined hearing abilities. That is probably a result of their deficiency in the night vision department.
Siamese cats live to around 12 – 15 years on average but can live very much longer if well treated. The world record stands at 30 years old!
When born most Siamese cats are almost perfectly white. They develop their points later on as they grow up. Usually by the time they are 4 weeks old their appearance is defined. The kittens are very playful.
Siamese generally interact well with other pets. Mostly they are looking for things to keep themselves occupied. They do not do so well if left on their own too long and can become depressed if they do not have enough company. Siamese cats are often bought in pairs to ensure that they have suitable company.
Siamese cats are renowned for being very affectionate and are social in nature. They love human contact, are very intelligent and are very playful even when fully grown. They are full of character and are sometimes seen as quite extrovert in in their behaviour.
Some cats are quite noisy making complex sounds not usually associated with cats. One such noise is a low pitched sound which is known as ‘Meezer’. From this noise they have been given their Thai nickname. They often demand attention with sounds not unlike the cries of a human baby. Siamese cats are very intelligent. Perhaps this is why they love to play so much as they require constant stimuli. Some have described them more like dogs than cats and they will play fetch, catch things and play other dog-like games.