Siamese ~ Lilac Point
Siamese ~ Seal Point
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Siamese ~ Lilac Point
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Siamese ~ Seal Point
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Siamese is considered by many to be a "natural" breed - one that
developed without the intervention of man. Pictures
of seal-point Siamese cats appear in the manuscript "Cat-Book Poems",
written in Siam (now Thailand) sometime between
1350 and 1700. There are a great many legends regarding the origin of the breed - especially the crossed eyes and kinked tails. According to some of the legends, the Siamese cat guarded Buddhist temples and was considered sacred - and was only kept by priests and royalty. The first Siamese cats appeared in the West in the mid-to-late 1800s. Though initially described as "an unnatural, nightmare kind of cat", they quickly became popular with fanciers, even though these early cats were delicate and subject to health problems. These first cats had crossed eyes and kinked tails, characteristics which are now considered faults, and have almost completely disappeared as a result of careful breeding. Photographs from the late 1880s of some of the first cats to be imported from Siam show the thick, round heads and solid, muscular bodies that distinguish the Traditional Siamese from today's show Siamese. |
| Extraordinarily intelligent, precocious, talkative, loyal, fearless, and willful. The Siamese thinks, plans, acts: sometimes tactlessly, always tactically. Moods swing form placid to prickly, arrogant to affectionate. Totally unpredictable. |
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Head
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Long tapering wedge. Medium in size in good proportion to body. The total wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears forming a triangle, with no break at the whiskers. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. When the whiskers are smoothed back, the underlying bone structure is apparent. Allowance must be made for jowls in the stud cat. |
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Eyes
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Almond shaped. Medium size. Neither protruding nor recessed. Slanted towards the nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears. Uncrossed. |
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Ears
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Strikingly large, pointed, wide at base; continuing the lines of the wedge. |
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Nose
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Long and straight. A continuation of the forehead with no break. |
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Neck
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Long, thin, graceful, slightly arched. |
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Body
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Medium size. Graceful, long, and svelte. A distinctive combination of fine bones and firm muscles. Shoulders and hips continue same sleek lines of tubular body. Hips never wider than shoulders. Abdomen tight. |
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Paw
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Long, slender. Fine bone and muscle structure. Small, oval paws. |
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Tail
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Long, thin, narrow at the base, tapering to a point. |
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Coat
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Short, fine, dense, silky, shiny, lying flat against the body. Almost no undercoat. |
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Colour
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Pigmentation on the extremities of the body (points): face (mask), ears, legs, and tail. The color of these darker areas must be as even as possible. There must be a clear contrast between the color of the points and that of the body. All Siamese are colorpoints. The most traditional colors (recognized by the C.F.A.) are: - seal point: dark brown markings (points); eggshell white, light buff background - blue point: steel blue points; cold, bluish-white background - chocolate point: light brown points, ivory background - lilac point: pinkish-buff points; off-white to ivory (magnolia) background The Siamese, once called the Colorpoint Shorthair, can also be: - red point: reddish-golden points, apricot-shaded white background - cream point: cream points, cream-shaded white background - tortie point (seal tortie, blue tortie, chocolate tortie, etc.): tortoiseshell markings on points - seal tortie point: brown spots on the points, red blaze on the face, light brown background - tabby point: stripes around the legs and tail, striped mask, etc. - particolor: pure white spots on part of the mask, legs, and body Siamese kittens are born white. By the fifth day, the points start to appear. The coldest areas of the body darken; this is why a Siamese cat living outside in winter is darker than one living inside. Coloration is final at 12-15 months. In addition, the body pigmentation darkens with age. Ghost markings should fade by adulthood. |
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Fault
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Eyes too pale. Obvious flaw in the tail. Imperfect coat. |
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Disqualify
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Eyes another color than blue. White markings in the points except in particolors. Clear spots on the belly. |
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Character
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This "Prince of Cats" (F. Mery) is perhaps the most extraverted of the domestic cats. With his volatile, or unpredictable, temperament, he has a very strong personality and tends toward excess in all areas. He is not peaceful or calm. If you want a cat with a true presence, the Siamese is for you. Hypersensitive and highly emotional, Siamese cats adore company. They hate solitude and cannot stand indifference. If neglected, they become depressed. These "big mouths" will harass their owner with their often loud, raucous voice and will follow their owner everywhere to get attention. Exclusive, very possessive, and brimming with affection, they can become jealous. The sociable Siamese likes to play with children but does not always appreciate the company of other cats. Siamese cats are sensitive to cold and like comfort and thus apartment life. They reach puberty early, as females can have their first heat by 5 months. Heats occur approximately every two weeks, with no period of sexual quiescence in fall and winter. The Siamese is more prolific than average for domestic cats. Siamese kittens, who are obviously hyperactive and fearless, must be raised attentively. In terms of grooming, they require brushing once or twice weekly. They should be bathed several days before a show. |
| Generally healthy. There has been some evidence of cardiomyopathy in Siamese, not related to any specific lines. Very susceptible to upper respiratory diseases prior to adulthood. Rarely ill once mature. May demonstrate a sensitivity to vaccines. Sensitive to anesthetics. Very rare cases of retinal dysplasia. |
Siamois