The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Oriental cat. The exact origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Southeast Asia, and is said to be descended from the sacred temple cats of Siam (now Thailand). In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichien-maat (วิเชียรมาศ, a name meaning "Moon diamond"). In the twentieth century the cats became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1392x1870, 231 KB)[edit] Summary This picture was taken by Chantel Hurlow of a Traditional Siamese Female [edit] Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A cat breed is an infrasubspecific rank for the classification of domestic cats. ... The term Oriental cat is not used for any one particular breed. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...

The Breed

Description

Seal Point Old Style Siamese Thai.

All Siamese have a creamy base coat with coloured points on their snouts, ears, paws and lower legs, tails and (in males) scrota. The pointed pattern is a form of partial albinism, resulting from a mutation in tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin production. The mutated enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normal body temperatures, but becomes active in cooler areas of the skin.^[1] This results in dark colouration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, including the extremities and the face, which is cooled by the passage of air through the sinuses. All Siamese kittens, although pure cream or white at birth, develop visible points in the first few months of life in colder parts of their body. By the time a kitten is four weeks old the points should be clearly distinguishable enough to recognise which colour they are. Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and generally adult Siamese living in warm climates have lighter coats than those in cool climates. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (1128 × 748 pixel, file size: 415 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Amy Adolph | http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (1128 × 748 pixel, file size: 415 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Amy Adolph | http://www. ... Point coloration refers to animal coat coloration with a pale body and relatively darker extremities, i. ... A snout is the protruding portion of an animals face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. ... A dogs paw resting on a hard concrete surface. ... A scorpion tail The tail is the section at the rear end of an animals body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. ... In some male mammals, the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. ... Albino redirects here. ... Tyrosinase (monophenol monooxygenase) (EC 1. ... Ribbon diagram of the enzyme TIM, surrounded by the space-filling model of the protein. ... Broadly, melanin is any of the polyacetylene, polyaniline, and polypyrrole blacks and browns or their mixed copolymers. ... Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when temperature surrounding is very different. ... A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. ... Kitten at six weeks. ...

4 Week Old Seal Point Old Style Siamese Thai.

Originally the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown, almost black) points, but occasionally Siamese were born with blue (a cool grey) points, genetically a dilution of seal point; chocolate (lighter brown) points, a genetic variation of seal point; or lilac (pale warm gray) points, genetically a diluted chocolate. These colours were at first considered "inferior" seal points, and were not qualified for showing or breeding. All of these shades were eventually accepted by the breed associations, and became more common through breeding programmes specifically aimed at producing these colours. Later, outcrosses with other breeds developed Siamese-mix cats with points in other cat colours and patterns including red point, lynx (tabby) point, and tortoise-shell ("tortie") point. In the United Kingdom, all pointed Siamese-style cats are considered to be part of the Siamese breed. In the United States, the major cat registry, the Cat Fanciers' Association, considers only the four original colourations as Siamese: seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point. Oriental cats with colourpoints in colours or patterns aside from these four are considered Colourpoint Shorthairs in the American cat fancy. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1484 × 1928 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1484 × 1928 pixel, file size: 1. ... This cats coat allows it to blend in well with its environment The genetics of cat coat coloration, pattern, length, and texture is a complex subject, and many different genes are involved. ... This cats coat allows it to blend in well with its environment The genetics of cat coat coloration, pattern, length, and texture is a complex subject, and many different genes are involved. ... This cats coat allows it to blend in well with its environment The genetics of cat coat coloration, pattern, length, and texture is a complex subject, and many different genes are involved. ... This cats coat allows it to blend in well with its environment The genetics of cat coat coloration, pattern, length, and texture is a complex subject, and many different genes are involved. ... This cats coat allows it to blend in well with its environment The genetics of cat coat coloration, pattern, length, and texture is a complex subject, and many different genes are involved. ... A tortoiseshell (technically tortoiseshell-and-white) cat. ... The Cat Fanciers Association, Inc. ... The term Oriental cat is not used for any one particular breed. ... Three month old red point Siamese kitten. ...

This Siamese cat demonstrates the once common cross-eyed traits that has been largly eliminated today through selective breeding.

Siamese have almond-shaped, bright blue eyes and short, flat-lying coats. Many Siamese cats from Thailand had a kink in their tails but over the years this trait has been considered to be a flaw and breeders have largely eradicated it, although it persists among street cats in Thailand. Many early Siamese were cross-eyed to compensate for the abnormal uncrossed wiring of the optic chiasm, which is produced by the same albino allele that produces coloured points. Like the kinked tails, the crossed eyes have been seen as a fault and through selective breeding, the trait is far less common today. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2304 × 1728 pixel, file size: 1. ... Strabismus (from Greek: στραβισμός strabismos, from στραβίζειν strabizein to squint, from στραβός strabos squinting, squint-eyed[1]) is a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned with each other. ... Visual pathway with optic chiasm circled The optic chiasm (from the Greek χλαζειν to mark with an X, after the letter Χ chi) is the part of the brain where the optic nerves partially cross, those parts of the right eye which see things on the right side being connected to the... Albino redirects here. ... For the hard rock band, see Allele (band). ...

Temperament

Siamese are affectionate and intelligent cats, renowned for their social nature. They enjoy being with people and are sometimes described as "extroverts". They are extremely vocal, with a loud, low-pitched voice – known as "Meezer", from which they get one of their nicknames^[2] – that has been compared to the cries of a human baby, and persistent in demanding attention. They also have a great need for human companionship. Often they bond strongly to a single person. These cats are typically active and playful, even as adults.^[3][4]

The social orientation of Siamese cats may be related to their lessened ability to live independent of humans. Siamese coat colouration is appealing to humans, but is ineffective for camouflage purposes. They are less active at night than most cats, possibly because their blue eyes lack a tapetum lucidum, a structure which amplifies dim light in the eyes of other cats. Like blue-eyed white cats, they may also have reduced hearing ability. Therefore, being dependent on humans may have been a survival trait for ancestors of the Siamese. ^[4] Cryptic coloration is a type of camouflage that makes potential prey difficult to spot against its background. ... A bat illustrating nocturnal features. ... Tapetum lucidum in a calf eye, with the retina hanging down. ...

History

A blue point traditional Siamese cat

Siamese cats (in Thai, วิเชียรมาศ or wichien-maat) have existed for centuries in Thailand (formerly Siam). The pointed cat known in the West as "Siamese" is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called "Tamra Maew" (Cat Poems), estimated to have been written in the 1700s. ^[5] Image File history File links Bluepoint. ... Image File history File links Bluepoint. ...

The breed was first seen outside their Asian home in 1884, when the British Counsul-General in Bangkok, Edward Blencowe Gould (1847-1916)^[6], brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, Lilian Jane Veley (who went on to be co-founder of the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). Just one year later, three kittens were produced by Pho and Mia. These kittens – Duen Ngai, Kalohom, and Khromata – and their parents were shown at the Crystal Palace Show in 1885, where they made a huge impression because of their unique appearance and distinct behavior. Unfortunately, all three of the kittens died soon after the show. The reason for their deaths is not documented^[2]. Year 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Location within in Thailand Coordinates: , Country Settled Ayutthaya Period Founded as capital 21 April 1782 Government  - Type Special administrative area  - Governor Apirak Kosayothin Area  - City 1,568. ... Edward Blencowe Gould (August 9, 1847 - November 16, 1916) was a British Consul in Bangkok, Thailand. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Crystal Palace. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

The following year another pair (with kittens) were imported by a Mrs. Vyvyan and her sister. Compared to the British Shorthair and Persian cats that were familiar to most Britons, these Siamese imports were longer and less "cobby" in body, had heads that were less round with wedge-shaped muzzles and had larger ears. These differences and the pointed coat pattern which had not been seen before by Westerners, produced a strong impression--one early viewer described them as "an unnatural nightmare of a cat". But these striking cats also won some devoted fans and over the next several years fanciers imported a small number of cats, which together these formed the base breeding pool for the entire breed in Britain. It is believed that most Siamese in Britain today are descended from about eleven of these original imports. Several sources give Gould's brother Owen Nutcombe Gould (1857-1929) as the British Consul-General in Bangkok, but Owen was only 27 in 1884 and not known to be in Bangkok. In their early days in Britain they were called the "Royal Cat of Siam", reflecting reports that they had previously been kept only by Siamese royalty. ^[7] Later research has not shown evidence of any organised royal breeding programme in Siam. ^[5] The British Shorthair is a domesticated cat that is said to resemble a teddy bear. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Wankee, born 1895 in Hong Kong, became the first U.K. Siamese champion in 1898.

The original Siamese imports were, like their descendants in Thailand today, medium-sized, rather long-bodied, muscular, graceful cats with moderately wedge-shaped heads and ears that were comparatively large but in proportion to the size of the head. The cats ranged from rather substantial to rather slender but were not extreme in either way. Image File history File links Wankee_side_view. ... Image File history File links Wankee_side_view. ...

In the 1950s - 1960s, as the Siamese was increasing in popularity, many breeders and cat show judges began to favor the more slender look and as a result of generations of selective breeding, created increasingly long, fine-boned, narrow-headed cats; eventually the modern show Siamese was bred to be extremely elongated, with thin, tubular bodies, long, slender legs, a whip-thin tail and long, narrow, wedge-shaped heads topped by extremely large, wide-set ears. The major cat organisations altered language and/or interpretation of their official breed standards to favor this newer streamlined type of Siamese, and the minority of breeders who stayed with the original style found that their cats were no longer competitive in the show ring.

By the mid-1980s, cats of the original style had disappeared from cat shows, but a few breeders, particularly in the UK, continued to breed and register them, resulting in today's two types of Siamese – the modern "show-style" Siamese, and the "traditional" Siamese, both descended from the same distant ancestors, but with few or no recent ancestors in common. In the late 1980s, breeders and fans of the older style of Siamese organised in order to preserve old, genetically healthy lines from extinction, educate the public about the breed's history and provide information on where people could buy kittens of the more moderate type. Several different breeders' organisations have developed, with differing breed standards and requirements (such as whether or not cats must have documented proof of ancestry from an internationally recognised registry). Partially due to such disagreements, there are several different names used for the cats, including "Traditional Siamese", "Old Style Siamese", "Classic siamese" and "Appleheads" (originally a derogatory nickname coined by modern-type Siamese breeders as an exaggerated description of less extremely wedge-shaped heads). The popularity of the older body style has also led to pointed mixed-breed cats that may have few or no Siamese ancestors being sold as "Traditional Siamese" to uninformed buyers, further increasing confusion over what a "real" Siamese looks like. ^[8]

The International Cat Association (TICA),^[9] in addition to the regular Siamese (Siamkatze) breed category in which modern show-style Siamese are shown, now accept a breed in the Preliminary New Breed Category called Thai, similar to the Thaikatze which are seen in Europe. The TICA Thai is recognised, which includes Siamese cats of the less extreme type or a Wichien-Maat imported from Thailand. A copy of the Thai Breed Standard can be found at the The Prestwick-Beresford Old-Style Siamese Breed Preservation Society ^[10]. Thai, are the original type of cats from Thailand, brought to America on January 3, 1879 as a gift from the American consul in Bangkok to the President's wife, Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes, and are still bred and seen in Thailand today. ^[11]

Other breeds derived from the Siamese

Adult female Balinese cat (siamese longhair)

• Balinese – a longhaired Siamese. In the largest US registry, the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), limited to the four traditional Siamese coat colours of seal point, blue point (a dilute of seal point), chocolate point and lilac point (a dilute of chocolate point). Other registries in the US and worldwide recognise a greater diversity of colours.
• Burmese is a breed of domesticated cats descended from a specific cat, 'Wong Mau', who was found in Burma in 1930 by Dr. Joseph G. Thompson. She was brought to San Francisco, California, where she was bred with Siamese. While technically not derived from Siamese, the breed was considered to be a form of Siamese for many years, leading to cross-breeding.
• Colourpoint Shorthair – a Siamese-type cat registered in CFA with pointed coat colours aside from the traditional CFA Siamese coat colours; originally developed by crosses with other shorthair cats. Considered to be part of the Siamese breed in all other cat associations, but considered a separate breed in CFA. Variations can include Lynx Points and Tortie Points.
• Himalayan - Long-haired breed originally derived from crosses of Persians to Siamese and pointed domestic longhair cats in order to introduce the point markings and the colours chocolate and lilac. After these initial crosses were used to introduce the colours, further breed development was performed by crossing these cats only to the Persian breed. In Europe they are referred to as colourpoint Persians. In CFA they are a colour division of the Persian breed.
• Javanese – a longhaired version of the Colourpoint Shorthair in CFA. In Europe, an obsolete term for the longhaired version of the Oriental Shorthair.
• Ocicat – a spotted cat originally produced by a cross between Siamese and Abyssinian.
• Old Style Siamese – The Old-Style Siamese (OSS) also known as Thai, are the original type of cats from Thailand, brought to America on January 3, 1879 as a gift from the American consul in Bangkok to the President's wife, Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes, and are still bred and seen in Thailand today.
• Oriental Shorthair – a Siamese-style cat in non-pointed coat patterns and colours, including solid, tabby, silver/smoke, and tortoise-shell.
• Oriental Longhair – a longhaired version of the Oriental Shorthair.
• Serengeti Cat – a spotted breed created to resemble the Serval, from Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, and Bengal crosses.
• Snowshoe – a cream and white breed with blue eyes and some points that was produced through the cross-breeding of the Siamese and bi-coloured American Shorthair in the 1960s.
• Tonkinese – a cross between a Siamese cat and a Burmese. The Tonkinese are "pointed" cats but their bodies are of a darker colour than the Siamese.
• Thai Cat – A pointed cat also called the Thaikatzen or Wichien-Matt, which represents the early 20th century Siamese, and can still be found in Thailand catteries (in Thailand calld Wichien-Maat)^[12] Thaikatze

Image File history File links Ladynetty. ... Image File history File links Ladynetty. ... The Balinese is a breed of oriental cat with long hair and Siamese-style markings, or points. ... Three month old red point Siamese kitten. ... Front view of a Himalayan cat Side view of a Himalayan cat The Himalayan, also called colourpoint persian, is a breed of cat with extremely long, fluffy fur, and the blue eyes and the points of a Siamese. ... The Javanese is a recognized breed of cat. ... Three month old red point Siamese kitten. ... The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of cat. ... The Ocicat is a new and still-rare breed of cat which has spots resembling a wild cat and the temperament of a domestic animal, named for its resemblance to the ocelot. ... The Abyssinian is a natural breed of domesticated cat believed to originate from one Egyptian female kitten called Zula that was taken from a port in Alexandria, Egypt, by a British soldier and brought to England. ... The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of cat. ... The Oriental Longhair is a breed of cat that features a tubular, Siamese-style body (known in the cat fancy as oriental type), but with a longer coat than the short-haired Siamese. ... The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of cat. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Binomial name (Schreber, 1776) Serval range The Serval (Leptailurus serval) is a medium-sized African wild cat. ... The term Oriental cat is not used for any one particular breed. ... The Bengal cat is a relatively new breed of domestic housecat (Felis silvestris catus) developed to have a gentle and friendly temperament, while exhibiting the markings (such as spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly), and body structure reminiscent of the wild Asian Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). ... Purebred Snowshoe The Snowshoe is a breed of cat. ... The American Shorthair is the most popular and most prevalent breed. ... Tonkinese are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed distinguished by points as with Siamese and Himalayans. ... The name Thai Cat is used for two separate breeds in the cat fancy. ...

Famous Siamese cats

Misty Malarky Ying Yang, pictured with her owner Amy Carter.

• Bucky Katt from Get Fuzzy
• Genghis - Growltiger's enemy in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
• Jason - Seal-point on BBC TV's Blue Peter
• Kit, the "familiar spirit" of the main characters in Charmed
• Koko & Yum-Yum - from Lillian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." novels
• Lalage, owned by the writer Anthony Burgess, taken by him to Malaya. After a long life she died in Kota Bharu, just across the border from Siam
• Misty Malarky Ying Yang, pet of Amy Carter^[2], daughter of US President Jimmy Carter
• Nemo, travelling companion of British Prime Minister Harold Wilson^[2]
• Pyewacket, the witch's familiar in the film Bell, Book and Candle
• Tao, from Sheila Burnford's novel The Incredible Journey
• Sagwa in the children's book Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan and animated TV series of the same name
• Shan Shein - White House cat owned by Gerald Ford's daughter, Susan
• Si and Am - the havoc-wreaking Siamese duo from Lady and the Tramp
• Syn, who played the title role of "D.C." in the 1965 Walt Disney film That Darn Cat!
• Solange from 9 Chickweed Lane
• Henry - from the children's book Cross Country Cat by Mary Calhoun
• Skippyjon Jones from the series of the same name
• Isis, Catwoman's thieving pet appears as a Siamese cat in Krypto the Superdog.

Image File history File linksMetadata Amycarterjpg. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amycarterjpg. ... Amy Lynn Carter Wentzel (born October 19, 1967) is the only daughter of U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. ... Bucky Katt Bucky B. Katt is a fictional character in cartoonist Darby Conleys comic strip Get Fuzzy. ... Get Fuzzy is an American daily comic strip written and drawn by Darby Conley. ... Old Possums Book of Practical Cats is a set of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. ... For other uses, see Blue Peter (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Charm. ... Lillian Jackson Braun is the US author of The Cat Who mystery fiction series, and a number of other short stories for magazines and compilations, all based around cats. ... There are over two dozen books in the series. ... Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was a British novelist, critic and composer. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... Kota Bharu (Jawi:كوت بهارو), a town in Malaysia, is the state capital of Kelantan. ... Anthem Phleng Chat Royal anthem Phleng Sansoen Phra Barami Capital (and largest city) Bangkok Official languages Thai Demonym Thai Government Military Junta under Constitutional Monarchy  -  Monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej  -  Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont  -  President of the Council for National Security Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pookpasuk (acting) Formation  -  Sukhothai Kingdom 1238... Amy Lynn Carter Wentzel (born October 19, 1967) is the only daughter of U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. ... For other persons named Jimmy Carter, see Jimmy Carter (disambiguation). ... James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the most prominent British politicians of the 20th century. ... For the religious phrase, see Bell, book, and candle. ... For the religious phrase, see Bell, book, and candle. ... The hardcover version of The Incredible Journey The Incredible Journey by the renowned Canadian author Sheila Burnford is a childrens book first published by Hodder & Stoughton in London in 1961. ... Sagwa is the name of a cat in the childrens book Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat by author Amy Tan. ... Amy Tan (February 19, 1952) is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships as well as relationships between Chinese American women and their immigrant parents. ... For other persons named Gerald Ford, see Gerald Ford (disambiguation). ... Lady and the Tramp is the fifteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 animated feature film produced by Walt Disney, and originally released to theaters on June 16, 1955 by Buena Vista Distribution. ... That Darn Cat! is a 1965 Walt Disney feature film, directed by Robert Stevenson, and starring the young Hayley Mills. ... Edda goes wading. ... Skippyjon Jones is an award-winning childrens picture book by Judith Byron Schachner, published in 2003 by Dutton Juvenile. ... Krypto the Superdog Krypto the Superdog is an animated television series produced by DC Comics & Warner Bros. ...

References

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