Siamese – A Small, Lithe, and Neat Cat

Posted by Jeanne on January 21, 2009

Most prevalent of the fancy short-hairs is the Siamese, which may once have been the sacred cat of Thailand (formerly named Siam) and is one of the common cats there today. It is strikingly handsome, extremely smart, and a good companion. It is too taut and restless to be very cuddly, but it is a great talker and a fine mouser. The voice has a high-pitched Asian twang with just a suggestion of the jungle in it. If one finds the tone unpleasant, one had better not get a Siamese, for it will be heard unceasingly by one and all, especially when the female is in heat. The yowls of yearning sound rather as though the cat were being rent asunder.

The Siamese is small, lithe, and neat. It is leaner than other cats, with long legs and tail and a firm, muscular appearance that implies power.

The head, too, is small, and of a more sharply defined wedge shape than is found in long-hairs or domestics. The eyes are almond-shaped, very blue, and often crossed. This may be disconcerting but, in this breed, is not considered a fault. The tail may be kinked or curled, but this is a virtue in Oriental cats.

The fur lies sleek and flat, and over the body it is a light fawn color. Legs, tail, and the mask across the face should be a dark, chocolate color. This may also be described as a seal brown, and the cat whose “points” are so marked is a Seal Point Siamese. Some are a grayish white with blue points and are, of course, Blue Point Siamese. The greater the contrast between the colors of body and points, the better the cat is judged to be.