Siamese cats are known as one of the oldest and most popular cat breeds. It is the parent breed from the Siamese Breed Group, which includes the Oriental Shorthair, the Oriental Longhair and the Balinese. These cat breeds share similar body type but come in different colours. Siamese cats are very friendly and well-known to be people-oriented.
Siamese cats are a delightful cat breed and considered one of the most popular and favoured pedigree cats in the United Kingdom. Many legends surround this cat breed and their exact origins, but it is safe to claim that Siamese cats originated in Siam, now known as Thailand. They were brought to the United Kingdom in the 1890s, where selective breeding initiated by the early British cat breeders.
Fondly called "Meezer", this cat breed is known for their voice and how chatty they are. They can "talk" to anyone all day and night and demands your full attention. Siamese cats adore people of all ages, including kids, dogs and other cats. They love being lap cats during the day and snuggle under the sheets at night.
Because Siamese cats are social cats, they are not fond of being left alone for long periods of time. They thrive on full affection and attention. That's why many families get a second Siamese or another pet to keep them company during the day when they are out working.
For many years, Siamese cats have consistently been one of the top cat breeds globally and mainly for a good reason. These attractive blue-eyed cats are not only gorgeous, but they are great companions and family pets, especially for those who spend a lot of their time at home. The Siamese cats are well-known for being one of the most talkative cats and will cheerfully hold long chats with their owners whenever they can. In addition, they are athletic, graceful, medium-sized and bloom on their human company, and are particularly not fond of being alone on their own for any length of time.
If you love high intelligent, active and friendly cat breeds, Siamese cat is the right choice for you. They are loyal, loving and playful and would love to spend more time "talking" and interacting with you.
Breed Information
- Grooming: Once a Week 2/10
- Shedding: Low 2/10
- Hypoallergenic: Low 2/10
- Activity Level: Medium 6/10
- Playfulness: High 10/10
- Friendliness to other pets: Medium 6/10
- Friendliness to children: Medium 6/10
- Affection towards itโs owners: High 10/10
- Vocality: High 10/10
- Intelligence: High 10/10
- Independence: Low 2/10
History
The Siamese cat originated in Siam, now called Thailand, and has been around for hundreds of years. As the legend says, Siamese cats were identified as sacred and guardians of Buddhist temples.
In the 1880s, Siamese cats were brought into Britain. Their original colour was the classic seal brown points with a warm cream coloured body. However, cat breeders in the west developed and produced more colours by introducing other cat breeds into the breeding process. The original Siamese cat had eye squints and tail kinks that today considered severe flaws.
Appearance
Siamese cats are medium-sized cats breed with a long, slender body that is agile and sophisticated but still has a muscular texture. Their body is well-balanced and athletic. They have slim legs and small and oval paws. The head looked face-on, and it is similar to a triangle narrowing in straight lines to a fine muzzle. The large ears are pricked. Their oriental eyes are slanted towards the nose, and their long tail is free from kinks.
Their short, fine, and close-lying coat have a light colour combined with darker coloured points that cover the mask area of the face, ears, legs, and tail. It comes with a wide range of colours. Their eye colour is vivid, intense blue.
The sophisticated Siamese cat appears to be dressed for a stylish masquerade ball in pale evening wear with fashionable black accessories and tanzanite-blue eyes. The primary coat of a Siamese cat is light, while facial area mask and extremities are dark. This cat pattern is identified as "seal point". Other standard colours include chocolate, lilac, blue, fawn, red, cinnamon, red and cream points. These colours come with and without white, smoke or silver, lynx point or tabby points and tortie/tortie points.
Personality
Like many other cat breeds, the Siamese cats like routine, and they are not happy when this changes for any reason. With this, they appreciate being fed at the same time of the day and is not pleased when any furniture gets moved around their home.
Siamese cats are well-known for being very vocal by nature and will enthusiastically hold a long chat with their owners to let them know if they are contented or not about any situation. Siamese cats tend to demand attention and do not appreciate being left on their own. Because of this, they are suitable in households where at least one person can stay at home. They are friendly and enjoy socializing. They want the company of another Siamese cat, especially if they have grown up together in the same household.
They are very intelligent, agile, athletic cats and have tons of energy. This means they need to be kept busy when they are not resting. Keep your Siamese cat's brain active with puzzle toys. It's essential to invest in high-quality toys and scratching posts when living with a Siamese cat. Moreover, it's also necessary to have ample time to spend with them because Siamese cats love all the attention as they can get. A cat tree is also a good idea as they love to climb and can be a good source of exercise. Remember not to leave a Siamese cat without any form of entertainment as they will find ways to entertain themselves like going home to a bathroom to pull out tissue rolls.
If you choose a Siamese cat for a pet companion, make sure that you are committed and enjoy spending quality time with your cat. They adore interaction and affection and will thrive for years if given the right care. This cat breed can be your best friend who will keep you company from day to night. However, if having a clingy and chatty feline companion drives you nuts, a Siamese cat is not a good idea. If you work at day and need to leave your pet home alone for long periods of time, this cat breed will not be happy about it and might do something naughty to amuse themselves throughout the day.
Trainability
Siamese cats are highly intelligent, energetic, and, thus, loves to play. They learn new things pretty quickly. It is best to keep them busy with brain activities such as puzzle toys and their body exercised with teaser toys where they can chase and run around and a big cat tree where they can climb. Never leave them without any form of activity or entertainment. You might come back to a home where your DVR has been reprogrammed or, at the very least, decided the toilet paper rolls and tissue boxes are fun to scatter around.
They also enjoy playing interactive games like fetch and chase the ball. They are pretty quick at learning how to open cabinets, cupboards and doors whenever they want. Siamese cats enjoy following their owner wherever they go and like to be involved in everything they do and what is going on in their surroundings.
They love exploring their outside environment; however, they should only be permitted to wander around in the great outdoors if it is safe for them to do so. They tend to feel cold when outside during winter, and extra care should be practised, making sure that the Siamese cat can always get back inside the house when they want to.
Coat & Care
The Siamese's short glossy coat does not need extra grooming. But then again, Siamese enjoys the attention they get from being groomed. Like with most shorthair cat breeds, Siamese looks after their beautiful coats very well.
Siamese's short coat is low maintenance. It needs little care and is easy to groom and maintain. Using a stainless comb, you can comb their short coat weekly. To remove loose hair, you can damp your hands with water and stroke down their body from head to tail.
Cats must get used to combs and brushes from an early age to avoid matted fur from the offset. There's a wide variety of cat combs and brushes available on the market, depending on what works for you and your cat. You can start with a very soft brush that does not pull at fine kitten fur or damage their skin. Each time you have finished brushing, give a small treat. If regular coat care does not cause any issues or problems for you or your cat, you can try more effective combs and brushes when they reach adult age.
Daily dental hygiene is still best, but weekly brushing is considered okay. Brush their teeth to prevent periodontal disease. Trim their nails twice a month or when needed. For their almond-shaped eyes, wipe their corners with a soft, damp cloth to eliminate any eye discharge. Make sure to use a separate part of the wet cloth for each eye to avoid the risk of spreading any eye infection.
Check the ears weekly. If their ears look dirty, wipe them out with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth moistened with a vet-approved ear cleaner. If the ear has a foul odour, it is best to contact your vet for treatment.
Their litter boxes should always be clean as they are precise about bathroom hygiene. If it is left unclean, they tend to use other places in the house.
The most preferred method of feeding is canned foods. They are higher in protein and has lower carbohydrates than dry food. The high-water content of canned foods increases your Siamese cat's overall intake of fluid โ which keeps their bladder and kidneys healthy. And because canned foods have easily digested ingredients, it produces less solid waste in their litterboxes as well.
Health
The Siamese cat's average life expectancy is between 15 and 20 years when correctly cared for and provided an appropriate, excellent high-quality diet that suits their ages.
As previously mentioned, pedigreed cats and mixed-breed cats like Siamese cats have different health problems that may be hereditary. These health problems that may affect Siamese cats are the following:
- Hip dysplasia
- Chronic coughing (asthma)
- Niemann-Pick disease
- Pica
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
- Certain intestinal tumours
- Mucopolysaccharidosis
- Gangliosidosis (GM1)
- Systemic amyloidosis
- Mediastinal lymphoma
- Vomiting
Children & Other Pets
Siamese cats are an excellent choice for families with children because of their friendly, outgoing, loving personalities. Like many cat breeds, they are fast and smart to know when to get out of the reach of smaller children every time they get too rowdy or loud. But it is best to facilitate interactions between a child and your Siamese cat. This way, you will be assured that each playtime is under control โ where no one would be injured or hurt.
They also get on well with other dogs and smaller pets, particularly if they have grown up together in the same household and properly socialized at an early age. While Siamese cats are incredibly friendly and sociable cat breeds, it is always best for an adult to supervise any interaction between other dogs or smaller pets.
Available Siamese Kittens
