Looking for a vocal cat who likes to play and wants to be an active member of your household? Adopting a Siamese cat might just be just the answer!
Long a favorite of Thailand, the Siamese is a natural cat breed that is often noted for its sophisticated appearance with a slender face and aquamarine eyes. Although the seal point variety with dark brown ears often comes to mind, today Siamese are found with chocolate, blue, and lilac points as well as Siamese mixes with tabby and tortoiseshell points.
We Need to Talk!
Regardless of their coloration, just about all Siamese have one thing in common: their love of talking. According to long-time Siamese lover Karen Nichols, editor of Mousebreath Magazine, “I have had a Siamese cat since I was born, and I love their vocal nature and range of vocalizations. They also bond strongly to their people.”
Nichols added a new Siamese to her home, adopting a kitten named Buckaroo. “I got Buckaroo from a rescue when we lost our Oriental, Skeezix, to cancer. Skeezix and my older 18-year-old Siamese, Mao, were a strongly bonded pair. I knew Mao would be distraught over the loss, so Buckaroo was chosen as his new buddy. Buckaroo had the same unusual coloring as Skeezix, so I thought he was fated to be part of our family.”
Bringing a Siamese into Your Family
As with any cat adoption, bringing in a Siamese means spending plenty of time acclimating the new arrival to the household and its residents, both two- and four-legged.
Once your Siamese is an integrated part of the household, though, don’t think that you can then just drop off a few toys and a scratcher for him to amuse himself while you tend to other duties.
“Siamese are not ‘set it and forget it cats’,” points out Nichols. “They require (even demand) a lot of interaction and attention. So, you have to be prepared to spend a lot of quality one-on-one time with your Siamese. And they tend to be a long-lived breed, so a kitten may be with you for the next 20 years.”
That interaction can take many forms, from “conversing” with your cat during grooming to active play sessions with wands or other toys. You might even consider clicker training your Siamese to become an agility star.
I Just Love My Human!
Your Siamese will appreciate the attention and the knowledge that you are his person, repaying your investment of time and love.
Nichols says, “In return, you get a devoted companion who is as close to a little person as it’s possible to get.”
What is the origin of Siamese cats?
Siamese are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia where they were often kept as sacred temple cats. Their Thai name means “moon diamond.”
Siamese cats were first brought to Europe from Thailand (then known as Siam) in the late 19th century, when a gift of cats was made to a returning Ambassador.
Soon Siamese began appearing at cat shows in the UK; they arrived in the USA in the early 20th century.
Since that time the Siamese has been crossed with other cats to form several new cat breeds including the Balinese, Tonkinese and Himalayan.
What Does a Siamese Cat Look Like?
The Siamese has a light colored body with darker points on face, ears, paws and tail caused by a genetic abnormality which brings about partial albinism.
The pigmentation can only develop on the coolest parts of the body, that is the extremities and the face, which is cooled by the respiratory system and sinuses.
For the same reason, Siamese cats living in colder climates will tend to develop a darker body that those living in warm weather countries!
At birth, Siamese kittens are pure white or cream. The pointing develops in the first few weeks of a kitten’s life. The rest of the body will slowly darken a little as they age. The color pointing may be seal (most popular), blue, chocolate or lilac.
The almond-shaped eyes of a Siamese are a very striking and vivid blue. A tendency to crossed eyes has been bred out now, except in a few cases. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears are large and set wide.
The body is long, slender and elegant with a sleek short coat and slim tail. No grooming is required.
In their native Thailand, many cats have a kink in the tail but this also has been bred out of their Western cousins.
What is the personality of a Siamese Cat?
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat, who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat. – Bob Dylan
— more famous cat quotes
Siamese are affectionate and intelligent cats, full of curiosity–and have a loud and distinctive voice giving them the nickname ‘meezer’ for its sound like a crying baby.
They are great communicators, both with their voice and their body, and are persistent in their demands for attention.
After adopting a Siamese cat, you’ll find that they love to spend time with their people and they are great lap cats. Their coloring makes them less able to camouflage themselves than many cats, they do not see in the dark so well and they are not so active at night as other breeds.
They may also, like many blue-eyed white cats, have a tendency to deafness. These could be some of the reasons for their sociable nature and happy dependence on human beings.
The beauty and elegance of the Siamese cat makes this one of the best known and distinctive breeds.
Where to Adopt a Siamese Cat
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