Feng Shui Cattery
About the Breeds
Anyone in the market for a Siamese kitten will often have a similar experience.
You want a Siamese just like the lovely one you had as a child, or who just
passed away at a ripe old age. You go to local breeders, you look in magazines,
you attend cats shows, but what you most often find is a cat that looks quite
different from the large robust cat you remember. By comparison to the cat you
remember, the modern version of the Siamese is emaciated, with large bat-like
ears, an elongated head and pencil thin legs. You might ask yourself, "Is this
really a Siamese?"
The short answer is 'yes', but this is certainly not the same type as you remember.
Chances are what you recall is a large robust cat with a round head, normal
looking ears, and lovely blue eyes. What you remember is now called a
'Traditional Siamese, or 'applehead' Siamese, while the one that dominates the
show ring now is known as the Modern Siamese.
If you wonder out loud about what happened, different breeders may give you
very different explanations, but the truth is clearly available in any history book.
Russia, Late 1700s:
The first cat of record with Siamese markings appeared on an old engraving
discovered by a Mr. Pallas on his journey into Southern Russia between 1793
and 1794. Another is in the 'Cat-Book Poems' where drawings of cats of various
colors and patterns (including Siamese, tabby, blue, etc) appeared.
Late 1800s:
In spite of these patterns, there is no clear record of Siamese cats as a breed until
the 1800s. It is clearly recorded that, in 1884 the departing British
Consul-General Gould was given a Siamese cat by the Siamese king as a farewell
gift, and considered it as a great honor since the cat came from those bred in the
palace by the royal family. Indeed, many stories exist (including the story
explaining the characteristic kink in the tail of the early imported Siamese)
indicating an intimate relationship between the royal family members and their
cats. It was often stated that the Siamese cat was of such elevated status that it
was confined solely to the Royal Palace of the King of Siam. The theft of one
was punishable by death. According to one frequently repeated tale, the role of
this breed was to provide a repository for the souls of the human occupants when
their earthly lives ended. When a member of the royal family died, one of their
favorite cats would be entombed with them. This wasn't as cruel as it sounded as
there were holes in the roof of the tomb so the feline could jump out and
escape. When it did, it was considered that the dead person's soul was now
successfully reincarnated in the cat. The kinked tail was said to be the result of a
royal princess preparing to bathe her cat in a stream, threading her rings on her
cat's tail and then tying a knot in the tip to stop them from sliding off.
Their vivid blue eyes are definitely oriental: almond-shaped and slanting, were
gained as a result of the devoted courage of these cats when defending a sacred
altar.
The progeny of this cat given to Consul-General Gould was exhibited by his
sister, Mrs. Lilian (Gould) Velvey at the 17th Crystal Palace Show in October
1885. These cats were 'Duen Ngai', born March 1885 and 'Kalohom' and
'Khromata', born July 1885. Photographs of these cats are pictured in
publications of that time and show them to be round-headed, solid and
muscular, without exception.
The first champion, 'Champion Wankee,' was born in Hong Kong in 1895 and was
owned and shown by Mrs. Robinson in 1898, to much acclaim. Again, a large
and robust 'appleheaded' cat, 'Champion Wankee' makes it clear again that the
traditional cat looked nothing like the modern version shown today.
The precise time of arrival in the United States is uncertain. However, in April
1909, The Siamese Cat Society of America was founded and the first standard for
the Siamese Cat was approved.
During the 1950s and 1960s the breed's popularity reached its peak and Siamese
cats appeared in movies or animations such as 'Bell, Book and Candle', 'That
Darn Cat', 'Incredible Journey', and 'Lady and the Tramp', making the Siamese
breed ever more famous.
At the same time in Siam, now Thailand, breeding had dwindled to only a few
breeders. A statement written by Mrs. Stephen Dobrenchuk to a diplomat in
Thailand in the 1950s reports that purebred Siamese cats were bred only by a few
wealthy matrons, and the cats were known for their physical toughness and
dog-like intelligence. Mrs. Dobrenchuk purchased three kittens from a Laotian
Princess married to a Thai diplomat. These cats were large round-headed robust
animals of wonderful intelligence and disposition. She writes that the cats
regularly cleared their back yard in Thailand of cobras, the only difficulty being
that they often dragged their 'trophies' indoors and sometimes they were not
quite dead.
Upon returning to the states in the late 1950s, Mrs. Dobrenchuk bought 3 more
kittens, this time registered with C.F.A. She describes them as still being the
same general body type as those being bred in Thailand.
1960 to 1985:
It is after this, in the early 60s, that the heavy traditional Siamese began to lose
favor as various breeders and judges began to favor a longer, thinner body
conformation and began to encourage the breed away from the original robust
Siamese, down to its small, thin, modern body type so common today.
Reasons for this change vary. Some say that the Siamese had become so popular
that kitten prices had dropped and many breeders were interested in making
them more distinct and felt that a longer more exotic look would make the breed
more popular and more valuable. Others say it was simply a widely held opinion
in the fancy that smaller and more refined cats were more beautiful. Also, the
development of various vaccinations for many of the diseases that had been the
common cause of death among cats (distemper, for example) also allowed for the
breeding of less robust individuals who, without these medical advantages,
would not have survived to reproduce in earlier days.
It was probably a combination of all of these factors; but suffice it to say that the
breed standard was rewritten to reflect changing tastes. Indeed, the original
breed standard has regularly been rewritten and reinterpreted to support the
constant shift of the breed to smaller, thinner and more elongated bodies, even
though these cats typically live shorter and less healthy lives than their
traditional ancestors.
Dismayed with the trend, many breeders with cats that had more robust, yet less
popular conformation, were left with the choice of dropping out of the show ring
or selecting their cats for these often more problematic traits that the judges now
preferred. Some breeders simply decided to walk away from the show ring,
choosing to retain the larger, more robust Siamese and continuing to quietly
breed for the companion-cat market.
1986 to Present:
By 1986 there were no traditional or 'applehead' Siamese being shown and the
modern Siamese was so entrenched that many modern breeders were actually
unaware of the breed's history and held the opinion that the Siamese had always
looked like the modern version, and that traditional Siamese were cats of
inherently inferior quality.
Because the Traditional Siamese breeders could not win in the show ring, many
had stopped breeding, switched to a different breed, or had stopped registering or
keeping records on the Siamese they had been breeding. It was this situation that
prompted the formation of the Traditional Cat Association. Originally named the
Traditional Siamese Association and dedicated to bringing
back from near extinction the Traditional Siamese, it was later opened up to
include other traditional breeds suffering from a similar fate to the Siamese such
as the Burmese, Persian, Balinese, Bengal and Himalayan. The T.C.A. also
sponsors its own shows where traditional breeds compete for prizes just as in the
shows that recognize only the modern version of the same breeds.
Today, a growing number of organizations recognize the traditional Siamese, and
other traditional breeds, as a new appreciation develops for the health and
longevity of the original bloodlines. Recent publications such as Your Purebred
Kitten by Michelle Lowell (Henry Holt) have similarly recognized the true origin
of the Siamese cat. The public in general is also beginning to recognize the need
to avoid breeding for an extreme 'look' that, while attractive to some, has a
negative impact on the animal's health. Already, most of Europe has again
recognized the traditional cat and openly encourages its development, while
criticizing the American practice of breeding to extremes.
Siamese Legends
While the Siamese 'Kinked Tail" has become a 'fault' it should be noted that in
the early shows it was mandatory for a Siamese to have a kink in its tail to be
considered a true Siamese. Over time this trait fell from favor and was bred out of
the breed as much as possible. However it is so imbedded in the
genetics that it still appears occasionally in some lines more than others. Since it
does not affect the cat's health in any way, many breeders have become tolerant
of this trait as long as the kink cannot be seen and can only be felt by running
the fingers down the length of the tail. Whether desirable or not,
the kinked tail is part of the history of the Siamese as indicated by the following
legends:
It is said that there was once a Siamese Princess who was frightened of losing her
rings while she bathed in a stream. Looking around for somewhere convenient to
place her jewelry, she noticed that her favorite cat had crooked his tail for her
benefit. Ever since that time all Siamese cats have been born with a tiny kink at
the end of their tails to hold the Princess' rings.
A young cat took his wife into the jungle to search for a royal goblet that was
missing from one of the Siamese temples. Upon finding the treasure, they
decided that the female should remain in the jungle to guard it while the male
went back to the city to inform the priest of their discovery. So the little cat took
up her position among the leaves and tangled foliage, her tail twisted
around the stem of the goblet to make quite sure that no one would try to take it
away. Four nights later her husband returned to find he was the father of five
sweet little kittens. But, in spite of her new responsibility, the loyal mother cat
had not forgotten her earlier trust. Indeed, so conscientious had she been in her
protection of the goblet that a permanent kink had developed in the end of her
tail. What was more, all five kittens had a similar kink in their tails !
PURRRSONALITY
Siamese are highly intelligent. They are extroverts in every sense of the word and
very mischievous! The most evident trait in Siamese is their loving attachment to
their humans. They're extremely affectionate and purr most of the time. They
always want to be in the same room with you. They love to sit on your shoulder or
lap. They can also be trained to walk on a leash and come when called. Another
special trait is the Siamese voice. It is very loud, demanding and difficult to
ignore. They speak in many different octaves and frequencies. They have
frequently been mistaken for crying babies. They enjoy running conversations
with their owners.
COLORS
Siamese coats' are affected by temperature. When they are born their coats are
white from the heat inside the womb. As they grow their extremities become
cooler and gradually darken more than the rest of the body. There are many
variations in color today but the most popular are: seal point, chocolate point,
blue point and lilac point. These are the only color variations
accepted by CFA, other varieties may be registered in other organizations.
BODY TYPES
Traditional/applehead - A heavier body with a rounder head. This was the
original type of Siamese.
Modern/wedge - A thin, long, tubular shaped body with a delicate bone
structure. The face is wedge shaped.
Classic - This style is somewhere in between the top two. The body is more
slender than the traditional, but not as delicate as the modern. The face is not as
round as the traditional, but not as sharp a wedge as the modern.
Siamese have always had a bad rap, lots of people believe they are nasty cats. I
have lived with Siamese cats most of my life & would not live without one. They
are very devoted, loyal & loving. If you plan on getting one, you will not be
disappointed. Be prepared for a very rewarding and enjoyable experience for
years to come.
When looking for a Siamese cat, it is best to go to a breeder (someone that has a
registered cattery with one of the major organizations), this will provide you the
best chance of getting a healthy loving cat. Good luck and thanks for looking at
our page.
Click Here for the CFA Siamese Breed standard.
Click Here for the CFA Oriental Breed Standard.
