The Siamese

Unnatural, nightmare cats

No one is sure exactly when the Siamese was imported to England. According to the earlist documented account, a pair of Siamese cats was given to the sister of the British consul in Bangkok in 1884. They were exhibited the following year in London. However, Siamese cats were on display 13 years earlier (in 1871) in the first modern-style cat show at Sydenham, London's Crystal Palace, where they were disparagingly described as "an unnatural, nightmare kind of cat."

Despite the bad press, the Siamese rapidly became popular among British fanciers. At that time, they were noted for their crossed eyes and kinked tails; these didn't become conformation faults until later. The first British standard, written in 1892 and rewritten in 1902, described the Siamese as a "striking-looking cat of medium size, if weight, not showing bulk, as this would detract from the admired svelte appearance....also distinguished by a kink in the tail."

The Siamese had definitely made the move to America by the early 1900s, when they began appearing in American cat shows. The breed rapidly clawed its way to the top of the cat fancy's scratching post, and is now the most popular shorthaired breed in America, and third most popular breed overall, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association's registration statistics.

Due to its popularity, the Siamese has been used in the matrix of many modern breeds, including the Ocicat, Himalayan, Burmese, Tonkinese, Snowshoe and myriad Oriental breeds (Oriental Shorthair, Oriental Lonhair, Colorpoint Shorthair, Balinese and Javanese).

CH. El Chiridah Arti-Farti (f) Cinnamon-Point

Traditional versus extreme

Although the extreme Siamese is favored in the show ring, the traditional or old style Siamese (formerly known by the less than complimentary sobriquet "Applehead", in WCF "Thai") has an active, enthusiastic following. These fanciers believe the traditional's rounder, heaver body style is closer to the original type that existed before humans began tinkering with it. The Traditional Cat Association, founded by Diana Fineran, is dedicated to preserving, protecting, perpetuating and promoting the traditional Siamese.
Breeders of extreme cats, on the other hand, believe that the extreme body style is the original look, which became adulterated through dubious crosses in the early years. They are dedicated to furthering the sleek, elegant look of the extreme Siamese.

Fanciers of bot styles continue to hiss at each other over the differences, and it's difficult to say who is correct. The illustrations of the Siamese in the Cat-Book Poems show cats with long, slender legs and tails; however, the body type could be interpreted as either extreme or traditional, depending upon one's point of view. Both sides agree on one thing, though -- Siamese make wonderful, entertaining companions. If you're looking for a cat with an impish nature and a talent for conversation, it appears that both the traditional and the extreme will fit the bill. If you're looking for success on the cat show circuit, most association standards call for the extreme.

Color and conformation

Siamese come in four or more colors, depending upon the cat association. CFA recognizes four colors: Sealpoint, Chocolatepoint, Bluepoint and Lilacpoint (called Frost in some associations). Siamese in Redpoint (also called Flame), Creampoint, Tortiepoint (mottled mixtures of black and red or their dilute colors on the point areas, also called Totoiseshell) or Lynxpoint (stripes of color on the point areas) are called Colorpoint Shorthair in CFA, although most of the other cat associations consider these color variations of the Siamese.

Solid blues and browns were well documented in the Cat-Book Poems, so it's not surprising that Siamese cats possessing the recessive gene for the dilute factor, which changes seal to blue and chocolate to lilac, were appearing in Siamese lines early on. The reds and creams, however, were produced by foundation crossings between Siamese, Abyssinians and red domestic shorthairs.

The Himalayan pattern, as the point-restricted coloring is called, is named after the rabbit that exhibits the same coat pattern. The color is restricted to the face mask, ears, legs and tail, while the body remains lighter in color. The concentration of color is kept to the point areas by a temperature-controlled enzyme that creats greater depth of color at the parts of the body farthest away from the cardiovascular system. The cooler the enviroment, the darker the color becomes. Siamese kittens are born white, because of the warmth of their mother's body, and develop their point color as they grow.

The show Siamese is characterized by its svelte, lithe, muscular body and refined, tapering lines. The head is a long, tapering wedge with large pointed ears that would do Mr. Spock justice. The eyes are almond-shaped and do not cross. The whiplike tail is long and thin and tapers to a fine point. Tail kinks are grounds for disqualification. The coat is close-lying and very short, giving the impression of being painted on.

Outspoken personality

Some cats seem to think that a purr or a friendly rub speaks louder than words. Siamese are not of this school of thought; they have a distinct talent for communicating their ideas and desires clearly to their chosen humans. Determinedly social, Siamese cats crave active involvement in your life. Like Mary's little lamb, they want to follow wherever you may go.
If you can't be drawn into dialogue, they're happy to keep up a running monologue for your edification. No meaningless meows are these, but real attempts at conveying information. To some cat lovers, who prefer their felines to be seen and not heard, the Siamese's rasp (some would say yowl) can be a bit annoying. But followers of the breed wouldn't have it any other way. As one owner puts it, "My Siamese talks at least as intelligently as half of my human guests."

Autors:

J.A. Helgren and U. Schwarzenbach

Uschi Schwarzenbach
Obergiessenstrasse 12
CH- 9444 Diepoldsau

Internet: http://www.spitzaecker.com/the_frizzled_frolic