*"Although the Siamese is an ancient breed, its origins are obscure. No one knows if the "Royal Cat of Siam," the companion of kings and priests, and guardian of the royal palace, actually originated in Thailand (which used to be called Siam). Many legends and theories surround its origins: that it is a descendant of the ancient cat of Egypt; that its ancestry traces back to the sacred cat of Burma; and that it originated from the breeding of a rare albino cat presented to the king of Siam long ago. We do know that it was a highly prized breed in the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya hundreds of years ago, because a delicate illustration of a Seal Point appears in the manuscript Cat Book Poems prepared in that ancient city sometime between 1360 and 1767.

When the Siamese reached the West is another debatable point. The first to arrive in England, according to some breed historians, were Pho and Mia, a pair presented by the king of Siam to Mr. Owen Gould, British consul-general in 1894. Yet the breed must have been known in England at least thirteen years prior to that date because the catalog of the 1871 London cat show indicates that two Siamese were exhibited. The fist recorded American Siamese belonged to Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes (wife of the 19th President of the United States) in the late 1870s.

Siamese are handsome and elegant cats with long, narrow bodies; long, slim legs; tapering, wedge-shaped heads, and whiplike tails. Their fine and glossy hair lies close to the body. The lighter body color is accentuated by darker points or extremities: facial mask, ears, legs, feet, and tail. Siamese kittens are born solid white or ivory; their color points begin to darken within several weeks. Siamese are highly intelligent and clever creatures that can be a real handful. They are unduly curious, demanding cats that resent being left alone -- they want their people nearby at all times! Siamese are easy to train; playing ball and retrieving are two of their favorite activities. Their athletic feats can take one's breath away, and most learn to open closet and cupboard doors with great expertise. Of all the cat breeds the Siamese is the most talkative. Their vocabulary is amazing, and they adore carrying on spirited "conversations" with their owners. If you're looking for an affectionate but lively companion, a Siamese may be a good choice. Siamese colors: seal point, chocolate point, blue point, lilac point."

The Siamese is considered by many to be a "natural" breed - one that developed without the intervention of man. Pictures of seal-point Siamese cats appear in the manuscript "Cat-Book Poems", written in Siam (now Thailand) sometime between 1350 and 1700.

There are a great many legends regarding the origin of the breed especially the crossed eyes and kinked tails. according to some of the legends, the Siamese cat guarded Buddhist temples and was considered sacred and was only kept by priests and royalty.

The first Siamese cats appeared in the West in the mid-to-late 1800s. Though initially described as "an unnatural, nightmare kind of cat", they quickly became popular with fanciers, even though these early cats were delicate and subject to health problems. These first cats had crossed eyes and kinked tails, characteristics which are now considered faults, and have almost completely disappeared as a result of careful breeding. Photographs from the late 1880s of some of the first cats to be imported from Siam show the thick, round heads and solid, muscular bodies that distinguish the Traditional Siamese from today's show Siamese.

As the Siamese breed has developed over the years, some breeders have preferred the rounder look, while others have preferred a slender look with a wedge-shaped head. During the 1950s and 1960s, the differences became even more pronounced: show breeders developed an extremely slender cat with a very long, triangular head, almond-shaped eyes, and flaring ears. This look caught on with show-oriented Siamese breeders and with judges. Other breeders, who did not like the new look, continued to breed the larger, round-headed cats. These "Traditional" breeders found that their cats were no longer competitive in the show ring and stopped showing. A great many also stopped registering their cats, though they continued their breeding programs with their existing purebred Siamese stock.

Today, Traditional Siamese cats are somewhat rare, though they seem to be making a comeback, as the breed is popular with pet buyers.

It should be pointed out that Traditional Siamese are purebred cats, descended from the original cats imported from Siam. A pointed cat that you find in the shelter, though it may look Siamese, is probably not a Traditional Siamese cat. Enough purebred Siamese cats have interbred with domestic cats over the years that the gene which creates the pointing pattern is found in a large number of cats, and some may look Siamese when in fact they have very little Siamese blood in them.

The "pointing" gene creates the distinct color pattern that distinguishes the Siamese breed. This gene is recessive: two pointed parents will always produce pointed kittens.

The Siamese kitten is pure white at birth - the gene that produces the "points" on the face, paws, and tail is heat sensitive, and the point color gradually develops on the cooler parts of the body. In some breeding lines, and in warmer climates, the point color may not fully develop until the cat is over a year old.

Older cats have a darker body color than young cats and kittens, though there is still a marked contrast between the body color and the point color.

The Seal Point Siamese is genetically a black cat, but the pointing gene causes the color to manifest almost exclusively on the points. As the cat matures, the creamy body color will usually give way to a light shade of the point color, particularly with seal and blue points. (For this reason, seal and blue point Siamese have relatively short careers as show cats - it's rare to see one at a cat show over the age of 2. Chocolate and lilac points don't darken as quickly and can be shown longer.) The recognized colors are: Seal Point, Blue Point, Chocolate Point, and Lilac Point. The Red Point is not an accepted Traditional Siamese color, though it is an accepted Siamese color in some cat organizations.

Are Siamese friendly with other people?
Yes. They love people, and most will go right up to strangers and demand to be petted. They have the somewhat perverse nature of most cats, so are sometimes most attracted to people who either don't like cats or are allergic to them.

How are they with children?
They are good family pets, and are very indulgent of small children - they will tolerate liberties (not to be confused with ill-treatment) from them that they will not take from adults. When they've had enough, they simply make themselves unavailable. Most of them learn to sheathe their claws when playing with people, and it is rare to be scratched.

How are they with other pets?
When introduced at an early age, they will usually become friends with dogs or other animals. An adult cat who is already used to dogs is a wonderful "teacher" for puppies entering the home as a pet.

Are they intelligent?
They are very intelligent - which does not necessarily mean that they are easy to train. Each cat has a different personality - some, if you tell them "No" once, will desist from the activity forever, while those with the more mischievous natures, though they know it's forbidden, will merely wait until you're not around, and then do it anyway. :-) Many Traditional Siamese are quite adept at teaching humans the game of fetch or other tricks. Some cats will readily learn to walk on a harness and leash. These behaviors are far more successful if introduced at an early age.

Do they scratch furniture?
Not usually - it's very easy to train them to use a scratching post, and most breeders do this. In general, they prefer a nice carpet or sisal-covered scratching post to your favorite sofa.

What are points?
Points refer to the face, ears, tail, and paws - the term is generally used in combination with color. "Seal Point" means the cat has seal colored (dark brown) points, while a "Blue Point" has blue (gray) coloring. Will a male or a female make a better pet? Sex of the cat makes no difference as long as they are neutered/ spayed.

How big do they get?
In size, they are about what you think of when you think of an average-sized generic cat. Males weigh from 11-15 pounds, and females 8-12.