Brief description of the breed
It is believed that for several hundred centuries, Siamese cats were akin to domestic deities - they were turned on only by the nobility, and commoners could only admire these sky-eyed creatures. Today Siam, which existed for almost 7 centuries, is called Thailand. And not only the name of the state has changed - a metamorphosis has also occurred with the appearance of Siamese cats. Until the mid-1950s, the breed standard meant for these animals a rounded head, not so widely spaced ears, a relatively short body and medium-length paws (they looked like cats of the Thai breed). But the modern look siamese cats somewhat different - their head became elongated, their ears - large and set wide apart, and the body and limbs - elongated and taut.
These cats gained popularity in Europe as well - the first individuals came to the territory of the British Isles in the 19th century, and they were imported into the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the Siamese breed has consistently been included in the top 10 most beloved cats in different countries. Moreover, the interest is due not only to their exquisite exterior (in appearance they resemble ancient Egyptian cats), but also to their excellent character. Siamese very quickly become attached to people, they are good-natured enough, intelligent and inquisitive. In addition, these animals often live to an old age - 20 years or more. But some lucky Siamese can reach 30 years, like a cat of this breed named Scooter, born in 1986 in the United States (in 2016, the mustachioed long-liver, unfortunately, did not become).
Siamese cats, when looking at them, give the impression of moderately muscular and slender animals of medium size. Their weight ranges from 3.5 to 7 kg, and their body length is approximately equal to 65-70 cm. Males are usually larger than cats. The head of these animals is wedge-shaped and narrow, in proportion to the body, the transition from the frontal part to the long nose is straight. The ears are large, wide at the base. The eyes are large enough, almond-shaped, blue or light blue of varying saturation, strabismus (squint) is undesirable. The neck is dry and long, turning into a tubular, elongated muscular body. The limbs are long and graceful, with small oval legs. The tail is long, narrow in diameter, without kink. The coat of Siamese cats is soft, short, close to the body, without undercoat. The colors of the Siamese are point - dark (of the same color) marks on the face, ears, limbs and tail, the main body tone is always light - blue, cream, white with a yellow tint, light orange. By the way, Siamese are born white, and the color begins to darken around the end of the first week of life (this finally happens by 8-10 months).
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basic information
| Breed name: | Siamese cat |
| Country of origin: | Thailand |
| The time of the birth of the breed: | 1960s |
| The weight: | 3 - 5 kg |
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EMS code:
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SIA |
| Life Expectancy: | 13 - 15 years old |
| Kitten price: | 50 – 500 $ |
| Most popular nicknames: | list of nicknames for Siamese cats |
Assessment of breed characteristics
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Adaptability
(A definition that means how easily a cat can adapt to changes in life)
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Shedding level
(Level and frequency of hair loss in the animal)
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Tenderness level
(The level and amount of tenderness and affection that the cat gives in return for attention to itself)
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Social need
(The required number of contacts of a cat with other animals, as well as people)
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Grooming
(The number of bathing, brushing, and the number of professional grooming sessions required for the cat)
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Friendliness in an unfamiliar environment
(Features of the cat's behavior in a society with strangers or in an unfamiliar environment)
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Health issues
(Potential health status of a cat)
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Intelligence
(The ability of a cat to think and solve emerging difficulties)
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Friendliness to children
(A factor that determines how friendly a cat is to children, whether she likes to play with them and tolerate some childish pranks)
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Game activity
(The concept is determined by its very name, and, as a rule, is found in almost all cats)
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Dog friendly
(The cat's tendency to get along with dog)
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Photo of a Siamese cat:
History of the Siamese cat
At one time, there were a great many hypotheses regarding the origin of the Siamese cat. Today it is known for sure that the breed originated in various Siamese ancient cities. In particular, we are talking about the city of Ayutthaya (the territory of modern Thailand). This city was once the capital of Siam. Ayutthaya was founded in 1350. Unfortunately, in 1767, during the Burmese invasion, fire almost completely destroyed the ancient capital.
In the National Library of Thailand, located in the capital of the kingdom - Bangkok, there are ancient manuscripts describing a cat, whose homeland was Siam. According to the manuscripts, the description of the cat completely coincides with the appearance of the modern Siamese cat. Thanks to documents in the National Library, it was possible to reliably establish that Siamese cats lived in temples and were under close protection. These precautions were motivated by the desire to keep the breed purebred.
Siamese cats were prized to such an extent that only members of the royal family had the right to own pets. Most Siamese cats of those distant times had a characteristic kink on the tail. Over the years, it became considered a deviation from the norm. The breeders managed to cope with this "flaw", although today you can still find Siamese cats with a kink in the tail. True, this happens with stray cats that interbreed with yard cats.
Most of the early representatives of this ancient breed suffered from strabismus. Such a feature, of course, as well as a kink on the tail, went beyond the understanding of the norm of the appearance of cats of this breed. Thanks to the work of breeders, we managed to cope with this feature. Siamese cats with squint are now extremely rare.
Siamese cat personality
Maintenance and care
Siamese cats versus longhaired catssuch as, for example, persian, or maine coonsdo not require special care. The owner will only need to spend a few hours a week for direct grooming.
Frequent washing of the coat can damage the hair structure and negatively affect the color of the animal. The same goes for combing out. To remove dead hair, it is best to use a special soft brush that does not harm the cat's hair.
Bathing Siamese cats, as you understand, is quite rare. It is recommended to use cornstarch when bathing. They need to sprinkle all the hair of the animal. In this case, you need to be extremely careful not to get starch in your eyes. After that, the wool is washed with massage movements. In other words, it can be used as a detergent. After such a bath, be sure to rinse the coat thoroughly and wipe it dry.
The ears require special attention. Regularly, you need to ensure that they do not develop inflammation, irritation, and infections. The auricles and auditory canals are treated with a special solution prescribed by a veterinarian. Many owners of Siamese cats cut the hair in the ears to visually increase the width of the pet's ears. This procedure is in principle safe. In addition, it allows for better air circulation in the ears.
Learning Siamese cats is not too difficult. Education and training can take place in different ways, depending on the individual characteristics of each pet. An important condition in the process of teaching and upbringing is consistency. It is also necessary to avoid the use of rudeness, and even more so force.
Each stage of training should evoke extremely positive emotions in the animal. Various methods of punishment can have the opposite effect, for example, the animal may begin to go not to the litter box, but where he likes it. By the way, many Siamese cat owners are struggling with this problem completely wrong. The main mistake is the action aimed at forcing the pet into the litter box. This will lead to the animal having negative associations with the litter box. It is better to use a reward system in this regard. For example, after each trip to the toilet, you can give your pet treats in the right place.
Feeding
A Siamese baby under the age of 4 months should be fed at least 5 times a day, from 4 to 6 months - 4 times, from 6 to 8 - 3 times, and then you can transfer the animal to 2-time "adult" food. Already at the time of purchase, the owner must decide which diet will be chosen for the pet - a natural menu or industrial feed... In this case, you can consult with the veterinarian and the breeder, because their opinion is quite competent in matters of nutrition and health. If the owner nevertheless decides, for example, to transfer the animal from dry prepared food to natural food, this should be done gradually, otherwise disorders of the digestive system cannot be avoided. The approximate daily food intake for a cat is based on the calculation of 30-60 grams. per 1 kg of animal weight. Whatever the diet, the cat's bowls should always be clean, ideally, the cat has time to fill up in 10-15 minutes, after which it is better to either transfer the food leftovers to a container for storing in the refrigerator, or dispose of, and wash the cat's dishes. Leaving food "for later" in a bowl is not worth it, because the food can go bad, then diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes poisoning cannot be avoided .. Always have a bowl full of water, especially in hot weather.
Natural food. The basis of natural feeding is animal proteins, or rather, meat. It is best to purchase lean beef (veal), rabbit, lamb, turkey for a cat. Meat is given to the cat daily in small pieces, preheated. Before eating, the meat should be processed - boiled, frozen for several days or scalded with boiling water to exclude helminth infection. Dishes from sea fish are prepared no more than 1-2 times a week - cod, navaga, hake (before serving the cat, the fish is either boiled or served thawed by removing the bones). By-products can be given no more than 2 times a week, giving preference to thermally processed liver, kidneys, and lungs. Raw, boiled or baked vegetables (carrots, zucchini (or zucchini), cabbage (white cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi or cauliflower), pumpkin) are added to protein-rich food as a kind of side dish. Vegetables are chopped into pieces with a knife or ground in a blender in mashed potatoes, seasoned with a small amount of vegetable oil (flaxseed, olive, etc.) and mixed with meat (fish or offal). By the way, you can also give fruits - seasonal apples, pears, but the tailed ones rarely like them. Usually vegetables are alternated with cereals (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal), as well as bran. Chicken and quail eggs can be added to main courses no more than 2 times a week. Treats for cats - fermented milk products (yogurt, fermented baked milk, varenets, kefir, cottage cheese, milk - only kittens), you can treat them to the purr every day. In this case, you should purchase products with low fat content, always fresh, from natural milk and without flavoring. Natural food should not contain spices, smoked meats, salt, sugar. You should not give your cat river fish (especially raw), sausages, fruits and vegetables that cause fermentation (grapes, beets, eggplants, green peas) and allergies (all types of citrus fruits), bones (any), sweet carbonated and alcoholic drinks, chocolate ... You can grow (or buy at the pet store) sprouted oats (wheat) for the purr. Vitamin courses are required for natural feeding.
Ready-made feed. Industrial food has many opponents, because it is not clear what actually lies in the pack. The worst case scenario is economy class feedthat are stuffed with store shelves. They contain not only very little meat (and often under the guise of meat they use offal, skins, feathers, and other waste), but also a high content of artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers, and GMOs. Low-grade foods contain addictive additives that make the animal happy to eat them. Unfortunately, many owners have lost their tailed comrades due to unscrupulous industrial feed manufacturers hiding behind bright advertisements. Therefore, it is advisable to give preference holistic and extra premium feed (in their composition the highest percentage of quality meat - up to 80-90%). At the same time, good dry and canned foods are a balanced and complete diet that does not require vitamin supplements. Some Siamese cats do not differ in good health, therefore, with the consent of the veterinarian, you can choose medicinal (for problems with the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, for example) or specialized (for couch potatoes, the elderly, lactating, castrated / sterilized, etc.) food for them.
Health and disease
The Siamese cat is, in general, a healthy pet. The average life expectancy of her is about 15 years. Nevertheless, there are certain ailments that are more common in representatives of this breed. So among cats of the Siamese breed, hair loss is sometimes found, which can lead to the appearance of bald patches. Most often, an ailment appears as a result of stress.
Respiratory diseases are also common in kittens. That is why it is recommended to keep the young in a dry, warm room without drafts. Another problem that can arise is cardiomyopathy. This ailment leads to a disruption in the normal delivery of oxygen in the blood. Fainting may be a sign of illness.
Vestibular disease, although less common, can still occur. It damages the nerves in the ear, which leads to dizziness and, consequently, to problems with normal movement. It should also be noted that Siamese cats are often particularly sensitive to anesthesia.
Some interesting facts
- Siamese cats are among the most ancient cats on the planet.
- The special appearance of Siamese cats has become the reason for the emergence of a stereotype that the representatives of this breed have a bad character and a tendency to alienation.
- Kittens of this breed are born with light colored hair. Only in the process of growing up does the coat begin to acquire the color familiar to Siamese cats.
- In Siam, these cats were kept in temples. Only representatives of the royal family could keep them in the house.
- The coat of Siamese cats is very delicate, so you can take care of it only with the help of a special soft brush.
- Never purchase Siamese cats from casual breeders. Trust only trusted breeders. Otherwise, you can become the owner of a non-purebred and weak pet.
Nurseries and breeders
We borrowed material from the wonderful site of our partners DOGCATFAN.COM about cats and dogs, the author dogcatfan