The Siamese is one of the oldest breeds of domestic cats, originally from Siam (now Thailand) where they occupied and were highly valued in the palaces of royalty.  A great many tales, anecdote s and fantasies accompany them on their journey to the West, which makes for interesting reading but are not particularly useful if you are considering adding one of these amazing cats to your household.

The S iamese is a highly intelligent, extremely social, very vocal and very playful cat, originally known for their beautiful baby blue, (crossed) eyes and crooked tail - those latter two features (the crossed, not the blue, and the crook in the tail) have been bred out and are now unacceptable to breeders and s howers.

The Siamese come in two closely related yet distinct forms and four (some recognize more), colorations. The Standard Siamese, also called the Apple-head, because of their rounder head, is said to be the traditional form,

while the Extreme Siamese is favored in the show ring. Both are svelte, elongated, angular and muscular. The Extreme is bred for a longer head with larger ears lower down on the head and greater angularity. Each camp has their ardent proponents.

The primary colorations of the Siamese are called Seal, Chocolate, Blue and Lilac Point. The overall coloring of the Siamese is called Colorpoint and derives from an interesting phenomena. The typical Siamese are light in body color and darker at the extremities. This is due to a gene which inhibits color development where the body is warm. Kittens, just out of the womb, are white. Darker colors develop in the feet, tail and head. If a Siamese has its leg bandaged the color will lesson considerably in that area. But the real magic of the Siamese is to be found in its personality, and those who own these cats are as vocal as the cats themselves about the remarkable qualities of this breed.

Extraordinary social, they may accompany you to the door to greet some new guest and most are more than likely to befriend the newcomer and find a place on his lap. They love to play and will fetch. They will even bring their favorite toys to you for you to throw and them to retrieve. They learn their names and will come when called. Many like to watch TV and if it is a ball game of some kind, will follow the back and forth of the ball.  Their closeness to their families is legendary and uncompromising. They want to be near you, with you, against you. If there is a death in the family, feline or other, they will mourn inconsolably and make their grief known . 

On the down side, the breed is subject to Obsessive /Compulsive disorder (tearing up and eating things bad for them, for example) which can be treated with medication. On the upside, if you want a cat as a companion who wants nothing more than to share in your life, The Siamese may be your breed. People who own these cats say that there is simply nothing like a Siamese and they wouldn't have any other breed - "If you like them, you will love them". Cost will range from about $400 to $1200 but if you can find one in a shelter, please give to him/her and to yourself, a priceless gift and take this amazing cat home.

Information in this article was obtained from Barrons Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds, Desmond Morris's Cat World and with special thanks to Dianne Alexy and Pat Muise for their time, insights and information.