Siamese cat: everything about the breed from A to Z. Photos, diet, rules of care and maintenance, appearance, habits, character

The Siamese cat is a popular short-haired breed with a recognizable point color. Unique beauty is combined with sociability and intelligence. A good companion for those who value open expression of feelings and constant connection with their pet. These talkative cats will not let you get bored and will participate in all family activities.

History of the origin of the Siamese cat breed

The homeland of these cats is Thailand. Several centuries earlier it was called Siam. In this country, cats were considered sacred. The inhabitants of Siam believed that these animals guarded their temples and were guides to the afterlife.

The Thais especially revered cats with beige fur. This country even has a Society for the Protection of Siamese Cats from Extinction. At the end of the 19th century, the Siamese cat was given to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Later, the Siamese Cat Club was created here.

A few years later, these animals were brought to America, where a similar club was also created. And they were brought to the countries of the Soviet Union only 60 years ago. The first owners of cats of this breed were representatives of the intelligentsia. At that time it was an expensive pet, so only rich people could afford it.

Owner reviews

Many who have kept a Siamese cat at home speak only positively about them, pointing out that these animals are not aggressive and have a friendly disposition.

It is recommended to feed kittens that are separated from their mother early with cream diluted with water. Children's curd "Agusha" is also suitable for such purposes.

After just 6 weeks, babies can be accustomed to factory-made dry food, soaking it in a bowl at the first stages. Place a bowl of clean drinking water next to the food bowl.

From about 2 months, kittens can be given Royal Canin Baby Cat dry food, since it is small granules intended specifically for kittens’ teeth. Many owners indicate that they do not give their pets vegetables.

A very big problem is periodic sexual arousal. The best option if the animal does not participate in the reproduction of offspring is sterilization. The use of drugs such as Contrasex does not solve the problem, moreover, this hormonal drug negatively affects the health of pets. Other drugs, such as dopopromone or Covinan, do not solve the problem either.

To ensure that a cat’s reproductive functions always remain at a high level, he can be mated only at 10 months of age and not earlier. It must be remembered that a cat requires rest after mating, so the breaks between matings should be at least 2 weeks.

Siamese cat, is it the most evil cat breed and is it worth getting?

Description of the Siamese cat breed

In the photo of a Siamese cat you can see a beautiful and graceful animal. His head is wedge-shaped, his ears are large and set wide apart, and the irises of his eyes are bright blue. The body is flexible, graceful, proportional. The paws are long, smooth, and the muscles are well developed. The tail is long, smooth, tapering towards the end.

When kittens are just born, the characteristic coat color is absent. But within a week, pigmentation of the coat begins. At the age of six months, kittens already show their main color – color point. With age, the spots become darker.

Knowing what a Siamese cat looks like, when purchasing, you can avoid animals with defects - incorrect bite, different eye color, different number of fingers, light spots, crooked tail.

Colors

All Siamese kittens are born completely white, since the ambient temperature in the womb is high and uniform. With age, points begin to darken, which is associated with different temperature conditions in individual parts of the body. Dark markings - points - are located where it is lower - on the face, ears, paws and tail. The light background is usually formed by the albinism gene.

In total, modern felinology has identified twelve acceptable colors of the Siamese:

• Sial point. The main background is creamy, perhaps to rich brown. The points are anthracite black.

• Blue point. Light, fawn-gray background, blue back, points of a more saturated blue to blue-smoky. The nose and fingers are blue-gray, almost ashen.

• Chocolate point. The background is the color of baked milk or ivory, the points are coffee with milk. The paw pads and nose are the same color.

• Lilac Point. The main background is pale cream, yellowish, points with a pinkish tint. Fingers and nose are lilac.

• Red point. The main background is white to apricot, the points are bright red-gold. The nose and paw pads are pink.

• Cream point. The background is white, the points are cream.

• Caramel point. The background is caramel, the points are a darker shade of the same color.

• Cynamon Point. The body is ivory, the points are brown. The nose is brown and the paw pads are pink to brown.

• Fawn point. Pale light cream background, points color beige. The nose and paw pads are light pink.

• Torty point. Points with tortoiseshell pattern, all color combinations.

• Tabby point. Stripes on points.

• Tabby-torty-point. Spots and stripes on points.

There are four main colors in the classification: sial, blue, chocolate and lilac points.

Character of Siamese cats

The character of the Siamese cat breed is stubborn and rebellious. But with proper upbringing, you can tame your pet and reduce negative manifestations of character. It becomes attached to the owner or to a family member, showing its love and loyalty.

The owner must show reciprocal feelings, otherwise his pet will be offended. Cats of this breed do not tolerate being forced to do anything; they are vindictive and remember insults for a long time.

They are not aggressive towards small children and can take an active part in their entertainment. At the same time, she does not like to be cuddled or carried in arms. If she is forced to do anything, she may scratch or bite, showing character and discontent.

Often shows jealousy towards other pets. Reacts with caution to strangers. The life expectancy of these pets is on average 14 years. How long Siamese cats live is largely influenced by the living conditions, diet, and attitude of the owners.

Varieties

Breeders strive to improve the breed, and other breeders consider it their duty to preserve the Thai Siamese cat breed in its original form at all costs. Therefore, today the classification distinguishes two cat breeds: Thai and Siamese, which differ in some constitutional features.

Siamese appeared in Russia in the 60s of the last century, and our Soviet breeders sought to improve the breed. But since there were few of this breed, it was necessary to cross with closely related individuals and with outbred cats.

The result was kittens with pronounced genetic abnormalities: stubby tails, severely squinted eyes and an aggressive disposition. But the breeders did not give up, and as a result, genetic deviations were eliminated, and the character became softer and more flexible.

• Balinese (Balinese) is a breed of cat with semi-long hair. It was bred by American breeders and registered in 1928 as a result of a mutation when crossing two short-haired individuals. After many years of work, the breed was recognized in 1965, and in 1970 it received the official name - Balinese.
• The Burmese is a short-haired, brown-colored breed with yellow eyes, bred from two breeds: the Wong Mau and the Siamese. In 1930, California breeder Joseph Thompson received a chocolate-colored Wong Mau cat from Burma (now Myanmar, a country bordering China, Laos and Thailand). In 1936, the breed received independent status.
• The Himalayan is a blue-eyed breed with very long, beautiful hair, obtained by crossing a Siamese with a Persian. Very similar to the Persian, but has blue eyes and a Siamese-like color. In Europe it is called Persian color point.
• The Snowy Cat is a cream-colored breed with glasses around the eyes. Occurred by crossing a Siamese and a two-color American cat, obtained in 1960.
• The Tonkinese is a mix of Thai and Burmese cats. The breed has taken something in between the two breeds, but the most attractive thing about it is its sea-green eyes. It was registered in 1960.
• Javanese (Oriental breed) - distinguished by a very long and slender figure with long legs and tail, large ears, two-colored. The breed was recognized in 1977 in the USA.
• Thai is an old type breed preserved by breeders.

Peculiarities of behavior of the Siamese cat breed

These animals are easy to train and learn quickly. They can learn to perform simple tricks. They have a very loud voice. The animal's developed intelligence allows it to demand what it wants by blackmailing its owner. The cat knows how to manipulate people by sucking up.

With proper upbringing of a purebred pet, he will get along well in the family, get along with children, and will not cause mischief. If children squeeze the animal, it may scratch it. Those who keep a Siamese cat talk about it as a vindictive and vindictive animal.

But if you love and educate him, the cat will reciprocate and will be obedient. It is a good mouser and is also aggressive towards dogs. It is not recommended to leave the animal alone for a long time. Otherwise, his character will deteriorate.

How to care for the Siamese cat breed

Fluffy Siamese cats have no undercoat, they have a short and smooth coat. Therefore, it is easy to care for them.

You won't need to brush it every day; just run a clean, damp cloth over your pet's fur. It is not necessary to bathe the animal; it is enough to wash the paws of those pets who often walk outside.

It is very important to pay attention to the condition of the ears. Clean them once a week using cotton swabs soaked in boiled water. Use cotton pads to wipe your eyes. Brush your teeth regularly using a special toothpaste for cats.

Choosing a kitten and cost

The cost of a kitten varies from 200 to 800 dollars, depending on the purpose of the purchase. A pet-class kitten is cheaper, but has no pedigree and can only be a pet. For breeding work and an exhibition career, it is necessary to choose a blue-eyed baby with a good pedigree and excellent health.

The price of individual pedigree cats can exceed a thousand dollars.

All kittens from the nursery must be accompanied by veterinary passports with notes from the state veterinary clinic on vaccination against rabies and all known feline infections.
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Nutrition for Siamese cats

It is best to feed your pet premium ready-made factory food. You need to pay attention to the composition, it must be balanced, with vitamins and minerals. It is better to use two types of food - dry and wet, but always from the same company.

The diet should also include: lean meats and fermented milk products. You should not give fresh milk to your pet as it can cause intestinal upset. Pork is also prohibited.

Cat health

Siamese cats often have genetically determined developmental defects:

• strabismus, impaired quality of vision;
• amyloidosis – disruptions in protein metabolism;
• bronchial asthma and calcivirosis;
• heart defects;
• knots, hooks and kinks at the end of the tail;
• narrowing of the esophagus; adenocarcinoma; respiratory cancer.

It is important to pay attention to the health of your pet. It is imperative to vaccinate on time and periodically visit the veterinarian for preventive examinations.

Cats of this breed may develop an allergic reaction caused by cigarette smoke, aerosols, food, or insect bites. It is necessary to regularly carry out antiparasitic treatment of wool and deworming.

The female becomes sexually mature at the age of 1 year. She carries kittens for 64 days. If you do not plan to breed the animal, it is recommended to sterilize or castrate it after it becomes sexually mature.

When purchasing such a pet, you need to pay attention to the availability of documents - pedigree, veterinary passport, medical certificate of vaccinations. Pay attention to the kitten's habits. He should be playful, active and curious.

Historical reference

One of them says that this is the “love child” of a monkey and a lioness, which occurred contrary to the laws of nature in Noah’s Ark during the Flood. Therefore, the Siamese cat has the habits of a monkey and the disposition of a lion.

• Another tells of a princess who always took her cat with her when swimming in the river. Before entering the water, she took off her jewelry and strung it on her cat's tail.
• But one day she was missing one and from then on, during the next bath, she began tying the cat’s tail in a knot. Since then, these breeds have a defect on the tail - creases.
• Another interesting legend tells about two Siamese - Tien and Chula. During turbulent times, the city's residents left their homes and went to war. And Tien and the pregnant Chula were left in the temple to guard the Buddha's cup.
• After some time, Tien went in search of the clergyman. But hours, days, months passed, and he never returned. Chula waited patiently for her lover, wrapping her tail around the goblet, until the kittens were born, exactly like their mother with curled tails.

But in fact, these creases are formed by crossing two closely related individuals, which is a degeneration of the breed. Therefore, for some time now this defect, previously considered the authenticity of the breed, is now considered as a defect.

Life expectancy of the Siamese breed

If you provide your pet with proper living conditions and good care, its life expectancy is on average 16-17 years. Spayed females and neutered males live longer.

To prolong the life of a Siamese cat, you need to properly care for it, provide a balanced diet, and exercise.

Photos of all types of Siamese cats