The Siamese

Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a
purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own
characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you
would characteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would
care to consider:

The Siamese

Famous in songs and movies, the Siamese cat was the Royal Cat of Siam. Though
their origins are uncertain, they were the companions of royalty and priests for centuries.
The cat was so highly valued that it was rarely given to outsiders. Siamese were first
exhibited at the famous 1871 London Cat Show at the Crystal Palace. People fell in love
with the new breed. Despite the difficulty in importing these highly valued cats, they
became wildly popular in Britain. The Siamese arrived in America in about 1890 and
quickly gained favor with cat fanciers here.

      The Siamese cat is a real character. They are extremely lively, friendly, and
intelligent and they are very attached to their people. A Siamese cat is constantly in
motion. They seem to regard their people as belonging to them instead of the other way
around. They develop a lot of unusual skills. Siamese cats have been known to play fetch,
walk on a leash and chase dogs. One Siamese learned to play the piano. He sat on the
bench in front of the keyboard and used one paw to press each key to make a sound.
Siamese cats are also real chatterboxes and will talk to you about everything and
anything. When they are making a point, a Siamese cats' voice is powerful enough to
bend metal.

      Siamese cats are sleek and svelte in appearance. Elegant and graceful they have
long bodies, long legs, and long tails as well. This breed has become divided into two
varieties: the extreme and the traditional. The extreme is a smaller, leaner, lighter animal
with males weighing 9 lbs at most and females 7 lbs. The traditional variety is rounder in
appearance than the extreme variety though still retaining the breeds' oriental elegance.
The traditional variety, also called the Old Style or Applehead is larger in size than the
extreme variety, with males up to 15 lbs and females up to 12 lbs.
   
       Siamese are famous for their large, almond shaped blue eyes. The coat is short,
fine textured, silky and glossy. It lies close to the cats' body. However, the truly defining
feature of the Siamese coat is its color. There are four main colors: seal, chocolate, blue
and lilac. There is also one pattern called colorpoint. The points of the body, the ears,
face, legs and tail are more darkly colored than the body. There is a strong contrast
between the body color and the points. The color at all the points must be the same.
Interestingly, Siamese darken with age.
   
The Siamese cat is a breed whose noisy and cheerful ways continue to win
peoples admiration and affection every day. Give the Siamese a closer look. The breed is
intelligent and very affectionate.  This cats' friendly and confident attitude can make it a
highly amusing family pet.  This cat may be exactly what you are looking for in a new
companion.