The history of the origin of the Siamese cat breed, a description of the standard of appearance, features of the character of the Siamese, health, rules for keeping at home, the price of a pedigree kitten. The Siamese cat is an amazing representative of the feline world, which is able to win the heart of everyone who meets him, even the most inveterate opponents of cats. These pets are beautiful, sophisticated and graceful and this is not the whole list of their merits, it seems that there is something mysterious in these animals and not studied before sat down, something originally Asian and alluring. At first glance, it may seem that these cats are extremely narcissistic and arrogant, but as soon as they get used to a person, in a matter of seconds they transform into cute creatures who, it seems, only know how to give affection and radiate cheerfulness.
The history of the origin of Siamese cats
To date, it is not known for certain when Siamese purrs appeared on our planet, but the fact that this happened a very, very long time ago is a fact. According to many scientific sources, the first mentions of unusually beautiful cats date back to the middle of the XIV century. Since that distant time, a huge number of stories, legends and myths have spread about Siamese cat. So the Siamese are not just cats, they are world-class celebrities with a very rich and fascinating biography.
Perhaps the most extraordinary and least realistic story about this breed begins with the fact that it was based on one of the biblical stories. It tells the story of how a proud lioness conquered the heart of a monkey during the Flood. As a result of such an unusual love, a cat was born, brave and beautiful, like a lion and dexterous and intelligent, like a primate.
Another version says that these Siamese are the direct descendants of cats, which were brought as a gift to the inhabitants of the southeastern part of Asia, later these "tailed gifts" began to interbreed with native wild cats, and as a result, the Siamese appeared. This, of course, is a little more like the truth, but there is no direct evidence for this.
All that is confirmed in the biography of Siamese cats is that their home range is one of the largest and most powerful states of the ancient world - Siam. How and where they came from, no one knows, but scientists continue to "pull the blanket over themselves" and put forward different options that take place, but never take root due to lack of evidence.
Such an exciting interest in these representatives of the feline world is caused not so much by the fact that they are very beautiful and unusual, as ancient, in the truest sense of the word. The progenitors of the modern Siamese cat, in all likelihood, were very valuable animals, as evidenced by the many drawings on the bark of palm trees. The drawings depicting the Siamese were decorated with the most beautiful ornaments made of gold. Also, cats of this breed were glorified in the old book "Poems about Cats", which is confirmed by illustrations with their image.
For a long time period, the aboriginal cats of Siam were considered the height of luxury; only people from the highest society could afford such a pet. So Siamese cat has long been accustomed to living only in palaces and famous estates. The people called these purrs in no other way than "the moon diamond". Although the locals loved and respected their pets very much, they were in no hurry to demonstrate or even share them with other peoples. Europeans had the honor to first contemplate a purebred Siamese cat only in the second half of the 19th century in England. He was the favorite of one of the richest and most influential inhabitants of Foggy Albion, he was presented with a Siamese kitten not by anyone, but by His Majesty, the King of Thailand.
It was difficult to surprise the Europeans with something, and even more so with a cat, therefore, not everyone accepted the Asian purrs. But there were people who were simply bewitched by unusual animals. This concerned the breeders of cats, who tried with all their might to prove that this breed is worthy not only of respect, but also the highest praise and awards, and they achieved their goal, albeit not immediately.
By the second half of the 20th century, Siamese cat became regular participants in the most prestigious and elite exhibitions and other cat events. Then they began to receive, one after another, official documents confirming their pedigree from felinological organizations of a world scale.
Description of the standard of appearance of the Siamese cat and photo
- Torso a cat from Siam is medium in size, stocky and strong, slightly elongated in length. Due to the fact that its skeletal system is quite thin, it may visually seem that this animal is not just very thin, but even somehow painfully thin, but in fact this is not at all the case. The average weight of a beautiful body varies from 3 to 8 kg, the fair sex is less weighty, their weight does not exceed 6 kg.
- Limbs Siamese cat is very long, slender, because of this, the body of the Siamese seems even longer. But in general, this combination looks extremely harmonious, the gait of these purrs is very stately and aristocratic. The hind legs are longer than the front ones.
- Tail process long, thin and straight, without a single kink or curvature. From a wider base, it narrows very slightly to a pointed tip.
- Head Siamese in its configuration resembles a narrow, slightly elongated wedge. The breed standard insists that the head of such cats should be flat, with slightly protruding brow ridges. The profile is straight, the nose is rather long. The lower jaw is strong and well developed, which emphasizes the equally powerful, slightly pointed chin. The neck is also elongated, thin, but strong.
- Auricles relative to the general parameters of the torso of Siamese cats seem to be simply huge. The auditory organs, which are very wide in the base part, taper to a smoothly rounded tip. In its shape, the cat's ears resemble an isosceles triangle, turned upside down.
- Eyes Siamese cat is medium in size. Their configuration resembles an almond. Set at medium depth so that they are neither bulging nor sunken. The visual organs are located with a slight slant, thus, in harmony with the lines of the skull. According to the breed standard, the interorbital distance should not be less than the size of one eye. As for the colors of the iris, then a riot of various shades of blue color scheme is simply allowed. The eyes can be painted in both pale blue and dark blue tones. The most valuable are kittens with rich color eyes. Strabismus is a disqualifying symptom.
The coat of Siamese cats is short, close to the body. The hairs are thin in texture, the cat's fur coat is soft and delicate to the touch. But it is far from the quality of wool that is appreciated in the representatives of this breed, their attraction is their amazing color - point. This option implies that the entire body of the animal is painted in a basic light tone, and the contour of the ears, muzzle, “socks” on the paws, tail are presented in a darker, more saturated color. The following color options are considered the most common:
- seal point: the main tone of this color option is beige, which may be slightly darker, and the points of this color are presented in dark brown shades;
- blue point - the base color is white, the color of the markings is bluish;
- redpoint implies that the entire predominant part of the cat's fur coat is painted in a snow-white tone, and the secondary color is apricot;
- chocolate point - this color option consists of an ivory base tone and points of dark brown or black color;
- pale cream or caramel point the main tone of this color option is far from commonplace, it is something in between white and brown, and the inclusions are presented in a pinkish-gray color;
- point cinnamon - the basic color is ivory, and the secondary color is brownish-pink;
- lilac point, the main color of this color is white with a slight yellowness, and the markings are painted in a pale gray color with a slight pink tint;
- tabby point - a rather rare color, its uniqueness lies in the fact that stripes are drawn on the points.
Siamese cats: character traits
The set of qualities of temperament of the Siamese is by no means ordinary. These are extremely majestic and self-sufficient animals, but at the same time they cannot be called arrogant. When a pet goes through the adaptation process, it becomes quite cute, open and friendly.
Intelligence and ingenuity are something that representatives of this species of cats do not hold. Such a pet in a matter of days learns the most elementary rules of behavior and living in an apartment, understands what a tray is and what it is for. Also, by virtue of his intellect and imagination, this comrade will easily come up with entertainment for himself when the owner does not have time for fun.
Also Siamese cat are very neat and tidy and this feature greatly simplifies their care.
Another quality that is inherent in all Siamese is extreme vulnerability and vulnerability, it is categorically impossible to shout at them, let alone use force. If your pet has made a mistake in his behavior, it is better to explain to him in an instructive tone what is what, he will understand, and react to a cry with an acute resentment that will hide for a long time and leave a negative imprint on the inner world of the animal.
Siamese are not just sociable, they can be called chatty, but they do not talk very quietly, while their voice cannot be called pleasant in sound and you need to get used to it.
Although sometimes a Siamese cat can demonstrate its independence and pride, in fact, in the soul of every adult animal there lives a small creature that really needs your love and attention. The pet will be genuinely glad to any manifestation of your attention, it is very important for him to feel needed and irreplaceable.
Siamese cat get along with children with a bang, they never show aggression and know how to forgive the kids for petty pranks, but if the child crosses the border of the pet's comfort zone, the cat will no longer let him into a cannon shot.
Siamese health and possible difficulties
Representatives of this type of feline, of course, can be called strong and healthy cats, but they have a serious predisposition to a number of dangerous pathologies.
- Amyloidosis - This disease is characterized by the deposition of abnormal amyloid protein on the surface of vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, spleen and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, there is no medicine that can eradicate the disease. However, if diagnosed in the early stages, then modern medicine can significantly slow down the progression of the disease, increase the life expectancy of a pet and improve its quality.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - This is a pathology that leads to a gradual expansion of the heart muscle. The main problem of this disease is not so much the impossibility of its cure, but rather a complex diagnosis. The thing is that this problem does not manifest itself in any way at first, and when it already makes itself felt, it is usually too late to do something. Therefore, never neglect preventive visits to your veterinarian. The main symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are shortness of breath, an acceleration of the heartbeat, which is sometimes heard from a distance, frequent loss of consciousness, but most often the first sign of the disease is loss of appetite, which leads to anorexia. Because of this, people often begin to treat helminthiases on their own, change their diet, forcefully feed the animal with enzymes, vitamins, and you just need to go to the veterinarian and do an ECG.
- Malignant tumors of the mammary glands - an extremely serious pathology, but there is a way to almost certainly protect your pet from such a fate - this is the sterilization of a cat up to six months of age. Also, Siamese cats are prone to bronchial asthma, strabismus, dental diseases and inflammation of the soft tissues of the oral cavity. Fortunately, these problems can be prevented and they do not pose a mortal danger. With proper care, the average life expectancy of Siamese is 15-16 years, but it is not uncommon for them to live up to about 20.
Siamese cat: keeping the breed at home
- Siamese hair care - a pleasure, most of them they cope on their own. In order to rid your pet of dead hairs, you do not have to comb it every day. It will be more than enough to kill everything unnecessary with the help of a special rubber glove about once a week, if one is not at hand, then you can stroke your friend with a damp palm and that will be enough. As for bathing, firstly, cats from Siam do not really like taking a bath, and, secondly, there is no need to once again expose their sensitive skin and hair to detergents. The thing is that the quality of the "fur coat" and, accordingly, its appearance suffer from shampoos. It will be more than enough to wash the cat once every six months and as urgently as possible. When choosing detergents for your Siamese cat, you should not save money, it is better to purchase a high-quality shampoo and conditioner, which contain only natural ingredients. It is recommended to buy products designed for dry and sensitive skin.
- Hygiene. Siamese cat needs to regularly clean the ears in order to prevent hearing loss, which can gradually develop as a result of blockage of the external auditory canal by earwax, particles of the epidermis and dirt elements. To do this, you will need cotton swabs (baby) and ear lotion. From time to time, you need to wipe your pet's eyes with cotton pads soaked in a disinfectant. Brushing your teeth is something that directly affects both the quality and the number of days in your friend's life. In Siamese, tartar forms twice as fast as in representatives of other breeds. Therefore, to the question: "How often to brush the cat's teeth?", The answer is unequivocal - "As often as possible, but better every day." You need to do this with the help of a special toothbrush and paste; you can buy this inventory at any veterinary pharmacy. In addition, it will not be superfluous to periodically include in the pet's diet a special food for brushing teeth, the packaging of the latter should be marked "DENTAL". If you are a supporter of natural nutrition, then instead of such food, you can use boiled chicken necks.
- What to feed? It is best to opt for premium or super premium ready-made feed. It is recommended to alternate dry food and canned food, so you don't have to worry that your friend ate less or more nutrients today. Additional vitamins and minerals, especially during the molting period, will not be superfluous.
Siamese cats: price
Depending on gender, color, pedigree and a number of other criteria, the cost of a kitten can vary significantly. The average price of a purebred Siamese ranges from 6,000 to 30,000 rubles.
