The Siamese is one of the most famous cat breeds ever. They are easily recognized thanks to the particular color of their fur and blue eyes. Their lovable nature, however, shouldn’t be overshadowed.
Summary
- Origins
- Appearance
- Character
- Care and well-being
- The power of the Siamese
- Health
- Raising a Siamese cat
Origins
The Siamese is one of the oldest and best known cat breeds, along with the Persian . Its origins lie in Southeast Asia and more precisely in Siam, today Thailand. In this country of Asia Minor the Siamese cat was worshiped as the sacred animal of the temple. Around the end of the 19th century the first Siamese cats arrived in Europe and were bred as a breed in their own right. In 1892, the first breed standard for the Siamese cat was established. During the last century this breed began to be officially bred also in Europe: the breeding of the Siamese therefore took off and spread to the rest of the world.
Siamese cat personality
Appearance
The Siamese is a medium-sized cat with a thin body, long limbs and narrow legs. The weight of an adult female is between 3 and 4 kg, while the male is between 4 and 5 kg. Its reduced wedge-shaped head is longer than it is wide, surmounted by straight ears and with a broad base. Almond-shaped deep blue eyes, with their slight slant, are a typical feature. Siamese cats are partial albinos, which means they produce a limited amount of pigmented melanin. From this element derives the classic coloring of the Siamese cat, which is called “seal point”. It is a genetically black coloration at the ends, which changes to a dark brown with the “cs” genetic pattern. The coloring of dark spots does not happen immediately,birth . The rest of the fur is white to cream in color. The Siamese has a short coat, has little undercoat, and its coat is very close to the body.
Character
Sometimes the Siamese are jokingly referred to as “dogs among cats”. This is because the behavior of the specimens of this breed has similarities with that of the dog. In fact it is possible, to some extent, to train them and they are very affectionate animals. However, the Siamese only learns as long as they feel like it: if you try to teach them something by force, you end up knowing their claws. Their intelligence and good character make them the perfect family cats. They are very sociable and have a high need to communicate: they love to express themselves and they do it out loud, so to speak. If something does not satisfy them, they express it vocally. For this reason the Siamese cat is considered extremely assertive. However, these are very people-oriented cats, who enjoy spending hours in pleasant company with their humans.
If you leave your Siamese alone for too long, smart as he is, he will quickly get bored. If you decide to keep itin the apartment , therefore, you should make sure that your pet has the opportunity toentertain properly (e.g. with iintelligence games ). Siamese cats show a strong inclination to social life and can without problems be raised in pairs: in this way they have the opportunity to spend time together, dedicate themselves to their daily toilet and take care of each other. These intelligent and tame animals can also be trained to walk on a leash. It’s bettergradually accustom the cat to the leash : at the beginning it is better to practice several times inside your apartment, before going outside. If a Siamese cat is properly cared for, its life expectancy is at least 14 years.
Care and well-being
Caring for a Siamese is very simple, as their short-haired coat is almost maintenance-free. It is sufficient to brush it from time to time to remove the hair that has fallen out. As this breed has almost no undercoat, it is not comfortable in wet and cold environments. For this it is important to make sure that the temperature in the apartment is not too low. It is also important to dry it thoroughly in case you notice that it is wet during one of its outings in the neighborhood. For sure these warmth-loving cats will find their favorite spot on a radiator or other hot spot in the apartment. A heated kennel will certainly be well accepted by your Siamese cat. In any case, absolutely avoid drafts.
The nature of the Siamese is that of a sociable cat, who loves being in company, which is why it would make sense to let him live with at least one other conspecific. The choice of having two Siamese cats usually proves even less demanding than usual, because they are animals that love to take care of each other. They are also very close to humans, and for this reason it is important to give them enough time and attention for play and cuddling.
To allow this very active animal to give vent to its liveliness, it would be good to place some in the apartment scratching post . A tree model with different levels is well suited to the purpose, not least because cats are known to prefer to observe the world from overhead positions. If you have the opportunity, you should allow your Siamese to move freely outside too, as this will allow him to exercise and keep him sufficiently occupied. Alternatively, you canmaking your balcony safe to be truly cat proof. As already mentioned, Siamese cats can also be brought on a leash with a special onebib . However, it is important to train the animal to stay on a leash as soon as possible: the advice is to exercise sufficiently, before attempting an outing, so that there are no nasty surprises when you are outdoors.
The power of the Siamese
In terms of nutrition, Siamese cats are not particularly demanding. Basically, you can offer your petHigh quality dry or wet foods with a significant meat content. Make sure there are no preservatives, flavor enhancers or other kinds of chemical additives among the ingredients of the ready-to-eat foods you choose for your cat. It is not possible to generally determine the right amount of food for your pet: in fact, there are many factors that influence a cat’s nutrition, such as age and health status. It is also important to always offer him enough fresh water. Giving your cat milk is something you should always refrain from. In fact, cats are lactose intolerant and can run into serious digestive problems if they take it. There is, alternatively, onespecial cat milk that is well tolerated and that can be offered as a kind of reward from time to time.!
Health
Unfortunately it is not uncommon for Siamese cats to inherit diseases resulting from their breeding. These include progressive retinal atrophy, also called progressive retinal degeneration (usually abbreviated as prcd-PRA or PRA), a severe disease that in the worst case can lead to blindness. In some cases, Siamese have heart disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer (e.g. breast cancer). In these cats it is not uncommon a defect in the convergence of the visual axes of the eyes called, with technical terminology, “convergent squint”, as well as the involuntary movement of the eyes (called “nystagmus”). It is believed that the cause lies in the lack of melanin due to the partial albinism of this animal.
Raising a Siamese cat
Siamese cats become sexually mature from 4-6 months of age. The gestation period lasts for 63-69 days and usually the litter has 4 to 6 kittens. At birth, the young have a very light coat. The points only take on their color after about 2 days. After a week, the kittens open their eyes. Keep in mind that puppies should be with their mother for at least the first 12 weeks of life. Serious breeders should pay attention to this, because during this time the puppies learn the basics of their social behavior and other important elements from their mother.
Before choosing the breeder to buy your Siamese from, you should get an idea of the animals they breed and the context in which they grow. For this reason the best thing you can do is make an appointment with the breeder and have a look at his cats in advance. These should be vaccinated and dewormed and live in a species-appropriate environment. Don’t be afraid to ask for important guarantees like your cat’s family tree! Stay away from breeders who offer undocumented purebred cats. Usually these individuals try to save money at all costs in order to offer their pets at particularly advantageous prices. However, precisely because of this, they also usually save on important medical tests and high-quality food. Another important factor is that there is a certain distance of time between the litters. Stay away from so-called “cat multipliers” – breeders who exploit animals without having any consideration for their health and well-being.
