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Breed Review: Siamese cats and kittens
With a strikingly elegant appearance and social nature, Siamese cats and kittens are a popular choice of household pet.
History
Siamese cats come from present-day Thailand and took their name from the country as it was called in the 1800s (Siam). They were popular with the Thai Royal Family and caught the eye of visitors from abroad. In 1884, a breeder imported them to the UK and started selective breeding of these beautiful cats.
Owing to their striking and elegant white-silver coats and dark extremities, their popularity soon spread all over the world but over the last few decades, the appearance of the Siamese has changed. While their shape and features used to be similar to those of other domestic felines, today their ears are very large and their faces more pointed for a more striking look.
Appearance
Medium-sized with short hair, these stunning cats have a lean body with tapered tails. The colours of their coats vary from seal, chocolate and lilac to blue point on creamy coats. These are the most common colours but the Siamese cat does come in other colours as well. All Siamese cats have blue eyes which are sometimes cross eyed. This feature has largely been bred out of the Siamese cat over the years although it still exists in small numbers. They are also famous for having kinked tails. Neither of these features are dangerous for health but may not be desirable for showing.
Character
Siamese cats are social and chatty cats which thrive on company so anyone who is seeking a cat which can be left alone all day and is not demanding should not consider a Siamese! They will get bored if left alone and may end up snooping around the home for something to play with.
These beautiful cats are very intelligent and need a great deal of stimulation and interaction. Like other cats and dogs, they get on well with people.
Exercising a Siamese cat
These cats are happy to spend a lot of time indoors so indoor exercise is essential. It may be worth investing in a cat tower, a tall carpet-covered post with different levels and places for a cat to hide. A selection of small toys is also ideal for a Siamese cat. They love chasing balls and small stuffed animals while a larger toy can be used for play fighting.
Health and grooming
As with all breeds, Siamese Cats inherit a propensity towards particular conditions. Some cats have elongated faces which can result in dental issues and they are prone to what is known as feline obsessive compulsive disorder which can lead to excessive grooming and bald patches.
Certain eye conditions can lead to partial or full blindness in old age and blood and lymph conditions can also be inherited. These can be treated with varying degrees of success.
Siamese cats are short-haired so they do not need a lot of grooming. Weekly brushing and regular stroking should be enough to keep the coat in good condition and is also a good way of bonding with your feline.
A healthy diet is necessary to maintain a shiny coat and regular claw clipping is also necessary. A scratching post provided for a Siamese cat will keep furniture safe and take care of long claws at the same time.
If you’ve just added a Siamese cat to the family then it’s important to protect it with Argos Pet Insurance provided by Pinnacle Insurance plc. Explore our Siamese cat insurance policies today.
