Siamese

🌍 Overview

The Siamese is one of the oldest and most recognized cat breeds in the world, originating in Thailand (formerly Siam) where they were treasured by royalty. Their striking pointed coloration - darker on the face, ears, paws, and tail - is a form of temperature-sensitive albinism: the enzyme producing dark pigment is only active in cooler extremities. Siamese are famously vocal, forming strong opinions and communicating them loudly to their keepers throughout the day.

📋 Quick Facts

📜 History

Documented arrivals in the West are late and traceable. In 1878 the American consul in Bangkok, David Sickels, shipped a cat named Siam to First Lady Lucy Hayes; she reached the White House the following year, sickened within months despite the president's own physician trying to feed her back to health, and died there, after which her body was sent for taxidermy and lost. Britain's breeding foundation arrived in 1884, when consul-general Edward Blencowe Gould brought a pair, Pho and Mia, home for his sister Lilian Jane Gould. Their three kittens were shown with them at the Crystal Palace in 1885 and all three died soon afterward, and Gould went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901.

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🤩 Fun Facts