Editing Siamese cat

{{short description|Breed of cat}}
{{About|the modern, long-faced breed|the traditional round-faced type|Thai cat|the 1943 Hungarian film|Siamese Cat (film)}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox Catbreed
<!-- Put article text AFTER this infobox markup. -->
<!-- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Infobox_Catbreed for more info.-->
| name          = Siamese cat
| image         = Siam lilacpoint.jpg
| imagecaption  = Lilac-point Siamese (Oriental)
| image2 = Meow of a Siamese cat - freemaster2.wav
| country       = [[Thailand]]
| nickname      = Meezer, Mese, Sagwa
| ticastd        = https://tica.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/si.pdf
| acfastd        = http://www.acfacat.com/Breed%20Standards/Siamese.pdf
| acfstd        = https://www.acf.asn.au/notices/notices/standards/Group%20Two/ACF%20Siamese%20-October2023.pdf
| ccastd        = http://cca-afc.com/standardsSiamese.html
| fifestd        = https://fifeweb.org/app/uploads/2023/10/BAL-SIA-OLH-OSH.pdf
| gccfstd        =https://www.gccfcats.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Siamese.Update.Jan23.TabbyPoint.Caramel.pdf
|cfastd= https://cfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/siamese-standard.pdf| otherstd        =
| note          =
}}

The '''Siamese cat''' ({{langx|th|แมวไทย, Maeo  Thai}}; แมวสยาม, Maeo Sayam; แมววิเชียรมาศ, Maeo Wichien Maat) is one of the first distinctly recognised [[List of cat breeds|breeds]] of Asian cat. It derives from the [[Wichianmat]] [[landrace]]. The Siamese cat is one of several varieties of cats native to [[Thailand]] (known as [[Siam]] before 1939). The original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in [[Europe]] and [[North America]] in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Siamese Cat Day Facts |url=https://news.cvm.ncsu.edu/national-siamese-cat-day-facts/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Veterinary Medicine News |language=en-US}}</ref> Siamese cats have a distinctive [[Point coloration|colourpoint]] coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type of [[albinism]]. 

Distinct features like blue almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, an elongated, slender, and muscular body, and various forms of [[point coloration|point colouration]] characterise the modern-style Siamese. The modern-style Siamese's point-colouration resembles the "old-style" [[foundation stock]]. The "old-style" Siamese have a round head and body. They have been re-established by multiple registries as the [[Thai cat]]. Siamese and Thai cats are [[Selective breeding|selectively bred]] and [[Pedigree (cat)|pedigreed]] in multiple [[Cat fancy|cat fancier and breeder]] organisations. The terms "Siamese" or "Thai" are used for cats from this specific breed, which are by definition all [[Purebred#Purebred cats|purebred cats]] with a known and formally [[Cat registry|registered]] [[Genealogy|ancestry]]. The ancestry registration is the cat's [[Pedigree (cat)|pedigree]] or "paperwork".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Finding the Purr-fect Pedigreed Kitten |url=https://cfa.org/finding-the-purr-fect-pedigreed-kitten/ |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=CFA.org |publisher=[[The Cat Fanciers' Association]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What are Papers and Do I Need Them For My Pedigree Kitten? |url=https://www.registeredpets.co.uk/blog/what-are-papers-and-why-are-they-important-for-my-pedigree-kitten |access-date=25 March 2024 |website=Registered Pets}}</ref>

The Siamese is a part of the [[foundation stock]] for [[crossbreed]]ing with other cats. The crossbreeding resulted in many different types of cats, like the [[Oriental Shorthair]] and [[Colorpoint Shorthair|Colourpoint Shorthair]]. The Oriental Shorthair and Colourpoint Shorthair were developed to expand the range of [[Cat coat genetics|coat patterns]]. The breeding of the Oriental and Colourpoint Shorthairs resulted in a long-haired variant called the [[Himalayan cat|Himalayan]]. The long-haired Siamese is recognised internationally as a [[Balinese cat]]. The breeding also created the hair-mutation breeds, including the [[Cornish Rex]], [[Sphynx cat|Sphynx]], [[Peterbald]], and blue-point Siamese cat.

==History==
[[File:Ayutthaya cat 9999.jpg|right|thumb|[[Suphalak]] cat, [[Thai cat|Siamese cat]], [[Korat]] cat and Ninlachak cat in Tamra Maew (The Cat-Book Poems) are thought to originate from the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]] (1351 to 1767 AD). Over a dozen are now kept in the [[National Library of Thailand]].]]

===Origins===
====Thailand====
A description and depiction of the [[Wichienmaat|Wichianmat]] (Siamese cat) first appears in a collection of ancient manuscripts called the ''[[Tamra Maew]]'' (The Cat-Book Poems), thought to originate from the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]] (1351 to 1767 AD). Over a dozen are now kept in the [[National Library of Thailand]]. The manuscripts have resurfaced outside of Thailand and are now in the British Library and National Library of [[Australia]]. 

At the end of the [[Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767)|Burmese–Siamese war]], the capitol was sacked on 7 April 1767. The Burmese army burned everything in sight and returned to Burma, taking Siamese noblemen and royal family members with them as captives. A Thai legend states that the King of Burma [[Hsinbyushin]] found and read the poem for the [[Thai cat]]s in the Tamra Maew. The poem describes Thai cats as being as rare as gold, and anyone who owns this cat will become wealthy. He told his army to round up all the [[Suphalak]] cats and bring them back to [[Myanmar|Burma]] along with the other treasures. Today in [[Thailand]], people tell this legend as a humorous explanation of the rarity of Thai cats.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Satthapiyakun |first1=Nawacha |title=Felicitous Felines: Beliefs About Thai Cats and Breed Characteristics |url=https://www.thailandnow.in.th/life-society/felicitous-felines-beliefs-about-thai-cats-and-breed-characteristics/ |website=Thailand NOW |date=25 July 2023}}</ref>

====Siamese====
The pointed cat known in the West as "Siamese", recognised for its distinctive markings, is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called "Tamra Maew" (Cat Poems). The "Tamra Maew" is estimated to have been written from the 14th to the 18th century.<ref name="clutterbuck">{{cite book | title = Siamese Cats: Legends and Reality | last=Clutterbuck | first=Martin R. | year=2004 | publisher=White Lotus | location=Bangkok | isbn=978-974-480-053-4}}</ref> In 1878, U.S. President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] received the first documented Siamese to reach the [[United States]]. The cat, named "Siam," was sent from Bangkok to the American Consul. 
<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/manunews/paper_trail_display.asp?nid=65&subj=manunews | title = Siam: America's First Siamese Cat | access-date = 13 February 2009 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090505141638/http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/manunews/paper_trail_display.asp?nid=65&subj=manunews | archive-date = 5 May 2009 }}</ref> In 1884, the British Consul-General in [[Bangkok]], [[Edward Blencowe Gould]] (1847–1916),<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.siamese.mundikat.nl/subweb/siamese/siamees/roots-e.htm | title = Edward Blencowe Gould or Owen Gould | access-date = 14 August 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050311113730/http://www.siamese.mundikat.nl/subweb/siamese/siamees/roots-e.htm |archive-date = 11 March 2005}}</ref> brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, [[Lilian Jane Gould]] (who, married in 1895 as Lilian Jane Veley,<ref>General Register Office Register of Marriages SEP 1895 5b 217 NEWTON A. Victor Herbert Veley = Lilian Jane Gould</ref> went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). <!-- Several sources give Gould's brother Owen Nutcombe Gould (1857–1929) as the British Consul-General in Bangkok, but Owen was only 27 in 1884 and not known to be in Bangkok. (This is misplaced and uncited.)--> In 1885, Gould's UK cats Pho and Mia produced three Siamese kittens—Duen Ngai, Kalohom, and Khromata—who were shown with their parents that same year at London's [[The Crystal Palace|Crystal Palace]] Show. Their appearance and behaviour attracted attention, but all three of the kittens died soon after the show, their cause of death not documented.<ref name="connor_2005">{{cite book | author = Connor, Janine | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-0-9804291-0-7 | title = I am Siamese - How to raise Siamese cats and kittens | publisher = Focal }}</ref>

By 1886, four Siamese cats were imported to the UK by Eva Forestier Walker (surnamed Vyvyan after 1887 marriage)<ref>General Register Office Register of Marriages MAR 1887 1a 19 PADDINGTON Courtney Bouchier Vyvyan = Eva Catherine F. Walker</ref> and her sister, Ada. These Siamese imports were long, had rounded heads with wedge-shaped muzzles, and large ears.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} The cats ranged from substantial to slender but were not either extreme.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} The difference in the pointed coat pattern had not been seen before in cats by Westerners.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} Over the next several years, fanciers imported a small number of cats, forming the base breeding pool for the entire breed in Britain. It is believed that most Siamese in Britain today are descended from about eleven of these original imports. In Britain, they were called the "Royal Cat of Siam." Some reports say that they had previously been kept only by Siamese royalty.<ref>{{cite book | last= Weir | first=Harrison | title=Our Cats |location=London | year=1889 | isbn= 978-1-84664-097-1}}</ref> Research does not show evidence of any organised royal breeding programme in Siam.<ref name="clutterbuck" /> 

<gallery widths="200" heights="200" mode="packed-hover">
File:1410624986-cats1-o.png|[[Prajadhipok|King Prajadhipok]] following his [[Coronation of the Thai monarch|coronation day]], surrounded by the court ladies carrying his regalia and what is today regarded as a [[Thai cat]], the cat symbolises "domesticity".
File:Wankee side view.jpg|Wankee, born in 1895 in Hong Kong, became the first UK Siamese champion in 1898.
File:Siamese cat 1960.jpg|While this show quality specimen from 1960 still exhibits relatively moderate characteristics, the breed standard was setting the stage for the modern Siamese, with its call for a "dainty, long and svelte" body, a long head that "taper[s] in straight lines from the ears to a narrow muzzle", "ears large and pricked, wide at the base" and tail "long and tapering".
File:PSM V37 D108 Royal cat of siam prize winner.jpg|A classic seal point Siamese prize winner. Note the darker colours at the extremes, e.g. face/ears, tail and legs.
</gallery>

{{Anchor|Traditional Siamese|Modern development}}<!--There are numerous incoming links to this heading name.-->

===Traditional Siamese versus modern development===
{{main|Thai cat}}

In the 1950s–1960s, as the Siamese was increasing in popularity, many breeders and cat show judges began to favour the more slender look. Breeders created increasingly long, fine-boned, narrow-headed cats through generations of selective breeding. Eventually, the modern show Siamese was bred to be extremely elongated, with a lean, tubular body, long, slender legs, a very long, very thin tail that tapers gradually into a point, and a long, wedge-shaped head topped by extremely large, wide-set ears.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

By the mid-1980s, cats of the original style had largely disappeared from cat shows. Still, a few breeders, particularly in the UK, continued to breed and register them, resulting in today's two types of Siamese: the modern, "show-style", standardised Siamese, and the "Traditional Siamese", both descended from the same distant ancestors, but with few or no recent ancestors in common, and effectively forming distinct sub-breeds, with some pressure to separate them.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In addition to the modern Siamese breed category, [[The International Cat Association]] (TICA) and the [[World Cat Federation]] (WCF) now accept Siamese cats of the less extreme type, and any ''wichianmat'' cat imported directly from Thailand, under the new breed name [[Thai cat|Thai]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://tica.org/public/breeds/th/th.pdf | title = Thai Breed Standard | author = The International Cat Association | access-date = 9 September 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090407080734/http://tica.org/public/breeds/th/th.pdf | archive-date = 7 April 2009 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="WCF Breeds">{{cite web |url=http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/rassen.html |title=Recognized and Admitted Breeds in the WCF |work=WCF-Online.de |date=2016 |access-date=4 April 2016 |archive-date=15 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130215022120/http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/rassen.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other, mostly unofficial, names for the traditional variety are "Old-style Siamese" and "Classic Siamese", with an American variation nicknamed "Applehead".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.earthlink.net/~sarsenstone/threetypes.html |title=The Types of Siamese |first=Cris |last=Bird |access-date=27 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930012742/http://home.earthlink.net/~sarsenstone/threetypes.html |archive-date=30 September 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oldstylesiamese.co.uk/old-style-siamese/|title=What is an old style? |first=Julia |last=Craig-McFeely |date=2003}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200" heights="200" mode="packed-hover">
File:Тайская кошка Синка Тайна Таун, WCF, окрас сил поинт.jpg|Traditional "applehead" Thai cat
File:A classic seal point Siamese cat.jpg|Traditional seal point Thai cat
File:Kot Tajski.jpg|Traditional seal point Thai cat with a round head and a bulky-build body
File:Siamese cat Vaillante.JPG|Modern seal point Siamese cat (side view) with a slim "wedge head" and a slender-build body
File:WedgeheadSealpointSiamese (cropped).JPG|Modern "wedge head" seal point Siamese cat
File:Siamese cat.jpg|Modern seal point Siamese cat (front view) with extremely large, wide-set ears
</gallery>

==Appearance==
[[File:Siamese gene chart.svg|right|thumb|Siamese gene chart]]

The breed standard of the modern Siamese calls for an elongated, tubular, and muscular body and a triangular head, forming a triangle from the tip of the nose to each tip of the ear. The eyes are almond-shaped and light blue, while the ears are large, wide-based, and positioned more towards the side of the head. The breed has a long neck, a slender tail, and fur that is short, glossy, fine and adheres to the body with no undercoat. Its pointed colour scheme and blue eyes distinguish it from the closely related [[Oriental Shorthair]]. The modern Siamese shares the pointed colour pattern with the [[Thai cat|Thai]], or traditional Siamese, but they differ in head and body type.

The [[Point coloration|pointed pattern]] is a form of partial [[albinism]], resulting from a mutation in [[tyrosinase]], an [[enzyme]] involved in [[melanin]] production. The mutated tyrosinase enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normal [[Thermoregulation|body temperatures]] but becomes active in cooler (< 33&nbsp;°C) areas of the skin.<ref>{{cite journal
 | author = D. L. Imes|date=April 2006 | title = Albinism in the domestic cat (''Felis catus'') is associated with a ''tyrosinase'' (''TYR'') mutation | journal = Animal Genetics | volume = 37 | issue = 2 | pages = 175–8 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2005.01409.x
 | pmid = 16573534
 | pmc = 1464423
|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The heat-sensitive enzyme results in a dark colouration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, like the extremities and the face, which are cooled by the airflow through their [[Nostril|sinuses]]. Siamese [[kitten]]s are cream or white at birth and develop visible points in the first few months of life in colder parts of their body.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Ye X.C. |author2=Pegado V. |author3=Patel M.S. |author4=Wasserman W.W. Strabismus |title=genetics across a spectrum of eye misalignment disorders|journal=Clinical Genetics|volume=86|issue=2|pages=103–11| doi=10.1111/cge.12367|pmid=24579652|pmc=4233980|year=2014}}</ref> By the time a kitten is four weeks old, the points should be sufficiently distinguishable to recognise which colour they are.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and generally, adult Siamese living in warm climates have lighter coats than those in cool climates. Originally the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown, almost black) points, but occasionally Siamese was born with "blue" (a cool grey) points, genetically a dilution of seal point; chocolate (lighter brown) points, a genetic variation of seal point; or lilac (pale warm grey) points, genetically a diluted chocolate. These colours were considered "inferior" seal points and were not qualified for showing or breeding. These shades were eventually accepted by the breed associations and became more common through breeding programmes specifically aimed at producing these colours. Later, outcrosses with other breeds developed Siamese-mix cats with points in other cat colours and patterns, including red and cream points, [[Lynx point|lynx (tabby) points]], and [[Tortoiseshell cat|tortoise-shell]] ("tortie") points. {{Crossreference|(For more information on cat coat terminology, see [[Cat coat genetics]].)}}{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In the United Kingdom, all pointed Siamese-style cats are considered part of the Siamese breed.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} The [[Cat Fanciers' Association]], considers only the four original fur colours as Siamese:
* seal point, 
* blue point, 
* the chocolate point, and
* lilac point.<ref name="CFA Standard">{{cite web |title=Siamese Breed Standard |url=https://cfa.org/siamese/siamese-breed-standard/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411043105/https://cfa.org/siamese/siamese-breed-standard/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 April 2021 |website=Cat Fanciers' Association |access-date=31 January 2024 }}</ref>

Oriental Shorthair cats with colour points in colours or patterns aside from these four are considered Colourpoint Shorthair in that registry. The World Cat Federation has also adopted this classification, treating the [[Colorpoint Shorthair|Colourpoint Shorthair]] as a distinct breed.<ref name="WCF Breeds" />

Many Siamese cats from Thailand had a kink in their tails, but over the years, this trait has been considered a flaw. Breeders have largely eradicated it, but the kinked tail persists among street cats in Thailand.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

<gallery widths="200" heights="200" mode="packed-hover">
File:Siamesekittens.jpg|Seal point and chocolate point Siamese kittens
File:Eson6sema.jpg|Blue point Siamese kitten
File:Siam blue point.jpg|Blue point Siamese kitten
File:Siam Lilac Point.jpg|Lilac point Siamese cat
File:Modern Seal Point Female.jpg|Side view of the head of a modern Seal point adult
</gallery>

==Temperament==
[[File:Siamese Cat 01.flac|thumb|"Meezer" of a Siamese cat]]

Siamese are usually very affectionate and intelligent cats, renowned for their social nature. Many enjoy being with people and are sometimes described as "extroverts". Often they bond strongly with a single person.<ref name="connor_2005"/> Myrna Milani describes the Siamese as being more diurnal, more likely to stay close to their owner, and less likely to hunt than other cats.<ref name="milani">{{cite book | title = The Body Language and Emotion of Cats | author = Myrna M. Milani, D.V.M. | year = 1987 | publisher = Quill | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-688-12840-1}}</ref>

==Health==
[[File:Siamese Cat Cross-Eyed.jpg|thumb|right|This Siamese cat demonstrates the once common [[Strabismus|cross-eyed]] trait that has largely been bred out.]]

Based on Swedish insurance data, which tracked cats only up to 12.5 years, Siamese and Siamese-derived breeds have a higher [[mortality rate]] than other breeds. 68% lived to 10 years or more and 42% to 12.5 years or more. The majority of deaths were caused by [[neoplasm]]s, mainly [[mammary tumor|mammary tumour]]s. The Siamese also has a higher rate of [[morbidity]]. They are at higher risk of neoplastic and gastrointestinal problems but have a lower risk of [[feline lower urinary tract disease]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Egenvall | first1 = A. | last2 = Nødtvedt | first2 = A. | last3 = Häggström | first3 = J. | last4 = Ström Holst | first4 = B. | last5 = Möller | first5 = L. | last6 = Bonnett | first6 = B. N. | title = Mortality of Life-Insured Swedish Cats during 1999—2006: Age, Breed, Sex, and Diagnosis | journal = Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine | volume = 23 | issue = 6 | pages = 1175–1183 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19780926 | doi = 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0396.x| pmc = 7167180 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Egenvall | first1 = A. | last2 = Bonnett | first2 = B. N. | last3 = Häggström | first3 = J. | last4 = Ström Holst | first4 = B. | last5 = Möller | first5 = L. | last6 = Nødtvedt | first6 = A. | doi = 10.1016/j.jfms.2010.08.008 | title = Morbidity of insured Swedish cats during 1999–2006 by age, breed, sex, and diagnosis | journal = Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery | volume = 12 | issue = 12 | pages = 948–959 | year = 2010 | pmid =  21055987| s2cid = 41620966 | doi-access = free | pmc = 11135553 }}</ref> A UK study of veterinary records found a life expectancy of 11.69 years for the Siamese compared with 11.74 years overall.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Teng | first1=Kendy Tzu-yun | last2=Brodbelt | first2=Dave C | last3=Church | first3=David B | last4=O’Neill | first4=Dan G | title=Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the UK | journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery | volume=26 | issue=5 | date=2024 | pages=1098612X241234556 | issn=1098-612X | doi=10.1177/1098612X241234556 | doi-access=free | pmid=38714312 | pmc=11156239 }}</ref>

The Siamese has been found to have a predisposition to [[progressive retinal atrophy]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Giuliano | first1=EA | last2=van der Woerdt | first2=A | title=Feline retinal degeneration: clinical experience and new findings (1994-1997) | journal=Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association | publisher=American Animal Hospital Association | volume=35 | issue=6 | date=1999-11-01 | issn=0587-2871 | doi=10.5326/15473317-35-6-511 | pages=511–514| pmid=10580912 }}</ref>

The same [[albinism|albino]] [[allele]] that produces coloured points means that Siamese cats' blue eyes lack a ''[[tapetum lucidum]]'', a structure which amplifies dim light in the eyes of other cats. The mutation in the tyrosinase also results in abnormal neurological connections between the eye and the brain.<ref name="Kaas, Jon H.">{{cite journal | title = Serendipity and the Siamese cat: The discovery that genes for coat and eye pigment affect the brain | author = Jon H, Kaas |journal= ILAR Journal |volume=46 |issue=4 |year=2005 |pages=357–363 | pmid = 16179744 | doi=10.1093/ilar.46.4.357|doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[optic chiasm]] has abnormal uncrossed wiring; many early Siamese were [[Strabismus|cross-eyed]] to compensate, but like the kinked tails, the crossed eyes have been seen as a fault, and due to selective breeding the trait is far less common today. Still, this lack of a ''tapetum lucidum'' even in uncross-eyed cats, causes reduced vision for the cat at night. This trait makes them vulnerable to urban dangers such as night-time vehicular traffic. Unlike many other [[Deaf white cat|blue-eyed white cats]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Congenital Deafness and Its Recognition |url=http://www.lsu.edu/deafness/VetClinNA.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114153626/https://www.lsu.edu/deafness/VetClinNA.htm |archive-date=14 January 2025 |access-date=15 January 2015 |work=Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice}}</ref> Siamese cats do not have reduced hearing ability.

The Siamese suffers from abnormal visual projections due to the lateral geniculate body of the eye differing from normal felines. Fibres located in the temporal [[retina]] cross over in the [[Chiasm (anatomy)|chiasm]] instead of remaining uncrossed.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Hubel | first1=D. H. | last2=Wiesel | first2=T. N. | title=Aberrant visual projections in the Siamese cat | journal=The Journal of Physiology | publisher=Wiley | volume=218 | issue=1 | year=1971 | issn=0022-3751 | doi=10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009603 | pages=33–62| pmid=5130620 | pmc=1331583 }}</ref>

The Siamese is predisposed to [[Poliosis|periocular leukotrichia]], [[alopecia|pinnal alopecia]], and [[psychogenic alopecia]].<ref>{{cite book | last1=Hnilica | first1=Keith A. | last2=Patterson | first2=Adam P. | title=Small Animal Dermatology | publisher=Saunders | publication-place=St. Louis (Miss.) | date=2016-09-19 | isbn=978-0-323-37651-8 | page=}}</ref>

Young Siamese cats are predisposed to histiocytic cutaneous [[mast cell tumour]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Rhodes | first1=Karen Helton | last2=Werner | first2=Alexander H. | title=Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion | publisher=Wiley-Blackwell | publication-place=Ames, Iowa | date=2011-01-25 | isbn=978-0-8138-1596-1 | page=389}}</ref>

The Siamese is one of the more commonly affected breeds for [[gangliosidosis 1]]. An [[autosomal recessive]] mutation in the [[GBL1]] gene is responsible for the condition in the breed.<ref>{{cite book |author1-first=James A.C. |author1-last=Oliver |author2-first=Cathryn S. |author2-last=Mellersh | editor1-first=Barbara | editor1-last=Cooper | editor2-first=Elizabeth |editor2-last=Mullineaux |editor3-first=Lynn | editor3-last=Turner |title=BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing |date=2020 |publisher=British Small Animal Veterinary Association |isbn=978-1-910-44339-2 |edition=Sixth|chapter=Genetics| page=131}}</ref>

==Breeds derived from the Siamese==
[[File:Balinese blue lynx point.jpg|thumb|right|Balinese are also known as Longhaired Siamese, being distinguished by coat length]]
[[File:Fatale de la légende d'ali.jpg|thumb|right|Orientals have the same head and body type but green eyes and a wide variety of coat patterns]]

[[File:Himalayan Cat.jpg|thumb|[[Himalayan cat]], breed derived from crosses of [[Persian cat|Persians]] to Siamese]]

[[File:Sealpoint-siamese-hybrid.jpg|thumb|right| Seal point Domestic Shorthair, cross between a Siamese and a [[Domestic short-haired cat|Domestic Shorthair]]]]

* [[Balinese cat|Balinese]] – Natural mutation of the Siamese cat; a longhaired Siamese. In the largest US registry, the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) is limited to the four traditional Siamese coat colours of seal point, blue point (a dilute of seal point), chocolate point, and lilac point (a dilute of the chocolate point). Other registries in the US and worldwide recognise a greater diversity of colours.
* [[Birman]] – After almost all the individuals of the breed died out during the years of [[World War II]], French breeders reconstructed the breed through interbreeding with various other breeds, including the Siamese. Modern Birman cats have inherited their pointed coat patterns from the Siamese.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Heidi |last2=Davison |first2=Stephen |last3=Lytle |first3=Katherine M. |last4=Honkanen |first4=Leena |last5=Freyer |first5=Jamie |last6=Mathlin |first6=Julia |last7=Kyöstilä |first7=Kaisa |last8=Inman |first8=Laura |last9=Louviere |first9=Annette |last10=Chodroff Foran |first10=Rebecca |last11=Forman |first11=Oliver P. |last12=Lohi |first12=Hannes |last13=Donner |first13=Jonas |date=2022-06-16 |editor-last=Ricketts |editor-first=Sally Louise |title=Genetic epidemiology of blood type, disease and trait variants, and genome-wide genetic diversity in over 11,000 domestic cats |journal=PLOS Genetics |language=en |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=e1009804 |doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1009804 |issn=1553-7404 |pmc=9202916 |pmid=35709088 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* [[Burmese cat|Burmese]] – is a breed of domesticated cats descended from a specific cat, Wong Mau, who was found in Burma in 1930 by [[Joseph Cheesman Thompson]]. She was brought to San Francisco, where she was bred with Siamese.
* [[Havana Brown]] – resulted from crossing a chocolate-point Siamese with a black cat.
* [[Colorpoint Shorthair|Colourpoint Shorthair]] – a Siamese-type cat registered in CFA with pointed coat colours aside from the traditional CFA Siamese coat colours; originally developed by crosses with other shorthair cats. Considered part of the Siamese breed in most cat associations but considered a separate breed in CFA and WCF. Variations can include [[lynx point]]s and tortie points.
* [[Himalayan cat|Himalayan]] – Longhaired breed originally derived from crosses of [[Persian cat|Persians]] to Siamese and pointed domestic longhair cats to introduce the point markings and the colours chocolate and lilac. After these initial crosses were used to introduce the colours, further breed development was performed by crossing these cats to the Persian breed. In Europe, they are referred to as colourpoint Persians. In CFA, they are a colour division of the Persian breed.
* [[Javanese cat|Javanese]] – in CFA, a longhaired version of the [[Colorpoint Shorthair|Colourpoint Shorthair]] (i.e. a "Colourpoint Longhair"). In WCF, "Javanese" is an alias of the [[Oriental Longhair]].
* [[Neva Masquerade]] – derived in Russia by naturally or selectively crossing [[Siberian cat]]s with Siamese cats or related colourpoint cats. It bears the Siamese colourpoint gene,<ref name=":0" /> but the original [[foundation stock]] is unclear.
* [[Ocicat]] – a spotted cat originally produced by a cross between Siamese and [[Abyssinian cat|Abyssinian]].
* [[Oriental Shorthair]] – a Siamese-style cat in non-pointed coat patterns and colours, including solid, tabby, silver/smoke, and tortoise-shell.
* [[Oriental Longhair]] – a longhaired version of the [[Oriental Shorthair]]. {{crossreference|selfref=no|(But see "Javanese" entry, above).}}
* [[Ragdoll]] – selectively bred from "alley cats" [[foundation stock]] in the USA. It bears the Siamese colourpoint mutation gene.<ref name=":0" /> 
* [[Savannah cat|Savannah]] – The Savannah is a domestic hybrid cat breed. It is a hybridisation between a serval and a domestic cat. (The first was bred with a Siamese)
* [[Snowshoe cat|Snowshoe]] – a cream and white breed with blue eyes and some points that were produced through the cross-breeding of the Siamese and bi-coloured [[American Shorthair]] in the 1960s.
* [[Thai Cat]] – also called the Wichian Mat or Old-Style Siamese, the original type of Siamese imported from Thailand in the 19th century and still bred in Thailand today; and throughout the first half of the 20th century, the only type of Siamese.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evineacats.com/ |title=Thai Cat History |author=Amy Rebeka |access-date=29 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016064540/http://www.evineacats.com/ |archive-date=16 October 2007 }}</ref>
* [[Tonkinese cat|Tonkinese]] – originally a cross between a Siamese cat and a [[Burmese cat|Burmese]]. Tonkinese × Tonkinese matings can produce kittens with a Burmese sepia pattern, a Siamese pointed pattern, or a Tonkinese mink pattern (which is something in between the first two, with less pattern contrast than the Siamese but greater than the Burmese); often with aqua eyes.
* [[Toybob]] – cat breed of Russian origin. It bears the Siamese colourpoint mutation gene.<ref name=":0" /> 
* [[Mekong Bobtail]] (Thai Bobtail)

==In media, literature and film==
Siamese cats have been protagonists in literature and film for adults and children since the 1930s. [[Clare Turlay Newberry]]'s ''Babette''<ref>New York: Harper & Brothers.</ref> features a Siamese kitten escaping from a New York apartment in 1937. British publisher [[Michael Joseph (publisher)|Michael Joseph]] recorded his relationship with his Siamese cat in ''Charles: The Story of a Friendship'' (1943).<ref>London: Michael Joseph Ltd.</ref> The "Siamese Cat Song" sequence ("We are Siamese if you please") in [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'' (1955), features the cats "Si" and "Am", both titled after the former name of Thailand, where the breed originated. The 1958 film adaptation of ''[[Bell, Book and Candle]]'' features [[Kim Novak]]'s Siamese cat "Pyewacket", a witch's familiar. 

''[[The Incredible Journey]]'' (1961)<ref>London: Hodder & Stoughton</ref> by [[Sheila Burnford]] tells the story of three pets, including the Siamese cat "Tao", as they travel {{convert|300|mi}} through the Canadian wilderness searching for their beloved masters. The book was a modest success when first published but became widely known after 1963 when it was loosely adapted into a [[The Incredible Journey (film)|film]] of the same name by [[Walt Disney]]. Disney also employed the same Siamese in the role of "DC" for its 1965 crime caper ''[[That Darn Cat!]]'',<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGYzZLrBrS4C&pg=PA16 | title=Animal Movies Guide | publisher=Running Free Press | author=Wilson, Staci Layne | year=2007 | pages=16| isbn=9780967518534 }}</ref> with ''[[The New York Times]]'' commenting "The feline that plays the informant, as the F.B.I. puts it, is superb. [...] This elegant, blue-eyed creature is a paragon of suavity and grace".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Crowther |first1=Bosley |last2=Gilroy |first2=Harry |date=1965-12-03 |title=The Screen: Walt Disney's 'Darn Cat':Hayley Mills and Feline Star at Music Hall |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/12/03/archives/the-screen-walt-disneys-darn-cathayley-mills-and-feline-star-at.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240815193003/https://www.nytimes.com/1965/12/03/archives/the-screen-walt-disneys-darn-cathayley-mills-and-feline-star-at.html |archive-date=15 August 2024 |access-date=2024-08-15 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Hae Nang Maew]],'' Siamese cat procession in Southeast Asia
* [[Thai cat]], a.k.a. Old-style Siamese or Traditional Siamese
* [[Colorpoint Shorthair|Colourpoint Shorthair]]
* [[List of cat breeds]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Siamese cats}}
{{wiktionary|Siamese cat}}
* [http://www.siamesebc.org/history.shtml#yearbookArticles Siamese Yearbook Articles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203164157/http://www.siamesebc.org/history.shtml#yearbookArticles |date=3 December 2019 }} Old articles on the Siamese
* [http://pawpeds.com/db/?p=sia&date=iso Siamese and Oriental Database pedigree database with each cat's health information]
* [http://pawpeds.com/healthprogrammes Siamese and Oriental PRA health program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921164814/http://pawpeds.com/healthprogrammes |date=21 September 2019 }}.

{{domestic cat}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siamese (Cat)}}
[[Category:Cat breeds originating in Thailand]]
[[Category:Cat breeds]]
[[Category:Linebred animals]]