Seal Point Siamese with a bit of tabby cat

Photo by NH53 (Flickr)

This is a Siamese cat in Italy; Tuscany in fact. A beautiful part of the world and this is a beautiful, clean standard looking Siamese cat. There is nothing extreme about this cat, which I think is what makes him or her all the more attractive.

What I would like to ask, however, is whether this cat is purebred and whether there is hint of tabby cat lurking inside. You can see the banding on the tail and on the sides of face and in fact on the forehead.

These indicate the presence of the genes that create the tabby cat and the lynx point Siamese cat. I don't know but I would doubt that this cat would do well at cat shows. That is not to criticise. It is more in praise. Perhaps this is normal for Siamese cats but you don't see banding in Siamese cat show cats as far as I am aware.

There is a nice patch of dark fur on the left thigh area. This would indicate that that area is cooler than the rest of the center part of the body. I wonder why.

Caring for a Siamese Cat

Photo by anthrovik

All the usual things should be in place for caring for a Siamese cat. What I mean is that a Siamese cat has the same basic requirements regarding care as any other cat, moggie or purebred - obviously.

There is perhaps one additional factor: the Siamese is an interactive cat that likes to have close contact with his or her human caretaker/guardian. They are vocal and like to be heard!

That means being around more than usual. A retired couple are probably ideal human companions. Or people over aged 55. Sorry if that sounds ageist.

I have a page on how to avoid cat behavior problems, which is really about how to approach caring for a domestic cat. Click on this link to see it. It is a PDF file. It will load and look different to a standard web page.

Range of Siamese Cat Points

Here is a picture by Flickr photographer Chris Isherwood of his Siamese cats and an Oriental Shorthair (an associated cat breed). I have guessed (incorrectly on two occasions!) what type of pointing the cats have:

Siamese cat types and one Oriental Shorthair

One aspect of the cats that you can see clearly is the smooth single coat that lies close to the skin. This is typical of Siamese cats. It is in complete contrast to the shaggy long coat of the Maine Coon and the dense tight coat of the British Shorthair.

Someone can leave me a comment to correct me! Go on, I dare you.

Seal Point Siamese Cat in Thailand

This is an interesting photo of a Siamese cat in Siam - well it is called Thailand now but does this cat give us a clue as to what the original Siamese cat looked like before being picked up by the English cat fancy in the late 1800s.

The picture was taken where the marker in this map indicates:


View Larger Map

This is the photo:

Seal Point Siamese Temple Cat in Thailand

You can see that this cat is not oriental in shape but mid range moggie shape (semi-cobby) and a little fat actually!

Cat breeders in the USA justify breeding very slender cats on the basis that the shape is what the Siamese cat was like in Thailand - rubbish obviously. Or if they don't try and justify selective breeding in that way they are clearly breeding cats that are unnatural and unpopular with the public.

You can see the tabby banding on the forelegs. This cat has, it seems, an element of tabby pointing about him (lynx points).

Siamese Cat Photos

Arguably the best Siamese cat photos come from Helmi Flick, the well known American cat photographer. She attends TICA cat shows and photographs at her studio as well and probably elsewhere.

Her photographs are nothing short of outstanding. They not only show off the cat but show the cat in a way that satisfies the cat breeder. This means that they have to been clean and clear not just aesthetically pleasing.

I am going to show you three great Siamese cat photos from Helmi and one from a talented Flickr photographer who lives in San Paulo Brazil.

Thai cat or a classic Siamese cat
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The above photo is of a Thai cat. These are, in my opinion, really classic Siamese cats meaning a cat body type that is in between the traditional (semi-cobby) and the modern Siamese that is oriental (slender) in shape.

Traditional Siamese - Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The above is a traditional or Applehead Siamese. This is the original Siamese cat appearance. This cat is a seal point.

All the photos and text on this page are protected by copyright © except where indicated. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

The next photo is of a modern or oriental shaped Siamese cat:

Modern Siamese Cat - Photo copyright Helmi Flick

You can see how these three types developed on this page and through studying Siamese cat history.

Traditional Siamese - Brazil
Photo copyright Giane Portal
By fofurasfelinas