Cat Breed of the Week: Siamese

In 1880 the King of Siam gave two pairs of Siamese cats to the English consul-general in Bangkok, and he brought them home to England, where they created a sensation. Their popularity zoomed rapidly, as people sought to own one of these beautiful "oriental" cats. The first Siamese to win his Champion title was Wankee, in 1898, and the breed developed rapidly thereafter.

Whether Siamese breeders followed the judges in official Siamese show rings or vice-versa, is not clear, but for one reason or another, the Siamese cat gradually attained a slimmer look, with a more wedge-shaped head. This "modern" breed of Siamese more closely resembled the original Egyptian cats, as history depicts them.

Maya, the playful girl pictured at right came to us from a reader. Picture © Kiti