Have you ever wondered why your furry friend has color point fur, is unusually vocal and has a distinctive low-pitched voice? Chances are, your resident cat might just be part Siamese! This breed is an old breed that originated from Thailand which was earlier known as Siam.
How to tell if your cat is part Siamese?
The Siamese breed is known for its distinctive features such as slender bodies and blue eyes. But even if one of these features is missing, there may still be a chance that your feline is part Siamese.
Here are some of the ways to tell if your cat is part Siamese:
1. Check the body type and features of your cat.
Siamese cats have thin, elongated necks and slim and angular bodies. They have straight noses, triangle-shaped heads and slender legs. This breed also has large and wide-based ears and long-tapered tails. However, there are slight variations when it comes to body type and features of this breed because it comes in three types.
These cats are considered small to medium-sized ones and may grow to as big as 10 inches tall. Their body length is 11.5 to 14 inches and may weigh around eight to 10 pounds.
These are the three types of this breed:
Traditional Siamese
This type has the original look of the breed and directly imported from Thailand. It is larger than other Siamese cats. These cats have round and apple-shaped heads, with rounder eyes and are less vocal compared to the other types.
Classic old-style Siamese
This type was common in the 50s up to the 70s and also known as the Thai cat. These cats are slender, muscular and with a moderately wedge-shaped head and face. Their legs are longer than the traditional type and have long, tapered tails.
Modern Siamese
This type is known as the exotic type and is popular among cat shows and registries. It has an extreme wedge-shaped head and face. They have long, large ears, slim legs and long, whip-like tails.
2. Look at your cat’s coat type.
Siamese cats have short, fine and cream-colored fur in most parts of their bodies and darker fur in the ears, face, paws and tail. These darker points or point coloration is a result of a special gene that regulates body temperature.
These are the common color points/ patterns among this breed:
- blue point – gray/blue coat patches
- lilac point – light/gray coat patches
- chocolate point – light brown coat patches
- seal point – dark/brown coat patches
3. Check your cat’s eye color.
You will easily spot a Siamese cat not only because of its pointed coat pattern but because of its blue eyes. There are variations of the blue color though since a seal point Siamese may have deep blue eyes while lilac point Siamese cats may have paler and grayer blue eyes.
4. Assess your cat’s behavior and personality.
Siamese cats are very sociable and they are certified extroverts. They love to hang around their humans and they also get along well with other cats. They are curious and tend to follow you around the house. These cats are active and playful and like to play fetch and chase laser pointers.
This breed is very intelligent and requires lots of human interaction so if you are mostly away from home this cat may not be a good fit for you. Needless to say, they are loyal, protective and can be very affectionate to their humans. They are also very vocal and they are known to have a low-pitched voice also known as meezer.
5. Consult your vet.
A reliable way to assess if your cat is part Siamese is to consult your vet. He will know just what to do and may probably suggest that a cat ancestry test or DNA test be made to check the cat’s lineage and genetic profile. This is a fool-proof way to determine if your cat is a Siamese mix although this may be quite costly.
Final thoughts
With the above you should have some idea if your cat is part Siamese or not. Compare your cat’s attributes to the ones mentioned and if it is a close match there is a possibility that your cat may be part Siamese.
Image: istockphoto.com / Okssi68