It may surprise you to know that Siamese cats come tenth in the list of the twelve main breeds of cat now found in modern Egypt, above even the Turkish Angora who come twelfth. It certainly surprised me. It's well-known that these are amongst the most popular breed of cat found in the world, or that's what their supporters claim, but why are they in Egypt?
When looking at the origins of these cats we go back to one of the older breeds - but from a different Continent. So how did they get to Egypt and how did some of these beautiful cats end up in Cairo Cat Rescue and Rehoming Champions' HQ?
As we've pointed out in our other breed blogs, the cats described as Siamese at Cairo Cat Rescue & Rehoming Champions are not the same as those registered with either the WCF or TICA or bred by registered breeders in the UK and we would never claim that they are.
Siamese, like many other fashionable breeds, were introduced into Egypt for breeding purposes but there is no breeding registration there. Over time, as fashions or economic circumstances changed some have found themselves abandoned in pet shops or on the streets and so have arrived at the Rescue, although in our case they are rather rare and quickly get adopted. The rise in food costs associated with the War in Ukraine has exacerbated this.
There are various theories which you'll find on the web about the origins of the Siamese cat. Obviously they originated from what is now Thailand, until recently named Siam. The consensus seems to be that the first record of them appears in our Middle Ages when they became known as wichen-maat or 'moon diamond' and this is in a Manuscript called the 'Tamra Maew' (The Cat Book Poems) which was written sometime between 1351 and 1767 AD. This is associated with the belief that when a family member dies their soul enters the body of a Siamese cat. They therefore became associated with holiness and the possession of riches.
As with many other breeds, Siamese were first imported into the US, in this case in the 1870s, when one was gifted to the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes by the US Consul in Bangkok. In the US they were an instant success. Not so in the UK where the first two attempts to introduce them fell flat mainly because of their strange appearance when compared with the shorter, stouter British Shorthairs and Persians. Nevertheless breeding continued and the first Champion was named in 1898. Although the first imports were regarded as 'different' by the UK they were still rounder than the varieties of the breed developed from the 1960s onwards where the preference veered towards a more slender body and wedge-shaped head, very like that of the Egyptian Mau. There are now several variations on this latter refinement, but some breeders continued to produce the 'traditional' version with the rounder body and apple-shaped head. Both types are now recognised, but TICA and the WCF designate the traditional version as coming under the category of 'Thai'.
The modern Siamese is a medium-sized, svelte, and refined-looking cat with long, tapering lines, a wedge-shaped head, striking blue eyes and wide-set ears. Their most notable characteristic is their "points," which are darker color patterns on the ears, face (mask), tail, legs, and feet. They are not born with these, they develop later. Coat colours are Chocolate, Seal, Lilac, Blue, Red, Cream, Fawn and Cinnamon. As mentioned above, the traditional Siamese or 'Thai' has a rounder body, apple-shaped face and less distinctive ears. Romeo pictured above has the apple-shaped face of the traditional.
Like Egyptian Maus* and Egyptian Domestic Shorthairs* both types of Siamese are low maintenance cats due to their short coat. The Rescue recommends that they are kept as indoor only cats, not only for safety purposes but because they are highly desirable. It's therefore essential that they have plenty of things to keep them amused whilst the owner is out, particularly as it is not a good idea if the modern variety gains weight and even more importantly because, like Egyptian Maus, they form an attachment to their owner and can become lonely and destructive if left alone for long periods.
In personality, again like Egyptian Maus, they are intelligent, talkative, active and bond well with the family. They are also trainable . Siamese might be low maintenance as far as grooming goes, but they require attention. They are not ideally suited to those who just want a lap cat for a couple of hours in the evening. That said they make ideal affectionate family pets and if you are prepared to give them the attention, they will return it in spades.
*see our breed blogs on Egyptian Mau and Egyptian Domestic Shorthair
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We thank you in advance for considering this.
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