SIAMESE

From the very beginning, the Siamese cat with its pointed pattern and mystical azure blue eyes, captured the imagination of Victorian cat fanciers. It began as the most popular of the 'Foreign Shorthair' varieties, and has maintained that position for many decades. Its nearest rival has mostly been the British (or English) Shorthair, which has dominated the show bench from time to time, with Whites, Brown and Silver Tabbies, and then in the latter half of the 20th century, the noble Blues.

The Siamese is an ambassadorial cat, the prime representative of a collection of South East Asian breeds, many of them from Thailand and surrounding countries, standing in total contrast to its Foreign Longhair counterparts, with its short, fine, close-lying coat and stylish oriental elegance.

As one of the cornerstone breeds of the fancy, the Siamese has made an unparalleled contribution as a 'parent breed' to the ongoing development of other varieties, and all modern breeds sporting either its unique 'himalayan' coat pattern, or its sleek physical refinements, may be tracked back to Siamese ancestry, regardless of their coat length or conformation. To this day, the Royal Cat of Siam remains an enigma, continuing to evoke 'awe' and firing our imagination.

SIAMESE HISTORIES

• * Ah Choo, seal point Siamese, 1900
• Bluehayes Foxy, seal point Siamese, 1952
• * Bogie, a dark (seal) brown Siamese/Burmese, c1891
• Bonzo, seal point Siamese, 1924
• Cambodia, seal point Siamese, c1896
• Chao Phya, seal point Siameswe, 1900
• Chaseley Chutnee, seal point Siamese, 1904
• Chom, seal point Siamese, c1901
• * Chula, seal point Siamese, c1902
• * Cora, seal point Siamese, 1898
• * Duen Ngai, seal point Siamese, 1885 (includes Kalahom and Khromata)
• * Eve, seal point Siamese, 1899
• * Hiraja, seal point Siamese, 1907
• * King Kesho, seal point Siamese, 1893
• * Lockehaven Siam, seal point Siamese, c1897 (includes Lockehaven Calif and Lockehaven Bangkok)
• Meo, seal point Siamese, c 1888
• * Mymie, seal point Siamese, 1870
• * Netherlands Ma, chocolate Siamese, 1897
• Pita, seal point Siamese, 1933
• * Polyphema, seal point Siamese, 1895
• * Romeo, seal point Siamese, 1898 (includes Juliette)
• Sancho, seal point Siamese, 1906
• Siam, seal point Siamese, c1891
• Siamese Cheetah, seal point Siamese c1890
• Simple, seal point Siamese, 1925
• Southampton Ju-Jitsu, seal point Siamese, 1908
• * Sura, seal point Siamese, 1896
• * Tachin, seal point Siamese, c1890
• * Tiam O'Shian IV, seal point Siamese, 1899
• * Wankee, seal point Siamese, 1895

Registers associated with this article include The Incorporated Cat Fanciers Association of Great Britain (TICFAGB), National Cat Club (NCC), The Cat Club (CCR), Beresford Cat Club (BCC), Feline Federation Francaise (FFF), Siamese Cat Registry (SCR), US Register & Studbook for Cats (USR)including Supplement(USRS), The Studbook of the American Cat Association (ACA), and the Studbook & Register of the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).