We are siameze .....

There was a time when all cats with the Siamese color were 'Siamese', then it progressed to pedigree Siamese and Siamese. The Siamese factor was added to the Persian breed and the new very popular breed was named Himalayan or Colorpoint. The Himalayan and the Birman would be two of the first breeds with the siamese facter and not seen as Siamese. It started slowly but the past few decades the new breeds with the siamese factor took off. A new name like the Java were given to some of the breeds but in other cases it is just another color of the breed under the name 'pointed' (which is what it is, only the color).

I am NOT Siamese

American Curl and Balinese are new long haired cat breeds with the siamese factor. These breeds are much easier to groom than the Himalayan breed.

The Siamese factor was already in the genes of the first American Curl female. The color suites these cats to a T and for those who do not like the constant talking, the American Curl is a calm, quiet, friendly cat.

The Balinese is the medium hair Siamese. It is very much the Siamese with a thin silky soft medium length coat. Very easy on grooming. I found them softer than the Siamese in voice and temperament too. These cats are extremely graceful. The name suites them 100%.

The kitten on the photo below would be seen as an apple-head. It is not a recognized breed but they are popular. The round head is more obvious in the adult cat, but a photo of a kitten is cuter.

The so called "apple-head" is not what the first Siamese looked like. Apple-heads are the result of Siamese and Persian cats when the Siamese factor was bred into the Persian for the Himalayan breed.

There are many people who like the old fashioned domestic type Siamese cat ( known a.o. as classic Siamese). The squint was adorable but it has been bred out even in the classic Siamese. Same for the kink in the tail. In 18 years of breeding I had one kitten with a kink in the tail and three with a slight squint. (not on the same cat and not from the same lines). If ever I breed a Siamese with a squint and a kink on the same cat - he/she will be priceless. I promise not to breed with it, but I will enjoy the cat.

The other breeds in the siamese colors are beautiful in their own right and they do not take anything away from the Siamese cat. The color is a very small part of this cat. That long slinky body with flat short coat, large ears and oval eyes of the Siamese breed is special. Add the attitude and the fact that they have the last word ( in their special language which does not include the word mew) and the Siamese is a cat like no other.

There are cat breeds in a range of body shapes, sizes and hair length in the siamese color to suit any taste.