by Gillian Taber

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

The Siamese is possibly one of the most recognizable breeds in the world. Blue eyes, chocolate and cream fur and those perky, dark ears above a face filled with animation make the Siamese a much sought after pet. Famed for their 'talkative' nature, Siamese remain a popular choice today but there is more than one type of Siamese to talk about.

Traditional Siamese - The traditional Siamese (Siam is the old name for Thailand) came out of Asia and is thought to have been brought over to the west by a British official in around 1884 as a present for the Royal family, after it was gifted to the official by the King of Siam.

The traditional Siamese cat is big-boned, well rounded, has a round face and is extremely robust by nature. They are particularly known for their chatty natures, for being highly loyal to their human and for being very intelligent. Looking at the traditional Siamese you can instantly see the difference when compared to the modern Siamese today.

The Traditional Siamese is solid, rounded and heavier. These Siamese, with their piercing blue eyes and distinctive 'speech' are known as 'applehead' Siamese and have the kink in the tail that has been bred out of the modern Siamese.

There is a wonderful legend associated with this kink in the tail of the Traditional Siamese cat and it goes back Siam. A princess of the royal house of Siam is said to have used the tail of her Siamese cat to hold her rings whilst she was bathing. The kink is said to have developed as a way to prevent these rings falling off of the cat's tail.

Another tale of the tail describes a second characteristic that still occasionally occurs in the breed, that of crossed-eyes. When all the men of Siam were gone from their homes during a time of battle, two Siamese cats were left behind to guard Buddha's golden goblet in the temple. Nature took its course and the male cat (Tien) mated with the female before wandering off to 'look for another priest', leaving the female alone to guard the goblet.

Legend says that Chula (the female Siamese) was so scared that something would happen to the goblet that she never once took her eyes from it and curled her tail around the goblet's stem to thwart anyone trying to steal it, even if she slept. Chula had her kittens during her watch over the goblet and her cross-eyed, kink tailed characteristics, due to her intense guarding of the goblet, passed to her kittens.

The Classic Siamese - This animal is very similar to the Traditional Siamese

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