What Are Traditional Siamese Cats?

The look

While being a throwback to the original Siamese form, the traditional is a fairly recent type of the breed, when considering it is amongst the oldest of cat breeds.  It came about due to increasing numbers of kittens born with ear and eye defects as well as medical complications such as cardiovascular and kidney problems. 

Physically, traditional Siamese are more muscular and rounded in their body shape than the modern show cat with rounded faces and smaller ears.  This is opposed to the show look when the cat is small and extremely lean with a very angular face and large ears.

The creation of the traditional Siamese has been achieved by crossing with breeds such as the American or British Shorthair, who have these softer and rounder features.  This means that the traditional type may not too similar to the original Siamese but are more so than the modern show type.

Credit: Wikipedia

Personality

The traditional Siamese makes a very good pet, particularly for those who spend a lot of time at home.  They are highly intelligent and thrive on human companionship from sitting for a cuddle to playing together with toys.  They are often found following people around to see what is going on and chat in their own unique way with those who interact with them.

 As a rule, Siamese are very calm cats who can live happily in a house or apartment.  They do have active spells but are not as hyperactive as some breeds.

Siamese are a breed that readily accept strangers and will happily approach them to be petted.  They are also good with small children and will let them make a fuss of them without reacting negatively.  They are also good for older people as companions due to their lower than average activity level.

One cat or two?

The first thing to think about if considering more than one cat or a cat and a dog is the space, you have.  Remember each will need a certain amount of space and have food bowls, toys and litter trays in the case of cats.  If you have a small home or an apartment, more than one pet may not be the best.  However if you choose to have more than one cat or a cat and a dog, traditional Siamese are a good breed.  They will enjoy the company of another cat to play with, especially if there isn’t always someone home.  Similarly, if introduced as kittens and puppies, the two animals live happily together and once a Siamese is used to dogs, they became great for getting puppies used to living with cats.

How to Live with More than One Cat

Vocalisations

One point to remember with Siamese is that they are very vocal cats who can be extremely loud in their vocalisations.  People with Siamese are often asked if the baby is crying by people on the phone, when it is simply the cat having a chatter.  Traditional Siamese tend to be less vocal than the modern show types and lack the harshest shriek that they make.  But every cat is different and there is no one definition fits all for any breed.

Conclusion

The traditional Siamese is proving to have less inherent health issues than the show breed of Siamese and this combined with their rounder and softer look is giving them popularity with many breeders.  Siamese are intelligent cats that will be an active part of the family and interact with everyone, making them a wonderful addition to the household.