Different Breeds of Siamese

There are roughly 20 different breeds of Siamese cats and most breed differences have to do with coloration. Under the designation of Siamese there are two distinct body types. These are the traditional body type, also known as Applehead Siamese, and the extreme, called the Wedgehead Siamese.

  1. History

    • Fans of each body type debate for their cat's body form as the original, but there is no documented proof in either direction. People who favor the Applehead tout its appearance in the late 1880s. This body type was originally imported to England from Thailand, then known as Siam. Wedgehead fans claim ancient pictures and paintings depict the Siamese with the long, lithe body and the narrow "wedged" head.

      The world's largest registry for pedigree cats, The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), uses the Wedgehead as the pedigree standard. Siamese cats first appeared in the U.S. during the early twentieth century.

    Seal Point

    • The seal point Siamese were the first to arrive in American cat shows and are the most recognized of the Siamese breeds. They have seal brown, almost black extremities and fawn-taupe colored bodies. According to the We-Are-Siamese website, the seal points were the original color option and all other color combinations were derived from this breed.

    Siamese Points

    • When the CFA judges "points" on a Siamese cat they are talking about the muzzles, ears, paws, and tails. These points are formed from a mutation in the gene that denotes coat color. This mutation obstructs the production of melanin in areas on the cat that regulate body temperature. Point color can be manipulated and cats in cooler climates will have darker points. Because of the warmth in the mother's womb, Siamese kittens are born totally white.

    Color Variations

    • Siamese cats have only four primary point colors. These colors -- seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac -- produce all other adaptations. All Siamese cats have darker points and a lighter body. The primary point colors reflect color intensity. Seals have dark brown points; chocolates have lighter brown (milk chocolate) points; blues have a lighter slate or grayish-blue point color, and lilacs are the lightest with only a frosting of pale gray on its points.

    Red Points

    • In the 1930s red and tortoiseshell colors were introduced into the Siamese cat breed. This was achieved by crossing Siamese cats with red tabbys and other felines carrying the orange, or O, gene. The red point Siamese classification includes the red, apricot and cream point cats.

      This group also includes the tortoiseshell, or tortie point, Siamese. The introduction of the tortoiseshell color has produced a variety of additional color combinations such as seal torties, blue torties, chocolate torties and lilac torties.