Types of Siamese Cats & Kittens

According to Cat Fanciers, the first Siamese cats were a gift from the ambassador of Thailand, then known as Siam, in the late 1800's. Its unique coloring and friendly temperament quickly made it a popular breed. Breeding for specific traits led to a specific look that is the standard today. The cats have long, lean bodies and thin, whip-like tails. The ears, tail and feet are colored along with a mask across the face.

  1. Color

    • The distinctive color of the Siamese is due to a genetic mutation. The gene prevents the production of melanin in hair over parts of the body that maintain a normal temperature. Where the cat is cooler, the feet, ears and face, the body produces melanin, coloring these points. There are three different color combinations accepted by cat breed registry, Cat Fanciers. The first color recognized was the blue point. This cat has a bluish white body with charcoal black points. Chocolate point Siamese have pale beige bodies with dark brown points. The lilac Siamese have almost white bodies with pink or purple tinged gray points. All Siamese kittens are born pure white. The color develops as the kitten matures.

    Applehead

    • The earliest Siamese had a short, stocky body, thick neck and round head. Some appleheads look like tabbies or American shorthairs, but retain the distinctive Siamese coloring. While many of these cats lack the sleek look of modern Siamese, their genes contain the melanin reducing mutation. Many appleheads have long fur, short tails and sturdy legs. Some breeders have chosen to breed these traits back into the Siamese, believing that this reduces the chance of health issues.

    Wedgehead

    • This Siamese body type is the result of aggressive breeding. Along with the genetic mutation, a wedgehead Siamese as a distinctive, triangular shaped head. The long, wide ears add to the wedged look of the head. The muzzle of the wedgehead is longer than the muzzle of the appleheaded Siamese. The body is long and thin with a long neck. According to Life With Siamese, the aggressive breeding leaves some individual cats with health problems, such as kidney failure and cardiomyopathy.

    Mixed Breeds

    • When one parent of a litter is Siamese, the kittens have a 50/50 chance of inheriting the defective gene. But also they inherit other traits from the non-Siamese parent. Burmese cats, for example, are thought to be an early mix of Siamese and Persian cats. Flame Siamese are a mix of Siamese and American shorthair. These cats have tawny points and pale tabby lines around the face.