Among all the pure-bred cats of the world, none is so instantly recognizable as the Siamese. The Siamese is so well-known around the globe that many people mistakenly believe that any cat with the tell-tale markings and sleek body must be a Siamese. This is definitely not the case!
Siamese bloodlines have been used in the formation of the Balinese, Burmese, Tonkinese, Himalayan, LaPerm, Javanese and several other breeds often empassing some of their stunning temperament unto these breeds.
The Siamese is one of the oldest recognized and established breeds of cat. The breed is from Thailand (originally known as Siam) and was first imported to Great Britain in the mid-1880s. The first known Siamese cat was imported from Bangkok as a gift from the consul of Siam to the wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes and lived in the White House. They were an immediate success, and appeared in the earliest cat shows in both countries.
There are two separate types of Siamese today. The "Traditional" version is the best known, the prototypical Siamese cat. Yet the "Modern" or "Extreme" type has taken over the show arena, virtually squeezing out the "Applehead" traditional version.
