[feedcomnet]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/...entry_id=38299



In celebration of "Cat Care Month," this week we're showcasing that strangely seductive and very vocal breed the Siamese.

These cats originated from Thailand (formerly known as Siam) and were held in such high esteem that no one except the King and members of the royal family were permitted to own them. They were originally known as "Royal points" and were revered as guardians of the temples.

When a person of high rank died, it was common for the family to select a Siamese to receive the dead person's soul. The lucky cat would then be sent to a nearby temple to live out the rest of his days in the lap of luxury, with monks and priests as his servants. These cats were reputed to eat only the finest foods from gold plates and to recline on cushions made of the most opulent materials — all provided by the departed's relatives in the hope that the cat, who was thought to have special powers, would look favorably upon the dead person's soul.

Siamese are affectionate, intelligent and social cats that crave human companionship. They are very loyal and will often bond strongly to a single person. Although they are extroverts, they have very sensitive and nervous constitutions. They are creatures of habit and generally don't adapt easily to changes in their environment or to strangers. They are also extremely vocal. Their loud, low-pitched voice, known as "meezer," is frequently compared to the cries of a human baby.

This breed is energetic and playful, even as adults. They tend to be less active at night than most cats, possibly because their blue eyes lack a tapetum lucidum, a structure that amplifies dim light in the eyes of most other animals.

The Siamese is characterized by its typical pointed color scheme, which is a form of partial albinism, resulting from a mutation in tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in melanin production. The mutated enzyme is heat-sensitive, resulting in dark coloration in the coolest parts of the cat's body, including the extremities and the face, which are cooled by the passage of air through the sinuses. All Siamese kittens, although born pure cream or white, develop visible points in the first few months of life. Siamese cats tend to darken with age, and adult cats living in warmer climates have lighter coats than those in cooler ones.

Years ago, crossed eyes and a kinked tail were strong characteristics of the breed, and many legends exist as to their origin. As one story goes, a Princess of the Royal House of Siam used her cat's tail as a ring-stand while she was bathing. The kink in the tail prevented the rings from falling off and becoming lost.

Another legend accounts for both the crossed-eyes and the development of the kink. Once, when all the men of Siam left their homes to defend their kingdom, just two cats (one male Siamese, Tien, and one female Siamese, Chula) remained behind to guard Buddha's golden goblet in the sacred temple. The male cat became restless and, after mating the female Siamese, left her and the temple. The female, overwhelmed by the responsibility of guarding the Buddha's treasure alone, fixed her eyes on the goblet and wrapped her long tail around its stem. When her kittens arrived, they each shared the physical characteristics she had acquired during her "watchcat" stint — a kinked tail and crossed eyes. Even today, Siamese kittens are occasionally born with these features, keeping the legend alive.

It is said that in 1878, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes received a "Siam" as a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the Siamese is now the fourth most popular cat breed in the world.