Fact about thai cats vs siames
The traditional Thai or Siamese is the first Siamese cat originating from ancient Siam, which is now Thailand. These cats appeared in the XIV century when they were highly valued and even sacred. This cat gave birth to the modern Siamese we know today when it was exported to Europe. It is a medium-sized cat, more robust than the modern Siamese, with oriental features and a cheerful, communicative, affectionate, and sociable character. It has a long life expectancy, but it is nevertheless predisposed to the diseases typical of oriental races.
Origin of traditional Thai or Siamese
Thai comes from the temples of ancient Siam, belonging to present-day Thailand. In 1350, there were already cats similar to today’s Siamese cats, which were called “moon diamonds” because of their turquoise-colored eyes. The King of Siam considered Thai cats to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. They were considered sacred because they were believed to receive the souls of high-ranking people.
These cats were brought to Britain in 1880 by British ambassadors and became known at the first cat fair at the Crystal Palace, where they fascinated European aristocracy. Four years later, British Consul Sir Owen Gould obtained a pair of Siamese Thais, which were crossed and shown at a cat show, which they won. They arrived on the American continent in 1890 and in 1892 the official standard of modern Siamese was created.
Physical characteristics of traditional Thai or Siamese
The Thai is a medium-sized feline weighing between 3 and 5 kg. He is more robust, massive, and rounder than the modern Siamese, but his body retains an athletic and slender type with fine proportions, but with a solid build given by his muscular neck. The legs are long and slender, but muscular. The whole body is proportionate, the tail is slender with a thicker tip and is shorter in length than that of the modern Siamese.
The head of the Thai is oriental, of medium size and triangular or wedge-shaped shape, with a long and flat forehead and an elongated and thin muzzle on which a straight nose points. The cheeks are rounder than those of the modern Siamese. The ears are large, pointed, and wide at the base. The eyes are oblique and almond-shaped, characterized by their intense blue color.
Thai colors
The coat of the Thai cat is short, fine, shiny, and close to the body. The color follows the color point pattern, characterized by a darker shade in areas of lower body temperature (face, ears, legs, and tail) due to the “cs” gene which is activated during the first months of life. The colors of the Thai Siamese cat can be as follows:
- Seal point
- Blue dot
- Lilac dot
- Red dot
- tortie stitch
- cream point
- chocolate point
The character of traditional Thai or Siamese
The Thai cat is a very communicative little feline, which has a meow for everything it wants to say or ask its guardians. He likes to follow his guardian around the house because he is very familiar with and affectionate. He is very gentle and sensitive, so he needs committed human companions to give him all the attention, care, and love he deserves.
On the other hand, the character of the Thai cat is also characterized by the fact that it is very outgoing and sociable, so it greatly appreciates the human company. It is precisely for this reason that he does not like being alone at home or being immobile for too long; he is always on the lookout for something to do or ask for with his melodious meows.
Thai Care (Traditional Siamese)
As mentioned above, the nature of these cats demands a lot of daily attention, so their human companions must spend time each day playing and interacting with them, not leaving them alone longer than necessary. If he must be left alone for many hours a day, it is essential to ensure that he has appropriate environmental enrichment, including several scratching posts, high places, and interactive toys.
On the other hand, the litter box must be large enough for him to turn around in because we must not forget that we are dealing with rather medium-sized felines. The litter should be to their liking, neither irritating nor overly scented. Discover all the types of cat litter in this other article and choose the one your Thai will prefer.
The Thai’s coat should be brushed at least two or three times a week to improve its appearance and to remove excess dead hair which would otherwise be ingested during grooming, passing into the digestive tract where they can produce hairballs. Hygiene of their teeth, ears, and eyes is also important to prevent infections and diseases.
The diet of these cats must be balanced, complete, and intended for the feline species. The daily energy needs are calculated according to the individual characteristics of each Thai and must be divided into several daily intakes due to the nature of their diet. Of course fresh water should always be available.
Traditional Thai or Siamese Health
Thai cats have a long lifespan and they can easily live up to 20 years. However, like the Siamese, they are predisposed to certain diseases associated with Oriental breeds, such as the following:
Strabismus: loss of alignment and parallelism of the eyes which does not alter the cat’s vision. This disease is also common in the Siamese breed.
Nystagmus: Rapid, involuntary movement of the eyes, rapidly up and down or side to side. It seems to be related to the “cs” gene.
Breast cancer: breast adenocarcinoma is the most common breast tumor in Thai people, with the possibility of metastases, particularly in the lungs.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Heart disease in which the left ventricular muscle thickens, leading to diastolic (ventricular relaxation) dysfunction.
Respiratory infections: Viruses and bacteria frequently affect the airways of these cats, causing coughing, runny nose, sneezing, and dyspnea.
Hydrocephalus: excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, which can damage the cerebral cortex and cause neurological and ocular signs such as strabismus and nystagmus.
To improve their quality of life, it is important to control these diseases using adequate preventive medicine, for which the veterinarian will establish the schedule of vaccinations and deworming, as well as routine checks.
What to do to adopt a traditional Thai or Siamese
The Thai can be adopted in shelters and cat protection associations if they have specimens. You can also search for Thai cat rescue associations on the Internet or in shelter advertisements. However, before making the decision to adopt a cat of this breed, you must know all its needs well in order to be able to provide it with a happy and healthy life.
