Siamese cat history - Thai cat

The Thai cat is the latest incarnation of the Siamese cat in its long history. This video describes the history and development very briefly

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Siamese
• cat
• Thai

[theTeabag]

This is all confusing.

TICA renamed Siamese cat to "Thai cat" and encourages outrcrossing them to "indigenous pointed cats from Thailand to preserve a healthy gene pool". I wonder what are these "indigenous pointed cats".

On the other hand we have TCA governed by eccentric person who introduced 2 new breeds:

-the Traditional Siamese and

-Classic Siamese

[broadsurf]

It is confusing because the cat fancy has totally messed it up. They bred super skinny Siamese cats (modern Siamese) and then refusing to recognise the traditional appearance they decided to breed something in between. The Thai cat is in between the traditional and the modern in my view. Thai cat breeders say that their cat is the way the cat looked in Siam. I say it is not.

[alifshinobi]

very nice! :)

[broadsurf]

Thanks for the comment. The history of the Siamese cat is contentious and disputed but I am sure that I am correct. Sorry about the voice!

[alifshinobi]

There's not wrong with the voice. I've always liked Siamese cats--and even Thai cats too. :)

Good job!

[broadsurf]

Thanks for the comment. Appreciated

[staghammer]

It wasn't an evolution but rather a human engineered mutation.

[engenfighter]

Thank you so much for posting this video. Not many people realize the change show breeders have caused in the Siamese cat. I love traditional siamese and I hope this video will educate people about the Thai cat.

[Dikay365]

The modern Siamese looks nothing like the Siamese cats you see in Thailand.

[Kanokploy]

แมวไทยวิเชียรมาศ น่ารักที่สุดในโลก

[meezerlover]

As far as I am concerned its all in your personal taste, because the cat is the same in every body type. I personally like what is seen in the show hall now a days and have breed/showed in CFA to that type. But I started out years ago with the less typey look. I've had Siamese in my home for 42 years consistently. I now have one Oriental shorthair, one Colorpoint shorthair and a Siamese. No matter the color or body type they are all the same to me...wonderful, personable, loving cats. :-)

[clevii]

@theTeabag And that human-oriented, social attitude is a crucial trait of the Siamese AND TICA Thai. (Read TICA Thai breed intro) There is no mass import of Thai strays going on. No mass anything but the Thai imports were almost all tame cats from breeders. The 2 cats of unknown origin I mentioned were living in someone's garden & are now at breeders on 2 continents. 1 in US & I hear he is super cuddly. He's just sired 2 litters ( they hope to get 1 or 2 breeding cats) & is being neutered.

[theTeabag]

BTW do "wichien-maats" get their pedigrees right away or do they have to wait 5 generations like it's done in other breeds?

[theTeabag]

@clevii are there any official statistics availble on the net?

[theTeabag]

@clevii for example the tame attitude. Western Siamese cats have undergone tougher selection for a domestic disposition than their stray counterparts in thailand.

[clevii]

I don't see it as replacing them at all but if you see it that way i can absolutely understand your passion about it because I too so much want them preserved. The people I have met who are involved in this do value that century of breeding & don t want to throw it out but want to preserve the old with some addition of genes from the original source b/c there's not a large population of authentic moderate Siamese.

What traits do you think will be "thrown away into the rubbish" ?

[clevii]

@theTeabag I know about the imports because a year ago I finally decided to join PREOSSIA, the breed club that got the TICA Thai to championship and I've been pretty active, showing a Thai and meeting people & talking & have heard a lot about peoples cats. Re things besides phenotype, if you mean the famous personality & intelligence, I find there is a great emphasis on that. And they want the deeper blue eyes that Western breeders have selected for - that's in the standard.