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, where 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.
Keep reading this article from PlanèteAnimal to know all the characteristics of the Thai, its origin, its character, its care, its he alth and where to adopt one.
Origin
- Asia
- Thailand
FIFe Rating
- Category IV
Physical Characteristics
- Thin tail
- Big ears
- Strong
Size
- Average
Average Weight
- 3-5
Life expectancy
- 18-20
Character
- Active
- Extrovert
- Affectionate
- Smart
- Curious
Climate
- Temperate
Hair type
- Short
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&39;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 rose to prominence at the first cat fair at 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 Thai's head is oriental, medium-sized and triangular or wedge-shaped, with a long, flat forehead and an elongated, 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.
The colors of Thai
" The Thai cat&39;s coat 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. Thai Siamese cat colors can be as follows:"
- Seal point
- Blue dot
- Lilac dot
- Red dot
- Tortie stitch
- Crema point
- Chocolate dot
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 and affectionate. He is very sweet 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 enjoys human company very much. 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 it's important that their human companions spend time each day playing and interacting with them, not leaving them alone any 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 remove excess dead hair that would otherwise be ingested during grooming, passing through the tube 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, clean, fresh water should always be available.
He alth of traditional Thai or Siamese
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 and involuntary movement of the eyes, rapidly from bottom to top or from left to right. It appears 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, especially in the lung.
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Heart disease in which the left ventricular muscle thickens, leading to diastolic dysfunction (ventricular relaxation).
- 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 by means of 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
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 in order to be able to bring it a happy and he althy life.
Photos of traditional Thai or Siamese
