The Siamese cat can be traced back to the Far East. One of the first recordings of the Siamese cat appeared in 'The Cat Book Poems', written in Siam(Thailand), between 1350-1700. Another recording of a cat with Siamese markings was in 1793 by a Mr Pallas who was travelling to Southern Russia.
During the nineteenth century a British Consul General, Mr Gould, was given a Siamese cat as a present by the Siamese King. Mr Gould brought the cat back to England. Around the same time another small group of Siamese cats arrived in England and a breeding program was initiated.
By early twentieth Century the Siamese had found its way to America and was soon appearing in many of the cat shows. In the early 1960s many breeders and judges began to loose favour in the traditional Siamese breed, opting for a longer thinner body. By 1986 the traditional applehead Siamese breed had disappeared from shows, with the thin modern Siamese replacing it. As a consequence many breeders stopped breeding the traditional Siamese. This led to the formation of the Traditional Cat Association, which allowed the traditional bred to be both recognised and showed. Most associations still only recognise the Modern Siamese.
The Siamese cat can be described as an inquisitive, intelligent and calm cat. It is people-oriented usually adapting well to both children and animals. It is a vocal cat, known for its somewhat loud and unusual voice.