Traditional Siamese Cat

The Traditional Siamese, also called the Applehead or Classic Siamese, has a rounder, more moderate body and head type than today's competitive show style Siamese. It is a talkative, affectionate cat, and appears in the traditional seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac point colors, as well as the colors associated by other registries with the Colorpoint Shorthair, such as red, cream, tortie, bluecream, and lynx points.

Like the contemporary style Siamese, they are vocal, intelligent, and more than occasionally demanding companions. Their history is similar to that of the Siamese breed, but the type was the result of efforts by a group of breeders to preserve what they felt was amore traditional style.

Indeed, old photographs of Siamese cats bear resemblances to both styles, lending credence to the idea that pregenitors of both body types existed.

The traditional Siamese type lost favor in the 1960s through the 1980s, but by the late 1980s, groups of breeders interested in promoting this type began organizing and promoting this style of Siamese.

Interesting breed fact: While very popular as a pet, the Traditional Siamese is not considered a separate breed by most breed registries. Normally, these cats are registered simply as Siamese. Although registered as Siamese, the traditional/applehead style is not competitive in the show ring. Potential owners wishing for a cat to show competitively should visit the Siamese breeders' page instead. Another possible show alternative is the Tonkinese, which has a similar body type to the Traditional Siamese.

Associations: Traditional Siamese are shown competitively in UFO under the designation Siamese-2. Traditional Siamese are not shown competitively in any other organization but are registerable as Siamese. The major difference is in the conformation of the cats. Those looking for a Siamese to show should look at the regular Siamese breeders' page.

Provided with permission of Barbara French
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