History of Siamese Cats

History of Siamese Cats

The history of the Siamese cat stretches back to Thailand, which once was known as Siam. It is said that these cats were reserved for royalty, but to date, this remains unconfirmed.

The Siamese cats first made it to the Western world in 1884, when British General Edward Blencowe Gould brought home a pair of breeding Siamese cats, Pho and Mia, from Bangkok. These cats were a present for his sister, Lilian Jane Veley, and were of the Traditional/Old Style build - rounder heads, sturdier bodies. The characteristic "points" (dark ears, face, paws, and tail) and long, slender build compared to the modern day British cats made a lasting impression, and several more of these cats began being imported in the late 1800s.

One of the first Siamese cats in the United States was that of President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, and the cat was appropriately named Siam.