TRADITIONAL SIAMESE PROFILE
| Traditional Siamese are registered. Purebred Siamese cats that look like most Siamese did several decades ago. Ideally, they should also be descended primarily from old lineages of Siamese cats, with few or no ancestors from modern Siamese lineages. Traditional Siamese are the cats that many people have grown up with, seen in old books, old movies, or in photographs taken between 1884 and 1980. Because the old Siamese lineages were bred to a less extreme standard than modern Siamese are today, Traditional Siamese are less extreme, more robust, and more variable in body build than are modern-style Siamese. There are two general subtypes recognized within the Traditional Siamese, a medium-boned, medium-slender Siamese called the Classic and a large-boned, meaty Siamese called the Applehead or just plain Traditional. Both Classics and Appleheads are traditional and non-extreme compared to modern Siamese, but there is currently some disagreement among breeders about whether the Classic was selectively bred from the Traditional (Applehead) in the early 20th century or whether both types were present in the 19th century. Because of this, some breeders call only the Applehead the "Traditional Siamese," while other call both the Applehead and the Classic "Traditional Siamese." Breeders do agree that kittens of distinct Classic and Applehead types are often born side by side in the same litters, regardless of what type the parents are. Traditional breeders agree that Siamese cats of *modern* type did not commonly appear until they were selectively bred from the Classic Siamese in the mid-twentieth century. The Traditional Siamese is recognized as a breed by TCA, UFO, and ICE. In TCA, the Classic Siamese and Traditional Siamese (Applehead) have separate standards and separate breed names, but may be bred to each other, with the breed name for registration assignable after the body type of each individual offspring is known. TCA does not recognize the modern Siamese. The Classic Siamese should not be confused with the modern Siamese; they have distinctly different body types and a different mix of ancestors in their pedigree. The Traditional Siamese has the same basic blue eyes and comes in the same basic colors as modern Siamese (seal point, blue point, chocolate point, or lilac point). Because they have been less intensively selectively bred, however, most do not possess the extreme navy blue or blue-violet eye color of some modern Siamese. Instead, the eyes of Traditional Siamese are usually in the range from cornflower blue to sapphire blue. They have the intelligent, lively, talkative personalities for which Siamese everywhere are famous. A Traditional Siamese (Classic or Traditional / Applehead) is a good choice for people who want a smart, interactive Siamese companion, but with a moderate, nonextreme body type. TCA Traditional Siamese (Applehead) standard TCA Classic Siamese standard Traditional Siamese FAQ:
********************************** Profile submitted by Cristy Bird of Sarsenstone Cattery |
