Siamese cat history - how much do we know?I was never that keen on history at school. All those dates and battles! But Siamese cat history makes interesting reading.What do the Siamese cat history books tell us? There are theories suggesting that the breed originated in ancient Egypt, and certainly its body shape is similar to pictures of Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess.There's no proof that they came from Egypt, though. What history does tell us is that they're one of photo © iStockphoto Beginnings - The Royal Cats of SiamMuch of Siamese cat history is lost in the mists of time, but records in Thailand dating from the 1600s confirm that Siamese cats existed then and that they were very highly prized. Only royalty or noblemen were allowed to own them, and the cats had a special role to play in palace and temple life as spirit guardians.When someone important died a cat from their household was chosen to receive and house their soul, and the lucky cat spent the rest of its life in luxury, pampered and cared for by temple priests. (I very much suspect that this is why our Meezers today expect their every wish to be granted!) The dead person's family paid for the cat's upkeep as they believed this would bring their loved one good luck in the afterlife. It's also said that the cats may have been 'watch cats', alerting the priests with their cries if strangers were around. There are some lovely Siamese cat legends arising from this time in the palaces and temples. These include the history of how the Siamese cat got its kinked tail and crossed eyes. Early History of Siamese Cats in the WestThere are conflicting reports on exactly when the breed first arrived in England and the United States but all records point to the late 1870s or early 1880s.Among early cats to get to England were a pair brought from Thailand by Sir Edward Blencowe Gould, then Consul-General in Bangkok. A member of the Thai Royal family (possibly the King himself) gave Sir Edward a pair of cats, which he in turn gave to his sister Lilian Veley. The cats, named Pho and Mia, and three of their kittens were shown at the Crystal Palace Exhibition (an early cat show) in the mid-1880s. Mrs. Veley became a co-founder of the Siamese Cat Club, one of the first cat registries in the UK and an early member of the GCCF - Governing Council of the Cat Fancy - which was formed from the merger of a number of different breed registries. Crossing the AtlanticOne of the first Siamese cats to appear in the USA arrived early in 1879. This little female, appropriately called 'Siam', was a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes and made herself quite at home with the First Family, becoming the forerunner of several famous Siamese cats to grace the White House.You can see the original letter about Siam, sent from Bangkok by David Sickels, a US diplomat, to First Lady Lucy Hayes on the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center website. Other White House 'Royal' Siamese cats include Misty Malarkey Yin Yang, owned by President Jimmy Carter's daughter Amy, and Shan Shein, who belonged to President Gerald Ford's daughter Susan.
Pop(ular) catsFrom their origins in Siam through the early history of Siamese cats in the West, the popularity of the Siamese has grown steadily. It reached a peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but they are still known and loved all over the world.
As well as being mentioned in a line from Bob Dylan's classic song 'Like a Rolling Stone' Siamese cats have starred in novels, short stories, autobiographies, TV programmes, films and cartoons. The Siamese cat history books sadly don't tell us whether Dylan actually owned a Siamese cat, though!
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