Traditional Siamese cats

Traditional Siamese cats are also known as Traditional 'Applehead' Siamese. What do they look like? Let's take a look at this beautiful member of the breed.

So just what are Traditional Siamese cats?

They are large, stocky, and well-muscled, with round heads and (in comparison to the modern-day show type of cat) round bodies, too.

Their ears are upright - slightly slanted, perhaps, but not at an extreme angle.

They are heavier than show cats, with weight typically being 12-15 lb for males, and 8-12 lb for females.

This type of cat is also sometimes known as the Applehead Siamese.

What does the Traditional cat look like?

Traditional 'Applehead' cats have the familiar blue eyes and pointed coat pattern that the breed is famous for.

Although some breed registries only recognize the Traditional in the original seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point patterns, it is possible to find this type of cat in most of the known Siamese colors.

Traditional seal point.
Note the round face and upright ears

photo: © iStockphoto | Evgeny Karandaev

They have comparatively long coats. While the Traditional cat is still officially a short-haired variety, its fur is thicker and more springy than the very flat-coated show-style cat.

Their coats are not, however, as long as the coat found in the Balinese cat breed.

These cats look very like the Siamese cats of the 1950s and 1960s, when they were at the height of their popularity - hence the name 'Traditional', to distinguish them from the 'Modern' or 'Extreme Wedge' show cats of today.

Traditional blue point

photo: © iStockphoto | Mehmetali Ertek

And what about their temperament?

History

The name 'Traditional' was first proposed and copyrighted for this body type by Diana Fineran of the Traditional Cat Association, Inc., in 1987.

Diana became aware of and then alarmed by the development of the show-style or extreme-wedge body type, and the health problems that were occurring at that time in the-show-style Siamese cat.

She set out to promote the look and benefits of the original cats to come out of Thailand in the 1880s, calling the look of these cats 'Traditional'.

Those early cats, the forerunners of today's Siamese, were large and round-faced, with thicker legs and tails than the long slim legs and whip-like tails of the extreme-wedge type.

Traditional Siamese kitten breeders

There are a number of breeders today aiming to reproduce the look of those early cats as well as their health (this breed is typically very healthy) in their Traditional kittens.

If you're looking for Traditional Siamese kittens for sale, there's a list of breeders on our Traditional Siamese cat breeders directory page.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like ...

• The related Classic or 'old-fashioned' body shape
• The different point colors
• A very special color pattern - the Lynx point

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