Siamese Cat Body Types

By Gay L. Miller

Many people, excluding breeders and individuals who attend cat shows, are costumed to seeing the beautiful round-headed seal point Siamese cats here, there, and everywhere. We see them at people's houses, outside, and in our own homes. This is basically normal. Those who have one or want one might be a little curious and may want to know a little bit more about this beauty of a cat. When I acquired my first Siamese I was interested in knowing more about them. I went to a pet store (back then the internet did not have pictures); I opened the book to a picture of a Siamese and behold, what I saw was a very thin bodied, long tapered face, huge ears of a cat! This was a Siamese? In today's world the Siamese cat has two basic body types: The Traditional (Applehead) Siamese, and the extreme (Wedgehead Siamese).

The Wedge head Siamese is very slender and elegant. This more "modern cat" is a pedigree cat or show style. It has a very lean, muscular body that is supported by long, graceful legs, with an elongated neck and tail. The head is smooth and wedge shape with large ears. The eyes are almond shape and are set at a slant. The eyes of this type of Siamese cat are very captivating. The coat is short and sleek, and accentuates the points. This is the type of Siamese that is favored in the cat shows. I have been to cat shows and seen them. It is interesting to see one up close, they are really gorgeous!

The Traditional Siamese, also known as an Applehead, has a much rounder body and head. Overall it is a heavier, huskier cat. These cats also have prominent points and astonishing blue eyes. Devoted followers of this type of Siamese claim that the apple head is similar to what the original Siamese looked like before breeders selectively breed for the more refined characteristics of the wedge head Siamese. The Applehead is the most popular of the Siamese as pets. So I would say that most ordinary people and cat lovers would most likely have one of these instead of the Wedgehead.

It is basically a matter of preference because people do own Wedgehead Siamese as just pets and not for show cats. If you are contemplating getting a Siamese, it is nice to have a choice. Both have exotic coloring and energetic personalities. My personal choice, well I have always owned Appleheads, but to be perfectly honest, my dream is to raise and show Wedgehead Siamese Cats.

The author lives in west TN, where she resides in a blissful multi-cat home. She has done extensive research for almost twenty years on cat behavior especially that of the Siamese cat. Website: http://www.we-are-siamese.com Email address: lynn@we-are-siamese.com To learn more about Siamese types and breeds go to: http://www.we-are-siamese.com/siamese-cat-breeds.html