It has that the “Wichien-Maat,” also known as the Diamond-Eyed cat, was the native shorthaired Siamese Cat found in the old Kingdom of Siam in old manuscripts. Originally from Siam (Thailand), the breed has been traced to be hundreds of years old, but details about its origin must be provided. Not long ago, these cats were sacred and used to be guardians of the Buddhist Temples.
Here, they waited for the King and his family at the end of their journey. Then, the cat would supposedly carry the soul of the King and its ancestors to heaven. Because of this, only the King’s household was allowed to keep the cat, with a select few to provide to monks. A noblewoman a pair of Siamese cats to protect her palace. If a member made a fault or a mistake in the royal household, the cat would turn the opposite color of its current body on its face and paws (i.e., all dark points would change to white), and the servant would know that it must leave and never return.
The beginning of selective breeding since the Siamese cat’s first appearance in America. This story is a more detailed history of the Siamese cat, albeit in folklore—siamese cats given as gifts to Siam’s friends and allies. A minimal number of cats, not exceeding 6, would be shipped to friends abroad when the alliance began with the UK. Somehow, this led to a UK breeding program. A far cry from its noble and sacred beginnings, first preserved Siamese cats in glass boxes, and the mothers shot to prevent them from dispersing to make way for western furry exotic pet fans.
But eventually, they escaped and bred with native UK cats. The breed made its way to America in the early 1900s. Although the breed standards differ, UK and American Siamese cats share a common ancestry. The UK variety is less extreme in body type, has a short wedge-shaped head, and looks like a traditional or old-style Siamese.
Ancient Siamese Cats
Ancient Siamese history is like the breed itself – a mystery. Some people believe that the cats were the pets of royalty and to guard golden bowls. When a person of high enough honor died, he would send his cat to a temple (the cat, obviously showing something of a lack of honor as it was now living in a religious dwelling) and spend the rest of its life being waited on and pampered by monks would explain the liturgical and regal surroundings in which this breed is most content. It does suggest how the Siamese became so comfortable living with and relying on human beings.
Another legend has two white Siamese cats living in the palace of the King of Siam. These cats were responsible for swapping decorative items whenever the King traveled to a different place to ensure their safety. This legend would explain the cat’s known boredom with remaining in the same environment and fondness for ‘redecorating.’ This story could be true, as all Siamese cats are born white due to a genetic mutation; points would start to appear later due to the effects of enzymes in the warmer parts of the cat’s body.
Later studies estimated that the Siamese breed was nearly extinct by the late 19th century, with an estimate of only four remaining purebreds, including one that had been imported to England breed saved due to the effort of breeders who at this time were learning about the genetics of cat breeding. With this acquired knowledge and the newfound love of this breed, the Siamese cat flourished into today’s popular and well-known breed.
Siamese Cats in the Western World
After the war, the cats no longer remained exclusively in Siam. By 1884, a UK cat fancier wrote in the national British publication, “The Book of the Cat,” that “A peculiarity of the Siamese cat is that it would seem to be indigenous to Siam and that although it is now domesticated and taken to other countries as a pet, it does not thrive in the latter.” However, it was also recorded in the trade manual for merchants, shippers, storekeepers, and manufacturers, “Longmans’ Gazetteer of the World,” published in 1886, that “The Royal Cat of Siam is of a breed singular in that the color is always some shade of fawn, and the eyes are always sky-blue and are said sometimes to have defects of blindness.”
It is interesting since the breed has yet to reach foreigners. Still, since the breed had not been for Westerners up to that time, they may have seen it in transit in Siam or already heard about it while in neighboring countries. In any case, the breed was well-known in Siam to foreigners by the end of the 19th century.
