Siamese facts and facts about siameses, from the Random Facts shelf.
15 facts on this shelf
Siamese fighting fish must be kept isolated because they will fight, immediately, often to the death. In an experiment, 2
fish were dropped in a lake. Would this be enough space? Were these tiny fish interested in exploring?
No, they immediately started fighting.
Identical twins develop when one egg separates then is fertilized, fraternal twins are 2 separate eggs, and siamese twins is one egg that began to separate but was fertilized before the completion of the egg division.
Siamese fighting fish, also known as Betta Splendens, have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface.
A Himalayan is essentially a Persian with Siamese-style pointed coloring and blue eyes. In the CFA it's classified as a color division of the Persian rather than a separate breed.
A Neva Masquerade is a Siberian cat with pointed coloring, like a Siamese pattern. It's named after the Neva River in St. Petersburg, Russia, where this variety was developed.
The Siamese cat is described in the Tamra Maew, or "Cat Book Poems," a collection of manuscripts from Thailand that may date back several centuries.
Siamese cats have darker ears, faces, paws, and tails because their coloring comes from a temperature-sensitive enzyme that produces darker pigment only on the cooler parts of their bodies.
Siamese cats are famously talkative, with loud, raspy voices they use to "chat" with their owners throughout the day.
Many early Siamese cats had crossed eyes and kinked tails, traits linked to their genetics. Breeders worked to remove them over time, though legends claimed they came from guarding temple treasures.
The first known Siamese cat in the US was a gift to First Lady Lucy Hayes in 1878 from the US consul in Bangkok. The cat was named Siam.
Modern show Siamese have long, slender bodies and sharp wedge-shaped heads, while "traditional" Siamese have rounder heads and sturdier builds, closer to how the breed looked in the early 1900s.
The Siamese helped create many other breeds, including the Balinese, Oriental Shorthair, Himalayan, and Tonkinese.
Disney's 1955 film "Lady and the Tramp" featured two Siamese cats, Si and Am, and their song was later criticized for relying on ethnic stereotypes.
Siamese cats were shown at the famous 1871 Crystal Palace cat show in London, and some attendees found their unusual look strange at first.
Siamese cats are among the longer-lived breeds and often live well into their late teens.