Thanks to their striking looks, Siamese cats are among the best known and most easily recognised pedigree cat breeds. As the name implies, the breed originated in Siam (Thailand) where they were revered and enjoyed a royal existence in temples and palaces.

The Siamese cat is an elegant, medium-sized cat (weight range: 3 to 7 kg) with a slender body, a long, triangular head, large ears and a long tail. While its original colour is a cream-coloured body with classic seal (dark brown) points on the face, ears, legs, feet and tail, more than 30 other colours have been introduced, including chocolate, lilac, blue, tabby and tortoise-shell points.

This short-haired cat looks after its own glossy coat very well so it doesn’t need much grooming, although it definitely enjoys the attention a grooming session brings with it. In fact, Siamese cats love attention so much they can be quite vocal about it. Yes: your Siamese cat will talk to you and let you know, often loudly, when it wants something.

This breed is graceful, athletic and intelligent, and needs to be kept entertained with toys, regular personal attention or another Siamese cat to keep it company. They do not like being left on their own for long periods of time. Most Siamese cats can cope with children and other animals, but often settle best with cats of their own type.

Siamese cats rarely overeat, have no specific ailments and can live into their late teens or even early twenties.