THE THREE TYPES OF SIAMESE © Diana Fineran
By Diana Fineran
The Traditional Cat Association, Inc.
18509 N.E. 279th. Street
Battle Ground, WA. 98604-9717
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http://www.traditionalcats.com &
http://www.siamesecats.org
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diana@traditionalcats.com
The Traditional Siamese and the Classic Siamese are the two body types
that came out of Siam (Thailand). The Extreme Wedge Siamese is a man made,
genetically engineered, derivative of the two original Siamese. Intense
inbreeding was used to manufacture the Extreme Wedge Siamese, which was
brought into existence to satisfy the political forces at work within the
breed. This took time. SLOWLY the breed was changed. The very first
Siamese exported out of Siam was the Traditional Siamese. As more cats
were exported as second body type became recognized and that is the
Classic Siamese. Old books and old photographs prove this. I would say
sometime within the 1950's the Extreme Wedge began its metamorphosis into
what it is today.
Until I came along in 1987 the only Siamese recognized world wide was
the Extreme Wedge Siamese. After great amounts of research, study and
looking at many, many photos, I realized there were three body types world
wide for the Siamese. At first I thought there was only two, the
Traditional Siamese and the Extreme Wedge Siamese. As I gathered more and
more information and received testimonials from owners, I came to the
conclusion that there was a third body type and that became the Classic
Siamese. This took me some time - two years in fact- to reach this
conclusion. I had to have proof and I found it.
The next step was to give the Traditional Siamese and the Classic
Siamese the support and recognition they deserved, after decades of
languishing in oblivion almost to extinction. I am the first person to
write a breed Standard for the Traditional Siamese and the Classic
Siamese. I hold Federal Copyrights to these Breed Standards and many more
that I have written. Both Standards were reviewed and accepted by the
membership of TCA, Inc. at the time I created them. Every attempt has been
and is still being made to make these Breed Standards available world wide
to keep the breed uniform. Please write to me about this. As we all know
each cat association seems to deem it fit to have different breed
standards for each breed. I find this nothing but nonsense. Uniformity is
the right way to go for the breed.
To answer the questions why and how the Siamese breed was changed, I
offer this explanation: Some say it was fads. It was really much more than
that. Over time and as the Siamese breed became ever more popular, more
and more people became involved in breeding them. Shows were invented,
bringing competition about. Certain breeders came into power in the
resulting cat associations. Human ego, greed and the desire to win blue
ribbons no matter what it cost the cat caused the degrading of the Siamese
breed. These power hungry egomaniacs re-wrote the Breed Standard, ignored
the Breed Standard, became judges to have a direct effect on the breed,
and in general, pushed out any others who would not follow their dictates.
They promoted the cats in their own catteries to the exemption of any
other body type.
Through all of my reading I have not found any good reason as to why
the Extreme Wedge Siamese was created. The Traditional Siamese and the
Classic Siamese are healthy, genetically sound, long lived cats. The
Extreme Wedge has a destroyed immune system and genetic predisposition to
illness. Only a very few blood lines of the Extreme Wedge are healthy.
Most live to be 2 to 5 years old and die. Multiple testimonials are in my
files about kittens born, but who could not survive one day of life.
Others tell me the Extreme Wedge has a hyperactive, nervous personality.
How can anyone justify doing this any breed or to any animal is beyond me!
Traditional Siamese breeding stock is rare world wide. There seems to
be more Classic Siamese. I love them both and find each to have the
wonderful, endearing qualities that draw us to them and grips us for life.
