The Thai cat is an ancient cat breed that has only recently become formally classified in the West, and is a close relation to the modern Siamese cat. The Thai cat is classed as a naturally occurring breed that is descended from the landrace cats of Thailand, and is also sometimes referred to as the Classic Siamese, Traditional Siamese or Old-style Siamese.

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HISTORY

The Thai cat is of course native to Thailand, and its genetic origins can be traced back to the country’s native landrace cats, the Wichien-maat, which still thrive in Thailand. The world-famous ancient book of Thai cat poems, the Tamra Maew, references the Wichien-maat cat, which is a naturally occurring breed in its own right.

During the 19th century, the Wichien-maat was imported to the UK, where the breed was developed by means of selective crossings to ultimately produce the cat that we have now known as the modern Siamese cat. The lithe, lean, and pointed appearance of the Siamese cat is the result of selective breeding, while the Thai cat’s appearance is more similar to that of the Wichien-maat, being rounder and less angular, and more like the original imports to the West.

This cat, which shares many similarities and a close genetic relationship to the Siamese but retaining a traditional appearance, is the breed now recognized as the Thai cat.

FACTS ABOUT THAI CATS

  • In the Thai National Library in Bangkok, there are manuscripts dating from the 1700s called the Cat Book Poems (Smud Khoi), containing illustrations of cats that look very similar to seal points.
  • When Siamese cats were first shown in England in 1871 they were described as ‘an unnatural nightmare kind of cat’ because of their strange coloring. They went on to become one of the most popular cat breeds in the world!
  • Their Thai name means ‘moon diamond’.
  • President Rutherford B. Hayes was given a seal point called Siam in 1879. Siam was the first-ever ‘ambassador’ of the breed to the USA.
  • Queen Elizabeth II was given a seal point kitten as a wedding present to celebrate her marriage to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.