Siamese vs American Curl - Breed Comparison | MyCatBreeds

The Siamese cat is one of the most recognized cat breeds there are. The cat hails from Thailand and is the foundation stock for a number of other breeds.

It comes in two distinct variations - traditional and the more modern Siamese.

In the United States, most of the top cat registries only consider the 4 original fur colors as Siamese – chocolate point, seal point, blue point, and lilac point.

The American Curl is well known for its unusual shaped ears and for being one of the youngest cat breeds.

It developed in California. The first of these cats appeared to have been strays that arrived in California in 1981. The black female’s name was Shulamith, and she gave birth to a litter with the same curled ears, and was the ancestor of the American Curls of today.

Appearing in a cat show in 1992 for the first time, the longhaired American Curl was then given championship status by TICA and it was also admitted to the Cat Fanciers Association’s championship class in the long- and shorthaired divisions.

The Siamese cat is a medium-sized cat. Today’s Siamese cat is recognized by the triangular-shaped head, the slender, muscular body, the blue almond-shaped eyes, the largish ears, and the cream point colored coat.

The face of the Siamese also has a mask of the same point color. Weighing at between 3 – 5kg, the Siamese has a long neck and slender tail.

All Siamese kittens are cream or white at birth, but they develop visible points in the first few months of life. The coat is short and glossy. By the time the kitten is 4 weeks old, the points are clearly distinguishable.

Temperament:

Siamese are affectionate, curious, playful, intelligent cats and are known for their vocal, social natures.

With the Siamese cat, you may see him bonding strongly with one particular person in the family.

They’re active cats and are also one of these cat breeds that are described as being more dog-like. Some of them become so attached to their human owners that they can become depressed or suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for long periods of time.

Because of the cat’s intelligence, he can be easily trained to respond to simple commands.

The American Curl is a medium-sized cat weighing roughly 2.3–4.5kg. Its a cat that stands between 21 and 27cm in height.

It’s also a cat that takes a fairly long time to mature, reaching maturity about 2 or 3 years of age. The most distinctive feature of this cat is its unusual ears that curl backward as opposed to standing up like most other cats. At birth the ears are straight but they gradually start curling back, staying in a tight bud position.

The American Curl's coat is soft and silky and doesn’t require too much grooming. The fur comes in colors such as grey, white, apricot, black, and the coat can be a solid color or in a host of different patterns such as bi-color, triple-color, tabby, ticking and others.

The head is round, the eyes of the cat are large, giving the cat an alert, friendly look. The eyes can be many different colors from blue to green, amber, copper, hazel, and yellow.

Temperament:

The American Curl Cat loves his human family and gets on well with children too. He is an adaptable cat, settling into different lifestyles. You’ve got to watch him around small children who might manhandle him and pull his sensitive ears.

Nonetheless, he is sociable and loving. He is an intelligent cat, being active and alert and will even follow you around to see what you’re doing that he can be involved in too. He isn’t a particularly talkative breed but he loves to play and can even learn to fetch a smallish ball.

The Siamese cat is such a popular breed and with good reason. It makes a splendid companion for single people, families, couples, and older people. It gets on well with children and other pets too.

However, it is an energetic cat and won’t relish lying around day after day. He will want you to play with him and exercise him too, providing him with a stimulating environment.

These are such affectionate cats too, that it will be too sad if he lands up in a home where people don’t provide him with love and care. In exchange for that, you couldn’t ask for a better companion and friend.

You’ll find your American Curl to be a friendly, loving cat that will easily bond with his human family. They’re adaptable cats and will happily adjust to your lifestyle.

Despite their affection, however, American Curls aren't the type of cats to want to be pampered and petted - they are quite happy just to sit next to their owner and relax, or play with their toys.

Because American Curls are highly adaptable, they're suitable for a number of different home types, and homes with other pets or children, making you a splendid feline pet and companion.

With good care, your Siamese cat can live to be between 12 and 20 years of age. It is a slim cat, so you want to keep him that way as becoming overweight can put a whole lot of pressure on the cat’s joints and bring on other health issues.

There are always some common cat diseases to watch out for and one of these is mammary tumors. They also battle with gastrointestinal problems and lung infections.

They are actually prone to respiratory problems, but this is more seen in younger cats. Upper respiratory infection with the Siamese cat will usually last about a week or it can go on longer.

Your cat with have a nasal or eye discharge, will be drooling as well as have ulcers around the nose and mouth with aches and pains aa well as lethargy.

Make sure that your Siamese cat is up to date with his vaccinations.

This is a healthy breed of cat that with good care can reach 9 – 15 years of age.

You need to be careful with their ears – perhaps damaging the cartilage if you brush him too hard.

Like many cats, the Curl is susceptible to ear issues so always be sure to check and clean your cat’s ears weekly.

Good diet is one of the most important ways to care for your Siamese cat. Your cat is a carnivore and you therefore need to ensure he gets an appropriate diet otherwise you’re going to be spending more time at the vet with a sick cat than you’d like to.

Always check with your vet if you have any uncertainties about feeding your Siamese kitten. Kittens will eat different food to an adult, and even in adulthood, there is commercial cat food manufactured for adult cats, pregnant felines, lactating cats, energetic cats, senior cats and sick cats.

Where possible, you will need to try and provide your cat with some fresh, raw meat too.

Never leave your cat without a bowl of fresh, cool water night and day.

The coat of the Siamese cat is thick, soft, and silky and he will require a brush every week to keep it like that.

They are agile, athletic cats, loving to jump up onto perches so it will be a good idea to provide a climbing tree or some other equipment where the cat can leap up onto.

Provide your cat with a litter box and make sure that the cat’s feces are removed every single day.

The Curl’s coat can be either short or long, but with a gentle brushing, the coat can be well maintained. The shorthaired variety sheds a bit more during the year than the longhaired variety and this is why grooming and brushing becomes necessary.

You can brush your cat’s teeth to avoid periodontal disease.

Trim your cat’s nails every other week if they don’t wear down naturally.

Check inside- and outside the cat’s ears for parasites and dirt. The cat’s ears have a unique shape and they may well be born with narrowed ear canals that can trap dirt and wax and this results in ear infections.

Like all cats breeds, your lean, muscular American Curl can be susceptible to obesity and heart disease. Speak to your vet about a special cat food for your feline friend as cat food is specially formulated to deliver the exact level of natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed. Understand the amount of food your Curl requires by checking out the feeding instructions on the food labels. Always talk to your vet if you're not sure how much and what you should feed your cat.

Remember, that if you don’t want to do these grooming routines for your cat for fear of hurting him or not doing it properly, the vet or your local pet groomer will do it for you.

Make sure to provide your intelligent American Curl with toys and exercise. You can buy toys and games that will challenge his mental and physical abilities.