Exclusive - THE book on Traditional & Classic Siamese cats

Written by the Founder of TCA, Inc.

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Spay/Neuter Stamp 
Coat Texture 
Chantilly/Tiffany - Breed Update 
Our Resident Poet 
Kitten Proofing Your House 
"TYPE" - An Explanation 
International Updates
The Thai

Links to past articles:
Introducing the Bengal Cat
Purpose of the Bengal Cat League
Bengal Cat Ancestry

"...thanks for such a great newsletter!" (Deanne)

Published with permission from Humane Society News and from Spay USA Network News. 

"The U.S. Postal Service’s Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC) met in early October to consider the proposal for a commemorative stamp urging pet owners to "Spay or Neuter-Save A Life". Since the campaign was launched in September of 1997, the CSAC has received thousands of letters from humane groups, veterinary medical associations and colleges, and also celebrities (including Bob Barker, Betty White, Tony LaRussa, and Olympic tri-athalete Eric Harr). At the conclusion of October’s meeting, supporters of the Spay-Neuter stamp had reason to celebrate! Of more than 7000 stamp requests, this stamp was one of just 200 that will be up for consideration in the year 2,000. To lend your support you can write to: Dr. Virginia Noelke, Chair, Citizen’s Stamp Advisory Committee, United States Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 4474E, Washington, DC 20260-2437." 

Did you know that the Traditional Siamese and Classic Siamese coat is not the FLAT pressed down coat that the Extreme Wedge Siamese has? The Traditional types have a sort of fluffy coat, but not as long as the Balinese, of course. It has texture, thickness and spring to it, yet it is still a short hair length. Some of our customers have asked about this after visiting an Extreme Wedge breeder and then going to a Traditional or Classic breeder. I just wanted to clarify that there is a difference in coat. 

From Tracy Oraas 

There are many good reports coming from the direction of the Chantilly/Tiffany. This is one of the breeds accepted by TCA, Inc. First of all they have attained additional Championship Status in UFO, where several cats have attained Championships. Sweetables Cattery in Chicago has a Double Champion! George and Tracy have exported breeding stock to Mr. Deboer in the Netherlands recently. They are being shown in Holland and being well received. In July a German Magazine based in L.A. sent a photographer to Canada to do a photo shoot for an article, using Tracy’s cats. Unfortunately the article is written in German, or I would be asking to reproduce it here!! Two new cat Encyclopedias included the Chantilly/Tiffany along with lovely photos. One is authored by Ann Helgrin, who chose a photo of a black ticked Chantilly/Tiffany owned by Tracy. This is one of only two cats with this very rare color. The second cat Encyclopedia was authored by Bruce Fogle, which included comparisons with the British Burmilla. The difference started in 1982 when the British crossed a Burmese with a Chinchilla Persian and began calling the resulting cross a "Tiffanie". The similarity in breed names has caused TICA to ask our Chantilly/Tiffany breeders to change their breed name! At least the comparison is begin presented, so all can make their own decision. All are lovely cats. George and Tracy are always looking for breeders to work with. They are listed on our Breeders List. 

Ah, soft-walking Queen of the Night, 
Sleek, black-furred, with eyes so bright; 

How often I’ve yearned to talk with you, 
But it’s not given me as a thing I can do.. 

Like a living shadow you go your way, 
Thru the dusk of evening to return of day. 

Where have you gone? What have you seen? 
Was your night-tour happy? Was it all serene? 

Have you learned the fate of Johnson’s dog? Or 
Who broke the fence around Bergen bog? 

But of course we know that you pay no mind 
To the trivial things of human kind. 

Still, I know right now that day after day, 
I would sure like to hear what I feel you could say! 

"Kittens are curious creatures capable of jumping onto high surfaces or squeezing into the smallest of spaces. To protect your kitten in his new environment, and to safeguard your belongings, kitten-proof your house. KITCHENS/BATHROOMS: # Use childproof latches to keep little paws from prying open cabinets. # Keep trash cans covered or inside a latched cabinet. # Check for a block any small spaces, nooks, or holes inside cabinetry or behind washer/dryer units. # Make sure your kitten hasn’t jumped into the dryer before you turn it on. # Keep foods out of reach (even if the food isn’t harmful, the wrapper could be). LIVING/FAMILY ROOM: # Place dangling wires from lamps, VCR’s, stereos, and phones out of reach. # Keep kids’ toys put away. # Put away knick-knacks until your kitten has the coordination not to knock them over. # Check all those places where your vacuum cleaner doesn’t fit, but your kitten does, for dangerous items, like string. # Move house plants, which can be poisonous, out of reach, including hanging plants that can be jumped onto from other nearby surfaces. #Be careful that you don’t close your kitten in closets or dresser drawers. # Make sure all heating/air vents have covers. # Put away all sewing and craft notions, especially thread. GARAGE: # Move all chemicals to high shelves or behind secure doors. #Clean up all antifreeze from the floor and driveway, as one taste can be lethal to a kitten. # Bang on your car hood to ensure that your kitten (or any neighbor cat) has not hidden in the engine for warmth. BEDROOMS: # Keep laundry and shoes behind closed doors (drawstrings and buttons can cause major problems. # Keep any medication, lotions, or cosmetics off accessible surfaces (like the beside table). # Move electrical and phone wires out of reach of chewing." 

Shelagh LeCocq is the founder of our sister club in Great Britain and publishes their Newsletter. I’m grateful to receive her permission to use this article she wrote on type. 

"Type describes the physical appearance and genetic components which allow one cat to be identified as a Siamese, and another cat as Persian. It also enables cats of differing colours within a breed to clearly be identified as individuals with the same phenotype." 

"Yet type is not a fixed and immutable characteristic. If pictures of Persians and Siamese from the early part of the century are compared with today’s specimens, distinct differences can be seen and there has been much debate around whether these changes are an improvement or not." 

"So why do changes in type occur? Genetic drift and mutation within a species is a normal occurrence and such changes have resulted in the development of breeds such as the Rex, Devon and Cornish. Some mutations confer a biological advantage to a species, and in a natural environment that type will eventually predominate. When show and breeding animals are concerned, a particular specimen may dominate the breed during his or her lifetime and, if used extensively, will produce a generation of like cats." 

"A subtle change that develops in a breed may become fixed and accentuated with certain characteristics being dominant. The change in head shape of Siamese clearly demonstrates this. For a change in type to become well established, breeders and judges have to see this a desirable and the breed standard my be modified as required by the Breed Advisory Council." (Breed Standards in TCA, Inc. are not allowed to be changed.) 

"With current debate in the cat and dog world concerning the health and viability of pedigree animals, it is worth considering how such changes develop in more detail. Few breeders have an image of how the breed changes. More often than not, it is the show successes of individual cats or dogs that establish a winning type, which is sought by other breeders. Health and viability may be secondary considerations and so certain breeds my develop "problems"." Heart problems have been identified in Boxers, umbilical hernias are common in several breeds of dog. Advisory Councils have an important role in monitoring changes in type, temperament and health within their breed. Their duties should not only be to promote show success, but also to maintain some system of ensuring that a breed remains sound. Perhaps breed policy should consider the effects of population in breeding, which will occur when one or more males dominates a generation. These issues are certainly debated in Europe with regard to certain breeds of dog." 

"Breeders are fortunate if most of their kittens find good homes as companion animals. Show homes are a bonus for a very few. Changes in type should encompass the image of the cat as a healthy and viable pet. I consider myself fortunate in being able to develop a breeding programme with my cats, which has allowed me to work with new sex-linked colours, but in doing so I have tried to maintain the type and temperament which allows those kittens who leave to become much loved pets with their new families." 

FROM HUNGARY: Heiner Karolyne has written that she has lost her stud male, Furedi Anti-Kacor, who was one of the very first European Traditional Siamese Champions. She writes, " I was planning to write to you for some time. I have very sorrowful news, which makes me to postpone my letter. I have lost my beautiful cat, Kacor on May 24, 1998. I was very painful and I will miss him for a very long time. I have his son (6 years old), but he is different, but he comforts me. I will remember and show my grand children what a precious cat Kacor was. Kacor was the nephew of Dr. Laszlo Toth’s cat "Dixi-XiXi. He had a very distinctive form of the old-type Siamese cats." 

Dr. Toth also sent such a pleasant message, I have to share it with you. "I hope my letter will find you in good health. I would like to enclose our magazine where your letter and article were published. The members of our club liked the article very much. We are preparing the next year at the moment. We would like to arrange an exhibition 27^thFebruary 1999. We hope that we could arrange an exhibition together with Your Club. This way you could combine a nice tour to Budapest with an exhibition. I would like to wish you Merry Christmas and very happy New Year and very much success in your work." 

To my humble amazement on page 7 of her color Newsletter was published my cover letter and my article describing the three types of Siamese, translated to Hungarian! Thank you for such an honor, Dr. Toth! The message is getting out world wide, adding much scope to our mutual efforts, and that is so satisfying. Take a look at their magazine:

http://macskamagazin.budapestnet.hu/index.html

In the same newsletter was an article about the continuing world travels of Dr. Toth and her family with her Traditional Siamese cat XIXI, who always goes on vacations with them. Glorious color pictures show XIXI sitting on a covered cushion on top of their car roof in a light leather harness with a leash. In the background are sun-bathed temples, palaces and ancient buildings recognized worldwide. Even though the article is written in Hungarian, I was able to pick out the names of some of the places....Xombor, Belgrade, Nice, Macedonia, Thebes, Athens, Crete, Cyprus, Israel, Haifa, Jordan, Nazareth, Hedera, Telavia, Fajja, Jerusalem, Judea, Casablanca, Akaba, The Egyptian pyramids, Sinai, Suez canal, Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Memphis, and Luxor. Each photo was made so much more exotic with XIXI sitting in the foreground. What an adventurous family, and truly an intrepid Traditional Siamese! 

FROM HOLLAND via the Newsletter of our sister club in England: Ineke
Blokker presented an excellent report of the 41^stInternational Exhibition
"Katten Kijken ‘99" Holland held on January 24^th. Here are excerpts from her report, "1003 cats were at the show. Nineteen Traditional Siamese cats came to the show, which was a surprise for the Dutch organization. It was the first time they had to admit to recognize this Siamese cat as different from the modern Siamese and bring a specialist. They had invited a German judge to examine this type. In Germany they have already accepted the Traditional Siamese as "Thai" and they use the written standard of FFEe.V. (Feline Federation Europe). Nine of the Traditional Siamese cats came from Germany. When the visitors were allowed in we did non-stop talking about our cats. Most were very surprised to see the "old fashioned" Siamese cat back on the show. They were very positive and sometimes deeply touched to recognize their own cat, passed away for many years. Eighteen Traditional Siamese cats got a "U" at this show (U=excellent animal for exhibitions and breeding). And for the first time I have seen two Traditional Siamese getting their prize on the platform for Best-Of-Variety and CACIB (Certificat d’ Aplitude au Championnat Internationa de Beaute)."