Thai

Cats from Thailand (former Siam) started getting imported to Europe and the US in the 19th century. The Thai and Siamese histories are the same at that point. After World War II, the real difference started when cat breeders decided to form a breed with slightly different characteristics than the modern-day Siamese has. In the 80s, cat breeding clubs across the US and Europe decided to preserve the “traditional” Siamese characteristics, hence the name - Old-Style Siamese. They focused on creating a new breed with moderate features closer to cats still found in their country of origin. They disliked how the “new” Siamese breed developed, so they focused their efforts on creating the Thai. The “new-old” breed received international recognition in 1990.

The Thai cat breed has the characteristics you would traditionally associate with this animal. They don’t go into extremes like the Siamese. The Thai’s head is modified but still has a wedge shape. It has an elongated flat forehead and a nose with a slight concave curve at eye level. Here are other characteristics we will focus on.

Coat

These cats have an incredibly soft coats. Mind you, it is a common characteristic among cats, but it is still incredibly soft. The Thai’s coat is short and flat-laying. Unlike the modern-day Siamese, the Thai doesn’t carry the longhair gene.

Coat color

Another important physical characteristic of this breed is its color. The Thai comes in in all possible point colors. The tabby, tortie, solid, and torbie points are included.

Size

The Thai cat breed is not the largest breed in the world. In fact, it is considered a medium-sized breed. Most adult cats weigh 8 - 15 pounds.

Temperament

The most crucial part of any cat breed is not its physical appearance but its temperament. That might sometimes be overlooked in cat shows, but this is really important for all future owners. The Thai are very people-focused. They love having company, so don’t be surprised if your Thai cat follows you everywhere you go. That also makes them pretty great with kids. These cats are curious and reasonably active. They love climbing, so safe, climbable furniture would be a great thing to have. The Thai is also very vocal, so this is not the breed for you if you don’t want a talkative cat.

Health

The Thai is generally considered a healthy breed. These cats usually live 12 - 16 years. Unlike many other cat breeds, the Thai doesn’t seem prone to breed-specific health issues. However, some problems can still bother them. Those issues are;

• Crossed eyes and kinked tails - This is primarily an aesthetic issue and shouldn’t impact the cat’s overall health.
• Amyloidosis - This disease causes the amyloid protein to deposit in the cat’s organs, mainly in the liver and kidneys.

World Cat Finder Team