Siamese descend from the pointed Wichianmat cats of Thailand, once called Siam, and reached Britain and the United States in the late 1800s. Their pale bodies, darker face, ears, paws and tail, and vivid blue almond eyes come from a temperature-sensitive pigment gene. The coat is short and fine with no undercoat, so grooming stays simple.
Siamese are talkative, intelligent and closely bonded to their people, and they can protest loudly or get into mischief when bored or alone. In Stockton, many cats with pointed coloring are Siamese mixes with similar looks and personalities, and only pedigree papers confirm a purebred. Each cat differs, so personality matters more than the label.