150 ] Animal Friends and Helpers 



But which of the two was the original ancestor is a question that 

 has been hotly debated. The most generally held opinion favors 

 the African or Kaffir cat, which was tamed by the ancient Egyp- 

 tians. For centuries the domestic short-hair cats have mated 

 haphazardly, and as a result there is more variation in their size 

 and form than in any other breeds. 



PERSIAN CATS 



The Persian, or long-hair, cat is generally believed to have 

 originated somewhere in East Asia. Though its long silky coat 

 and fluffy tail give the Persian infinite grace, it is not so lithe in 

 build as the short-hair cats. Its body and legs are both short and 

 compact. "Refined" seems the most suitable adjective for the 

 Persian. It is characteristically unaggressive, lofty in its bearing, 

 and has a soft, well-modulated voice. 



SIAMESE CATS 



The Siamese cat is a comparative newcomer to America, 

 the first of the breed having been imported from England little 

 more than fifty years ago. Only a few years before that a famous 

 pair named Pho and Mia were first brought to England from 

 Siam. The Siamese cat is distinguished by its form its hind legs, 

 being longer than the front ones, give the body a slight tilt up- 

 ward from the shoulder to pelvis, and its head is long and wedge- 

 shaped with a flat forehead. 



The Siamese cat also has a peculiar coloration, which varies 

 with three distinctive types. The seal point Siamese has cream or 

 fawn-colored body fur, with face, ears, legs, and tail a seal brown. 

 Its slanted eyes are a deep sapphire blue. In the blue point 

 Siamese, the body color may be cream or pale blue with the 

 points (or markings) a deeper blue. As for the chocolate Siamese, 

 it has a deeper body tone and rich brown markings. 



The acrobatic ability of Siamese cats, combined with their 

 great mischievousness, gave rise to the legend that their ancestry 

 was part monkey. The legend is completely fanciful, but it is 

 amusing to recall it as you watch a Siamese climbing, leaping, 

 twisting its tail and in general performing "monkeyshines." 



