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The Siamese (Thai: วิเชียรมาศ, RTGS: Wichianmat) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat. The origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Thailand. In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichian Mat (วิเชียรมาศ, a name meaning “moon diamond” ). In the 20th century the Siamese cat became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America.
The pointed cat known in the West as “Siamese”, recognized for its distinctive markings, is one of several breeds of cats from Siam described and illustrated in manuscripts called “Tamra Maew” (Cat Poems), estimated to have been written from the 14th to 18th century.
It is often said that the breed was first seen outside their Asian home in 1884, when the British Consul-General in Bangkok, Edward Blencowe Gould (1847–1916), brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, Lilian Jane Veley (Veley went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901). However, in 1878, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes received “Siam”, a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok; this cat was also the first documented Siamese to reach the United States, and predates the Siamese’s arrival to the UK by 6 years.