Cats of Siam, Part 1

I recently picked up a book (The Legend of the Siamese Cat by Martin Clutterbuck) that describes the Tamra Maew, a centuries-old collection of Siamese cat poems and drawings. It's quite a fun read, and explains a lot about cats in traditional culture and folklore.

Not only do the poems describes beliefs and superstitions surrounding each breed, they classify indigenous felines by their coloring.

We did a bit of cat watching over the weekend, first wandering onto the grounds of Wat Pathumwan, a small temple sandwiched between two malls. Despite signs stating not to abandon cats and dogs on the grounds, several friendly cats approached immediately, looking for food. Even in one of the busiest commercial areas in the city, the cats appeared healthy, well-fed, and oblivious to the commotion outside temple walls.

The Tamra Maew contains several verses that refer to crooked tails as signs of evil, so these cats be best left alone or released at the temple. That explains why most of the cats we encountered had a kinked, stumpy tail. Then again, this could be purely coincidental and simply part of the street cat gene pool.

Other passages in the Tamra Maew warn of the bad fortune surrounding cats with tiger stripes with a "voice like a ghost shriek, calling the land to destruction" and those with a "white body, the eyes like chewed betel as if applied with blood." There are six "bad" breeds in total.

On the flip side, the poems tout seventeen "good" breeds, that "should be sought out and bred, for honour, rank, good health, riches increase." This includes the six Thai breeds, including the royal Khao Manee, that remain in existence today.

It didn't occur to me that there were so many cat breeds from Thailand. I find the poems really interesting, but I like cats so...(stop yawning!). Stay tuned for Part 2, the pedigrees.