Pet Breed Focus: The Siamese cat

This month we're taking a look at the well known and popular breed the Siamese cat.

This is an old breed originating from Thailand (previously Siam) that has been illustrated in historic manuscripts such as the Tamra Maew written between the 14th and 18th centuries, demonstrating the age of the breed.

The cats were first brought over the West to the USA in 1878 and later to the UK in 1885 and 1886 and were the first demonstrations of point-colouration (dark ears, feet, nose, etc in relation to a pale body) seen in cats. The breed became popular and by the 1950s and 60s shows began favouring a more slender look, and wide-set ears along with a perfect triangle shape made with the nose and ears. As such the original more muscular style cats disappeared from shows but have still continued to be bred and are often called Thai cats.

The breed is distinguished by point-colouration, having almond-shaped blue eyes, wide-set large ears, triangular head, and a slender body with short fur. Temperment-wise it is known for being vocal and 'conversing' as well as intelligent, affectionate, and playful where even as adults cat may play fetch and can act dog-like.

The point-colouration seen is actually a form of partial albinism due to a mutated enzyme involved in pigment production. This enzyme is heat-sensitive where it fails to work at normal body temperatures but is able to function at the cooler extremities. All Siamese kittens are born cream or white and the points only develop later. Owing to the heat-sensitive nature of the colouration generally cats will be paler in warmer climes as well as darken more with age. The same recessive trait leading to the point-colouration also effects their eyesight and unlike most cats Siamese cats lack the mirror-like tapetum lucidum at the back of their eyes. This means that the night vision of Siamese cats is rather poor, making them more vulnerable to road accidents in more urban areas. The optic nerves can also be affected at the optic chiasm at the base of the brain where the nerves cross and many early cats were cross-eyed to compensate. This has largely been bred out now.

Many breeds owe their origin to the Siamese cat including the Balinese, Ocicat, Burmese, Himalayan, and Havana brown. The breed has been featured in the media such as in Disney's Aristocats, and the cat Tao from the book The Incredible Journey.

Work in Progress: Puma Complete

Welcome to part 3 of my work in progress of my Puma painting.

After spending so much time working on the extensive rocky background it was a relief to get painting the puma. The background still however isn't complete at this stage. The trees to the right and left of the puma need to be worked on. I've made a start on the tree on the right as well as some rocks and snow in the foreground.

It might seem that I'm building up the puma in an unusual piecemeal fashion, and maybe I am, but I'm making sure to work the furthest back parts of the puma first as there is some overlap of limbs and paws for example. I find this works to give more of a natural overlap than just painting it all at once.

As the sections are built up I add more detail before moving onto the next section. I've added some of the snow detail in the branches and ground at this point.

With the puma nearly done (just a few head details to go) I work on the tree to the left, just visible in this shot. The snow on the ground and the right-most tree is done and I just have to add it to the remaining tree and darken the side of the tail a little.

And there finally done! I hope you like it.

Spring is here

As of March 1st it is officially spring here in the UK. Unlike the snowed up parts of Eastern USA it was a pretty mild winter here, particularly in the southeast where it felt like spring had already arrived a couple of weeks ago.

The snowdrops have been out for over a month and daffodils buds are springing open with a sunny flush of yellow that echoes the lighter mornings. Along the woodland edges  and hedgerows lords-and-ladies are sending up verdant spears of leaves and clumps of cow parsley and goosegrass are beginning to grow. Lesser celandine (a member of the buttercup family and not closely related to Greater celandine) is also in bloom with star-shaped yellow blossoms and in the garden crocuses are emerging.

Slightly higher up Cherry trees are starting to bud into white and pink blossoms which will be followed by the flowering of Blackthorn and Hawthorn trees. The birds too are singing more as they investigate and claim territories for nesting sites.

Up in the woodland you may me lucky and find one of our native daffodils instead of a planted cultivar. These are generally smaller than garden varieties and tend to clump together in patches. Their leaves are narrow and grey-green and they have paler yellow petals that taper to a point; contrasting with a brighter yellow trumpet.

Not a native one unfortunately

Other woodland flowers will follow such as Wood anemones, which will carpet the woodland floor in white before being closely followed by the purple haze of bluebells and early purple orchids. All making the most of the sunshine before the trees burst into leaf and the canopy closes up.

Keep an eye on your ponds too as the amphibians move back in, if they haven't already, the earliest frogspawn can be found in Jaunary!