Extract from the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia Official Standard for Group 2 Breeds - 11/11/2000


GENERAL STANDARD

NOTE: The TYPE standard for Siamese, Balinese, Foreign White (Shorthair and Longhair) and Oriental (Shorthair and Longhair) is identical. Cats in this breed group are medium-sized, beautifully-balanced, with head, ears and neck carried on a long, svelte, well-muscled body, supported on slender legs, with feet and tail in proportion. The head and profile should be wedge-shaped, neither round nor pointed. The expression is alert and intelligent. Males are generally larger than females.

HEAD - a tapering wedge that is medium in size and in proportion to the body. The wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tip of the ears, an equilateral triangle being the ideal, slightly convex across the top of the skull, forehead flat (this is the area between ear base and top of eye opening) with no break at the whiskers and a fine muzzle. When the whiskers are smoothed back, the underlying straight bone structure is apparent. Allowance is made for jowls in stud males. In profile, the straight line formed from the nose leather to the centre of the forehead changes angle slightly and curves over the top of the skull and flows smoothly into the neck, without any irregularity.

EARS - large, pricked, wide at the base, flared, with good width between and continuing the line of the wedge. N.B. In kittens, the ears may appear to be oversized and fall outside the line of the wedge. Allowance may be made for this.

EYES - oriental in shape, with no less than the width of an eye between them. They are medium in size, slanting slightly downward towards the nose, in harmony with the lines of the wedge, ears and head size. They are neither protruding nor recessed and there must be no permanent squint.

NOSE - long, straight and of even width, with no dip or rise.

CHEEKS - in line with the wedge, neither protruding nor too narrow.

JAWS - fine, wedge-shaped and medium in size.

CHIN - firm, completing the line of the wedge. In profile, it is of good depth and in a vertical line with the tip of the nose.

NECK - long and slender, in proportion to the body; being one of the features which gives elegance to these cats.

BODY - medium in size, long, svelte and elegant, with fine bones and firm muscles. The abdomen is tight, the body tubular, with the shoulder and hips continuing the sleek, straight lines of the body. The rib cage is oval when viewed from the front.

TAIL - long, whip-like, tapering from the base to the tip, in proportion to the body, and without kink.

LEGS - long, slim and elegant, in proportion to the body. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs.

PAWS- small and oval.

SIAMESE COLOUR AND COAT

COAT LENGTH AND TEXTURE
Very short, fine, glossy and lying close to the body.

COAT COLOUR
To conform to the individual colour standard.

BODY
There must be clear contrast between the points and body colour. Shading, if any, should tone with the point colour but be of a lighter shade. Slight, even shading on the flanks is permissible. Deeper body colour may be evident in some cats due to age or climatic conditions. There should be no barring or other markings on the body of any Siamese, with barring limited to the points in Tabby Points. Some concession may be made for orange gene varieties, which allow tabby markings to be partially expressed in the points.

MASK, EARS, LEGS AND TAIL
Points are to be as even as possible, though ears are often slightly darker. The mask should be clearly defined and complete (except in kittens) and must not extend over the entire head (called hooding), but is connected to the ears by tracings of colour. Ideally, leg colour should be up to the first leg joint, but may be less than this in dilute colours and Tabby Points.

EYE COLOUR
Eyes are decidedly blue, with depth of colour to be strong and even in all varieties and to conform to the individual colour standard.

SOLID COLOUR POINTED SIAMESE

SEAL
Body colour: cream, shading to pale, warm fawn on the back. Kittens are paler.
Point colour: dense, seal brown, with a warm rather than cold tone.
Eye colour: clear, deep, brilliant blue.
Nose leather: seal brown, toning with points.
Paw pads: seal brown, toning with points.

BLUE
Body colour: glacial white. Shading, if any, to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: cold-toned blue, with paler shades preferred.
Eye colour: clear, bright, vivid blue.
Nose leather: blue, toning with points.
Paw pads: blue, toning with points.

CHOCOLATE
Body colour: ivory. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: warm milk chocolate, with paler shades preferred.
Eye colour: clear, deep blue, with violet undertones.
Nose leather: pinkish chocolate, toning with points.
Paw pads: pinkish chocolate, toning with points.

LILAC
Body colour: off-white (magnolia shade). Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: soft, pinkish grey, with paler shades preferred.
Eye colour: clear, bright blue, with violet undertones.
Nose leather: pinkish grey, toning with points.
Paw pads: pinkish grey, toning with points.

CINNAMON
Body colour: warm ivory. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: rich, reddish brown, with brighter shades preferred.
Eye colour: clear, deep blue, with a slight violet undertone.
Nose leather: light tan to pink, toning with points.
Paw pads: light tan to pink, toning with points.

FAWN
Body colour: very pale ivory. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: pale, warm pinkish fawn, with paler shades preferred.
Eye colour: clear, bright blue, with a slight violet undertone.
Nose leather: fawn to pink, toning with points.
Paw pads: fawn to pink, toning with points.

CARAMEL
Body colour: magnolia (off-white). Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: cold bluish fawn with a slight metallic overtone.
Eye colour: clear, bright blue, with a slight violet undertone.
Nose leather: bluish fawn.
Paw pads: bluish fawn.

RED
Body colour: milky white. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: rich apricot, with brighter tones preferred. While it is not desirable, allowances should be made for slight barring on the mask, legs and tail.
Eye colour: clear, deep, brilliant blue.
Nose leather: pink.
Paw pads: pink.

APRICOT
Body colour: warm white. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: rich dark cream, with a slight metallic sheen. While it is not desirable, allowances should be made for slight barring on the mask, legs and tail.
Eye colour: clear, vivid blue.
Nose leather: pink.
Paw pads: pink.

CREAM
Body colour: ivory. Shading, if any, is to tone with the points, but of a lighter shade.
Point colour: rich cream, with paler shades preferred. While it is not desirable, allowances should be made for slight barring on the mask, legs and tail.
Eye colour: clear vivid blue.
Nose leather: pink.
Paw pads: pink.