No sooner had our geriatric dog keeled over than a friend of a friend called, needing a home for his cat. He told us that Voodoo is a Himalayan, but I can’t find pictures of Himalayans online that look like him. He’s Siamese-pointed, with a blondish body and chocolate markings, and big blue eyes. He reminds me of a dog in the way that he acts – he’ll fetch his catnip mouse and bring it to you to be thrown, and roll on his back, all four paws in the air, for you to rub his belly. The Himalayans I find online all have long hair and sometimes smooshed faces, and look lighter-colored than Voodoo (but that could be a trick of lighting). I’d think he was a Siamese except that he’s not vocal at all, and my mother who’s had Siameses before insists that he doesn’t look like her Siamese cats she’s had.
So what is Voodoo? Is he really some sort of short-haired Himalayan, or a regular Siamese who doesn’t like to talk? Or some cross? He’s fixed so it’s not like we’re planning to breed him, I’m just curious. And please, no ‘clever’ answers like “a kitty”, at least not until someone actually offers me a halfway factual answer.
Siamese can be cross-bred with Orientals, which have the same body type, but are much quieter. Does he have a really pointy nose, big ears and is pretty slender through the body? If so, you might have a seal point Siamese.
What you’re describing sounds like a Siamese to me, so how is it that he doesn’t look like a Siamese?
Meezers do tend to be talkative, but genetic variation being what it is he perhaps just happens to be one of the rare quiet ones.
Not all Siamese are the rail-thin, super-angular ones you see from breeders, and from the few I’ve seen I think it’s a lot less common outside of purebreds. I’ve seen photos of the super-skinny ones, but I’ve never seen an actual pet Meezer who was. (And I think the “apple-headed” Siamese are prettier anyway.)
He’s probably a Meezer mutt. (I’ve been betting that one of my own cats is part Meezer, because of his body shape and how loudly vocal he is. He’s also jet black. So I’m thinking that the “mutt” part can have all sorts of effects on what traits end up expressing themselves.)
BTW, aside from the fact that seeing a photo might give me a better idea what you’re talking about… you know the rules!!
I was going to say a Tonkinese or a Burmese. They are in that colour range (Tonkinese moreso than Burmese) and are EXTREMELY affectionate. But yes, need pictures for the squeeing please.
I’ve had longer-furred, bigger Siamese-pointed cats born from a Siamese mother and something else. I’ve seen cats called “Himalayan” to signify that they had longer fur, though they weren’t Himalayans.
Tonkinese and Burmese are mutations from the Siamese and are generally of a different body type (semi-cobby). Burmese can be mistaken for older Siamese (their body color is typically darker than young Siamese), but even the pointed Tonkinese, such as the minks, often are described as “pointed like a Siamese but it’s not a Siamese)”–they just don’t look Siamese.
Snowshoes are pointed but have other, non-Siamese markings.
If you have a photo, I might be able to help more.
