TICA Standard 2008
SIAMESE BREED GROUP (SI/BA/OS/OL)
The Siamese (SI) is a medium-sized shorthair, pointed cat, oriental in type. The Balinese (BA) is a medium-sized semi-longhair, pointed cat, oriental in type. The Oriental Shorthair (OS) is a medium-sized shorthair, non-pointed cat, oriental in type. The Oriental Longhair (OL) is a medium-sized, semi-longhair, non-pointed cat, oriental in type.

HEAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 points
Shape. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Ears. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Eyes .... . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Neck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

BODY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 points
Torso. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Legs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Feet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Musculature.. . . 10

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN: 30 points
Texture. . . . . . . . . . . 10
Length.. . . . . . . . . . . 10
Color.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Pattern. . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CATEGORY: SI/BA - Pointed;OS/OL - Traditional.
DIVISIONS: All.
COLORS: SI/BA: All pointed colors. OS/OL: All traditional colors.
PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES: None.

HEAD

Shape: Wedge, created by straight lines extending from the nose to the tips of the ears forming a triangle; fine muzzle with no muzzle break. Forehead is flat.

Profile: Long straight line from forehead to nose OR slight change of angle midway over eyes (i.e. twoplaned).

Ears: Wide at base, strikingly large. Set to continue the line of the wedge; neither too high nor too flared.

Eyes: Almond-shaped, mediumlarge, set with an Oriental slant toward the nose such that a line from inner corner through outer corner is in line with center of base of ear. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. Deeper more vivid color preferred in all breeds
SI/BA-Blue; OS/OL-Green is preferred in all coat colors, with gold acceptable, except in solid white and/or particolors where eye color may be green (gold), blue or oddeyed. Points shall be divided equally between eye color and shape size/shape/set.

Chin: Tip of nose in line with tip of chin.

Neck: Long and slender

Miscellaneous: Allow for jowls in males.

BODY:

Torso: Long and tubular with equal width at shoulders and hips. Medium-sized. Fine-boned. Musculature: Very firm, lithe,
well-muscled

Legs: Long with hind legs higher than front legs; finely boned but proportioned to carry the body length and weight; firm muscles.

Feet: Small and oval.

Tail: Long, in proportion to overall cat. (SI/OS): Narrow at base, tapering to fine point; whippy. (BA/OL): Plume. Long and
feathery.

Miscellaneous: Allow for proportionately larger size in males.

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:

Coat: (SI/OS): Very short, tight, closelying; fine textured. (BA/OL): Semi-longhair, closelying; slight undercoat; fine, silky
texture. A shorter coat is permitted over the shoulders.

Color/Pattern: It is understood that there is a range of colors within each color class. Emphasis is to be on soundness and clarity of color, not on individual hue. (SI/BA): Even color on the body with any shading to be in the color of the points. Allowance for darker body shading in older cats; however, definite contrast between body and points must exist. Particolor points will have various markings of color and white throughout the body and at no time should color patches or patches of shading on the body be considered a fault. Lack of leg and tail barring desirable, except in lynx points. Lack of body barring
desirable in all patterns. (OS/OL): Even solid color for solid colored coats. Pattern should be well-defined with definite contrast between pattern and ground color.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The ideal cat of this breed group is a svelte, graceful, refined cat of medium size with long tapering lines.  It is in excellent physical condition, very strong, lithe and muscular giving the sensation of solid weight without excess bulk. While the breed is considered "medium" in size, balance and proportion are to be considered of greater consequence. The cat should "fit together". If it is extreme in one part, all parts should be extreme to retain balance.

ALLOWANCES: Dip above the eyes (headache band) in kittens and young adults to 12 months. Ghost barring in kittens and young adults to 12 months. SI/BA: Incomplete point color and mask in kittens and young adults to 12 months.

PENALIZE: Receding or excessively massive chin. Roman profile. Roman nose. Miniature size. Any evidence of poor condition. SI/BA: Belly spots and/or flank spots; tabby markings on the torso of lynx points.

WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS (WW): Evidence of illness, poor health, emaciation. White lockets and buttons; white toes and feet
(including paw pads) except in particolors; patches of white in the points, except in particolor points.

DISQUALIFY (DQ): Visible tail fault. Crossed eyes. Visible protrusion of the cartilage at the end of the sternum
(xiphoid process).

Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm. In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing, except as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification  (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications.


Above: champion and grand champion TICA Siamese - sometimes called "modern" or "show style" Siamese