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Photos of Our Adult Cats |
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Photos of Our Adult Cats |
Mournie-Na-Mair of Sarsenstone, "The French Siamese"
Sarsenstone Cattery is unique: most of our Old-Style Siamese breeding cats were imported from Thailand or are recent offspring of Siamese imported from Thailand. To our knowledge, we have the only Siamese breeding program in the western hemisphere that has imported Siamese from Thailand. You might think it was common practice, but it is not. That's because it is expensive, and there are considerable language and cultural barriers involved before one can visit and obtain a Siamese from Thailand.
Thailand is a tropical country where ringworm, endoparasites, and ectoparasites are prevalent. Import plans can easily fail if the cat at the last minute fails the required Thai veterinary examination, and so they should. Only healthy cats can endure the long journey and remain in good shape. Even today, the trip from Thailand to North America takes about 24 hours, what with taxi time, flight time, and layover and inspection time (customs, security, public health).
Incidentally, we went to Thailand to meet and choose our cats in person, and we brought them back with us in the same taxis, in the same planes. What they endured, we endured.
Even after the importation is complete, the Western cat associations have rules that make it quite a challenge to earn legitimate registration status for Thai Siamese. We spent the time, money (many thousands of dollars), resources, and endured the considerable stress of importing the cats and getting them acclimated to their new home because we believe the Siamese breed badly needs the combination of authenticity and healthy genetic diversity that only the Thai Siamese can contribute. When bred to Western Siamese, the Thai Siamese provide an astounding 100 year outcross. That's a big shot in the shoulder for the health of the Siamese breed.
Sarsenstone Cattery: Old-Style Siamese Studs
Chiangmai Piab of Sarsenstone, in the photo as a three year old blue point stud. Piab means "a lot," and this boy is definitely a lot. He's a lot of the real thing, a "Wichien-maat" (Siamese) imported into the U.S. directly from Thailand. Piab was bred by Malee and Ed Rose of Chiangmai Cattery in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Piab's father was still living at age 15 years and in good health when we visited him for the second time at the end of 2003 in northern Thailand. His mother and grandmother also were there and both as beautiful as ever. Piab's great grandmother was a gift from Thailand to the king of Spain, and one of his other relatives was used as a model for Thailand's famous cat stamps. Piab's name doesn't tend to be pronounced correctly by Anglos, so he most often goes by the callname Pip or Pippy.
Greenlaneclan Galois of Sarsenstone, seen here as a one year old blue point stud, and from other angles here and here. Galois was named after the passionate and brilliant mathematician, Evariste Galois (pronounced gal-WAH), who lived through the French Reign of Terror only to die, still a very young man, in a duel, but not before he had made extraordinary contributions to the field of mathematics. Our Galois, the Siamese Galois, is from venerable American Old-Style Siamese lines. His pedigree is chock full of ancestors separated by unusually long generations. This indicates two things, that Galois probably inherited genes for longevity and vigor, and also that Galois's genes are from an earlier time. He's closer in time to the cats of the mid-20th century, has more of those old genes, than do most Siamese alive today.
Sarsenstone Cattery: Old-Style Siamese Queens
Old-Style Siamese, Pet Kittens Now Grown UpSarsenstone Ardriel, chocolate point, when she was one year old. Ardriel is the daughter of Junoette and Kyrkonan. Ardriel, another view as a one year old. Ardriel continued to have the unshaded, ivory body that is ideal in a chocolate point. Here is Ardriel again at nearly three years old, and she looked just as wonderful at age five. Ardriel is a passionate, talkative, lively girl. She inherited a great deal of "French" factor from her great grandmother, Mournie-Na-Mair. Ardriel is also a party girl. She loves people, whether she met them ten seconds ago or ten years ago, just as long as they accord her the respect she is due as La Belle Sans Pareil. Ardriel is now retired from breeding, but her daughters have carried on her legacy in Germany.
Arirat Kittiya of Sarsenstone (aka "Kid"), when she was a one year old seal point. Kid was imported from Thailand. If you compare her baby photos on our Thailand page to her young (pregnant) adult photos, here and here and here, you can see she didn't change in personality. Kid didn't change much physically either other than the normal darkening of the points due to being older and living in cold California (well, it's cold compared to Thailand!).* Even though Kid shared no relatives with our American Siamese for about the last 100 years, she shared a great deal in common with them in personality. As one TICA judge said after examining Kid, "The only thing she could be is a Siamese!" It's reassuring to see that after 100 years the Siamese on both sides of the Pacific are clearly the same breed. Kittiya is retired now and living with one of her sons in San Francisco, but her grandson, Auxchaton Beringer of Evinea, is still contributing vigor and personality to the breed on the other side of the country. One of her great granddaughters, Sarsenstone Demorgan, will soon be a queen.
Catarea Liilaa of Sarsenstone. Liilaa (pronounced lee-LAAH) is a Thai name that means "graceful poise," such as a dancer would have. She's a seal point born in Bangkok, Thailand, and brought by us to the U.S. in 2004. Liilaa has an exceptionally white body, even now after adapting to "cold" California, sound-as-a-rock good health and intelligence, playful nature, gets along beautifully with other cats, and has proven an able and loving mother.
Sarsenstone Xyris. Her name rhymes with papyrus. She is a seal point Old-Style Siamese queen named after the flower known as the xyris, a member of the iris family that likes tropical climates but is native to North America. Our Xyris is a Siamese, born in our cattery, whose ancestors on both sides are recent imports from Thailand. That makes Xyris native to America, but tropical and exotic in character. She is the daughter of Catarea Liilaa of Sarsenstone and Sarsenstone Jaroah, and she's the paternal granddaughter of Chiangmai Piab of Sarsenstone and Siamphong Charoensri of Sarsenstone.
Sandypoints Mersenne of Sarsenstone. This charming young blue point queen is derived from the same Green Lane Cattery lineage as our stud, Galois, and she has a lot of the same dashing character, keen intelligence, and unforgettable "harmonica" voice that Galois has. Bred to Piab, she should produce some of those 100 year outcross kittens we've been talking about.
These Siamese were neutered and placed in new homes as kittens, or occasionally as young adults. Grown up or mostly grown up now, they live with humans who love and respect them as family members and as the little persons they are. To conserve web space, the photos are necessarily a small sample of many we have received and cover a span of more than ten years.
Sarsenstone Ibiza, seal point female at about 1 year old, inherited a sense of humor from her mother, Sarsenstone Catriona Capalu. Thanks to John Michael and Grace for the photos.
Sarsenstone Boracai, seal lynx point female at about 1 year old, shows she's a true meezer, happy to approach and give her humans an earful at a moment's notice. Boracai was the daughter of Siamphong Charoensri of Sarsenstone (seal lynx point Siamese from Thailand, now retired) and our blue point boy, Chiangmai Piab of Sarsenstone. Thanks to John Michael and Grace for doing a great job of capturing the personality of their girls in photos.
Sarsenstone Bravo and Sarsenstone Primo are the best of friends. Thanks to Leen for a charming photo. Bravo, a blue lynx point, was the son of Siamphong Charoensri of Sarsenstone and Chiangmai Piab of Sarsenstone. He's full brother to Boracai (see above). Primo, the seal point boy, joined Leen's family the year after Bravo. Primo was the son of Sarsenstone Catriona Capalu and Sarsenstone Jaganatha (now retired).
Sarsenstone Raif & Sarsenstone Gigi, seal point (left) and chocolate point (right), when they were 1 year old. Thanks to owner Randall for this photo.Sarsenstone Koko, seal point female, when she was1 year old. Thanks to owner Terry for this photo
Sarsenstone Qwilleran, seal point male, when he was 1 year old. Thanks to owner Terry.
Sarsenstone Tregarth, when he was a 1 year old chocolate point male (at right), thinking "French" thoughts with his mother, Mournie-Na-Mair of Sarsenstone (seal point at left).
Sarsenstone Tregarth, an excellent example of an Old-Style Siamese male in his prime.
Sarsenstone Teddy, when he was a 10 month old seal point male. Also see Teddy's amazing portrayal of famous historic Siamese cats at the bottom of our page entitled The Kids Having Fun. Thanks to owners Rainie and Eric for these photos.
Sarsenstone Teddy, another view at age 1 1/2 years.. Teddy was litter brother to Sondegaard.
Sarsenstone Nika, blue point female, at age 2 years. She was the daughter of Mournie-Na-Mair of Sarsenstone and Farpoint Sargon of Sarsenstone (both retired from breeding). Nika, front view of face at age 2 years. (The red pupils are caused by the camera flash.) Thanks to Nika's owners Lana and Maurice for the photo.
Sarsenstone Mithril ("Kym"), seal point female, when she was two years old. Thanks to Kym's person Jenny for the photo.
Kym, the seal point (left), and Mia, the chocolate point (right), were two year olds in these phots and are full sisters from the same litter. You can see them elsewhere on this web page as Sarsenstone Mithril (Kym) and Sarsenstone Cara Mia. Thanks to owners Jenny and Mary for the photos.
Sarsenstone Scooby, when he was two years old, a seal point. Scooby was also from the same litter as Kym and Mia above. Parents of Mia, Kym, and Scooby were Sarsenstone Lirla and Farpoint Sargon of Sarsenstone (both retired). Thanks to owner Claudette for Scooby's photo.
Sarsenstone Maxwell, when he was approx. 10 months old, seal point. Maxwell's people Karen and Nick caught him in just the right light.
Sarsenstone Maxwell & Sarsenstone Roger. These seal point boys, at that time 10 months old, love to investigate kitchen sinks, counters, and windows. See also the Christmas photo of Max and Roger as they were at age one year on the Sarsenstone Kids Having Fun page. Thanks to Karen and Nick for the photos.
Sarsenstone Geryon, when he was eight months old, a chocolate point. He clearly loves his scratching post! Geryon was full brother to Ardriel, Dove, and Halcyon. See photos of his sisters on this page. Thanks to Jenny for the photo.
Sarsenstone Merlin, seal point male, when he was one year old. Merlin was the son of Bellwhether and Aramis (both now retired). Thanks to owner Judy for the photo.
Sarsenstone Pyewacket, when he was about two years old. Pyewacket is lounging with his good buddy Fritz. Pyewacket was the son of Ronan and Kyrkonan (both now retired). Pye is slender like his dad, but nonetheless a big boy, nearly as large as "Uncle" Fritz and weighing in at 13 pounds when this photo was taken. Thanks to Fred for the photo. Oh yes, Fred wants us to say that Fritz, although he was born on the wrong side of the tracks and lacks pedigree or diploma, has been a terrific foster father to young Mr. Pyewacket.
Pyewacket again, in this photo now going on three years old. This time he's napping with his friend Coco. Coco is a rescued Himalayan mix. (Coco is Fred's spayed, rescued cat and did not come from Sarsenstone Cattery.) Pye is in the front and Coco in the back. Note the distinct difference in head shapes between the Old-Style Siamese, which should always have a rounded, modified wedgeshaped head, as compared with the Himalyan mix with her genuinely round skull and minimal muzzle. Siamese and Himalayans both have the colorpoint pattern, but their head and body builds are quite different. Thanks to owner Fred for the photo.
Sarsenstone Dove, when she was nine months old, a chocolate point. DON'T be deceived by Dovey's mild-sounding name or her taste for classical music as shown in this photo. She can also be at times what 1930s era Siamese fancier Phyllis Lauder called a Siamese "imp of Satan." Gee, aren't you glad we and our fellow breeders are keeping those Siamese traits alive for all posterity? Thanks to owner Cyndy for the photo.
Sarsenstone Mei Ling, one year old, chocolate point. Mei Ling was full sister to Dovey, Geryon, Halcyon, and Ardriel. The Terrible Gang of Five, as they were when they were kittens, can be seen in the photo at the top of the Sarsenstone Kittens page. Thanks to Sharon P., John, and Jamie for the photo.
Sarsenstone Samurai Lord O'Rische, when he was one year old, the seal point son of Penumbra of Sarsenstone and Sarsenstone Aramis (both now retired). Thanks to Sharon R. for the photo.
Sarsenstone Hapi, when he was nine months old, the seal point son of Sarsenstone Ardriel and Sarsenstone Brandagon Ri (both parents now retired). Thanks to Lisa and Ray for the photo.
Sarsenstone Nessie, just a hair short of eight months old. Nessie was the seal point daughter of Sarsenstone Catriona Capalu and "Cecil" (Mr. Right to Escort of Scofflaw). Those are Nessie's litter brothers at the top of the "Kids Having Fun" page. Thanks to Karen and Nick for the photo of Nessie.
Sarsenstone Albert and Fernando, now one year old. These seal point brothers were littermates to Sarsenstone Nessie. They like to play with their human friends, and also with each other. ("Mom, he's picking on me again!") Thanks to Jody and Bryan for the photos.
Sarsenstone Saffyre, eight months old and already over ten pounds. She's a big girl, just like her mother and maternal grandfather. Thanks to Charleen and Gary for the photo.
*Remember that all Siamese are born white and darken gradually until they are about three years old. Siamese color is also temperature sensitive. Siamese living in cooler climates are darker than Siamese living in hotter climates.
Photographs and text copyright © 1996-2007 by Dr. Cris Bird. You may not redistribute it in any form without the express written consent of the copyright holder.
