Sarahna Cats of Pennsylvania

Sarahna Cats
10340 Cutter Rd
Meadville, PA 16335
ph: 814-337-6720
alt: 814-282-3759
info@sarahnacats.com

Traditional, Classic, and Modern Siamese and Balinese Cats and Kittens

Breeding for Health, Temperament and Beauty

SIAMESE
Our Siamese program encompasses three styles: traditional applehead, classic, and modern. The traditional types are known as 'Old Style Siamese' within the Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF). The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) has a breed standard for Siamese cats that specifies the modern style; however, many traditional style cats have eight-generation (at minimum) pedigrees registered with the CFA. Our traditional Siamese cats all have this extensive pedigree.

Our breeding philosophy is that health, longevity, and temperament come first. We are dedicated to breeding cats free of genetic health problems who will be devoted and long-lived companions. Our aim is to produce cats of moderate type, with a distinctive Siamese appearance, voice, and personality. We intend to bring together the best features of various types with the goal of strengthening and improving the breed. This is a labor of love that takes time and patience, but is infinitely worth the effort.

A traditional 'applehead' Siamese cat is a moderately large cat with a fairly round head (hence the term 'applehead'), a substantial body, and a plush, soft coat. The voice tends to be quieter than that of the modern types. Our queen Permes Mayan Dawn of Sarahna is an excellent example of this style.

A classic Siamese cat has a moderate wedge shaped head and face, with more definition to the muzzle than the applehead, longer legs, and a slimmer, more muscular body. The Siamese coat is smooth and lies flatter than that of the applehead. This cat is also substantial in size, with a voice that may range from quieter tones to a more distinctive, louder tone. A variant of the classic Siamese is the lynx-point, shown below.

A 'modern' or 'wedgehead' style Siamese cat is a medium-sized, exotic looking cat with a wedge-shaped face forming a triangle from chin to ears, long, slim legs, a slim, tubular-shaped body, and a long, elegant tail. The coat is extremely short and lies flat. The voice is distinctive and individual, and is used to carry on animated conversations!

All three types of Siamese cat exhibit the very person-oriented, dog-like personality and playfulness that characterize the breed. They easily learn to come when called, to play games such as 'fetch', and to obey the rules of the house. They love to carry on conversations with 'their' humans and to be in on everything that goes on in the house. Like dogs, they require human affection and interaction and don't do well when left alone for prolonged periods of time.

All of the cats at Sarahna are registered with both the CFA and CFF.
BALINESE
Our Balinese breeding program focuses on the traditional classic style. The Balinese breed derives from the Siamese; a Balinese cat is simply a Siamese that expresses the recessive longhair gene. This gene is thought to have arisen as a spontaneous mutation.
Balinese cats retain the intelligence, playfulness, and devoted personalities of the Siamese breed. They are 'single-coated', lacking a thick undercoat, so their silky long hair lies smoothly against their bodies. Their tails are a dramatic feathery plume.

A variant of the Balinese is the lynx-point Balinese, which until recently was designated separately by the CFA as Javanese. The lynx-point Balinese possesses the same silky long coat and plumed tail combined with subtle striped points. Traditional lynx-point Balinese cats are uncommon and very striking in appearance.