This a brand new theory in the cat world. PoC is unique for out-of-the-box thinking and innovation 😉 It is a bit tongue-in-check and a bit of fun with a tiny smidgen of seriousness underneath.
We all know that Siamese cats have unique voices. It is quite raucous and loud. The classic meow has turned into a forceful yowl. There is a cute but hard edge to the tone. They are talkative and loyal cats who like to converse with their human companions. This is one of their great attractions.
We also know that domestic cats learn from observation – this is one example. Over thousands of years, is it beyond the bounds of possibility that the Siamese cat acquired its special voice by listening to his human companions; the people of Thailand, formerly Siam? Has human behavior rubbed off onto the domestic cat?
Although I created a crazy video to compare the sounds of the Thai language with the voice of the Siamese cat, I have decided not to use it because it may upset some people.
Update: I produced this very short video to compare the voice of a Siamese cat and Thai people. The video replays so you can hear the comparison several times if you wish.
I have this feeling that there are resonances in the sound of the Siamese cat to the sound of the Thai language. On that basis, perhaps cat breeds with a long history in a country have modified their behavior so that it matches the behavior and sounds of the people of the country. This would not be surprising.
Another example is the British Shorthair. Helmi Flick, who is the companion and owner of two British Shorthairs, describes her cats in a way that relates to the character of British people. She says they are reserved. And British Shorthairs are very quiet. It is almost as if she is talking about a British person or the conventional view of a British person.
The Maine Coon is not a good example. This cat breed has a fairly quiet voice and the American people, in general, are considered to be confident with strong voices. However, perhaps the Maine Coon is an anomaly. The cat is very much an American cat but the history of this cat in America is short compared to the Siamese and the British Shorthair in their respective countries. Also for a large part of the Maine Coon’s time in America she would have heard British and European voices/accents not the classic American one we hear nowadays.
- Maine Coon in America: 400 years
- Siamese in Thailand: 1000s of years
- British Shorthair in Britain: 2000 years, at least
I wonder if there is a connection between the behavior and language of people with the tone of the voice of a cat who has lived in that country for a long time?
Update: I finally produced a very short video which compares the voice of a Siamese cat – a pretty typical voice, I believe – with the voices of Thai people. It loops so you can hear it more than once without having to replay it.
I added a very short video comparing the voices.
I added a very short video comparing voices and sounds.
Thanks for the support for this idea. There are two things going on:
Certainly the loudness could have come about, as you say, because market cats would have been confronted with lots of noise. There are still lots of market cats where there is food. I also had this vision of a family speaking loudly at each other at home in an animated way, perhaps arguing. I think Thais can speak loudly at home. There is a certain quality about the Thai voice/language that has a similarity with the Siamese tone of voice, which is unique.
Siamese cats would have picked this up because they are close to people (described as loyal cats) and it would enhance their chance of being accepted and liked if they copied their human companion. Also a cat will tend to copy their senior family member as a lifestyle because the senior family member knows best. The Thai person is the senior family member.