The Purrfect 10: Siamese Cats in Pop Culture

We love reading and researching anything and everything about cats, and wanted to find a fun and unique way to share the interesting facts we learn with you! Since top 10 lists are very popular in the blogosphere, we created The Purrfect 10 as a way to present 10 educational or fascinating tidbits about a wide variety of cat-related topics, everything from health issues to cat breeds to famous felines.

Thanks to their distinctive looks and unique personality, Siamese cats have long been a fixture in popular culture. Since today is National Siamese Cat Day, we're shining a light on some of our favorite meezers in movies and books.

1) Si & Am in Lady & the Tramp: Probably the most famous Siamese cats on the silver screen, the devious duo wrecks havoc throughout Lady's home and then manages to lay the blame completely on her, all the while singing The Siamese Cat Song. (We are Siamese if you pl-ee-ee-se...)

2) DC (Darn Cat) in That Darn Cat!: When the irrepressible and always hungry D.C. (Darn Cat) turns up with a wristwatch for a collar, it becomes a tip-off to an unsolved robbery and kidnapping. The fur flies when an FBI agent who is allergic to cats is assigned the task of following D.C. to uncover the robbers' hideout. Syn the Siamese won a PATSY Award (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) in 1966 for his role in the film!

3) Tao in The Incredible Journey: Syn was also the feline star of this 1963 film based on the novel The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, following the adventure of three pets, Luath the Labrador Retriever, Bodger the Bull Terrier, and Tao the Siamese cat (Syn), as they journey through the Canadian wilderness to return to their home.

4) Shun Gon in The Aristocats: A member of Scat Cat's Alley Cats jazz band, Shun Gon plays the piano (sometimes with chopsticks) and a set of drums made mostly from pots and pans.

5) Cameo in The Wizard of Oz: This kitty's scene is brief, but pivotal! Dorothy is finally headed back home via hot air balloon when Toto spots the Siamese cat and chases after her. Dorothy goes after her beloved dog and the balloon takes off without her, leaving her stranded in Oz once again.

6) Koko and Yum Yum in The Cat Who... series: One of the most famous long-running cozy mystery series starring cats (and likely the first, beginning in 1966), The Cat Who... is a series of twenty-nine mystery novels and three related collections by Lilian Jackson Braun, featuring a former crime reporter named Jim Qwilleran and his Siamese cats, Kao K'o-Kung (Koko for short) and Yum Yum. Koko has a “sixth sense,” which enables him to assist Qwill in solving mysteries.

7) Pyewacket in Bell, Book & Candle: This Siamese is a central character (and scene stealer) in the movie, as he is the feline familiar of Gillian the witch. The cat's real name is unknown, but he won a PATSY award in 1959, and reportedly stole the heart of actress Kim Novak, going home with her upon completion of the picture.

8) Bucky in Get Fuzzy: It's impossible not to fall in love with the cynical Siamese star of Darby Conley's Get Fuzzy who shares an apartment in Boston with a dog named Satchel and their owner, Rob. Ears flat on his head and missing an upper canine tooth, Bucky lives in a dresser in the hall closet of Rob's apartment because he refuses to share a room with Satchel and rides around town in a strap-on "Bundle-O-Joy" baby carrier. He gets his kicks from insulting Satchel (even though these insults typically go over the poor pup's head), but we also get to see his soft side when it comes to his beloved teddy bear Smacky.

9) Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat: How did Siamese cats get their unique coloring? In this magical fable by Amy Tan a Siamese cat tells her children about their "great ancestor, Sagwa of China," a mischievous, pearl-white kitten who lived with her parents in the house of a greedy, autocratic magistrate. Her penchant for trouble lands her in a pot of ink, which stains her paws, nose, ears, and tail. The accident starts a chain of events that leads to the magistrate's tearful reformation, as well as to generations of cats that look Siamese but are actually Chinese. The book went on to be the basis of an animated television series, 40 episodes about a royal family of cats who have the ability to write with their tails.

10) Skippyjon Jones: Created by author and illustrator Judy Schachner, this beloved character is known as one of the most famous Siamese cats in children's literature. Now the star of a series of books, Skippyjon's story begins when his mother sends him to his room to think about what it means to be a Siamese because he's acting like anything but a cat. While jumping on the bed he looks in the mirror and imagines himself as a chihuahua, then steps into the closet which sends him on a series of adventures.

Do you have a favorite Siamese in pop culture? 

Have we missed any?

Tell us in the comments!

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