Molly and the Feline Siam

When Siam arrived in our household, he let us know he didn’t belong.

“I want to be a terrifying tiger,” he mewed from what has become his favorite spot on the sun-drenched ottoman. His voice was so high-pitched I almost couldn’t hear it. Could it be that I imagined it? While I pondered that possibility, he continued. “Or a muscular Manx, or even a feisty domestic short-hair tabby. Anything but a pseudo-Siamese.”

I wanted Siam to accept himself in language he would understand, so I gave him a copy of Molly the Mockingbird, a children’s book written by Amy Pontius and illustrated by Barbara Falvey.

“Molly was disappointed that she wasn’t like other birds who can leap, dance, and swim,” I told Siam. “There’s nothing wrong with being Siamese, even a pseudo-Siamese. Maybe Molly will help you accept who you are.”

I consoled him with a history of his breed.

“It’s a regal line that can be traced to Southeast Asia.”

According to the Tamra Maew (Treatise on Cats, or Cat-Book Poems), the Siamese dates back to the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which was a formidable realm until 1767 AD, when it fell to Burma. It was then known as Siam until 1939, when a coup established a western-style government democracy and changed the country’s name to Thailand. Written in poetic verse and illustrated with painted pictures, the Tamra Maew is possibly the oldest feline breed catalog in the world. It featured 17 types of auspicious cats. Newer versions included as many as 22 breeds.

According to the Cat Fanciers’ Association, the Siamese is the personification of feline elegance. The modern breed has an elongated, tubular, and muscular body with a triangular head. The “old-style,” with a rounder head and body, is now known as the Thai cat.

The Tamra Maew also records superstitions, describing the Siamese as “rare as gold,” for example, and anyone who owned one would become wealthy.

“You’ve enriched our lives,” I told Siam, rearranging him on the ottoman.

The first Siamese to arrive in the United States enriched the life of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Also named Siam, he was a gift from the American consul in Bangkok in 1878. Ours arrived as a gift from our friend JJ Murphy in 2024.

“But what can I be?” Siam asked, echoing the words of Molly the Mockingbird. “I’m not a real Siamese. I’m not even a real cat.”

To address this dilemma, we read Molly the Mockingbird together. The book uses lovely watercolor pictures to encourage young readers to recognize their individual talents as they learn self-acceptance.

“Don’t you know,” I said, channeling Molly’s mother, “you have the special gift of merriment.” It’s true. My husband, Bob, and I often find ourselves startled into thinking a real feline is sitting on the ottoman. Then we laugh.

“You are a cute toy,” I concluded, “who reminds us of the real cats who shared their joyful lives with us.”

And there’s nothing fake about that.

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