The Siamese is one of the most well-known breeds of Oriental cats. The exact origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Southeast Asia and is said to be descended from the sacred temple cats of Siam (now Thailand). All Siamese cats have a creamy base coat with colored points on certain parts of their bodies. Originally, the vast majority of Siamese had seal (extremely dark brown) points. Occasionally, they were born with blue (a cool grey) points; chocolate (lighter brown) points, or lilac (pale warm gray) points. These three colors were at first considered “inferior” points, and were not qualified for showing or breeding. However, all of these three shades were finally accepted by the breed associations and became more common through breeding programs.