The Siamese is described and depicted in the Cat-Book Poems, a manuscript written in the city of Ayudha sometime between 1350 when the city was founded and 1767 when the city was burned by invaders. The illustrations in the manuscript clearly show cats with slim bodies and legs, and pale-colored coats with dark coloring on the ears, tails, and feet. The book describes these pointed cats as having red eyes, possibly because of the way, as any cat photographer will attest, that the breed's eyes appear red when they reflect light.