Sam Sawet Cat: Info, Pictures, Temperament & Traits

The beautiful Sam Sawet cat breed is a distant cousin of the popular Siamese cat. Hailing from Thailand, Sam Sawet cats are often seen roaming the southeast regions of Asia. However, this breed isn’t as prevalent elsewhere in the world, although it is becoming better known with time.

Breed Overview

The beautiful Sam Sawet cat breed is a distant cousin of the popular Siamese cat. Hailing from Thailand, Sam Sawet cats are often seen roaming the southeast regions of Asia. However, this breed isn’t as prevalent elsewhere in the world, although it is becoming better known with time.

Sam Sawet cats have solid coats in white, black, blue, brown, or fawn with slender, athletic bodies and wedge-shaped heads. With its high cheekbones, narrow muzzle, and oval eyes that slant out toward their ears, the Sam Sawet is incredibly striking.

This cat breed has not yet been recognized by any major cat registry, nor is there much information available about the breed’s development or history. Nonetheless, there is no lack of interest in this breed since many people own these short-haired cats that make great family pets.

Sam Sawet Cat Characteristics

Sam Sawet Kittens

Surely your heart will melt if you’re lucky enough to meet a litter of Sam Sawet kittens. These little balls of fur are not only cute, but they’re charming, friendly, and playful too.

This cat breed is a worry-free, pleasant breed that’s agile and playful. Sam Sawet kittens aren’t known to grow into destructive cats that need lots of stimulation. Instead, they tend to be passive and even-tempered.

Even though Sam Sawet cats have been popular in Thailand for decades, this breed isn’t well known to the rest of the world. In fact, it was only during the past few years that a few Sam Sawet breeders began working on standardizing the breed and introducing them to the American public.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Sam Sawet

Known to be sweet, smart, friendly, and talkative, the Sam Sawet is a charming cat that finds it easy to form a strong bond with its owner. When you own a Sam Sawet, you can expect your little friend to follow you around, meowing as they go.

These cats are active, playful, and curious, and they enjoy playing with cat toys and jumping and climbing. Because of their inquisitive, energetic nature, it’s a good idea to provide a Sam Sawet with a cat activity center he can use for climbing, jumping, and playing.

Are These Cats Good for Families? 👪

Sam Sawet cats make wonderful family pets. Not only will a Sam Sawet get along well with everyone in the family, but they are known for being tolerant. These active and curious cats do very well in busy, noisy households. If you have small children at home and get a Sam Sawet cat, be sure to teach your children to be gentle with them. Even though Sam Sawets tolerate a lot, they don’t like getting grabbed, teased, or chased.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

A Sam Sawet can live in harmony with another pet, like a dog or cat. However, since they are cats, it has a strong prey drive. This means it’s not a good idea to leave a Sam Sawet alone with a small family pet like a hamster or gerbil because they might view that animal as their next meal. If you get another pet once you have a Sam Sawet, introduce the two animals to one another with caution so they have time to grow accustomed to each other.

Things to Know When Owning a Sam Sawet:

Food & Diet Requirements

As an active, medium-sized cat, a Sam Sawet needs about ½ cup of cat food per day. Don’t feed your Sam Sawet the cheapest cat food you can find because all felines need top-quality food with lots of protein, vitamins, and nutrients. If you like to give your cat treats, choose a natural cat treat that’s not full of unhealthy by-products or fillers.

Exercise 🐈

Because they’re an active breed, you need to provide your cat with lots of space to run and play. In addition to giving your cat a cat tree to play on, provide them with some challenging things to play with. This intelligent cat will enjoy an interactive cat toy like a bird teaser with feathers or a cat puzzle that provides plenty of mental stimulation.

Training 🧶

It’s not difficult to train a Sam Sawet cat. It should be easy to litter box train them and teach them to tolerate regular grooming sessions. You can even train a Sam Sawet to walk on a leash if you’re patient enough.

When you’re trying to teach your Sam Sawet something, be sure to praise them a lot and give them some tasty treats for good behavior. While a Sam Sawet isn’t as easy to train as a dog, this smart cat can learn new things because it enjoys being mentally stimulated and challenged.

Grooming ✂️

Like all cats, San Sawets need some regular brushing to keep their coats neat, tidy, and clean. It’s fine to bathe your Sam Sawet if he comes in from outside filthy dirty. Just be sure to use gentle pet shampoo and warm water that’s not too hot. Just don’t overdo it with baths because cats aren’t big fans of water!

Health and Conditions 🏥

This is a healthy breed that has few genetic conditions associated with it. But even though a Sam Sawet is considered a healthy cat, they still need proper veterinary care to ensure they don’t develop any serious health issues. That’s why you should take your cat to the vet regularly for routine health checkups.

It’s highly recommended to spay a female Sam Sawet and neuter a male. Spayed and neutered cats tend to live longer, healthier lives than their unspayed and unneutered counterparts.

Male vs. Female

If you can’t decide between a male and female Sam Sawet cat, you should know that males tend to be larger than females. Male Sam Sawets also tend to be more active than females, which means they need more food.

Female Sam Sawet cats are a bit more anxious than their male counterparts and tend to grow more attached to their owners. Because these female cats can become very attached to their owners, they’re prone to developing separation anxiety.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Sam Sawet Cat

1. There Is Little Information About the Breed’s History

Even though there aren’t many records on file concerning the breed’s history and development, it’s widely believed that these cats have been living in Thailand for centuries. It’s likely that these cats were once favored by wealthy individuals, even though today they’re kept as pets by people from all walks of life.

2. They’re Low-Shedding Cats

If you’re looking for a cat that doesn’t shed much, the Sam Sawet may be perfect for you. Like their cousins, the Siamese, the Sam Sawet is a low-shedding cat which means they won’t trigger your allergies—at least not much. Low-shedding cats produce fewer allergens than cats that shed heavily, making them easier to care for and more allergy-friendly.

3. It’s Not a Purebred

A purebred cat has a formerly registered ancestry or pedigree that’s recognized by official cat registries around the world. Unfortunately, the Sam Sawet isn’t a purebred cat. That’s part of the reason why it’s not easy to find these cats for sale.

Final Thoughts

The Sam Sawet is a beautiful cat that dates back centuries in Thailand. These cats are loved for their wedge-shaped heads, high cheekbones, oval eyes, and athletic bodies. While the Sam Sawet isn’t a purebred cat that’s recognized by the world’s leading cat registries, they’re still an amazing breed that’s loved by many. On top of their stunning looks, the Sam Sawet is an intelligent and friendly cat that’s sure to impress anyone lucky enough to meet one.

Featured Image Credit: Bangtalay, Shutterstock