# Weird question about siamese cats



## monsters mom (Apr 29, 2011)

I read that siamese cats get their coloring from gene mutation that changes with their body temperature. The lighter points being the warmer parts of their body and the darker the cooler areas like their legs, face, tail and so on. Leo was born and lived with us for 2 years on a very hot tropical island and he used to be a much lighter cream color. A year ago we moved back to the states and the climate here is MUCH colder. He's gradually gotten darker and his body is more of a medium brown, with almost black points. Only his neck/chest/front shoulders are the lighter cream color. He's almost 4 now and I know that some siamese darken over time but I was wondering if the colder climate might have something to do with it too. 

I know it's kinda silly but I was just thinking about how dark he had gotten over the last year and it just sorta popped in my head, haha. My Avi is what he looked like just before we left and this was about 6 months ago, he's slightly darker now but not a lot. If this is just silly I don't mind being told, like I said it was just a random though, haha


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

Of all color-point breeds, Siamese is one of the (if not THE) least contrasted one. That means their body can get quite dark, espeically for seal point ones. My friend has 2 seal point Siamese, and their colors are almost as dark as your cat (she lives in Waterloo Ontairo, where it is quite cool in summer and cold in winter). I couldn't even believe they are color point cats at first until I saw their blue eyes.

PS: During winter when my Metoo leans against window glass for a long while, the side of her body that contacted the glass got slightly darker than the other side. It's quite funny :lol:


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## monsters mom (Apr 29, 2011)

yingying said:


> Of all color-point breeds, Siamese is one of the (if not THE) least contrasted one. That means their body can get quite dark, espeically for seal point ones. My friend has 2 seal point Siamese, and their colors are almost as dark as your cat (she lives in Waterloo Ontairo, where it is quite cool in summer and cold in winter). I couldn't even believe they are color point cats at first until I saw their blue eyes.
> 
> PS: During winter when my Metoo leans against window glass for a long while, the side of her body that contacted the glass got slightly darker than the other side. It's quite funny :lol:


Haha that is funny! I really didn't realize how dark he had gotten until today and even then it wasn't until I looked at his older pictures. You can still see a distinct different where his points are when he's standing but it's like they are blended instead of just stopping like they did before. That was just the best pic I could find, haha. 

I'm glad I wasn't too out there with this, I was worried I'd end up looking foolish, LOL


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## 3furbabies (Dec 7, 2011)

I believe that. I have a blue point rag doll and during the summer months her body is white and her points are light grey. Now that its winter her points are very dark and her body is a medium grey. She is an older ex breeder that I got in the spring so this is the first winter we have had her for.


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## jusjim (Jun 30, 2009)

Nice cat. He looks as if he's trying to open the door to get out. :lol:

I don't know a thing about cat colouring, but...

Most people today know about DNA and genes, however, it seems that the genes of DNA are not the end of expression of genetic variance. Latest research that I keep tripping over mentions genes that are outside the DNA and are responsible for genes being turned on and off. It's quite possible that some of these genes are activated by temperature. Because cat hair is continually shed, if different genes are activated at different temperatures then differerent colour hair can grow. This would explain the differences in YingYing's cat.

This is just my interpretation of what I've read.


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## monsters mom (Apr 29, 2011)

Haha it's funny you say that because that's what I put in the caption when I posted it on my fb.


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## monsters mom (Apr 29, 2011)

3furbabies said:


> I believe that. I have a blue point rag doll and during the summer months her body is white and her points are light grey. Now that its winter her points are very dark and her body is a medium grey. She is an older ex breeder that I got in the spring so this is the first winter we have had her for.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


He never got darker where we lived before but "winter" there was like 60 degrees on a cold day, haha. I wonder if he will lighten any when summer comes.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

i grew up with siamese cats and all of the ones i've owned except for one (she's black, i don't think you can get much darker  ) and all of mine darken. i live in colorado, but my cats don't go outside. i've heard they can darken from sitting in the sun (like cat sun tan? LOL no, but from some what you cited). i've only had seal points and lilac points. the two grey ones i have now are funny. and they all that siamese stripe down their tummies, that is the funniest part of watching them jump to me.

and they don't get lighter in the summer. once they get dark, it's there to stay for mine.


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## jadis (Jul 9, 2011)

Yes that's true about pointed cats coats being temperature sensitive. My lynx point dsh was a cream color over the summer and has darkened to a medium brown now. 

Here she is now with my flame point kitten:










And over the summer:


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## 3gatos (Nov 28, 2012)

Absolutely, there was even an experiment done on this where a siamese cat wore a snug fitting jacket and underneath the jacket was a lighter color and everywhere else was darker. Temperature definitely affects their coloration.


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