THE BLACK SIAMESE CATS: DO THEY REALLY EXIST?
Estimated Reading Time:
Have you ever thought of a Siamese cat with a black-colored coat? Yes, black Siamese cats exist, but there is an interesting fact about them.
Let's learn more!
Black Siamese Cat General Information
Siamese cats are known for their beauty and elegance. They are the most popular choice among cat lovers and are best known for their silver-gray color with bright blue eyes. You can easily recognize these cats by their slender bodies, triangular heads, and small almond eyes. These gorgeous Siamese cats are also very popular. This popularity comes from their outstanding character and unique color point that contrast with their white or cream bodies. You can find them in brown, orange, cream, and even blue coats. Siamese cats are not only beautiful, but they are also very intelligent. Their body is very athletic, and they need play time to maintain physical health. Cat towers, where your cat can play at home, can be a great enrichment tool for your cat's both physical and mental health.
The original color of the Siamese was Seal Point, but today it also comes in shades of blue, lilac, and chocolate. In addition, it is now possible that you can also see Siamese cats with red points, dark brown points, and other variations.
The most common thing in all Siamese cats is that they all have darker points on their tail, face, and legs, with a light body.
But the question is, have you ever thought of black Siamese cats?
Black Siamese Cats: The Black Himalayan Siamese Cat GeneSeating
The coloring and points of the Siamese cat come from a specific color gene, and this gene is known as the Himalayan gene. The Himalayan gene causes partial albinism and is heat sensitive. Heat sensitivity means that the colder the area, the darker the color will be.
This is why all Siamese cats are born white and later develop dark spots around the face, tail, and legs. In addition, due to this Himalayan gene, these cats have blue eyes.
As mentioned above, the Himalayan gene is why Siamese cats have different color points.
In the womb, where the temperature is warm, the color of the kittens always remains white, but at birth, they are exposed to a specific temperature and then develop darker colors.
All Siamese cats are born white, and the color darkens as they age. Thanks to this Himalayan gene, these Siamese cats develop darker shades in the coldest region of their body, and the same gene allows the warm areas to remain lighter.
It is, therefore, clear that all Siamese cats are born white and that there cannot be an entirely black Siamese cat. Their color may become darker during the year's colder months, but they will never all become the same color.
Best Products for Siamese Cats
How do inherit the Himalayan gene?
Due to the Himalayan gene, these Siamese cats have characteristic color points. To obtain the pure breed of Siamese, the mother and the father must also carry the Himalayan gene.
If one of the parents does not carry the Himalayan gene, the kitten's eye color and whether or not the cat has color points can be variable. The probability that the kitten has colored points in the body depends on the following information.
If both mother and father are carriers of the Himalayan gene, the kitten will have color points in the body.
If the mother and father are not carriers of the Himalayan gene, the kitten will not have the color points, and even the eye color may differ from blue.
If only one of the parents says that the mother, not the father or the father, and not the mother, carries the Himalayan gene, the kitten will not inherit the color points. In this case, the kitten can become a carrier of the gene and thus pass it on to its offspring.
Ask a Vet if the Black Siamese Cats Exist
Genetically, a Seal Point Siamese is a black cat, but their Himalayan gene prevents the Siamese from being entirely black.
So if you want black Siamese cats, you should buy an oriental cat. Oriental and Siamese cats are essentially the same, but the difference is that Oriental cats don't have that Himalayan gene in them.
Because Oriental cats don't have the Himalayan gene, you won't get them blue-eyed. Instead, the eye shape of Oriental and Siamese cats are the same, but instead of having blue eyes, Oriental cats have a shade of green.
So if you see a black-colored cat, you are probably looking at an oriental cat. The body characteristics of an Oriental cat are the same as those of a Siamese, but they do not carry the Himalayan gene. So, a cat with pure black fur cannot be a purebred Siamese but of all oriental breeds.
Leave a comment
