Siamese cats are popularly known for their unique colors. They have a lighter color that becomes dark in some areas of their body. Aside from their distinct colors and blue eyes, they are also known for their beauty, intelligence, and friendly personality. Does the black Siamese cat breed exist? Let’s find out more about it.
Siamese Cat
As the temple cat of the King of Siam, Siamese cats are very affectionate pets. They are sleek, muscled, and medium in size. They have low tendencies to shed, and their social or attention needs range from moderate to high. They have glossy coats and slender bodies.
One quality that makes Siamese cats unique from other cat breeds is their color. They have lighter colors in some parts of their body and darker color in some parts. This contrasting color in Siamese cats is called pointing. Have you noticed that the color of their nose, feet, ears, and tails are different from the rest of their body? This comes from a gene called the Himalayan gene.
The Himalayan Gene In Siamese Cats
The common thing about Siamese cats is the darker color of their tail, feet, ears, and nose. This distinct contrasting coloration is caused by the Himalayan gene. The Himalayan gene is a recessive gene that causes partial albinism and is also temperature sensitive, specifically to heat. This gene is also present in mice, rabbits, and rats. The Himalayan gene is not active on the warmer parts of the cat’s body. But it is active in the cooler areas like the ears, tails, and nose. Basically, it means that the cooler the body part, the darker color it would be.
With the Himalayan gene present in Siamese cats, is it possible for a black Siamese cat to exist?
Does The Black Siamese Cat Breed Exist?
Have you ever seen an all black Siamese cat? I bet you haven’t seen one. It is because there’s no such thing as a solid black Siamese cat breed. A seal point Siamese cat is genetically a black Siamese cat, however, their Himalayan gene hinders the Siamese cat from being all black. Seal point Siamese cats are one of the most common and sought-after colors in the Siamese cat breed because of their good characteristics and connection with royal families.
Siamese cats have contrasting colors when they get older, but they are born white. The reason why they are born all white is because the temperature inside the mother cat’s womb is warm. But once they are born and get exposed to different temperatures, they will start to have dark colors in their body. The pointing may completely develop in a year. The cooler regions of their body will become darker as they grow older. But the Himalayan gene can’t function in higher temperatures, which is why a Siamese cat’s chest, stomach, and torso remain to have a lighter color.
In essence, there cannot be a pure black Siamese cat from what is seen by the naked eye. Their color may get darker, especially if the weather gets colder, but it won’t be a solid black color from what we can physically see. However, from a genetic standpoint, the seal point Siamese cats are black. Without the Himalayan gene, a seal point Siamese cat can actually be a black Siamese cat.
There’s no solid color among the Siamese cat breed, which includes the solid black color. Here are the Siamese cat colors.
Siamese Cat Colors
There are four Siamese cat colors- seal point, lilac point, blue point, and chocolate point.
Seal Point Siamese Cat
Siamese cats with seal point color have a fawn or a pale cream color on their warmer areas with very dark brown spots on the cooler regions of their body like their nose and paw pads. Their points can be very dark brown to almost black in color. Seal point Siamese cats have the darkest point color among the other colors in Siamese cats.
Lilac Point Siamese Cat
These cats resemble an icy white or a frosty-gray color, which is why they are also referred to as Frost Point Siamese cats. They have gray with slightly pink color points while their nose and paw pads are lavender pink. The rest of their body is white without any shade. Of all Siamese cat colors, they have the lightest coat color.
Blue Point Siamese Cat
If you want a blue-colored feline like a blue Bengal cat, the blue point Siamese cat is definitely your choice. They have white fur with blue undertones. These cats have deep blue points with gray noses and paw pads.
Chocolate Point Siamese Cat
These Siamese cats have ivory-colored coats with no lighter shade on the warmer areas of their body. Their points resemble the color of milk chocolate, while their nose leather and paw pads have cinnamon-pink color.
Conclusion
Does the black Siamese cat breed exist? The answer is no. Aside from their elegance, friendliness, and intelligence, Siamese cats are famous for their pointed coats. A pointed coat means that a cat’s color is on its ears, feet, nose, and tail while the rest of its body has a white or cream color. It is the Himalayan gene that’s responsible for the Siamese cats’ pointed coats. Without this gene, the seal point Siamese cats would be all black. However, what makes Siamese cats unique and attractive is their pointed coats, due to the presence of the Himalayan gene. They are appreciated by many cat lovers for what they look like. Therefore, there are no Siamese cats with a solid black color, but there are Siamese cats that are partially black.
