This is once again about my cat Blue. We always assumed that when we found Blue she was around 6 months old, which would make her 4 in Feb. After looking at her teeth the vet said her age is probably closer to around 10. What makes me question this is that when we found her with the exception of her tail, face, and paws her body was all white. A few months after we took her in she started to develop the tan and brown on her body. We assumed that that was due to her getting older. I know that some dogs like Dalmatians are all white and develop spots at around a year, is this true for Siamese cats too? They also said that she just could have bad teeth, is the color change any indication of age?
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Color Change
- Thread starter mmc32879
- Start Date
We had pointed cats and not one changed when they got old.
My Coco who half siamese but dosent look it is changing.
Her fur has turned reddish brown as she gets older.
She is 16.5 though and has gray hairs.
My Coco who half siamese but dosent look it is changing.
Her fur has turned reddish brown as she gets older.
She is 16.5 though and has gray hairs.
She is a colourpoint cat - they are born a creamy white colour all over and develop colour as they age, starting on the face, legs, and tail as kittens and extending over the back and the body when they get older.
It is a form of albinism that is usually associated with Siamese cats, although it is also not uncommon in moggies. They can only produce pigment at the coolest parts of the body, as their metabolism slows through age the pigmented areas spread. Colourpoint cats kept in an environment with a steady warm temperature due to central heating set to warm all winter will not show as much colour change as those that are kept in a cooler environment or have outdoor access.
You cannot use it to tell age once they are mature as a 4 year old colourpoint in a cool environment or climate or winter outdoor access will be darker than a 4 year old used to beig kept indoors with central heating or in a warmer part of the world.
It is a form of albinism that is usually associated with Siamese cats, although it is also not uncommon in moggies. They can only produce pigment at the coolest parts of the body, as their metabolism slows through age the pigmented areas spread. Colourpoint cats kept in an environment with a steady warm temperature due to central heating set to warm all winter will not show as much colour change as those that are kept in a cooler environment or have outdoor access.
You cannot use it to tell age once they are mature as a 4 year old colourpoint in a cool environment or climate or winter outdoor access will be darker than a 4 year old used to beig kept indoors with central heating or in a warmer part of the world.
You might have better luck getting responses if you posted this in the Breeder's forum, as they know more about coat coloration, genetics, etc. That being said, we have a cat that is most likely a Siamese mix and his coat has changed dramatically from kitten to about 2 years of age. He was white and cream when we got him at 12 weeks, and what used to be cream is now a very dark blue-brown (I don't know what to call it) color.
People who post in Breeders Corner and know about genetics do also post elsewhere
Being colourpoint does not mean the cat is part Siamese, there are more factors that make a cat Siamese besides coat colour - body type, set of the ears, eye shape, voice, personality etc. A cat can only be identified as Siamese if it has a recorded pedigree. The markings originated in the Siamese, but they were imported from Thailand (then called Siam) over 100 years ago and the gene has been in the domestic population for a very long time, there are many thousands and hundreds of thousands of moggies with colourpoint markings.
If a purebred Siamese breeds with a moggy, there is only a small chance (and most likely no chance) that the first generation kittens will be colourpoint as it is a recessive gene, you cannot use colour as an indicator of having a Siamese parent.
Pointed cats darken based on age/environment...
Hennessy's almost two and getting darker still.
Hennessy's almost two and getting darker still.
I also did not see this as being health or nutrition related, but maybe that's just me.Originally Posted by Epona
People who post in Breeders Corner and know about genetics do also post elsewhere
Originally Posted by whiteforest
I also did not see this as being health or nutrition related, but maybe that's just me.
Yes I agree that Breeders Corner would be the more appropriate place - but only if you know in the first place that darkening colour is due to colourpoint genetics and not a health problem, expecting someone to post this question in Breeders Corner requires them to know what causes the colour change - if they knew, they wouldn't worry that it was a health problem, and wouldn't have asked in the health forum
The thread is in the appropriate place, if the OP was worried that it was due to health or nutrition - and we are here to reassure that it is genetic - just because you know that doesn't mean you can expect everyone else to know it and ask in the right place if it concerns them
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I know it isn't a health issue with her. I was just wondering if there is any proven way to determine a cat's age.
Colourpoint marking isn't because it depends upon other factors - genetics, climate, indoor/outdoor, central heating/air conditioning etc. A colourpoint cat will darken as it ages, but they don't all darken at the same speed or to the same degree, so it's not a reliable way to determine age. A vet would have a better idea by examining the development and wear of the teeth and general physiology.
