Hi Strangers! (Coloration question)

Hey y'all

So much happening, new job (since May - such a relief to be back to work!)... and now new fur-family members. I've been lurking around for the past few days going through threads for info, and thought I'd introduce my new dynamic duo, since I also have a question about coloring.

This is Phineas (or Finn). I saw his picture on the local Humane Society page (courtesy of my mother, who is a cat-adoption enabler) and something just instantly clicked... he was mine.



So what the heck is his coloring, exactly?? The shelter had him down as "lynx point and cream"... I always thought pointed cats ONLY had the darker coloration on their faces, feet, and tails, but he's got darker fur on his back and sides, as well. I'm never sure how to refer to him, exactly.

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Anyway, when I went to the shelter to meet him, I found out that the grey tabby (not sure if he'd be considered blue or silver in "official" terms) in the cage beside him was his lifelong housemate and companion. The shelter worker let him out to play with Finn, and they immediately started cuddling together right in the middle of the floor.

You know what happened next, TCS.

This is Remy.




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It's been a few weeks since their homecoming, and I'm really pleased with the decision to take them both. They're both just really exceptional animals... gentle, friendly, energetic, and playful, and fascinatingly diplomatic with Sophie, Jack, and Kiri. They are also totally devoted to one another. The mere thought of splitting these guys up is heart-breaking.






(Clearly they also both do sarcasm very well.)

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Integration is going slowly and steadily - combining two established hierarchies has definitely presented its challenges, but things are going fairly well (with the aid of patience and a lot of Feliway!). Jack is really NOT thrilled with having more males around (which caught me off guard a bit - was expecting less territorial behavior between males), and Kiri pretty much hates everyone by default until they've had time to grow on her . Sophie, on the other hand, has surprised me by being mostly curious and even playful with them - she spent a good deal of time yesterday playing 'tag' with Finn all over the house.

So that's it! Fur-family complete! This is about our household max, with regards to room - not to mention cat-food bills!

You have a beautiful blue tabby, and I was going to say blue lynx point, but as his nose is so pale a pink he is probably a lilac lynx point.

Lilac refers to the point color and lynx refers to the tabby markings.

Gorgeous cats too btw.

I'd say blue lynx point and the other one is a blue (can't clearly see if those are spots or stripes so mackerel or spotted) tabby. Silvers have silver undercoat.

What color are the pawpads of the pointed kitty?

That's a gorgeous cat! I would call him a lynx point as well, but I welcome the breeders on the board to give their input, as I'm no color expert.

I *can* tell you, though, that pointed cats like Siamese and Birmans can have darkening of the coat as they get older. I've heard climate can affect this (i.e. in a colder climate, coats will darken more), but I've also heard genetics play a role.

(Remy, of course, is very handsome as well. )

After our beloved Sophie crossed the rainbow bridge we adopted Sunshine, then her mother Heidi, the calico Persian and her niece, baby Snowflake! Heidi is also Snowflake's grandmother! Mother and daughter get along well and the baby thinks she's a Lion and keeps attacking the big girls! However things are beginning to calm down!

/[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/63655548@N05/6156523879/][img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/6156523879_d384a9d690.jpg[/url]
SNOWFLAKE, HEIDI & SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE by sophielew, on Flickr/

They are so cute

What beautiful boys!I would have been hard pressed to not take them both too.How awesome,and thanks to you,they'll be able to live out their lives together.

Originally Posted by Arlyn

You have a beautiful blue tabby, and I was going to say blue lynx point, but as his nose is so pale a pink he is probably a lilac lynx point.

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I just did a google image search, and lilac seems to be about right - there is a brownish tint to his darker fur (although it's only noticeable to my eye on his back and especially the markings/spots on his belly - he obligingly posed for a belly photo, and was paid handsomely in belly rubs).

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

I'd say blue lynx point and the other one is a blue (can't clearly see if those are spots or stripes so mackerel or spotted) tabby. Silvers have silver undercoat.

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I believe Remy is considered a mackerel... he's mostly stripes, particularly around his legs and down his flanks, but the stripes "break up" into spots on his sides, and on his belly.

Originally Posted by NorthernGlow

What color are the pawpads of the pointed kitty?

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His paw pads (from what I could tell - he squirms a lot and doesn't like having his paws handled!) are a dark grey, maybe a little brownish.

Originally Posted by motoko9

I *can* tell you, though, that pointed cats like Siamese and Birmans can have darkening of the coat as they get older. I've heard climate can affect this (i.e. in a colder climate, coats will darken more), but I've also heard genetics play a role.

Click to expand...

I JUST read that earlier today, and it's fascinating! Apparently there is an enzyme that's reactive to temperature that's involved, so the colors show up more on the cooler extremities. I didn't realize that it would actually change more as they aged, though!

Thanks to ALL for the assistance, and the kind words!

They are beautiful... I am so glad you took both!

Originally Posted by at129

His paw pads (from what I could tell - he squirms a lot and doesn't like having his paws handled!) are a dark grey, maybe a little brownish.

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Then he is indeed a blue lynx point. Lilac points have lavender pink paw pads, and their coats usually stay very pale from the back side as well, whereas blue points tend to get darker.

Originally Posted by at129

I JUST read that earlier today, and it's fascinating! Apparently there is an enzyme that's reactive to temperature that's involved, so the colors show up more on the cooler extremities. I didn't realize that it would actually change more as they aged, though!

Thanks to ALL for the assistance, and the kind words!

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Pointed kittens are born creamy white, because they are all one temperature (body temperature) in the womb. Once they are born, they start to turn colors, because those parts of the body are now cooler that the main body. I have seen a cat that went outside in Colorado and turned almost completely brown in the winter, then lighted up considerably in the summer.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Pointed kittens are born creamy white, because they are all one temperature (body temperature) in the womb. Once they are born, they start to turn colors, because those parts of the body are now cooler that the main body. I have seen a cat that went outside in Colorado and turned almost completely brown in the winter, then lighted up considerably in the summer.

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I thought that they were point white because they have partial albino-ism. Maybe its just siamese that have partial albino-ism but I thought I read somewhere that it was all pointed cats that were born white.

EDIT: AhHa, its actually both. I just looked it up.

Here's a snid-bit from Wikipedia:

"Point coloration in cats is a form of partial albinism resulting from a mutation in tyrosinase, an enzyme involved with melanin production. The mutated enzyme is heat-sensitive; it fails to work at normal body temperatures, but becomes active in cooler areas of the skin.[1] As a result, dark pigment is limited to the coldest areas of the body, that is, the extremities. Pointed kittens are born white, since the womb is uniformly warm. As the kitten ages, the cooler areas darken while warmer areas remain cream to white in color."

Amanda, it's nice to see you back! Your boys are very handsome. I think it's so sweet when "shelter BFFs" get forever homes together, that's awesome that you took them both.

Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral

Amanda, it's nice to see you back!

Your boys are very handsome.

I think it's so sweet when "shelter BFFs" get forever homes together, that's awesome that you took them both.

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Hi there!! You know me, I took one look at them together and the tears started welling. "Ohno we can't separate them!! Lookit them, they LOVE each other!" SUCH a pushover - but I lucked out with these guys, they're both incredibly sweet. Now to convince the other three of that fact...

Thanks again to all, so much interesting info to learn!