Color-point pattern and health

I've been studying domestic animal genetics and how they are linked to behavior and health changes in these animals. For example, pied animals tend to be friendlier then normal colored animals, perhaps a reason so many domestic animals come in pied form.

Anyways, one thing I noticed while studying these correlations between the appearance of an animal and its health/behavior as in Pointed pattern cats.

Studies have shown that low amounts of pigment can cause changes in the brain that make an animal less fearful and more tame. However, when the lack of pigmentation is at too great a degree it can lead to fear and aggression as well as deafness, blindness, cancer, skull and bone deformities, early death, and many other issues such as these. However, high amounts of melanin have been shown to be linked with good health and strong immune systems in animals such as Wildcats, which naturally can be found in these colors in some populations (serval, jaguar, leopard, geoffroy's cat).

Piebaldism and albinism are two different things, but again, the lack of melanin associated with albinism can mean increased risk of skin cancer, immune system issues, and sensitivity in the eyes. Some albino animals even have issues with blindness and deafness. The reason for these issues is that melanin is a very important part of the bodies function. During development it can be found in the brain and is part of the development of the skull, brain, eyes and ears among other things. Without melanin these areas can suffer from deformities. Also, melanin helps to protect the skin from radiation from the sun and the eyes from its strong light, as well as helping the eyes to focus and properly see.

Color-point is a a type of pigmentation deficiency, a mutation that makes melanin only appear in the coolest areas of the body (the points). The eyes remain blue and the body is usually some form of tan, cream or white. This mutation can be found in cats, rabbits, gerbils, rats, mice, and other species.

While researching the health issues in cats I noticed that many of the breeds with the most health issues were color-point. The American Buremse can have issues with corneal dermoid, orofacial pain syndrome, hypokalemic polymypoathy, flat-chested kitten syndrome, visual pathway misrouting, and lipemia of the aqueaous.

Balinese can have brochial disease, spongiform encephalopathy, nephrolithiasis, megaesophagus, visual pathway misrouting, hyperesthesia syndrome, lymphoma and progressive retinal atrophy.

Birman can have Congenital hypotrichosis, thymic aplasia, corneal dermoid, spinal dysplasia, vertebral anomalies, hypotrichosis, hypotrichosis with thymic aplasia, systemic hypertension, distal axonopathy, peripheral axonopathy, congenitcal ocular dermoid, ecephalomyelopathy, abnormal visual pathway, polyneuropathy, spongiform degenration, shaking and trembling in kittens, unusually high concentrations of urea in the blood and visual pathway misrouting

Colorpoint Shorthairs can suffer from Amyloidosis, brochial disease, megaesophagus, hyperesthesia syndrome, lymphoma, visual pathway misrouting, and progressive retinal atrophy.

European Burmese can suffer from Gingiviitis, lipemia of the aqueous humor, Corneal dermoid, gangliosidosis, orofacial pain syndrome, congenital peripheral vestibular disease, hypokalemic polymyopathy, flat-chested kitten syndrome, kinked tail, congenital heart defect, hyperparathyroidism, hyperaldosteronism, hypotrichosis, congenitcal hypotrichosis with thymic aplasia, mycosis fungoides, spinal dysplasia, taillessness, vertebral anomalies, coloboma, congeital ocular dermoid, glaucoma, iris defects, lens luxation, ocular disease, nephrolithiasis, visual pathway misrouting, and urolithiasis.

Himalyans can get Feline hypersthesia syndrome, seborrhea oleosa, visual pathway misrouting, and Progressive Retinal atrophy.

Javanese can have amblyoidosis, bronchial disease, visual pathway misrouting, congentical heart defects, gastrointestinal conditions such as megaesophagus, hyperesthesia syndrome, lymphoma, and prgoressive retinal atrophy.

The siamese can have amyloidosis, asthma, congeitcal heart defects, visual pathway misrouting, mediastinal lymphoma, small intestical adenocarcinoma, and strabismus (squinting or cross-eyes).

Snowhoes can have crossed-eyes and visual pathway misrouting

Along with this list of diseases (many of which are either related to the intestines (something seen in other species that are white) or to the eyes. There has also been a correlation between white cats and cancer.

Albino animals may have issues with crossed-eyes, sensitivity to light, rapid eye movement (nystagmus), amblyopia, foveal hypoplasia (leading to reduced visual acuity), underdevelopment of the optic nerve, poorly developed retinal pigment epithelium, increased glare (light scattering in the eye), and problems with the iris being able to block out bright light when contracted.

I know this is a long and complicated list, but please understand I am not saying that all Color-point cats are unhealthy or anything like that, I just really want to understand if there is a correlation between the higher amount of health problems in color-points compared to those of normal color and if it truly is linked to the amount of melanin they possess.

Thank you so much for any responses. Feel free to correct any mistakes I may have made.

This is so interesting. I really don't have anything to contribute, I've only ever had one color point and he was a dmh flame point from a calico mama. He was a bit cross eyed

Looking forward to what others have to say.

wait, with pied you mean pigmented?

I dont have heard any earlier complain on health with pointed cats.  IF there was any, it was bound to this breed as such, not necessarily with the point as such.  Thus, modern siameses are renown they can be somewhat cross-eyed.   But this is more probably a resultat of the rather intensive breeding with modern siameses than having the point gene. (observe, I dont know the actual Show standard - I dont know if the standard prefers the cross- eyeness, or if it is sooner a fault).

But, lets take another example.    Occuring points in breeds which shall not be pointed.  Siberians in Russia, Russian blue in Scandinavia...

My example is the Russian blue.  Where they used some blue siameses in early 50-ties, but more or less actively abstained from using known point carries in breeding since the sixties.  And yet, now and then are there born pointed kittens in litters of RB.

Some breeders do hush hush. Others do neuter them and sell them as pet quality, but are also fascinated and happy about this phenome of the nature.

To summarize: the hunt on point carriers was almost as intensive as the hunt for witches in the medieval times up to 17teen century.

But several years ago they made truce.  with so many bad diseases to hunt down, and a limited genetic base, they didnt afforded to hunt  the points too...

Because, everyone was agreed: being a point is no disease.  they confirmed: these points are healthy, sound individes...  I sometimes got even an impression they were more healthy than the average.  And mind you, the scandinavian RB as group, are a healthy stock....

The only thing I have heard of is that Siamese are a little more prone to pancreatitis than average.  Who knows if that is related  in any  way to the color point gene.  We have had many cats here who weren't Siamese and  had pancreatitis.  Pancreatitis has only recently been diagnosed in cats generally, it was actually thought that cats  didn't get it.

I know crossed eyes are common in Siamese.   It is a trait  that is disappearing  because  responsible breeders have been working on  breeding against the trait.