Siamese Cat Coloring

We all know the classic Siamese cat coloring. The one we know best is the seal point; dark brown extremities and off-white/cream body.

You probably know that the creation of the pigment in hairs is heat sensitive. The pigment is produced at cooler areas of the skin due to melanin (a pigment) production in those areas which in turn is due to the workings of the enzyme tyrosinase which does not work at normal body temperature.

Siamese cat breeders have expanded on the classic seal point coloring. There is now a wide range allowed by most cat associations except the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) that sticks (correctly in my opinion) to four: seal, chocolate, lilac and blue. Blue is a dilution of seal.

Other allowed Siamese cat colorings (only in respect of the pointing) by other associations are as follows:

Seal Tortie Lynx Point
Chocolate Tortie Lynx Point
Blue Tortie Lynx Point:
Lilac Tortie Lynx Point
Seal Tortie Point
Chocolate Tortie Point
Blue Tortie Point
Lilac Tortie Point
Cream Lynx Point
Red Lynx Point
Seal Lynx Point
Chocolate Lynx Point
Blue Lynx Point
Lilac Lynx Point
Cream Point
Red Point

Blue lynx point Siamese - photo by monkeywing

These are listed by the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA). Lynx = tabby pointing (broken pointing). Tortie = tortoiseshell pointing also broken pointing. In my opinion these cats don't really look like Siamese cats particularly as the broken pointing affects the legs as well and encroaches to the body.

See Lynx point Siamese Cat.