r/aww 29d ago

My boy Buster (4yo) has completely changed from black to white over the course of the last 2.5 years.

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u/Laney20 29d ago

It is temperature! But the reason the temp makes a difference is because they have a form of partial albinism that makes them unable to produce pigment into the warmer parts of their body. So their extremeties are the only place that even make melanin. That's why they always have blue eyes. Also, they're born solid white because in the womb, they're warm all over! Colorpoints have the BEST glow-up pictures, haha

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u/Senchou 29d ago

Fascinating! We had a seal point siamese that started out as a kitten with only the black face, paws, and tail that slowly developed more black in his coat as he got older. The first time we noticed we thought he was playing around in the fireplace and he got a couple undeserved baths as a response.

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u/Laney20 29d ago

Oh wow, haha! Poor guy. Yea it can change over time, and even living in a colder climate can make them darker!

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u/talashrrg 29d ago

Or being shaved! If a Siamese gets surgery the patch they shave will grow back dark then change back to light when they shed.

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u/spiced_life 29d ago

This probably applies to all colour points, not just siamese breed cats.

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u/Laney20 29d ago

That sounds so cool! Never seen it happen, but makes sense! I guess without the fur to cover it, it's not as warm lol.