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Location: UK
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,096
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Originally Posted by
MerlinsMum
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The temperature sensitive gene in Siamese is different, it is linked to a mutation of tyrosin/tyrosinase and only allows pigment to develop in the colder parts of the body.
Siamese these days are developing more and more pigmented body coats, particularly over their backs, matching their points colour, as opposed to keeping a clear white or cream body colour with well defined points, at a much younger age than they did a few decades ago.
The (in?)breeding for progressively more "typy" cats seems to have resulted in point colour being less temperature dependent than it used to be, particularly after the first year or two, although they can get progressively darker as they age.