The Siamese breed is one of the most stunning cat breeds with unusual coat colors. The variations on their coats increase their visual appeal. Siamese cats have “points” which are darker parts of the coat. Here are the most common Siamese cat colors and characteristics:
Seal Point
This is the first type of Siamese cat that comes to people’s mind when thinking of the color of a Siamese cat. Seal point cats are known by their dark seal-brown points, a dark brown nose and paw pads with a creamy-colored body. The Siamese seal point cats are said to have the darkest body color. According to genetics, the Siamese cats are originally black cats but due to genes, they gained new colors on their points.
Blue Point
The Blue Point Siamese cat color has slate blue points known as “dilute seal color”. Their body is bluish-white, it is a cold color that would disappear on the stomach and chest. As the cat grows old, the color of the coat becomes darker.
Chocolate Point
The body color of the Siamese chocolate point cat is creamy. They have chocolate-colored points and a chocolate-colored nose and paw pads. Their bodies should be white without any shadings due to their lack of shading. As a result, this leads to a contrast between their bodies and points.
Lilac Point
The Lilac Point Siamese cat has frosty gray points, that is why this breed is also called “Frost Point”. The color of the coat is white without any shadings, in fact, it has the palest color of points ever. As these cats grow old, the color remains light and the paw pads and nose are pink.
Cream Point
They were originally bred as a hybrid between Siamese and Abys breeds. They are known for their creamy points and white cream body color. They have extremely light points, paw pads, and noses.
Red Point
This Siamese cat was bred by a hybrid of red tabby and tortoiseshell. It is characterized by a light reddish point with a pink nose and paw pads.
Tortie Point
The Tortie cats are a mix of black and red color cats, they were bred the same way the Red Point Siamese was bred.
Lynx Point
The Siamese Lynx Point cat was bred as a hybrid of tabby cat and seal point. These cats have stripped points, and they include cats of almost all colors.
Caramel Point
These cats have paler-colored legs with brownish points. While their nose, paw pads are in pinkish gray.
Apricot Points
These cats are famous for having pale legs and feet and hot cream-colored points. Their body coat is creamy white, and they have pinkish paw pads and nose.
The Bottom Line
When receiving the needed amount of time, attention and love, Siamese cats are extremely easy to care for. They do not require a lot of maintenance, however, in order to keep them active and entertained you need to walk them frequently.
As the name suggests, the Siamese cat breed is originated from Thailand (previously known as Siam). The Thai meaning of the Siamese word is the moon diamond. Siamese cats can live between 12 and 15 years in general, some cats can make it to the age of 20 years old. But overall, the 15 years is the general maximum average age. People prefer Siamese cats because they are sociable, ongoing, playful and affectionate. Training a Siamese cat is super easy due to their intelligent nature and ability to learn quickly.
Siamese Cat Size and Appearance
Siamese cats are generally medium-sized; Siamese male cats weigh around 8 to 12 pounds (5.44 kg) while females weigh up to 8 pounds (3.63 kg). In general, they are known for their gorgeous blue eyes, kinked tails that usually wrap around tables or between their human legs. In addition, they have long straight noses with long bodies.
Generally speaking, there are two main types of Siamese cats that you can easily recognize. The first one is the traditional Siamese that has a wedge-shaped triangular head with a long body. The second one has a rounded head with a stockier body and long hair.
Longevity and Health
Unfortunately, the Siamese cat has a higher rate of death compared to several cat breeds. There are some health factors that can affect the lifespan of Siamese cat such as difficulties in breathing, glaucoma, calcium oxalate bladder stones, chronic renal failure and crossed eyes. As a result of these health issues, the cat’s lifespan can negatively be affected.
As a caring pet parent, all you can think about is making sure that your Siamese cat stays in good health for as long as possible. Keeping your cat healthy requires routine veterinary checkups, a well-balanced nutritionally diet, much love and attention, and a lot of physical exercising to keep them fit and active.
What prolongs a Siamese cat’s life expectancy?
In general, every breed has at least a weak spot, accordingly purebred cats are more exposed to genetic health problems. In order to make sure that your Siamese cat is safe and potentially will live longer, get them tested for common genetic problems. Therefore, you will not worry about any serious health conditions that show up at all.
In other words, you have to make sure you take your Siamese cat to the vet for regular checkups and also make sure their vaccinations are up to date. Regular vet checkups will help the vet detect any possible health problems at early stages, as a result, your cat will be given a chance to get a full recovery.
Giving your Siamese cat all the up-to-date vaccinations will protect them from feline transmitted diseases and/or cancers that usually linked with leukemia virus.
How to encourage longevity in Siamese Cats?
In fact, there is no certain way to tell how long will your Siamese cat live. But as a caring Siamese parent, you should consider the following things to make sure your cat maintains good health and stays happy for a long time.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise can help your Siamese cat maintain a healthy, long and happy life. The best way to ensure this is to keep your cat active, encourage them to jump and climb as well as playing with them. Keeping your Siamese cat indoors will prevent them from getting into fights with other cats over territory.
Keeping your Siamese cat indoors will do wonders for her life expectancy. Despite common beliefs, cats aren’t any less happy living inside and your kitty won’t mind it one bit!
The indoor living will prevent your kitty from getting into fights with other cats for females or territory and diminish the chances of her being hit by a car.
A Well-balanced Nutritious Diet
A nutritious diet extends the longevity of your Siamese cat as well as keeping them healthy. Consider a diet that is high in protein and low in carbs with moderate fat levels to keep them fit.
What shortens a Siamese cat lifespan?
Speaking about the life expectancy, the Siamese cat breed is one of the longest-lived breeds. However, they can be affected by several health problems and diseases such as:
Amyloidosis
This disease occurs when the protein amyloid is collected in several organs and lead to damage replacing the normal cells. The amyloid deposits inside the liver and disturb its normal function for some Siamese cats. As time goes by, the liver becomes unable to function leading to liver failure.
Asthma
Siamese cats can suffer from Asthma in the same way that people suffer. This medical condition is recognized by the inflammation of airways inside a Siamese cat’s lungs. When a cat suffers from an asthmatic attack, usually their airways make it almost impossible for the cat to take a breath normally. The symptoms of asthma may include wheezing, coughing, and difficulties breathing. You have to keep in mind that asthma is a serious medical issue that can sometimes be a deadly one. Therefore, you have to get your Siamese cat checked regularly by the vet and take them immediately to the vet if you think they have an asthmatic attack.
Aortic Stenosis
This is a congenital condition where the blood flow from the heart to other areas in the body gets affected. The most known symptoms for this medical issue include fatigue, cough, and difficulty breathing. If you do not treat this disease, it could lead to heart failure.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is not considered a deadly disease, however, it can be extremely painful that it can negatively affect the quality of the Siamese cat’s life. It is the first phase of periodontal disease that you can avoid by maintaining regular dental hygiene.
Respiratory Problems
There are some common respiratory problems including upper respiratory infections and Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR) that can be found in young Siamese kittens and these problems can be treated quickly.
Eye Problems
Around a third of Siamese cats have a modified gene related to progressive retinal atrophy. Fortunately, your Siamese cat won’t show symptoms if they have only one gene while if two carriers have kittens, they will display symptoms. On the other hand, Siamese cat eye problems include feline glaucoma.
