How To Tell What Color Your Siamese Kitten Will Be

Siamese cats are elegant and expressive cats that love attention. Their fur can have various color combinations, and if you have a Siamese kitten, you’re probably keen to determine what color they will be as an adult.

So, how can you tell what color your Siamese cat will be? 

You can find out what color your Siamese kitten will be by evaluating the emerging coat color at one week, one month, and one year old. The initial white fur of Siamese kittens will gradually change into their ultimate color points.

We’ll describe exactly what to look out for and how to make an accurate prediction of your Siamese kitten’s fur color.

What coat colors can Siamese cats have? 

Before explaining how to determine what color your Siamese kitten will be, let’s have a look at what the options are.

Siamese cats have white, cream, or ivory-colored bodies with color points (face, ears, paws, and tail) that are colored darker in various brown shades, slate, or gray pink. Their fur color determines their sub-category: seal, lilac, blue, or chocolate point. 

The darker sections are called “point sections” and are usually located on the extremities or ‘ends’ of their body.

The above-mentioned colors are found in purebred Siamese cats. However, by breeding Siamese cats with other cat breeds, a wide range of color variations was created, including some of the colors below.

• Lynx
• Caramel
• Tortie
• Cinnamon
• Tabby
• Red
• Foreign white
• Cream
• Fawn
• Apricot

For an overview of these, and the most common color variations, have a look at our post ‘All about Siamese cat colors (with pictures)‘.

https://youtu.be/t0FSroDLWlE

In addition to the different point colors, non-purebred Siamese cats can have a variety of coat colors, usually ranging from ivory to fawn. 

Siamese cats have light-colored fur with dark points around the tips of the ears, tail, face, and paws.

Here we will focus on the color variations found in purebred Siamese.

Seal Point

Seal point cats are the most common Siamese sub-category and the darkest Siamese cats. They have tan to cream-colored fur, but it can be interspersed with darker fur because their point sections often spread out to cover more of the extremities. 

Their point sections are typically dark brown and can sometimes look almost black. 

Seal points are usually extroverted, vocal, and very friendly cats. If you have more than one pet, they often become jealous if you show the other pet attention. 

Lilac Point

Also known as frost points, lilac points have a white, cream, or ivory coat with pinky-gray point sections. This gives them a gentle and slightly smoky appearance. 

Lilac points have Russian Blue ancestry and tend to be gentle, affectionate, and playful cats. 

This color combination is the lightest for a Siamese cat; even as the cat ages, the coat won’t darken, which usually is the case with other Siamese cat sub-categories. 

Blue Point

Most Siamese cats have a warm-hued coat and point section colors. Blue points are different because their white fur has a bluish tint, giving it a cool appearance that pairs well with their blue eyes. 

Blue points have slate or dark gray point sections with subtle hints of blue and are often very playful and energetic. 

Chocolate Point

Like seal points, chocolate points also have dark brown point sections. They are so-called because the brown in their point sections resembles the color of milk chocolate. However, instead of tan to cream-colored fur, they have a white or cream-colored coat. 

The dark point sections and the pale coat give chocolate points a striking appearance.

Chocolate points are loyal cats that crave attention. They can be clingy and are better suited to those who spend a lot of time at home.

What color are newborn Siamese kittens?

Siamese cats exhibit exciting coat color combinations after they reach adulthood. But what color coats do newborn Siamese kittens have? 

Newborn Siamese kittens have entirely white coats and blue eyes. All Siamese cats have a modifier gene that causes albinism, which is the reason they are born with white fur that gradually darkens at the tips of their bodies as they age. 

The modifier gene is only activated when the cat is exposed to temperatures above 100°F (37.78°C). Conditions in the womb are warm and activate the cat’s modifier or Himalayan gene, which, in turn, blocks the pigment-producing gene. 

The tips of the face, legs, tail, and ears are typically the coolest cat body parts, which is the reason why they develop color. After the Siamese kitten is born and is exposed to cooler temperatures, it will gradually start developing color points. 

Color develops due to the modifier gene becoming inactive on the cat’s extremities, but the color type will depend on the genes.

Interested to know more about how Albanism in Siamese cats works? Have a look at our post here: Do Siamese cats change color?

https://youtu.be/iVd4nGFvQ1k

How a Siamese kitten’s coat develops color

Although Siamese cats are born completely white, there are ways to tell what color their adult coat will be.

Faint color appears after ten days

As mentioned in the previous section, Siamese kittens are born with white fur due to a modifier gene that is activated in warm conditions. 

Once your Siamese kitten is ten days old, you might see faint color developing on the point sections.  This should give you a rough, early indication of how your Siamese cat’s point sections will look when it’s an adult. 

Points begin to darken after one month

Although you can get a sneak preview of your Siamese kitten’s potential adult fur color at one week of age, the point sections only begin to darken in earnest when they are one month old. 

At this stage, the rest of the fur will still be completely white, and it is still too early to predict the coat color combination.

Experienced Siamese cat breeders can often predict the coat color combination by looking at the nose leather and paw pad color. This method can become more accurate as your kitten matures. 

Color points progressively darken month by month

Most people adopt Siamese kittens when they are at least three months old. This gives them time to wean from their mothers and develop social skills. 

As the Siamese kitten gets older, the point sections will become more prominent, and the white fur will be replaced by ivory, cream, or tan coat at the six-month mark. You will clearly see what their adult coat will look like at this age. 

Coat color is well developed after a year

When your Siamese kitten reaches adulthood, it will have a well-developed coat color combination. However, the coat colors will only stop darkening and changing when the cat is two years old.

If you live in a warm climate, your Siamese cat lives in a well-heated home and is very active, their body temperature will likely be slightly higher, suppressing the modifier gene and causing the coat to appear lighter.

Outdoor Siamese cats living in cooler climates might develop slightly darker point sections.

Do all Siamese kittens show their colors at the same time?

Siamese kittens don’t develop fur color at the same rate. Blue and seal point kittens start developing color at ten days of age, while chocolate and lilac points are two to three days behind. 

This doesn’t make for a huge difference, and if you don’t have a purebred Siamese kitten, you will need to adopt a “wait and see” approach to determine the coat color. 

Conclusion

It’s impossible to determine a Siamese kitten’s coat color when it’s born because they are all born with white coats. However, at the age of one month, you’ll get a rough indication of the point sections’ color. 

After each successive month, your Siamese kitten’s fur will darken, and you’ll have a clear picture of the coat color combination at the six-month mark. Your Siamese cat will have a well-developed coat color when it’s one, but it will continue to darken and develop until age two.

Your Siamese’s color may occasionally vary due to seasonal changes and aging.

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