Anyone who knows Siamese cats knows that they are chameleons of the cat world. Coat color changes with age, body temperature, and ambient temperature. Therefore, many Siamese who have just been born in the mother cat are usually white in color. As they grow and their body temperature changes, dark patches begin to appear.

Such mutations are related to genes. According to the introduction of Genetics in Wikipedia, it is mentioned that a kind of genes responsible for the production of pigments in Siamese cats enzyme contains a mutation that causes the enzyme to become unstable at high temperatures and lose its function. Therefore, the coat color is darker where the cat's skin temperature is lower (such as limbs, tail, face, etc.), while the coat color where the body temperature is higher is lighter.

In addition to Siamese cats, there are also some cats with point color blocks that have a similar situation. For example, ragdoll cats, Himalayan Persian cats, and some Taiwanese Mixes cats often appear to be all white when they are young and completely different when they grow up Condition.

In the cold and low temperature environment, the hair of Siamese cats is pigmented, with more dark parts. Therefore, in high latitudes and in low latitudes, the color of Siamese cats will also be subtly different. The owner can also observe whether its coat has faded, so as to speculate whether it has a fever.

The most obvious example is that newborns are usually whiter because the womb is very warm. As it grows, the coat will change from all white to light brown, then it will begin to darken in the areas of the nose, ears, tail, and limb pads where body temperature is cooler. Some Siamese cats have their entire faces dyed dark brown with pigment, while areas with higher body temperature remain light brown or gray.

Interestingly, if the Siamese cat is unfortunately injured, the body temperature of the place where the bandage is wrapped becomes high, and when the bandage is just removed, the new hair that grows in the area will become lighter or even white. , it will slowly return to its original color over time. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to call Siamese cats chameleons of the cat world!