Blue Point Cat Information
Points refers to dark colors on the ears, face, tail and legs of a cat with a pale body. The color of the points can vary from black to red tabby, but one of the most popular point colors is blue. Although called blue, the points usually are a shade of gray, although sometimes the gray does seem to have a blue tint. Many breeds of cats have blue points.
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Speculation
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It is unknown just how old the blue point color pattern is in cats or where this coloration originally appeared. The oldest known cat breed with blue points is the Siamese. It is theorized that the Siamese was responsible for introducing the point color pattern to all other breeds of cats, according to "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats."
Breeds
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Cat breeds that allow the blue point color pattern include the Siamese, the Balinese, the Birman, the Himalayan, the Ragdoll, the exotic shorthair, the colorpoint, the Javanese, the Tinkinesethe snowshoe cat and the oriental longhair. Hairless or mostly hairless breeds such as the Sphynx and the Russian Peterbald used Siamese in the original breed stock. In these cats, the blue points may be a soft velvet fuss or blue pointed skin. Crossbred cats from any of these breeds may also show a blue point pattern.
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Variations
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The amount and intensity of the blue varies from cat to cat. Some cats may have the blue coloration all the way up the legs while some will only have blue paws. Some will have their entire heads in a blue color, while others may only have the ears colored. Blue could extend down the tail along the spine or from the back of the head across the shoulders. Ragdoll and snowshoe cats will have white paws over any blue points on the legs.
Time Frame
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Many breeds of cats descended from Siamese are born all white and then gradually develop their color points by the time they are weaned at eight weeks of age. Some breeds like the Siamese are also born with blood-red eyes, which gradually turn blue as the kitten gets older. The blue point coloration stays with the cat for the rest of its life, according to "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats."
Causes
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The ears, face, tail and legs of a cat are the coolest parts of its body. They have darker colors like blue on these parts and not all over the body because of a combination of several mutated genes, according to "ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats." However, blue points are hard to purposefully breed for, even in Siamese.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit walking Siamese kitten image by Cherry-Merry from Fotolia.com
