Siamese cats are often jokingly called “coal miners”, a nickname derived from their fur that gradually darkens over time and with environmental changes. For Siamese cat owners, watching their cats slowly “darken” from their initial light – colored appearance is a wonderful and unique experience. Behind this magical change lies profound biological principles, which also endow Siamese cats with unique charm.
The darkening of Siamese cats’ fur is particularly noticeable in cold winters. When the temperature drops, their fur becomes darker and darker. The root cause of this lies in the mutated TYR gene in Siamese cats. The mutation of this gene causes changes in the controlled tyrosine synthesis, making Siamese cats extremely sensitive to temperature. Normally, tyrosinase has low activity in high – temperature environments, but its activity significantly increases in low – temperature environments.
The bodies of Siamese cats are like precise temperature sensors. When the weather gets cold, the activity of tyrosinase increases, prompting a large amount of melanin synthesis and deposition, thus gradually darkening their fur. However, usually only parts such as the face, ears, and tail are significantly affected. These terminal parts of the body dissipate heat quickly and have lower temperatures, so tyrosinase is more active, resulting in a large amount of melanin deposition. In contrast, the trunk of the body has a relatively higher temperature, so the change in fur color is relatively small. If you want to reduce the degree of darkening of Siamese cats’ fur, it is crucial to take good warming measures. Owners can feed them warm water and warm cat food, keep the environmental temperature at around 27 – 29 degrees Celsius, avoid feeding cold and raw food, and can also increase the indoor temperature by turning on the heating.
In addition to their unique color – changing characteristics, the personality traits of Siamese cats also fascinate many cat owners. Siamese cats are lively, active, witty, and flexible, with a strong sense of curiosity. They seem to be full of energy forever and are eager to explore everything around them. All kinds of toys are interesting playmates in their eyes. Siamese cats enjoy being with people. They have an outgoing personality, rich expressions, and are extremely intelligent. They are loyal and understanding to their owners, and are known as “the cats closest to dogs”. They are extremely clingy and eager for their owners’ attention. Every time they see their owners, they hope to be held; otherwise, they will keep meowing. Siamese cats are also very vocal. Except during eating, using the litter box, and sleeping (sometimes they meow a few times while eating or using the litter box), they always use meows to express their emotions and needs.
The intelligence of Siamese cats is also fully demonstrated in daily life. They will stare intently at the TV screen. When a movie about other animals is playing on TV, their heads will follow the movements of the animals in the picture, as if they can understand the plot. Moreover, Siamese cats like to go out and play, and owners can even take them out for a walk like walking a dog. However, Siamese cats are also very jealous. When their owners play with other pets, they will try every means to attract their owners’ attention, hugging their owners’ arms to prevent their owners from interacting with other pets, and insisting that their owners give them all their love.
For those who can accept the fur changes of Siamese cats, Siamese cats are undoubtedly an excellent choice of pet. They are highly intelligent and affectionate, able to establish a deep emotional connection with their owners, bringing endless joy and warmth to their owners’ lives. Each Siamese cat is a unique individual. Their magical color – changing phenomenon and lively and lovely personalities make them stand out in the pet world and become precious treasures in the hearts of many cat lovers.
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