Can A Black Cat Be Part Siamese – Facts & Considerations

Siamese cats are known for their distinctive whitish coats that darken on their face, paws, and the tips of their tails. Some Siamese cats even develop darker coloring on their backs and other parts of their bodies as they get older. But what about black cats? Can a black cat be part Siamese?

Yes, a black cat can be part Siamese. A Siamese cat with black fur is called a seal-point cat, but most of its fur will still be white or gray because of the unique way Siamese cats get their coloring. However, in some cases, a black cat might be part-Siamese if a Siamese cat had kittens with a cat that didn’t have the recessive Siamese coat coloring trait.

Part-Siamese black cats may never be known unless their owners get genetic testing. Of course, all of that makes it seem more complicated. Let’s dive into what makes Siamese cats different and what a black Siamese or seal-point cat looks like.

Interesting Facts About Black Siamese Cats

Here are some interesting facts about black Siamese cats that will help you understand their unique coloring and why these cats are so special.

Black Seal Point Siamese Cats Appear White At Birth

Seal point cats, or black cats with the Siamese coat gene, are born entirely or almost entirely white. That’s because Siamese cats carry a gene that makes their fur grow white depending on the temperature. Warm conditions, like the inside of a cat’s womb, are too warm for colored fur.

At first, kittens are also too warm for their fur to develop many colors. But, as your cat gets older, their black fur will start to show on their face, paws, tail, and potentially other places as well.

Black Siamese Cats Are Responsible for Seal Point Coloring In Other Breeds

Black Siamese cats, or seal point cats, have given their coloring to other breeds of cats as well. The seal point color, white bodies with black faces, paws, and tails, is seen in several breeds today and is a good sign that the breed mixed with Siamese cats at one point.

However, that doesn’t mean that all seal-point cats are part Siamese. Instead, the genes that cause seal-point coloring have spread to multiple cat breeds since the coloring first evolved in Siamese cats.

Siamese Coloring Is Recessive

Siamese coloring is recessive, which means both parents have to have the Siamese gene for the kittens to be born with Siamese coloring patterns. If one of the parents doesn’t have the gene, none of the Kittens can.

The difficulty of getting Siamese coloring in mixed-breed cats led to some irresponsible breeding practices for quite a while. Fortunately, Siamese breeders have been using more responsible and sustainable practices for years, correcting several genetic issues and leading to a healthier Siamese breed.

Black Seal Point Siamese Cats Have A Form Of Albinism

The unique coloring of seal point cats is because of Albinism that originated with Siamese cats. Rather than being completely albino, this gene causes your cat’s hair follicles to react to heat. Warm follicles produce white or nearly white fur, regardless of other color genes.

But anywhere your cat’s hair follicles are a little cooler, like right around their nose, your cat’s natural color can shine through.

Many Siamese cats have lighter coloring even in cooler areas of their body since some hair follicles still bleach with this kind of albinism. But, as your cat gets older, its body temperature tends to go down slightly. As their body temperature cools, more and more of your cat’s fur will grow in the dark.

Black And Brown Siamese Cats Can Be Hard To Tell Apart

Seal point cats are some of the most common Siamese cats, but the unique features of their color can make it hard to tell black and brown Siamese cats apart.

That’s partial because black and brown tend to be similar coat colors in Siamese cats.

But the other problem is that Siamese cat coat colors come in gradually, making a black cat look brown for a few years. It’s less common for brown cats to look like they have black fur, but it has happened.

Are Black Siamese Cats Rare

Black Siamese cats aren’t really rare, or at least, they are no more rare than Siamese cats themselves. Seal point coloring, or black coloring with Siamese albinism, is the most common color type for Siamese cats.

However, since Siamese coloring is recessive, and Siamese cats themselves need special breeding practices while the breed recovers from inbreeding, they can be a little more expensive than other cats.

Siamese cats are popular, though, so plenty of local breeders usually produce at least a couple of litters every year.

So, you might pay a little more for a black Siamese cat. But the price is because you want a Siamese cat, not because of the color. Rare Siamese cats are the blue and red-pointed varieties since those color combinations are much rarer than black Siamese.

Are All Black Cats Part Siamese

No, all black cats are not part Siamese. While black cats can be part Siamese since the distinctive Siamese coloring is recessive, not all black cats are necessarily part Siamese. Black coloring is relatively common among cats, though seal-point coloring is rare and signifies Siamese descent.

However, even cat breeds that have seal points aren’t considered ‘part Siamese.’ That’s because the cat breeds that have seal point coloring are all fairly far removed from their Siamese origins. Consider Ragdoll cats, which also have seal points as a common coloring.

Ragdoll cats are heavier than Siamese cats, smaller, and have different body proportions and fur types. All of those different traits are signs of how long it’s been since Ragdoll cats separated from Siamese cats, even though they share certain genetic traits.

So, while your black cat may be part Siamese, especially if they have other Siamese traits, there’s no guarantee. If you want to find out what breeds your cat is descended from, you can have your vet run a genetic test. That will tell you a lot about your cat’s breed, as well as their health and other details about their origins.

What Causes A Black Siamese Cat To Be Black

A black Siamese cat is black because of specific genetic codes on their X chromosome. However, their color won’t show right away if they also have Siamese albinism, creating the characteristic white body and darker points.

Siamese cats will get gradually darker and more black as they get older, and their body temperature cools since their light coloring is a kind of temperature-reactive albinism.

An entirely black Siamese cat must have had one parent that didn’t pass on the recessive gene for Siamese albinism. That means that most Siamese cats that are fully black are part-Siamese mixed-breeds. However, those mixed breeds can still act like Siamese cats and are valuable members of the breed since they are proof of out-breeding and attempt to broaden the gene pool of Siamese cats.

Can Siamese Cats Be Black And White

Yes and no. Siamese cats can have both black and white fur, but that doesn’t mean they have two different colors the way a calico cat has three fur colors or a tuxedo is black and white.

Instead, a Siamese cat is genetically black and has a genetic form of albinism that bleaches most of its fur. As Siamese cats get older and their body temperature decreases, genetic albinism also gets weaker, allowing more and more black fur to grow.

That’s one reason older Siamese cats tend to be much darker than younger Siamese cats.

How Much Are Black Siamese Cats Worth

Siamese cats come in a range of prices depending on their breeding practices and whether the kittens have been fixed or suitable for showing or breeding later in life.

An average black Siamese cat is probably worth $250-$350 as a kitten, though some are more expensive since breeding Siamese cats takes a lot of care.

Premium Siamese cats bred for showing or breeding can be $1,000 or more, even in the common black or seal point coloring.

Black Siamese cats are also usually the most affordable color, other colors of Siamese cats will be more expensive on average.

How Can I Tell If My Black Cat Is Part Siamese

The only way to tell if an all-black cat is part Siamese is to have genetic testing done. However, you can make an educated guess based on the shape of your cat, their behavior, and whether they have a Siamese meow.

Yes, Siamese cats have a different sounding meow from other cat breeds and tend to be more vocal.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many good ways to determine if your cat is part Siamese without testing or asking their breeder. Even genetic tests may be misleading since your cat may have distant Siamese ancestry without being considered part-Siamese. Siamese cats are some of the oldest domesticated cat breeds in the world, so a lot of domesticated cats are partially descended from Siamese cats.