Siamese color points

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I am considering getting two traditional Siamese who will eventually breed.  I'd like to get a variety of point colors for the offspring.  Do you know what pairing would produce the greatest variety of points in the kittens?

Thanks!

ANSWER: Betty,

First of all, the term traditional Siamese is a misnomer.  The real traditional Siamese (appearing in the cat books in the 1940's and 1950's) were fairly lanky and had very wedge shaped heads.  The so-called traditional Siamese only seems to have point color and pattern in common with the usual Siamese we find at cat shows.

Also, in The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., the only accepted colors are seal point, chocolate point, blue point, and lilac point.

I am assuming you will want a richer variety of colors than this. So, I would get a tortie point of some description. If you also want tabby markings in the points, I would get a tortie lynx point. The male should be a lilac point.  In time with breeding and cross breeding, this combination will eventually give you a rich panoply of point colors, even if not right away.

The tortie lynx point will introduce the tabby markings in the points and the red factor.  The lilac point will introduce chocolate (an allele of the brown gene and blue (an allele of the dilute gene), both of which are recessives.

Depending on what the tortie is carrying and the homozygosity vs. heterozygosity of the tabby pattern (agouti gene), the point colors of the progeny of this breeding could be all over the place.

This is fairly complicated stuff, so, please feel free to get back to me with more questions.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Norm,  Thanks for the prompt reply.  I am happy to finally find someone who can help me.  Sorry if my use of "traditional" struck a nerve.  Why is it that in my fifty plus years I only learned of the wedge-shaped Siamese in the last few years?  I thought the wedge, bat ears, and slim lines were created.  Maybe the proper term would be "apple head"?  That sounds so unsophisticated!  Anyway, I like the looks of the Siamese I had as a child.  I don't like the tortie or flame point.  The tortie looks messy, and the flame looks unhealthy(just my opinion). I like the accepted colors and also the Lynx.  What are my options in this case to get a variety of these points?  Thanks.  Betty

ANSWER: Betty,

As an aside, if people want an "apple headed" pointed cat, I suggest they look at pointed Tonkinese.

OK, so if I understand you correctly, you want no red factor pointed cats.  This narrows things substantially.  Using the same premise I had before and knowing what tends to be out there, I would start with a seal lynx point and a lilac point.  This way you can get all the lynx points and 4 basic colors into the mix.  They may not all come out of the first litter, but by cross breeding, you can eventually get seal, seal lynx, blue, blue lynx, chocolate, chocolate lynx, lilac, lilac lynx.

I hope this is what you are looking for.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much for your reply.  I feel like I finally have reached someone who is knowledgeable about genetics.  I'll look into the Tonkinese.  What is the advantage?  

Someone told me that Lynx point is dominant, and all you'd get is Lynx kittens. (? )  The pairing you suggest sounds perfect!  I would only mate the two mentioned above, so what do you mean by cross breeding?  What would I get just mating the Seal Lynx and Lilac?

You've been so helpful, I have been searching for these answers for months now.

Betty

Answer
Betty,

Yes, lynx points are dominant, BUT, if you have a lynx point which is heterozygous for the agouti gene, and you breed it to a non-lynx point, you have a 50% chance (all things being equal, which they never are) of getting lynx points and solid points.

If the seal lynx carries the chocolate allele of the brown gene, then there is a 50% chance of getting chocolates when bred with the lilac point.  Likewise, if the seal lynx point carries dilute, there is a 50% chance you will get blues.  And, if the seal lynx point carries both the chocolate and the blue, there is a 50% chance you can get lilacs.

Now, by cross breeding, I mean taking progeny out of each parent and breeding them to someone else and then do grandparent to grandchild breedings.

I know you can do PCR testing to find out whether or not your seal carries the chocolate or the blue or both (see University of California -- Davis, Veterinary Genetics Lab).  I do not know if they can test for the agouti gene yet.  I believe these tests are $40.00 USD each and you can use good old sterile cotton swabs.

Please let me know if you have further questions as cat coat color genetics has been my hobby since 1970!

Best regards... Norm.