Colour change on cats nose leather

Question
our blue point l8 month old male cats nose has changed from blue grey to having a large patch of pink on it. Why is this? He has been neutered and is in otherwise good health

Answer
Jean,

It took my a bit of time to get an answer back for your question.  I am copying in an answer I got from a long term Siamese breeder whose opinion I trust explicitly.

Anyway this is what she says:

"It's really not an uncommon thing, Norm...although you usually don't hear about it.  It's another one of those things that haunts Siamese breeders...change in pigment color on nose and paw pads.  It is genetic (although I have personally seen it following an injury to a paw pad in one of my older neuters)--seems to be related/most likely the cause of--to when a cat goes into estrus (for a female) and when the hormones begin "flowing" for the males.  It doesn't mean they are ill, they are still all Siamese with an attitude.  :)  

"A well known Siamese breeder <sic> recently took in a female from some people she really didn't know that well, and much to her surprise the female was lilac with a pink nose *and* an even "pinker" spot in the middle of the nose.  When we saw it someone said, "What is that?"  I was with others and no one even asked what "That" was...it was so obvious.  All she <sic> could say was, "I know...I didn't know about it until she arrived and they had traveled so far...."  We discussed it...and, of course it could be a throw back to the albino cats that we seem to always want to get rid of but I've recently seen some convincing evidence that they really are out there...probably hidden in the closets -- so to speak.  :)  It falls in that group of questions that I have that if I had the answers to them it would make a good book for cat enthusiasts.  This question being...Why do we see these changes occur in the best cats we own?  :)  Why do some cats' blue eyes glow more red in the dark than other cats with the same pupil color--this also happens with Siamese and I am certain it is genetics!

"I just know that it is a flaw in the pigmentation of the cat which usually occurs simultaneously when it reaches sexual maturity--a flaw that will turn a dynamite cat into a cat that doesn't ever have to worry about going to shows ever again.  I've seen it on every single color of cat too!  I've seen paw pads go from perfect color to one toe becoming discolored--almost like it stepped into pink paint--I was benched next to a Chocolate Point at the International that had a pink spot on its nose--it isn't uncommon--people just don't talk about it.  So that makes me feel certain it is genetics at work.  I've heard stories of cats that grand and when they finish nursing kittens the owner notices the changes for the first time.  It is nothing to worry about though...as I said, they are still great "Meezers" with a wonderful life ahead of them--just not in the show ring."  


Best regards... Norm.