Snowshoe or Siamese???

[Crazy8catlady]

I have 2 cats that need identification.
Fun Fact: Both are siblings. Teddy is older than Phoebe by 5 minutes. Teddy is MUCH bigger than Phoebe.

Theodore "Teddy" - Siamese or Snowshoe



Phoebe -Snowshoe or Siamese

 

[Noahh]

I believe Theodore is a siamese and Phoebe is a snowshoe. Phoebe has more white (especially on his face and chest), and Theodore has more darker colors.

 

[Crazy8catlady]

Or Phoebe could be Calico
Thoughts??

 

[StefanZ]

Or Phoebe could be Calico
Thoughts??

Nay, the reddish brown isnt true red color, its because she is a black point and white. These tend to get dark on the body, more and earlier than other "siamese-mixes".

Ps. At first quick glance, she could be a calico, yes. But the bluish eyes reveals her: she is a point... Making it a different story.

 

[Kieka]

Their coloring is seal point with white, their breed would be domestic shorthair.

While all pointed cats do have an original siamese breed origin ancestor on both sides (since they need to inherit a colorpoint gene from each parent) that doesn't mean they are Siamese. It could be that the siamese ancestor is 100 generations back and other then that one gene there isn't any siamese genetic traits left. Humans generated this idea of breeds for cats only a few hundred years ago and the reality is that only a very small percentage of the cat population actually is related to anything we would consider purebred. Historically, cats weren't breeds until people started saying they liked certain looks and bred for those looks leading to purebred lines and purebred cats. The gene that makes the unique pointed coloring is spread far and wide in the cat genetic pool at this point that unless a cat has recognized purebred parentage there is no way to know if they are any significant amount that breed.

In this specific case.... The siamese breed specifically doesn't have white spotting, so neither is Siamese. The snowshoe breed is extremely rare and their are only a handful of snowshoe breeders in america. The chances of any random cat being related to an actual snowshoe is so minimal that is can probably be dismissed as a possibility. Neither have the body structure of a siamese to indicate recent siamese either. They both very lovely but not a specific breed in my opinion.

Keep in mind, I have two seal point with white cats myself. I fully admit mine are also just really pretty cats who look like snowshoe but aren't really. But looks don't make a cat that breed.

 

[StefanZ]

Both these pretties are domestic shorthairs, with essentially the same coloring and pattern:

seal point and white...

The same coloring snowshoe got renown for. This coloring causes the black color tends to be even more intensive than usual, and thus, these tend to get darkish on the body already as young adults. While most other seal points gets darkish on the body first several years old.

 

[jen]

Sibling cats aren't going to both be completely different purebred cats. Majority of cats in the world are not purebred and aren't even a mix of specific breeds. Even color pointed cats aren't typically pure Siamese. It is all just a huge array of coat patterns and characteristics widespread throughout the domestic cat population. They resemble Snowshoe, or Siamese. But they are Domestic Shorthair. Very cute ones too!!

 

[Crazy8catlady]

I've never heard of a pointed cat lol I'm gonna do some research tonight!!!

 

[Crazy8catlady]

Sibling cats aren't going to both be completely different purebred cats. Majority of cats in the world are not purebred and aren't even a mix of specific breeds. Even color pointed cats aren't typically pure Siamese. It is all just a huge array of coat patterns and characteristics widespread throughout the domestic cat population. They resemble Snowshoe, or Siamese. But they are Domestic Shorthair. Very cute ones too!!

Her mom had 4 babies. There was a grey and white we named Faith and gave her away to a good home, then Theodore, then Bri was born and looked IDENTICAL to her mother, finally Phoebe was born. They all kept their mothers blue eyes. Theodore looked VERY Siamese as a kitten. Then his fur darkened around 4years old.

 

[Kieka]

Faith is basically the same as Theodore and Phobe except they got two copies of the pointed gene and she either got one or none. Theodore and Phobe would be black and white or grey and white without the colorpoint gene. That gene makes the pigment in their fur heat sensitive and their coats darken as they age and are exposed to cold. It also give them blue eyes because the pigment is impacted.