Why are Siamese cats cross eyed

The Siamese cat, loved worldwide by millions for their unique and lovable personality. What few realize is that these wonderful felines actually come in two common shapes and sizes.

The extreme Siamese, also known as the ‘wedgehead’ is the more distinctive of the two, with an angular face and a long, slender body. Their neck and tail are much more elongated, and their wedge-shaped head (hence the name) is smoother, topped off with two large ears. The wedgehead Siamese has slanted eyes and they appear much more piercing than their applehead brothers and sisters.

Traditional Siamese, also known as the ‘applehead’ is usually heavier than the wedgehead. They also have rounder faces and bodies. They still have bright blue eyes, but they’re not slanted like their counterparts.

Do all Siamese cats have crossed eyes?

Siamese cats who have crossed eyes are actually a rare find these days. Cat Fancier Associations are condemning breeders around the world from breeding the cross-eyed variation of this feline. Since Siamese cats originate from Thailand, it is much more common to find cross-eyes Siamese cats there.

If you’re specifically looking to bring a cross-eyed Siamese cat into your home, it may be difficult for you to find one in the west. The Siamese kitties who don’t show signs of crossed eyes are fortunate to not display repercussions of mass breeding. While many breeders purposely avoid this, this imperfection can’t always be completely avoided.

The cross-eyes on a Siamese is actually a natural trait, and they gained them through a genetic flaw in their eye structure. While it may be seen as a disadvantage to us, they can see perfectly fine with their crossed eyes, and it helps them form a clear image in their brain.

Why do Siamese cats have crossed-eyes?

There are a few reasons why these goofy looking cats have slanted eyes:

The Legend

Now, this is exactly what it says on the tin: a legend. Whether or not you choose to believe it is your choice, there is no denying this myth is incredibly interesting!

Legend has it, Siamese cats were instated as a guard to protect a royal, golden goblet. According to the tale, these intelligent felines dedicated their everything to take good care of this precious item.

The reason their eyes are crossed is due to constantly watching over this goblet both day and night. They wrapped their tails around this goblet for extra security, so naturally, over time, they permanently became kinked. 

Of course, this can never be proven. But there’s no denying these unique kitties certainly have a royal and important vibe about them, maybe that’s why they’re so good at protecting their owners!

Albino Genes

Siamese cats have a very interesting genetic structure surrounding their albinism inheritance. All Siamese cats initially contain this albino gene – that’s the reason all Siamese kittens are white at birth. 

Siamese spots are determined by the temperature of the skin. When a part of their body goes below 100%, it attains a color. A Siameses’ face, neck, and paws are the coldest part of their body, therefore that is where a Siamese will attain these spots. The cross-eyed trait in these felines is caused by that albino gene, and it is actually a genetic flaw.

Though Siamese kittens are all white at birth, is it possible for a black cat to be part Siamese? I found out the answer which you can read by simply clicking on the link!

Scientific Reasoning

The optic nerves are also controlled by the albino gene. This gene disrupts the optical nerve and causes a Siamese cat’s eyes to be crossed. 

Just like humans, cats have forward-pointing eyes. They process images just like we do; by taking two inputs of the same image and stitching them together to allow the brain to process it correctly. 

Humans have 20/20 vision thanks to our retinas being exactly opposite our iris. Siamese cats, however, have retinas that shift slightly inwards. This isn’t a bad thing, though. Their crossed eyes help them form images clearly and they can see perfectly ordinarily. 

Strabismus is the scientific name for this genetic flaw, specifically horizontal strabismus in Siamese cats.

Do crossed eyes cause Siamese cats problems?

If your Siamese cat is crossed-eyed – don’t fret! This is a natural trait in Siamese cats, and if they have developed this condition early in their life, chances are it won’t affect their vision one bit. To ease your worries further, read here to know why Siamese cats are crossed-eyed and what made it completely normal.

However, if your Siamese cat develops crossed eyes in a later stage of life, this can happen for a few reasons. Viruses and nerve trauma can trigger this condition. 

Some Siamese kittens can also be born with this condition therefore it is congenital.

If your Siamese cat suddenly develops strabismus, then this could be a cause for concern and you should contact your local vet. Otherwise, you should just think of this as another one of their quirky little traits!

It is common for Siamese cats in Thailand to continue to show this trait, unlike their brothers and sisters in the west. Due to line-breeding, the cross-eyed variation of these cats is slowly dying out. You may be able to find one in a shelter if you’re looking to adopt one of these cross-eyes, kinked-tailed beauties!

It’s a common concern for many Siamese owners to be worried about their cats well being when it comes to this gene flaw. But, the good news is, as long as your Siamese hasn’t developed this condition later on in life, it’s completely natural. All you have to do is accept this as one of their lovable traits!

Do all Siamese cats have blue eyes?

Both parents have to have blue eyes in order for their offspring to have blue eyes. But the general consensus is if a Siamese is purebred, they’ll have blue eyes. 

The Himalayan gene is present in Siamese kitties and that is what is responsible for that dazzling blue eye color. The albinism gene that causes Siamese cats to be crossed-eyed also causes their blue eyes.

The same as their human parents, Siamese cats have two Iris membranes in the eye. For us, we have the Epithelium and Stroma pigment cells that dictate our eye color. However, Siamese cats do not possess these pigment cells due to the albinism gene.

Technically, Siamese cats do not have an eye color. As strange as it sounds, Isaac Newton’s Rayleigh Scattering theory can explain the idea behind this. Blue is the color that contains the shortest wavelength. Therefore, it scatters more than any other color. Technically Siamese cats have blue eyes for the same reason the sky is blue. It is the predominant color for the human eye.

Are all blue-eyed cats Siamese though? Answers can be found by clicking on the link.

You may notice your Siamese cat’s eyes not lining up with each other. Although they may not see straight, your Siamese cat can see clearly just like those other cats. But why are Siamese cats cross-eyed?

Siamese cats are cross-eyed because of a genetic flaw in their eyes. The condition afflicting the early Siamese cat is called Strabismus. This is a big way to say that the eyes don’t line up with each other. In those with this condition, the center of the retina is off-kilter. This prevents them from seeing straight.

Why do some Siamese cats have crossed-eyes?

Crossed eyes in a Siamese cat may also be caused by nerve damage. The nerves around one eye or the other are weaker, rendering them unable to respond to the brain’s signals. This causes one eye or the other to wander on its own. This is the same cause of the lazy eye.

Of course, these are only the scientific reasons. If you would rather go with the legends (and who wouldn’t?) here is a story.

The Siamese is one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. Given their wise and regal status, the ancient royals selected them to guard a golden goblet. They watched over their charge so intently, as the story goes, that they went cross-eyed.

Or maybe once upon a time, a mama cat said to her kitten “don’t cross your eyes or they’ll stay that way!” And he didn’t listen.  

Whichever theory you go with, this trait only adds to their mysterious beauty.  Unfortunately, many cat fanciers didn’t think so, so they bred out this trait over time.  You can still find this unique feature in the Traditional Siamese and Thai Siamese.

The Thai Siamese has the same heritage as the original, but he is more westernized. This fellow has the same pointed coat and bright blue eyes.  The differences lie in his body type. His torso is still elongated, but less so, and he sports a modified wedge-shaped head.

Why have breeders eliminated crossed eyes?

As with beauty pageants, the standards are high for show and pure-bred cats.

But no pressure, right?

So to meet these standards, breeders will often work to eliminate crossed eyes. To do this, they will mate a cat with crossed eyes with one not possessing the trait. These efforts won’t come to fruition until two or three generations down the line.

It is also important for breeders to look into the background of the cat with uncrossed eyes. If one of his parents carries the crossed eye trait, his kittens have a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting it. 

It is somewhat ironic, as people will go to breeders looking for a “Purebred” Siamese cat. There are health considerations to consider when adopting a purebred cat.  The purer the breed, the more likely they are to have weaker traits as well.

Does a cross-eyed cat face health problems?

Crossed eyes do not usually have any effect on the cat’s wellbeing. The only exception would be if the cause of the crossed eyes leads to problems.

There are diseases of the vestibular system that can cause crossed eyes. This system provides the brain with information about motion and spatial perception.

If this system malfunctions, it can cause the eyes to cross. Other symptoms include dizziness and lightheadedness.

If the cat’s eyes cross due to nerve damage, she might experience other problems.  These include weaker vision and light sensitivity. 

Other causes include:

Injury or Trauma: 

While it is sickening to think of anything like this happening to someone so innocent, it does happen. Cranial inflammation can affect the muscle mobility of the eye.  This can also be a cause of nerve damage. This condition will sometimes resolve when the inflammation goes down. 

Disease:

• Infections can lead to weakness in the small nerves of the eyes. This is especially common in infections of the inner or middle ear.

• Cancer: Nerve damage can also occur when a tumor is pressing down on the nerves of the eye.

• Meningitis is swelling of the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord. This includes those surrounding the eyes and can cause crossed eyes. 

If your cat’s eyes are suddenly crossed, this could be cause for concern. If she also is more tired than usual and not eating, a trip to the vet might be in order.  The good news is that many of these conditions are treatable. 

Other symptoms that occur along with crossed eyes from disease include:

• Balance Issues
• Head tilting to one side.
• Pupil size difference

Do other cat breeds have crossed eyes?

Crossed-eyes are most common to the Siamese cat but can occur in other breeds as well.  This can be due to injury, nerve weakness, or hereditary abnormalities. Or they may be part Siamese!

Other cats prone to crossed eyes include the Persian and the Himalayan.  My friend’s Russian Blue has one eye that crosses when he’s in a certain mood. And in dogs, the Boston Terrier is often a carrier of the gene.

How many types of cat eyes are there?

Like the marble, cats’ eyes come in all types and colors.  The cat is unique in every way – including their vertical pupil.  Almost no other being on earth has this feature. 

As for colors, they can be green, blue, gold, amber, red, yellow, and orange.  Even cooler are the cats who have bi-colored eyes.  

Odd-colored eyes happen because of different levels of melanin activity in each eye. Melanin is responsible for eye color. 

The Turkish Van features one blue, while the other is green or gold. Black cats will often have golden eyes – this is often seen in the stereotypical Halloween cat.  While the Siamese, of course, is famous for her sparkling blue peepers. 

Also important to note is that your kitten’s eyes won’t likely stay the same.  All kittens are born with blue eyes, but most will mature into one of the other colors listed above. 

Some eye colors can signal different health conditions.  For example, many deaf cats are all white with blue eyes. This leads people to believe that cats with one blue eye are also born deaf.  In fact, this only occurs in 20 percent of cats with odd-colored eyes.

Whatever the reason for them, I hope that the Cat Fanciers’ Association changes its mind. Because I think crossed eyes are paws-itively adorable in cats!

Siamese cats are cross-eyed because of a genetic flaw in their eyes. The condition afflicting the early Siamese cat is called Strabismus. This is a big way to say that the eyes don’t line up with each other. In those with this condition, the center of the retina is off-kilter. This prevents them from seeing straight.