User:Jake Klassen/sandbox

While a Siamese cat is similar to other felines, there are some key differences that affect what a Siamese cat should be eating. A Siamese is prone to having similar conditions as other felines such as urolithiasis, however it is also prone to less common problems such as those concerning retinal pathways. Retinal issues are frequent with purebred Siamese cats due to several mutations throughout development such as misdirected optic axons and distorted projections on multiple sections of the inner eye . It is also important for a Siamese to be able to maintain a healthy coat, as the fur of a Siamese is one of the most distinguishable characteristics about them. Proper coat maintenance, as well as aiding in biological functions, are both achieved through a proper amount of tyrosine

Common Ailments and Nutritional Solutions

Urolithiasis

Much like many breeds of cats, Siamese cats are prone to stones, particularly struvite and calcium oxalate, within the urinary tracts. Within most breeds, it is common for males to be more prone to calcium oxalate stones and females to be more prone to struvite stones. However, this is only partially true with Siamese cats, as the males are more common to develop calcium oxalate stones but are equally as likely to develop struvite as the females. Further work is required to discover why Siamese differ from other breeds regarding gender and stone formation.

There are multiple of ways to prevent stones from occurring. The most effective way is through providing the cat with an excess of water (a total >300mL) periodically throughout the day to aid in flushing out the kidneys. Some other examples of ways to prevent urolithiasis includes increasing fiber, limiting sodium or increasing magnesium.

The best way to encourage/assure that the cat is consuming enough water it to feed it a wet cat food with moisture content around 78%-80%.

One example of this would be a food containing gravy as a main ingredient.

Anomalous Retinal Pathways

Poor eyesight is a problem for all purebred Siamese cats. Caused by all major retinal pathways being abnormal in comparison to that of normal felines, it causes an impairment in depth perception. The abnormal retinal pathways are caused by larger than average projections on on the lateral geniculate nucleus, leading to a smaller projection on the ipsilateral eye of the feline. Throughout a Siamese cat's continued development, multiple mutations cause optical axons to develop later than with other animals, as well as be in improper locations. This is typically shown by Siamese cat's stereotypical crossed or squinted eyes, showing a lack of control in retinal muscles . A second genetic detriment to all Siamese cats eyesight is caused by a severe lack of pigmentation within their eyes, leading to the bright blue eyes which they are often distinguished for. This leads to difficulty with night-vision, an important ability which most felines possess .

To aid in a Siamese cat's poor eyesight, it is best to give it a food high in taurine, glutamate and vitamin A. Taurine and glutamate are both used to aid in the blinking and focusing of eye muscles within cats . Vitamin A is known to aid eyesight through the development of a chemical called retinal which can aid in the night-vision of cats.The minimum amounts required for feline adult maintenance is 0.10% of the diet and 3332IU/kg on a dry matter basis for taurine and vitamin A respectively. It is important for a Siamese cat to have significantly higher than minimum amounts of these nutrients because unlike most cats they are born with naturally strained ocular muscles and require the extra aid in vision.

Some of the best sources of vitamin A include liver and fish, a common ingredient in many types of cat food.

Coat Care

A Siamese cat's coat is known to be regal, soft and chic. For the maintenance of the coat it is not only important to regularly brush the cat, but to also make sure it is eating the proper diet.

It was found by a French veterinary surgeon that the best nutritional supplement for maintenance of both feline skin and coat came from feeding them a cereal-based diet due to it containing the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is used to create the polymer melanin, which gives the coats a shinier, darker look to them. Fortunately, Siamese cats typically have lighter coat colours than many other breeds of cats meaning they require less melanin to maintain a healthy looking coat. This is beneficial for them, as it allows them to metabolize the tyrosine in a different way then normal. When not being used for melanin production, tyrosine can instead be used to assist in many biological functions such as preventing hyperthyroidism. Tyrosine is non-essential amino acid, meaning there is no minimum requirements for its consumption

Future Research Required

Future research efforts regarding the science behind Siamese cat metabolism should be target finding how best to maintain their slender shape while still assuring they get all the nutrients needed to overcome some of their predisposed genetic condition. It is difficult to assure that the cat is eating enough food, as they are known to be born with smaller stomachs than average cats, allowing them to eat far less yet require the same amount of nutrients. It should also be looked at more as to why male and female Siamese cats have the same chance of developing struvite stones, whereas all other tested breeds of cats differed.