Cats come in so many wonderful shapes and sizes, but have you ever looked at your cat and wondered what dictates the kind of fur they have? And why are some coats rarer than others? In honor of National Cat DNA Day, let's explore some quirky cat coat colors because we have all the answers to your cat fur pattern questions.
Tortoiseshell and Calico Cats
Tortoiseshell cats are cats with mottled orange and black coats, similar to the black and white salmiak cat colors. Calico cats are tri-colored cats with black, orange, and white blocks of color. Both sets of patterns can vary in positioning and coloration, so no two cats will ever be identical. It is also possible to get diluted variants - more on that later.
The Genetics Behind Tortie and Calico Cats
Torties and calico cats are, more often than not, female. This is because the X chromosome carries the information about where to place the colors on cat fur. Female cats undergo a process called X-inactivation, which means when they are an embryo, each of their cells will turn off one of the X chromosomes at random, leading to random blocks of orange or black fur. Calicos have an additional gene that interacts with this process and decides where white fur will go.
Why these cats are almost always female
As mentioned above, the genetics for the Tortie and Calico patterns often rely on two X chromosomes. It is possible to have a male cat with these colorings, but it’s often the case that these cats are sterile.
Colorpoint Cats
Most often associated with Siamese cats, colorpoint cats have dark coloration on their faces, feet, tail, and ears, with a lighter variation of the color or white on the rest of their body.
Temperature-Sensitive Albinism
Siamese cats are, in fact, slightly albino. Temperature-sensitive albinism is considered a less severe form of albinism than complete albinism, meaning that color only develops on cooler areas of the body. It’s also possible for these cats to get generally darker as they age due to a general drop in their temperature.
The Genetics Behind Colorpoint Cats
According to the Cat Fanciers Association, both parents need to be colorpointed in order to get a colorpoint kitten, and a pairing like this cannot produce non-colorpointed offspring. This is because the gene that controls colorpoint patterns is a recessive gene.
Breed-Specific Color Patterns
Whilst the Siamese cat is the most well-known colorpoint cat, other cats with this kind of albinism are the Burmese cat, the Ragdoll, Tonkinese, Balinese, and any cat said to have “mink” or “point” colorization. It is also possible for mixed-breed cats or American Shorthair cats to have colorpoint variations.
Dilute Colors (Blue, Lilac, Cream)
If you’ve ever heard someone say they have a lilac cat or a blue cat, it could make you think their cat is a very strange color. This doesn’t mean they have a bright purple or bright blue cat; it means this cat is diluted and has a lighter coat color than usual, and these types of colorations have been given names like blue, lilac, and cream.
The Dilution Gene
What causes the dilution of standard colors?
Cat fur isn’t just a strand that is a solid color, it’s actually a shaft with granules of pigment inside. According to the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, dilution is a recessive trait that means there’s an uneven distribution of pigment in the shaft, making the color of the cat's coat pale, or diluted.
Genetic pathways behind the dilution gene
The genetics at play might sound familiar if you’ve ever had to do a Punnett square before. Full-color coats are caused by a dominant gene, which we’ll call D. Dilute colors are a recessive gene which we’ll call d. If a cat has a D from both parents there won’t be any dilution. If one parent has a D and one has a d then there’s a 25% chance that the kitten will have a diluted pattern. If both parents carry a d gene, the kittens will all be diluted.
Common Diluted Colors
Black dilutes down to blue which looks like a blue-tinged gray color. Chocolate becomes a red or pink-gray called lilac. Cinnamon coats dilute into a light brown called fawn. Red or orange cats dilute down to cream which is a light orange color. Amber cats become light amber which is a light brown or orange. White cannot be diluted.
Silver and Smoke Cats
You might assume that silver is another diluted color, but it’s a little more complicated than that. The silver coloring comes from a gene that removes the red or yellow pigment from a cat’s fur. It’s also the dominant form of the gene, meaning that if one of the kittens’ parents has this inhibitor gene, then it’s likely the kitten will come out silver. A similar inhibitor gene is also responsible for giving some cats a smokey appearance, meaning their undercoat is light, but the top coat is dark.
Rare and Unique Colors: Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Fawn
Sometimes, we can find rare cat colors. For example, chocolate and cinnamon colorings are relatively rare and work on variations of the brown genes. Brown colorings in cats come from a reduction in eumelanin (black pigment) in the coat. Genetics for a black coat are dominant over the colorings for a chocolate coat, and chocolate is dominant over cinnamon. At the same time, it is possible for both of these colors to be diluted, making colors like fawn rare as the dilution gene and the cinnamon gene are both recessive.
Breeds Known for Unique Coat Patterns
Some breeds of cats have their own unique coats that make them special. If you're curious whether your cat belongs to a rare breed and want to learn more about their health, a cat DNA test can provide valuable insights. This test can reveal breed information and potential genetic health risks, helping you better care for your friend. Below are three of the most surprising coat types cats can have.
Bengal Cats: Rosetted and Marbled Patterns
Bengal cats are genetically made from a wild cat and a domestic cat, so it’s not a surprise that they have traits from their wild counterparts. One way this shows can be a rosette cat pattern coat that’s most often seen on big cats like leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and ocelots. You can also get marbled cat fur patterns on Bengals which they get from their tabby cat heritage. The marbling looks like swirls and asymmetric patterns made of two or more colors in random formations across the body.
Sphynx Cats: Hairlessness and Skin Color Patterns
Not everyone would consider being bald a coat pattern, so why are sphynx cats here? Sphynx cats are not entirely bald, as they have a fine layer of hairs making up a downy coat, and they can also have color patterns across their body. Some sphynx cats are entirely pink, some have blocks of dark colors, or they can even have colorpoint patterns on their skin.
Devon Rex and Cornish Rex: Wavy Coats
The full genetics of wavy coats are complicated, but it comes down to a gene mutation, and some breeds now have that mutation as a constant. Cats with this gene need a lot of maintenance as the wavy or curly fur can be fragile.
