Trait overview

The charcoal colored coat seen in some Bengal cats is the product of 2 distinct alleles of the ASIP gene inherited together. The first allele is the one associated with a solid black coat (melanism) in domestic cats, while the second alelle is inherited directly from the Asian leopard cat.

Gene name(s)

ASIP

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive (compound heterozygocity)

More common in the following breeds

Citations

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25143047/