Cat Chromosomes Note the X and Y chromosomes at the bottom. |
| Determining your cat's Basic Color. Locate your cat's color in one of the three columns below. Whatever column your cat's color falls in, is your cat's BASIC COLOR. It's THAT EASY!!!! |
| BLACK BLUE BROWN TABBY BLUE TABBY (BLACK) SILVER TABBY BLUE SILVER TABBY BLACK SMOKE BLUE SMOKE SHADED SILVER SHADED BLACK SHADED BLUE CHINCHILLA SHELL BLACK SHELL BLUE ALL ABOVE COLORS WITH WHITE |
| TORTOISESHELL BLUE-CREAM BROWN PATCHED TABBY BLUE PATCHED TABBY (BLACK) SILVER PATCHED TABBY BLUE SILVER PATCHED TABBY SMOKE TORTOISESHELL BLUE-CREAM SMOKE SHADED TORTOISESHELL SHADED BLUE-CREAM SHELL TORTOISESHELL SHELL BLUE-CREAM ALL ABOVE COLORS WITH WHITE |
| RED CREAM RED TABBY CREAM TABBY RED (CAMEO) SILVER TABBY CREAM SILVER TABBY RED (CAMEO) SMOKE CREAM SMOKE RED (CAMEO) SHADED CREAM SHADED RED (CAMEO) SHELL CREAM SHELL ALL ABOVE COLORS WITH WHITE |
| Color vs. Pattern This is another important concept to understand. You have to remember that all the genes that come together to make your cat look the way it does are not one big gene. DNA is like a zipper. During cell division and reproduction, it is like a continuous unzipping and rezipping of the DNA from mom & dad. Each tooth of the zipper represents an allele and a unique characteristic. When the two sides of the DNA zipper come together, a tooth from each side join together and make a complete characteristic in each offspring. Each pair is responsible for its own characteristic! Color has its own pair (black, red, tortoiseshell) Dilute has its own pair (makes the above dominant colors blue, cream, blue-cream) (Remember, there is not a gene for "blue". Your blue cat has genes for a "black" cat that also has 2 dilute genes that make it look like a blue.) The genes for color are only found on the X sex chromosomes! =^O.O^= Then you have PATTERN Each pattern has its own genes that work independently from any of the other genes! |
| These are COLORS Dominant/Dense Colors Black Red Tortoiseshell Dilute Colors Blue Cream Blue-cream "Other" Colors I don't work with and won't talk much about Seal Brown Chocolate Lilac Cinnamon Fawn |
| These are PATTERNS Dominant Patterns Tabby Pattern (Classic, Mackerel, Spotted) (ALL cats have Tabby Pattern genes) Agouti Commonly referred to as "Tabby" (allows pattern to show) Bi-Color (with white) Inhibitor (silver) Smoke, Shaded, Shell (This works with the inhibitor gene. A set of genes that regulate how far up the hair shaft the silver will go & how much color will show on the tips. Often called Wide-band polygenes) White Recessive Patterns Color-point or Himalayan |
| KaDoKits Exotics presents the Color Chart... On this page I am showing different ways to look at color. For ME, I find it easiest to always go back to figuring out if a cat is black, red, or tortoiseshell. Then I work my way up from there, adding the other genes present. I hope this is of some help to you. |
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