| KaDoKits Exotics presents Dominant and Recessive Genetics... Dominant vs. Recessive In the world of cat breeding, we are concerned with dominant and recessive genes for two main reasons. One is in figuring out the inheritance of colors and patterns. The other is in understanding the inheritance of certain diseases and disorders. Remember.... Your cat gets half of its genetic material from its mother and half of its genetic material from its father. |
Some of the genes are dominant and some of the genes are recessive. A dominant gene will show up in the cat's appearance no matter if the cat has one copy or two copies of the gene. A recessive gene will show up in the cat's appearance only when the cat has two copies of the gene. Let's Consider Fluffy.... Let's say Fluffy is a black exotic. Black is a dense color, a dominant gene. You want to know if Fluffy can give you a blue-cream (a recessive color) kitten when you breed her to your cream (a recessive color) male. There are 2 different possibilities for her genetic make-up: Fluffy can have 2 copies of the dominant black gene. This means she SHOWS the dominant trait (black) in her appearance and she only has those dominant genes to pass on to her kittens....she will never give birth to a recessive colored kitten! No blue-cream kittens for Fluffy! ~ OR ~ Fluffy can have a dominant gene and a recessive gene. This means she SHOWS the dominant trait (black) in her appearance, and HIDES one copy of the recessive dilute gene in her DNA. That recessive gene will only SHOW UP when Fluffy is bred to either a mate who also HIDES the recessive gene in his DNA (a black male who carries a dilute gene or a red male who carries a dilute gene) 25% chance of a blue-cream kitten for Fluffy! OR a mate who has 2 copies of the recessive gene and shows the recessive trait (your cream male). 50% chance of a blue-cream kitten for Fluffy! How Do You Know?? You ALWAYS know when a cat has a dominant gene because you SEE it. You will never know if a cat carries a recessive gene unless you have one or more of the following conditions.... 1. One of your cat's parents had 2 copies of the recessive gene, thereby showing that recessive trait; (a cat with 2 recessive genes ~ like your cream male ~ will always pass on only recessive genes) Is one of Fluffy's parents a blue or a blue-cream? 2. Your cat has produced at least one kitten that shows the recessive trait...meaning both your cat and the mate, at least, carry the recessive gene...and ...that one kitten has 2 copies of the recessive gene; Has Fluffy had kittens before that were blue or blue-cream? 3. You have a DNA test performed to prove your cat does or does not carry the gene in question. (If the test is available for what you want to test for.) Fluffy's Pedigree This is where linechasing gets fun! Sometimes the recessive gene is found many generations back. Sometimes it is found in the first generation. First, start with Fluffy's parents....are either dilutes or are they both dense colors? To keep this interesting, let's say her father is black and her mother is tortoiseshell. Now, go to her grandparents... Let's say her paternal grandparents are dense colors (red father, tortie mother) and her maternal grandparents are also dense colors (red father, black mother) Ughh! Now go to her great-grandparents.... Viola! Fluffy has a blue-cream paternal great-grandmother and a blue maternal great-grandfather. There is a "chance" that Fluffy carries a recessive dilute gene! Suppose... IF Fluffy's father were BLUE, you would KNOW Fluffy carries one dilute gene. or IF Fluffy's maternal grandfather were CREAM, there would be a greater chance that Fluffy carries a dilute gene than if the dilute gene comes only from the great-grand parents. |
| Dominant Traits Dense color (e.g. black, red, tortoiseshell) Inhibitor (silver) Agouti (lets the tabby pattern show) Mackerel Tabby Pattern Short hair Bi-color White |
| Recessive Traits Dilute color (e.g. blue, cream, blue-cream) Solid/Self (no pattern) Classic Tabby Pattern Color-Point (Himalayan pattern) Long hair |
| ----------------------------------- GC, Hot Diggety!, red PER | CH, Hot Dang!, red ESH | | | Blue Belles N Roses, blue-cream ESH | GC, Cinderfella, black ESH | | | | Burnt Offering, black ELH | | | | GC, Fire N Ashes, tortoiseshell ESH | | | GC, Flash Dance, tortoiseshell ESH | F, GC, Fluffy, black ESH | | GC, RW, Sir Luv-Lee-Purrz, red PER | | | GC, GP, Burnin' Luv, red PER | | | | | CH, Flamin' Heart, red PER | | GC, Painted Lady, tortoiseshell ESH | | GC, Blue Moon, blue PER | | CH, Midnight Kiss, black ESH | Total Eclipse, black ESH --------------------------------- Copyright: Pedigrees2020© 1991-2005;//, www.pedigrees2020.com |
| Important... Even if Fluffy NEVER produces a dilute colored kitten, even if she is only bred to a dilute colored male (a blue or a cream), this does NOT prove that she does not carry a dilute gene! Chances are that she does not carry a dilute gene, but this can ONLY be proven with a DNA test. |
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