Cat owners are immensely mesmerized by the remarkable skin coat color patterns of their cats. This article will cover the concern “Cat colors and patterns”, different types of coat colors and patterns observed, and their specific features, etc.
Cat colors and patterns
Cat coats exhibit several solid colors like white, blue, cinnamon, lilac or lavender, red, cream, chocolate, sable or brown, etc. Different coat colors are a wonderful feature of cats that make each cat unique. It’s exciting to learn about all these coat colors and patterns.
The cat’s coat color is attributed to the genetics and mutations inherited from the parents. Genetic mutations and selective breeding of cats have produced charming coat colors and patterns.
There are two different ways to describe a coat color: what it looks like and what experts call it. For example, experts call an orange cat a red cat, and a yellow cat called a cream-colored cat. Fortunately, a black cat is referred to as a black cat, and a white cat as a white cat.
Different coat colors of cats
Here is a list of different cat coat colors:
Black
Breeding programs are often performed for gaining desired true solid black coat color. Black coats sometimes have underlying tabby markings. Black cats show a rusty tinge when exposed to sunshine. According to the colorpoint pattern, the black gene is manifested as dark brown.
White
White coat color is the only one that is always solid and doesn’t have underlying tabby markings. There are several varieties of white coats, which create an overall solid white color. White cat genes sometimes cause deafness, however, all white cats are not deaf.
Red
Orange or ginger-colored cats are professionally termed red. The red color gene is sex-linked, that’s why most red cats are male. According to the colorpoint pattern, red color is often referred to as a flame-point.
Blue
The blue coat color is deep bluish-gray and is a diluted version of black. This coat color is specific for some breeds, and it can be seen in mixed-breed cats.
Cream
The cream coat color is a diluted version of red and it can be blended with blue to create dilute calicos and tortoiseshells.
Brown
The Havana Brown breed of cats is associated with this color. Solid brown coat colors are not very common and variations of this color are also called chocolate, lavender, or lily in some breeds. According to the colorpoint pattern, lilac is referred to as a frost point.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon coat color is a variety of solid light brown colors with red overtones. However, the diluted version of cinnamon is fawn.
Different coat patterns of cat
The different types of cat coat patterns are mentioned below:
Self-color / Solid
The easiest coat pattern to spot because they all contain only one color. The presence of any other splodge of color on the cat eradicates it from the category of solid coat type. Breeds that show solid coats include snow-white Turkish Angora and stone-gray British Shorthair.
Bi-color
Patches of some color with white color on a cat’s coat make it a bi-color coat type, for example, tabby. The white spotting gene is responsible for this coat pattern, and bi-color cats are often referred to as having magpie, harlequin, cap, saddle, or van. Turkish Van and Manx show such coat types.
Tabby
The most common type of coat type in cats around the world, and has 4 variations.
- A Striped or mackerel tabby has vertical stripes running from its spine to its belly.
- Classic or blotched tabby has a swirly pattern which creates a marbled effect.
- The spotted tabby has spots as evident from its name. For example, the Ocicat and the American Bobtails.
- Ticked tabby has striped legs and tail, while the rest of the body appears mottled from the agouti hair.
Tortoiseshell
A mixture of red (ginger) and black results in a tortoiseshell coat pattern. This coat type is mostly seen in females and comes in various dilutions. They can be found in diluted colors like cream and blue. Breeds that exhibit such patterns include Cornish Rex, Maine Coons, etc.
Tricolor / Calico
This coat pattern is a mixture of three colors, red (ginger), black and white. Calico coat type can also be diluted and shows grey, creamy, and white patches. Mostly seen in female cats. Persian cats exhibit calico coat patterns.
Colorpoint
Colorpoint coat pattern occurs when the coat is darker on the face, paws, and tail. It’s one of the rarest color patterns in cats and develops due to a genetic mutation leading to temperature-sensitive albinism. Breeds like Siamese, Ragdoll, and Himalayan show such coat types.
Conclusion
Today, we covered the article “Cat colors and patterns”, different types of coat colors and patterns observed, and their specific features, etc. From the above discussion, it’s evident that different types of cat coat colors and patterns prevail around the world and each color or pattern exhibits characteristics only specific to it.
