Dilution (blue and isabella) The D series.  Brown is a recessive trait that will modify the normal black pigment (B) to a brown colour (b/b) or to a cinnamon colour (b’/b’).  Normal coloration is dominant over brown, which in turn is dominant over cinnamon. An example of polygenes influencing a major gene is the color of a red cat. Generate kittens using actual genetics! 5. Although they are not shown on the chart, Tortoiseshell cats can also have tabby patterns. Breeding Punnet squares and a big Labrador case study. COLOUR AND PATTERN CHARTS - downloadable charts for breeders, tutorials etc CONFORMATION CHARTS - downloadable charts for breeders, tutorials etc Plain English Guide to Colours and Patterns Plain English Guide to Conformation. Mitted (Black Mitted) Just white paws. The Agouti gene, found at Locus A is the master gene for yellow pigment production.  In the cat, the Agouti gene is either active, allowing yellow pigment to be formed, or not active, which eliminates yellow pigment formation but still allows black pigment to be produced. Random-bred cats have the widest range of eye colours while the eye colours in pedigree breeds have been restricted by selective breeding. Genetic Disorders. Name *  Although the Ticked Tabby locus is distinct from the Classic Tabby locus, it can be masked by the Classic Tabby patterns.  Dominant White as it’s name indicates is dominant in that only one copy of the mutated gene (W) is needed to give the trait. Harlequin The rest of the color genes are actually patterns that affect the black or red. • We simply make changes to the genotype to make a cat look non-black and non-tabby. The current coat color panel does cover everything possible in a traditional Aby breeding program like cinnamon and dilute as well as agouti. The effect of polygenes is cumulative on coat color genetics. Required fields are marked * Comment. Genes for basic colours, including Colorpoint (Locus C), Agouti (Locus A), Orange (Locus O) and Locus E. These are the genes that make the pigments that give the basic colours to the cat. For those who would rather not try to remember everything, there is a color prediction software program available free for download: Feline Genetics Primer and FREE Feline Genetics Software Free program for predicting phenotypes of cats based on known genotypes, and calculating mating predictions. The Dilution gene can also influence Orange pigmentation (Locus O), which it washes out to give a Cream coloration. Some genes are simplified and it does not give percentage changes, but it should be easy to use even if you know very little about genetics. The wild-type dominant A gene will result in individual cat hairs having bands of color. Therefore, a cat that appears to be white will breed the same as any of the other colors shown above, depending upon which color it “masks”. The genetics of short hair and long hair is relatively straight forward.  Short hair is the dominant copy (L) while long hair is the recessive copy (l/l) of the responsible gene. If you do not know what recessive colors your cat is carrying, then you may find out by sending a DNA sample to Veterinary Genetics Laboratory of UC Davis (USA). our genetic system is in duplicate (see Cat Genetics 1.0: The Basics).  Also, that the effect of one copy of a gene can be dominant over the other copy, which is said to be recessive.  For a given gene an individual cat can have two copies that are the same (either two dominant or two recessive copies), or one copy that is dominant and one copy that is recessive.  Furthermore, the functions of one gene can mask the functions of another gene. Cat Genetics‎ > ‎ C. Dilute Colors (Gray, Lilac, Fawn ... D-(dense) dm-(NO dilute modifier) Dm-(dilute modifier, only affects a cat's coat IF the cat is homozygous recessive for dilute.) Color and Pattern Genetics • There are many genes which contribute heavily to the appearance of every cat. We will primarily talk about 11 genes. Basic Feline Genetics. Therefore, a cat that appears to be white will breed the same as any of the other colors shown above, depending upon which color it “masks”. Feline Coat Color Introduction The modern-day domestic cat displays a wide variety of coat colors and patterns.  Colour pattern effects are produced by different levels of expression of the basic pigments, black and yellow, both between groups of hairs and also within the hair shaft itself.  Collectively, colour patterns are called Tabbies but this oversimplifies the genetics as there are several genes involved in giving patterned effects.  Tabbies require a normal functioning Agouti locus (A/-), and they will be masked in a black cat (a/a).  Tabby patterns can overlay the basic colour genes as well as the modifying colour genes.  Three genes associated with colour patterns are mentioned, including Classic Tabby, Ticked Tabby and Spotted Tabby.  While a comprehensive understanding of the genetics of white spots in cats remains for the future, some breed specific advances have been made. Eye colours Brown, amber and blue. Cat Coat Pattern Genetics Agouti Gene. Hints for Determining Color. Mackerel Tabby and Classic Tabby are caused by the same gene (Ta), with Mackerel being dominant over Classic Tabby.  In Classic (or Blotched) Tabby, swirls and blotches of black and yellow pigment occur.  Mackerel Tabby gives the familiar alternating stripes of black and yellow pigment seen in cats.  Think little tigers.  The genetics of cat coloration is a good practical example of basic genetics and of heredity.  We will see the function of single genes, the passage of genes to the next generation, and importantly, the interaction of genes with each other to give the combinations of colour traits seen between and within the cat breeds. Cat coat genetics: Lenght and texture. Coat and Color Descriptions. Feline Coat Color Introduction The modern-day domestic cat displays a wide variety of coat colors and patterns.  The good news is that the basics of colour genetics in the cat are relatively simple.  The not so good news is that simplicity plus simplicity plus simplicity….will pretty quickly give us complexity.  It is important to realize that a single hair can be all black, all yellow, or have bands of black and yellow or even bands of modified black and yellow. In a tortoiseshell tabby, or "torbie", the same tabby pattern is applied to both the red patches and the black patches. Colorpoint refers to the fact that ears, paws and tails of the cat are more darkly pigmented compared to the body.  This is the key component of coloration in several breeds including Siamese and Burmese, and can give colorpoint variations such as Tonkinese.  There is an order of dominance of these variations (mutations) as follows: Other animals such as rabbits also have colorpoint mutations in their Locus C genes.  Dogs do not. Basic Feline Genetics. Cat Coat Pattern Genetics Agouti Gene. cat coat calculator (original ver.) Harlequin Many white cats are born with a spot of color on their heads, and that color will indicate the true color of the cat. A short video explaining some of the genetics of cat coat colour. The Spot Tabby locus is responsible for spots of black pigment on a yellow pigment background.  Think of little leopards.  Spots are seen in traditional cat breeds such as the Ocicat and in hybrid breeds such as the Bengal.  The genetics of Spot are not well understood. The color gene for red is the only color gene attached to the sex of the cat. Bicolor (Black and White Bicolor) ~1/2 white, color on head and torso. Maybe think of them as primary colors in the color wheel. For a visual representation of colour genetics covered in this article, see the colour chart Cat Genetics 2.1: Colours Chart. Paw Print Genetics offers testing for common coat colors and traits. • **Every cat is black. © 2020 Labgenvet / Tous droits réservés / All Rights Reserved, Dog Genetics 3.0: Simple Genetic Diseases, Dog Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding strategies and Inbreeding, Dog Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Veterinary Continuing Education – Dog Genetics Demystified, Cat Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding Strategies and Inbreeding, Cat Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Horse Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding Strategies and Inbreeding, Horse Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Laboratory of Veterinary Genetics "For the genetic improvement of our domestic animals", Cat Genetic Profile – Feline Blood Groups, Canine Disease Profile – PRA-Type-1 Papillons, Canine Disease Profile – Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), Canine Disease Profile – Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR1). Cat coat length is controlled by the gene named the fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5). White Cats Eye Colours And Deafness Cat Genetics 2 0 Colours Laboratoire De Génétique Vétérinaire These cats are at a higher risk from congenital deafness and skin cancer. The mechanism of formation of this color is similar to that of the smoke color. These “ticked” hairs are typically alternated with a solid color, resulting in tabby stripes. While fur color has little to do with eye color, breed certainly may. Resources: This review of the genetics of cat colours is not meant to be exhaustive.  It is the beginning of the story rather than the end of one.  Further information and details can be found on these websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_coat_genetics, http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/catcolors.html, © 2020 Labgenvet / Tous droits réservés / All Rights Reserved, Dog Genetics 3.0: Simple Genetic Diseases, Dog Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding strategies and Inbreeding, Dog Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Veterinary Continuing Education – Dog Genetics Demystified, Cat Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding Strategies and Inbreeding, Cat Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Horse Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding Strategies and Inbreeding, Horse Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation, Laboratory of Veterinary Genetics "For the genetic improvement of our domestic animals", Cat Genetic Profile – Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HMC), Cat Genetic Profile – Feline Blood Groups, Canine Disease Profile – Degenerative Myelopathy (DM). The C Locus involves a master gene for pigment formation.  When the gene is active, both black and yellow pigments can be formed.  When the gene is mutated and not active, no pigment is formed.  A recessive mutation at the C Locus will give a white (albino) cat, but this is not something that is desirable for cat breeders.  However, cats have a very interesting series of additional mutations at the C Locus that give the Colorpoint traits. Similar color charts have appeared in Wright & Walters (The Book of the Cat, 1980) and in Robinson's Genetics (1977 onwards) and all of this information on this page has … Nose colours From black to pink and everything inbetween. The white spotting gene causes variable white markings. Smoke cats. A. This is the most common coat pattern in the wild and it has four varieties: Striped (Mackerel), blotched (marbled), spotted, and ticked (agouti). color and pattern glossary . Read more about cat color and genetics on Paws and Effect >> When it comes to coat patterns, here’s a mind-blowing fact: All cats start as tabbies. We should also mention the heredity of cat colours, that is to say, the passage of the genes for coat colours from one generation to the next.  To help the discussion, think of the cat genome as a deck of playing cards (see Cat Genetics 1.0: The Basics) where each gene (or card) is represented twice.  From this deck of cards, with its own particular combination of cards is constructed a house of cards, or in this instance, a cat.  Between generations, the house of cards is collapsed and the deck of cards gets shuffled and then cut in two.  A new house (cat) is built from a new combination of cards, half coming from mom and the other half from dad.  When you think of all the known genes with all their variations that are involved in establishing the colour of a cat, then add in the genes not as yet characterised, this can give a whole lot of new possible combinations between generations.  That’s genetics.  And the challenge of breeding. Dilution is another gene that modifies the normal colours and will wash out or dilute both black pigment and yellow pigment.  Dilution is a recessive trait that will modify normal black pigmentation to give a grey colour (d/d) often called Blue.  Dilution can combine with B locus Brown (b/b) to give Lilac (Lavender) coat colour and with B locus Cinnamon (b’b’) to give Sable (Fawn) coat colour. Mink is created when a cat has ONE copy of Burmese and ONE copy of Siamese , as it is an intermediate color that is the co-dominace of the two together (cb/cs).  The recessive and normal version of the gene is called w.  Dominant White will mask the effects of the Colorpoints (Locus C), Agouti (Locus A), and Brown and Cinnamon (Locus B).   Dominant white can be confused with recessive white (albino, c/c, coming from the C locus).  Unfortunately, Dominant white can be associated with deafness, particularly when it is present in two copies (W/W). For the Love of Gray Cats! Solid Color Breeding Chart. Cats can have a full range of white markings, from none, to moderate, to predominant.  The Locus S is involved in producing white markings, but the gene has not been cloned and it is not known if Locus S represents one gene or several genes. Jul 19, 2015 - COLOUR AND PATTERN CHARTS for every cat color in existence. For example, in the small Neotropical jaguarundi ( Herpailurus yaguarondi ), coloration varies from dark brown/gray (the most common form, widely regarded as the wild-type) to light reddish 1 , 2 . The following statements are generally true – but there are exceptions. Cat Coat Color and Hair Traits; Cat Genetics 1.0: The Basics; Cat Genetics 2.0: Colors; Cat Genetics 2.1: Colours Chart; Cat Genetics 4.0: Evolution, Breeds, Breeding Strategies and Inbreeding; Cat Genetics 4.1: Inbreeding Calculator, Detailed Instructions and Interpretation; Cow. Other Coat Patterns Tuxedo Cats Coloration with white paws, chest, and belly, with optional white on face. If you're new to the cat genetics world, here's a guide to colors and patterns with plenty of pictures! cat coat calculator . When the term COLOR is used, it refers to color … ... Sex-Linked Red Color Combinations Chart Colorpoint Shorthair & Persian-Himalayan.  Quite frankly the Agouti gene is more interesting in dogs as it gives dominant yellow as well as black and tan colorations not seen in cats (see Dog Genetics 2.0: Colours).  Although we have the Agouti gene within our genome, it is not involved in the colour traits of hair in people.  Pity. Photography by Casey Elise Photography. The color of a bicolor is determined by the non-white color of the cat… Read more about cat color and genetics on Paws and Effect >> When it comes to coat patterns, here’s a mind-blowing fact: All cats start as tabbies. In the UK, solids are known as “self-colored” or “selfs.” Solid white cat. Curly Coat is an interesting trait coded for by the K gene.  Dominant mutations (Ks) give the hair coat of the Selkirk Rex, while recessive mutations (kre, khr) give the hair coat of the Devon Rex and the Sphinx, respectively. Persian Cat Color Calculator Index.  The White Gloving pattern seen in the Birman breed is caused by a mutation in the Kit gene, and displays recessive genetics. Such a coat looks like a solid color until you blow on it or the cat's … Cat Colors FAQ: Cat Color Genetics. In order for a cat to be lilac, it has to be a recessive homozygote for the primary gene for coat color (b/b), and it also has to be a recessive homozygote for the dense pigment gene (d/d). washing it out.  Modifying genes include Brown (Locus B), Dilution (Locus D), and also Dilute-Modifier and Silver. Although they are not shown on the chart, Tortoiseshell cats can also have tabby patterns. Coat and Color Descriptions. Fever coat is an effect known in domestic cats, where a pregnant female cat has a fever or is stressed, causing her unborn kittens' fur to develop a silver-type color (silver-grey, cream, or reddish) rather than what the kitten's genetics would normally cause.