Cat Coat Colors and Patterns: A Guide to the Genetics

By Tailwisp Editorial TeamUpdated October 20, 20264 min read

Cat coats come in a dazzling array of colors and patterns, from the solid black of a Bombay to the pointed coat of a Siamese and the swirled patches of a calico. Underneath, a handful of genes explain most of the variety. Understanding them helps you to read a cat's coat, to understand why some patterns are almost always female and to appreciate the cat in front of you.

The two basic pigments

Cats produce two kinds of pigment.

• Eumelanin gives black or brown fur.
• Pheomelanin gives orange or red fur.

Every coat color is a variation on one or both. The gene for orange is carried on the X chromosome, which accounts for several quirks of cat genetics. See orange tabby cats.

Modifying the black pigment

Other genes change the black pigment.

• Black. The dense, standard form. See black cats.
• Chocolate and cinnamon. Recessive variations that produce warm browns, seen in Havana Browns and some Orientals. See the Havana Brown profile.
• Dilution. A recessive gene that spreads the pigment into clumps, turning black into blue (gray), chocolate into lilac, cinnamon into fawn and orange into cream. The Russian Blue and the Chartreux are examples of the blue dilute. See the Russian Blue and Chartreux.

Orange and tortoiseshell

Because orange is X-linked, a male is orange or non-orange, while a female can be orange, non-orange or both, which gives the mottled tortoiseshell pattern. See tortoiseshell cats and calico cats.

White: two different genes

• Dominant white masks all other colors and produces a solid white cat. It is associated with blue eyes and deafness. See white cats and deafness.
• White spotting produces patches of white, ranging from a locket of white on the chest to a mostly white cat with a few spots. This creates the bicolor, tuxedo and Van patterns. See tuxedo cats.

Tabby: the agouti gene

The agouti gene makes the pigment in each hair appear in bands, giving the tabby effect. The cat's other genes determine the stripe pattern.

• Mackerel: narrow stripes.
• Classic: broad swirls.
• Spotted: broken stripes.
• Ticked: banded hairs and little patterning.

Solid cats carry the non-agouti gene, which turns off the banding, although faint stripes may show in kittens. See tabby cats.

Pointed patterns

The pointed pattern, as in the Siamese, Ragdoll and Himalayan, comes from a temperature-sensitive version of the color gene. The enzyme works only in cooler areas of the body, such as the ears, face, legs and tail, and not in the warmer trunk. Kittens are born pale and develop points over time. See the Siamese, Ragdoll and Himalayan profiles.

Related patterns include mink (the Tonkinese) and sepia (the Burmese), which have intermediate versions of the gene. See the Tonkinese and Burmese profiles.

Silver, smoke and shaded

The inhibitor gene removes pigment from the base of each hair, producing silver (a pale undercoat), smoke (white roots under solid color) and shaded or tipped effects, as in the Chinchilla Persian and the Burmilla. See the Burmilla profile.

Coat length and texture

Long hair is recessive, which is why longhaired cats are less common in the wild population. Rex coats, hairlessness and wirehair come from separate mutations. See grooming longhaired cats, the Cornish Rex and Sphynx profiles.

Does color predict personality or health?

Not reliably. Owners often tell stories about colors, such as orange cats being friendly or torties being feisty, but studies are limited and based on owner reports. There are some health links, such as deafness in white cats and sunburn in cats with pale skin. See cancer in cats. Beyond that, choose a cat for its character. See cat personality types.

Finding the cat you like

Whatever the color, many cats are waiting for homes. See adopting a cat from a shelter and how to choose a cat breed.

How breeders and shelters name colors

Cat associations use their own names for colors, which can be confusing. Black may be listed as ebony, brown tabby may be called classic or mackerel brown, and blue may mean gray. Shelters often use simpler terms, such as domestic shorthair with a coat color, because the exact genetics do not matter for adoption. If you want to understand a cat you have, look first for the base color, then ask whether the coat is solid, tabby, bicolor or pointed, and whether it is diluted. Last, note the length and texture. A simple description along these lines is enough for most vet records, and it helps to include a photo. DNA tests are available for color genes, though for most pet owners the answer makes no difference to care.

When to see a vet

Sudden changes in coat color or quality may signal health issues. Use the US vet directory to find a clinic.