The Meaning Of The Color Of Cats
One of the most striking characteristics of cats is their fascinating variety of colors. It is not strange to find cats of different colors in the same litter, no matter if they are purebred or mixed.
Below we show you some of the most common cases and the reason for the color of cats.
Before continuing, it must be clarified that the color of a cat does not correspond to a breed, the breeds are determined by structural and genetic characteristics, described by a standard. The color of a cat’s coat is generated by a genetic condition derived from its main colors, red or black. This is why certain specimens are formed, but this does not mean that all cats of the same color belong to a specific breed, for example not all gray cats are Russian Blue.
The most common specimens
Brindle
This is probably the most common type of coat in the world. It derives directly from wild felines and can be observed in large felines such as lions or lynxes.
The specific characteristic of this coat is that it has a standard that can be striped like in the Maine Coon, linear like the Bengal cat or speckled like the Ashera and the most common are those with gray or orange colors.
This standard probably corresponds to the oldest of its ancestors, the Felis Lybica or wild cat of the Middle East. This cat’s coat was gray, mixed with other shades of colors that helped it form an uneven color for camouflage.
The fur of cats that have this characteristic usually has three types of color for each hair, and it is the combination of each of these hairs that generates the feeling that they are streaked.
Three colours
They are also known as Calyx Cats and the majority of cats with this trait are females, just as the majority of males who are born calyxes are sterile.
The most common colors in these types of cats are: white coat with red and black spots. This type of combination has been classified for the color orange, linked to the X chromosome, and this is thought to be the reason why they end up being almost all female.
A curious fact about these cats is that they are considered to bring good luck. In the US they are known as money-carrying cats, while in Japan these cats are seen as Maneki Neko or “the welcoming cat” and are usually found as lucky charms in stores to attract prosperity.
Tortoiseshell
Cats with this hair coloring feature, such as calyx cats, are mostly female. However , their fur is usually a combination of black, orange and cream, which produces patterns on the coat that resemble the shell of turtles (from which they take their name). Also and contrary to the tricolor females, these females have very little white in their fur.
Females with this type of fur are said to love attention, are independent and very jealous of their owners.
Predominant genes
The predominant genes in cat fur colors are black and red, all other colors correspond to modifier genes that produce the colors themselves. In this way the red in less quantity becomes cream. Black in minor concentrations becomes gray (or blue), chocolate, cinnamon or beige.
White cats
Cats with completely white coats have the W gene, which masks all other colors by turning them into white. Curiously, this gene also carries the characteristic of blue eyes and deafness, so a large number of white cats with blue eyes will be deaf from birth.
Regardless of the color of the eyes which can vary from green, yellow or other colors other than blue, the level of deafness is also determined.
The most common colors in cats are black, red, white, gray or blue and cream.
