Cat Coat Colours and Patterns
“What colour is my cat?” is one of the most searched cat questions. Most of the names people use are coat patterns, not breeds, so a tabby can be any breed and a calico can be a moggy. This cartoon guide explains the eight you will meet most often.
The text version
- Tabby
- Stripes, swirls or spots, and an “M” on the forehead. It is a pattern, not a breed.
- Tuxedo
- Black and white, with a white chest and paws, like a little dinner suit.
- Calico
- White with big patches of orange and black. Almost always female.
- Tortoiseshell
- A mix of black and orange swirled together, with little or no white. Also nearly always female.
- Ginger
- Orange, usually with tabby stripes. Around three in four are male.
- Colourpoint
- A pale body with darker ears, face, paws and tail, like a Siamese.
- Solid black
- Black all over. Sleek, shiny, and in a good light, a hint of ghost stripes.
- Blue-grey
- What cat people call “blue” is a soft, silvery grey, like a British Blue.
Questions people ask
Is tabby a breed?
No. Tabby is a coat pattern with stripes, swirls or spots and an M-shaped mark on the forehead. Many breeds and moggies can be tabby.
Why are calico and tortoiseshell cats almost always female?
The genes for orange and black coat colour sit on the X chromosome. A female has two X chromosomes and can carry both colours, while a male usually has one, so a male calico or tortie is rare and usually has an extra chromosome.
Why are most ginger cats male?
A male needs only one copy of the orange gene, while a female needs two, so around three in four ginger cats are male.
What is the difference between a calico and a tortoiseshell?
A calico has large patches of orange and black on a white coat. A tortoiseshell has orange and black swirled together with little or no white.
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