Cats have been one of the most popular pet choices for many years. There are several breed types to choose from, each with their own characteristics and looks.
Siamese cats are one of the oldest breed types. They are known for their vibrant colors and sleek bodies. Siamese cats typically have seal point or chocolate point coloring.
Seal point refers to the color points Siamese cats have: white on the nose, paws, and tail, and a darker color on the rest of the body. The darker color can be any range of shades, making this part of the description ambiguous.
Chocolate point refers to Siamese cats that have a lighter brown tone on their coat instead of black.
Coat patterns
A cat’s coat pattern or texture can be one of the most important factors in determining a cat’s breed. Coat patterns can range from traditional tabbies, spotted, marbled, chocolate, and lavender!
Traditional tabbies have a brown base coat color with black rings undertones. The texture of the coat is usually soft.
Spots can be black or brown depending on the base color of the fur. If the base color is white, then the spots are usually black.
Marbled coats have different colored hairs mingled together to create a unique pattern. These can be any color combinations such as black and orange or red and white.
Chocolate cats have a dark brown base coat color with no gold or silver undertones. Like chocolate chip cookies, there are no hints of other colors mixed in.
Genetics of color
While genetics does play a role in the color of your kitten, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, all cats have a gene called the Patched gene or Ptch. This gene is what controls the enzymes that produce the color molecules.
There are three versions of this gene: wild type, mutant, and recessive mutant. The wild type produces black color, the recessive mutant produces brown color, and the mutant produces no color at all (white).
Second, all cats have a gene called Agouti Signaling Protein (ASIP). This gene controls how many of the pigment cells produce melanin. There are two versions of this gene: agouti and non-agouti. Agouti versions produce more melanin making the cat’s coat have different shades of color. Non-agouti does not produce these shades making the coat one uniform color.
Third, there is a gene called Brown Orange Or (BO) that controls how much orange is in the coat. There are two versions of this: one that produces more orange and one that does not change the amount of orange in the coat.
What is a tortie?
A tortie is a term for a cat with a pattern of black and another color on her coat. The word tortie comes from the word tortoiseshell, which is a term for a particular shell pattern found on some birds and reptiles.
Traditionally, torties were said to be the result of a mating between a black panther and a red (orange or reddish-brown) tabby. This is why many tortie cats have darker shades on their legs and tails.
Today, most breeders will say that there are two ways to get a tortie: one is by breeding two tabbies, and the other is by breeding two cats with the sex chromosomes XXY (which happens when there is an extra X chromosome).
The first one happens more naturally, while the second one has to be done in the lab via in vitro fertilization (IVF) using special equipment.
What is a torbie?
A torbie is a cat that is a mixture of a black and orange tabby. The name comes from the combination of tortoiseshell and black.
Torbies are typically harder to find in shelters due to the fact that both colors must be present in the kitten for it to carry these genes.
People who are looking for a torbie often check with local shelters to see if they have any, or they may contact local rescuers to see if they know of any.
Seal point cats are very common, so if you are looking for a seal point kitten, try contacting local breeders instead– you might get lucky!
Torbies can be either male or female, just like any other color sex dependent on the genes that are present.
What is a caramel point?
A caramel point is a cat whose color is almost, but not quite, purebred. Caramel points have coats that are a blend of black and orange, or chocolate and tan.
Caramel points can be very beautiful cats, and they are very popular in the breeding community. Many people want to breed caramel points because they are rare.
Because they are not purebreds, they are cheaper to buy, which is an incentive for breeders. They also sell quickly because people want the perfect mix of colors!
Caramel points can be harder to tell if they are purebred or not, so if you are looking for a specific color pattern, this cat may be for you! Check out some pictures below.
These beauties all have different colors in their coat, making them hard to pinpoint what color they truly are.
What is a cream point?
A cream point is a variation of the chocolate point. Just like the name suggests, a cream point is when a cat has patches of white fur and chocolate colored fur.
Like the chocolate point, the cream points can be attained by either breeding two cats with a chocolate point or by breeding two cats that are siblings.
The difference is that one of the parents must be white in order to produce a cream point. Once again, this can only be achieved by breeding siblings.
So if you are looking to get a cream point, make sure you breed your cat with someone who is not sibling-born. Otherwise, you will end up with another sibling!
Once again, like with any colorpoint breed, if both parents are not genetically coded for the colorpoint features, then there is no chance of having offspring with this feature.
Point colors and their genetics
Point colors are determined by the cattribute gene. This gene is carried on either the A or a allele.
Caterpillars have two copies of this gene, one acquired from each parent. As such, a butterfly can have any of the following genes: AC, ACa, aC, ACA, acA.
Butterflies with two AC genes produce seal point butterflies. But what about butterflies with an ACa or aC allele?
Well, acanthosis is the texture of the pupa shell. Acanthosis is determined by whether or not the butterfly has an ACA or acA gene.
What are the other pattern combinations?
There are a few other colors that cats can have as their base colors. These include orange, cream, and lynx. All of these colors have variations of chocolate, tan, and gray patterns.
Orange cats can be either red or cream colored with black patterns. Orange cats with black patterns are called tabbies. Cream colored cats can be either pale orange or rich cream in color with creamy brown patterns.
Chocolate cats can be dark brown tabbies or lighter toned ones such as lilac and lavender. Lavender chocolate kittens are extremely rare! Lynx point kittens are all white with brown markings making them look like little wildcats.
It is important to note that not all breeding will produce the same pattern combos.