Cat colors and patterns

Image Credits: Pixabay

There's no shortage of the range of coat colors and patterns that makes each cat unique. Choosing the cat you want is an exciting time as you find out about all of the different types of coats, as well as colors they come in. Cats owe their colorful coats to genetic mutations. The beautiful patterns on certain breeds of cats can be attributed to selective breeding.

The primary colors that cats come in are as follows.

• Fawn
• White
• Cinnamon
• Black
• Brown
• Red
• Cream
• Blue/Grey

Let’s take a look at some of the coat patterns that cats around the world like to strut their stuff in.

1. Solid – Solid is the easiest to tell apart because a solid cat has a coat, which is one color. If you spot any other splashes of color on a cat, the cat doesn't have a solid coat.
2. Bi-color – A cat is considered bi-color when it has a white coat with patches of another color. There are plenty of variations. The cause of this coat is a gene known as the white spotting gene.
3. Tabby – If you were looking for the most popular coat pattern, the tabby pattern is where your search ends. However, it's not all black and white as there are four variations of the tabby pattern. The first variation is known as the striped tabby. This is a tabby that has vertical stripes that run from its spine to its belly. The second variation is known as the classic tabby. This is a tabby that has a swirly pattern. The third is known as the spotted tabby. It's a tabby that has spots. The last variation is ticked tabby. Ticked tabby's normally rock striped legs and tail.
4. Tri-color – The tri-color pattern is a combination of red, white, and black. It can be diluted.
5. Tortoiseshell – This pattern is characterized by a mixture of red and black. There are many dilutions. The majority of diluted tortoiseshell cats come in blue and cream. Female cats are the ones who usually rock this pattern.
6. Color point – The color point coat is when the coat is darker on the paws, tail, and face. This pattern has been attributed to a gene that makes the coolest part of the body of a cat become darker. Color point cats are born without their distinct darker markings. However, these distinct darker markings develop as the cat grows. An interesting fact about color point cats is that if you keep them in a warm room, the darker markings don’t develop. This was confirmed in a scientific experiment.

As you can see, cats come in all sorts of different colors and patterns. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which color your cat is as he/she will love you just the same.