Post by Dawny on Apr 14, 2009 7:56:19 GMT -5
Taken from www.warriorswish.net/
Same as Eye colours ;3 For more choice.
Guide to Cat Colours
This article discusses very basic elements pelt pigments, which is useful for having some general knowledge on the different colours of fur on cats. I've decided not to get into genetics, to keep this simple. It explains the colours of feline pelts as well as the patterns found - the differences between calicos, torbies and torties, and the four different types of tabbies.
Only four basic colours in cat fur exist - black, chocolate, cinnamon and red - and all other colours are variations of those. White is not actually a colour, but like in terms of light, it is the lack of colour. It and its variations will be treated as a colour in this article though, since cats do come in white. Obviously black is black (also called ebony), chocolate is the brown, red is an orange and cinnamon is a lighter, warmer brown colour. The names of each colour can vary from breed to breed.
RED PIGMENT
Ginger cats are also referred to as red, sorrel, orange or marmalade, and there is also a division to very dark ginger called ruddy. They can be solid, patched or tabby, and the gene also appears in calico and tortie cats and patches and spots. Solid and tabby gingers have a high ratio of male cats then female cats, and the variation of a cream colour is a diluted version of red. All the variations of gingers come from the original red pigment.
BLACK PIGMENT
Black is obviously a common colour for cats and appears in a torie and calico patterns as well. Gray cats are all referred to as blue in breeding, but there are some shades of blue that are more true to the blue colour we know. They come from a mixture of black and cream, being the diluted form of a normal black. The colour of a hair under a microscope is not a solid gray colour, but a patchy gray/cream.
CHOCOLATE PIGMENT
Chocolate cats are the brown cats, and the diluted form is a lighter, sometimes pink-tinted colour called lilac. Chocolate is probably the most recognizable shade of colour, and makes a common appearance in tortie, calico, and tabby pelt patterns
CINNAMON PIGMENT
Similiar to the red and chocolate shades, cinnamon is a sort of red-brown colour much like of a cinnamon stick. It's diluted colour is a fawn or sorrel colour, and the colour appears as mixture of the diluted versions of red and chocolate (cream and lilac, respectively).
WHITE PIGMENT
White cats are the fur that lacks colour, and have several unique attributes. White cats have many variations of eye colours, and can have gold, green, or blue, and are the most common recipients of heterochromia, a condition resulting in different coloured eyes; which may include a combination of blue, green, orange or yellow. Blue eyed cats with white fur have a high likelyhood of being deaf.
DILUTION CHART
This chart outlines the first 15 basic colours which come about through ORIGINAL COLOURS, DILUTES and the further dilution with the DILUTE MODIFIERS. These modfiers are pale and create lighter colours in the pigment they dilute. There are other types of modifiers, but these only appear in specific breeds.
COLOUR DILUTED DILUTE MODIFIER
white n/a n/a
black -blue -caramel
chocolate -lavender -taupe
cinnamon -fawn -fawn-based caramel
red -cream -apricot
amber -light amber n/a
Same as Eye colours ;3 For more choice.
Guide to Cat Colours
This article discusses very basic elements pelt pigments, which is useful for having some general knowledge on the different colours of fur on cats. I've decided not to get into genetics, to keep this simple. It explains the colours of feline pelts as well as the patterns found - the differences between calicos, torbies and torties, and the four different types of tabbies.
Only four basic colours in cat fur exist - black, chocolate, cinnamon and red - and all other colours are variations of those. White is not actually a colour, but like in terms of light, it is the lack of colour. It and its variations will be treated as a colour in this article though, since cats do come in white. Obviously black is black (also called ebony), chocolate is the brown, red is an orange and cinnamon is a lighter, warmer brown colour. The names of each colour can vary from breed to breed.
RED PIGMENT
Ginger cats are also referred to as red, sorrel, orange or marmalade, and there is also a division to very dark ginger called ruddy. They can be solid, patched or tabby, and the gene also appears in calico and tortie cats and patches and spots. Solid and tabby gingers have a high ratio of male cats then female cats, and the variation of a cream colour is a diluted version of red. All the variations of gingers come from the original red pigment.
BLACK PIGMENT
Black is obviously a common colour for cats and appears in a torie and calico patterns as well. Gray cats are all referred to as blue in breeding, but there are some shades of blue that are more true to the blue colour we know. They come from a mixture of black and cream, being the diluted form of a normal black. The colour of a hair under a microscope is not a solid gray colour, but a patchy gray/cream.
CHOCOLATE PIGMENT
Chocolate cats are the brown cats, and the diluted form is a lighter, sometimes pink-tinted colour called lilac. Chocolate is probably the most recognizable shade of colour, and makes a common appearance in tortie, calico, and tabby pelt patterns
CINNAMON PIGMENT
Similiar to the red and chocolate shades, cinnamon is a sort of red-brown colour much like of a cinnamon stick. It's diluted colour is a fawn or sorrel colour, and the colour appears as mixture of the diluted versions of red and chocolate (cream and lilac, respectively).
WHITE PIGMENT
White cats are the fur that lacks colour, and have several unique attributes. White cats have many variations of eye colours, and can have gold, green, or blue, and are the most common recipients of heterochromia, a condition resulting in different coloured eyes; which may include a combination of blue, green, orange or yellow. Blue eyed cats with white fur have a high likelyhood of being deaf.
DILUTION CHART
This chart outlines the first 15 basic colours which come about through ORIGINAL COLOURS, DILUTES and the further dilution with the DILUTE MODIFIERS. These modfiers are pale and create lighter colours in the pigment they dilute. There are other types of modifiers, but these only appear in specific breeds.
COLOUR DILUTED DILUTE MODIFIER
white n/a n/a
black -blue -caramel
chocolate -lavender -taupe
cinnamon -fawn -fawn-based caramel
red -cream -apricot
amber -light amber n/a