Catster is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

Cat Coat Genetics: Vet-Approved Facts & FAQ

Written by: Brooke Billingsley

Last Updated on February 27, 2024 by Catster Editorial Team

orange long haired bi color doll face persian cat

Cat Coat Genetics: Vet-Approved Facts & FAQ

VET APPROVED

Dr. Luqman Javed Photo

REVIEWED & FACT-CHECKED BY

Dr. Luqman Javed

DVM (Veterinarian)

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more »

Have you ever wondered how your cat ended up with the coat color that they did? Maybe you know that your cat had a black parent and a white parent but ended up with a brown tabby. How does this happen? What genetic factors determine the color and type of coat your cat has? What determines what types of markings (or lack thereof) your cat has?

The short and sweet answer to any question surrounding why your cat’s coat is the way that it is due to several genes that your cat inherits. However, it’s much more complex than that because even scientists have some uncertainty about how specific genes act to impact a cat’s coat color, markings, and length. Let’s talk about the science behind cat coat genetics.

cat paw divider

What Determines a Cat’s Coat Color?

Coat color is a sex-linked trait, so the sex of the kitten almost always plays a role in how coat color is determined by the genes. The genes that code for color are located on the X chromosome. Since male cats only have one X chromosome, it means that male kittens get their coat color genes from their mother, so their mother’s coat color will directly impact a male kitten’s coat colors.

Female kittens, on the other hand, can have coat color determined by both parents. This is because females inherit two X chromosomes (one from each parent). Female kittens generally will show either a dilute form of the parents’ colors or a combination of both parents’ colors. Some coat colors must be related to genes carried by both parents to express in a kitten.

Interestingly, a kitten’s color will only be determined by their parents, not by the colors of previous generations. The primary exception to this is color-pointed coat colors, which are a specific gene that can be carried between generations. Dominant coat colors that will almost never skip generations include bi-color, white, and smoke. Tortoiseshell is a coat color that can only occur with a parent that has that coat color. Two parents with recessive coat colors, like blue, can only create offspring with recessive coat colors.

Black tabby Maine Coon with harness
Image Credit: DenisNata, Shutterstock

Can Certain Coat Colors Only Be Male or Female?

For a long time, many people believed that certain coat colors could only be present specifically in male or female cats. The most common coat color associated exclusively with male cats is an orange or orange tabby, while the most common colors associated exclusively with female cats are tortoiseshell, calico, and blue cream. We now know that these colors can be expressed in both males and females, but they do more commonly occur in specific sexes. Calico or tortoiseshell males are often sterile.

cat paw divider

What Determines a Cat’s Coat Markings?

The genes for markings or patterns can be inherited from either parent, but some patterns are dominant genes that will almost always be expressed in each generation. These include tabby, tortoiseshell, and color pointed coats.

If one or both parents have tipped hairs (fully colored only at the tip and have a white base), they can create both pointed and non-pointed offspring. This is because the gene for having tipped hairs is autosomal dominant.

What Determines a Cat’s Coat Length?

A combination of the parents’ genes pertaining to coat length will determine what coat length the kittens have. If both parents are longhair cats, the kittens cannot be shorthair. Shorthair coats come from a dominant gene, while longhair coats come from a recessive gene. Two shorthair parents can create longhair offspring, but it’s statistically highly unlikely (25% chance at best).

a diluted calico cat with collar sitting on cemented path
Image Credit: Raychan, Unsplash

cat + line divider

In Conclusion

The genetics behind cat coats can be extremely complex, and this is not an all-inclusive, deep dive into the genetics. However, this is an overview of how genetics can impact what kind of coat your cat has. There are multiple factors that do impact the coat your cat has, and some of them haven’t been fully understood by science yet. What we do know, though, is that if your cat has a brown tabby coat, then one of its parents might not be the white or black cat you thought they were.


Featured Image Credit: Light Hound Pictures, Shutterstock

Get Catster in your inbox!

Stay informed! Get tips and exclusive deals.
Catster Editors Choice Badge
Shopping Cart

Pangolia

© Pangolia Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.