Bicolor cat

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Chelsea Clinton's cat Socks (1989-2009) lived in the White House from 1993 to 2001. Socks was a bicolour cat with low-grade spotting, or tuxedo cat. Photograph of Socks the Cat- 07-13-1994 (6461517483).jpg
Chelsea Clinton's cat Socks (1989–2009) lived in the White House from 1993 to 2001. Socks was a bicolour cat with low-grade spotting, or tuxedo cat.

A bicolor cat (also bi-colour cat, or a more specific term such as black-and-white cat, or a Tuxedo Cat) is a cat with white fur combined with fur of some other colour, for example solid black, tabby, or colourpointed. [1] There are various patterns of a bicolour cat. These range from the Van-patterned (colour on the crown of the head and the tail only) to a solid colour with a throat locket or medallion. Bicolour coats are found in many cat breeds, as well as being common in domestic longhair and domestic shorthair cats.

Contents

Where there is a low-to-medium grade white spotting limited to the face, paws, throat and chest of an otherwise black cat, they are known in the United States as a tuxedo cat. High-grade bicolour results in Van-patterned cats, which is typical for the Turkish Van breed. There are many patterns, such as "cap-and-saddle", "mask-and-mantle" and "harlequin" (also known as "magpie"). [2]

Mostly-solid-colour bicolour cats occur because there is a white spotting gene present along with a recessive allele of the agouti gene, which evens out the common striped pattern of the colours of the coat. In contrast, tabby cats have an agouti gene that produces striping of the coat. The Abyssinian has agouti (ticked tabby) fur, giving the appearance of even colour with colour-banded hairs.

Bicolour patterns

Bicolour grade chart, ranging from 1 (solid coloured) to 10 (solid white). Bicolour cat diagram - 01 (cropped).jpg
Bicolour grade chart, ranging from 1 (solid coloured) to 10 (solid white).
Bicolour pattern chart Bicolor pattern diagram.jpg
Bicolour pattern chart

Bicolouration in cats is graded from one to ten; with one being completely coloured, and ten being completely white. There are also several patterns with their own names. [1]

Van pattern

Van-patterned red tabby-and-white Turkish Van cat TurkishVanRandomSpots.jpg
Van-patterned red tabby-and-white Turkish Van cat

Van-patterned cats are bicolour cats, [1] [3] that are mostly white (generally more than 75% white), with colour around the ears, separated by a white blaze, and on the tail. [1] They may have small (roughly coin sized) coloured spots on and around their spine. The presence of multiple, conjoined, or larger spots on the body and/or an extended head spot that reaches the face indicates the harlequin pattern. The term Van pattern comes from the Turkish Van (named after Lake Van), which is a Van-patterned bicolour breed. The Van pattern is known to animal geneticists as the Seychelles (Seychellois) pattern and is classified into three variants: [4]

These are high grade white spotting of types nine, eight and seven.

Harlequin patterned

Another type of colour-and-white cat is the harlequin patterned bicolour cat. [1] [3] This coat pattern is sometimes referred to as a "cow cat," "moo cat," or "magpie," and includes the "cap-and-saddle" and "mask-and-mantle" patterns. The harlequin patterned coat is predominantly white (generally 50%-75% white) [1] combined with coloured markings on the cat’s body, including its head and tail. It does not have the solid coloured "jacket" of the tuxedo cat. Instead, it has large coloured patches over a mostly white body, often with a coloured mask over the head. "Black-mask cats" are so called because they look like they are wearing a black mask over their head.[ citation needed ]

True bicolour pattern

Bicolor patterned black colourpoint-and-white British Shorthair with symmetrical colour distribution and a white blaze on its face Www.pratulums-bkh.de seal-point-white (cropped).jpg
Bicolor patterned black colourpoint-and-white British Shorthair with symmetrical colour distribution and a white blaze on its face

The cat labelled "bicolour" or "true bicolour" is the preferred pattern in show-quality bicolour purebred cats. Bicolour patterned cats have medium grade white spotting (generally approximately 50%-25% white). [1] The cat registry Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) states that for a "standard" bicolour coat to compete in shows: "the color patches must be clearly separated from each other, even in color and harmoniously distributed. At least 12 should be colored, but not more than 34; the rest is white." [1] Similarly, the World Cat Federation (WFC) allows an amount of colour between 12 up to 23 for bicolour patterned cats. [3] In comparison, The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) says that "cats with no more than a locket and/or button [patch on chest] do not qualify for this color class." [2]

Tuxedo pattern

A tuxedo patterned black-and-white cat George, a perfect example of a tuxedo cat.jpg
A tuxedo patterned black-and-white cat

A tuxedo cat, Felix cat [5] or Julius cat is a bicolour cat with low grade white spotting (generally close to 25% white) in the coat. The term "tuxedo cats" is typically used for black-and-white coloured cats, but tuxedo patterned cats come in all cat colours. They are called tuxedo cats due to the resemblance to black tie formal wear, commonly known in the United States and Canada as a tuxedo.

To be considered a true tuxedo cat, the feline's colouring should consist of a coloured coat, with white fur limited to the paws, belly, chest, throat, and often the chin - sometimes the tail, although many tuxedo cats appear to sport goatees, due to the black colouration of their mandible: the lower jaw and chin. White muzzles or a white blaze on their faces, are a common attribute of tuxedo cats. [6] Most tuxedo cats are also "black-mask cats" with a complete white blaze, a common name for felines who, due to their facial colouration, look as if they are wearing a black mask over their eyes, and often over their entire head. The ideal colour distribution is symmetric, and the white areas are of modest size and limited to the desirable areas.

A Snowshoe cat showing the Snowshoe pattern, which is equal to the white spotting pattern often referred to as "tuxedo" Chizhik Cat (cropped).jpg
A Snowshoe cat showing the Snowshoe pattern, which is equal to the white spotting pattern often referred to as "tuxedo"

In most cat registries, the tuxedo pattern is not an official term used to categorise white spotting patterns in show cats. However, the standard or code used to indicate the white markings in the Snowshoe cat breed is equal to the white spotting pattern known as "tuxedo" among tuxedo cat enthusiasts. [7] [8]

Genetics of coat patterns

The basic colours and patterns of cat fur are defined by fewer than ten genes. [9] Cats with white colour in their coats are thought to have a mutant white-spotting gene that prevents the formation of coat colour in patches over the cat's body. This gene has been investigated in several species, particularly mice, and is co-dominant to normal coat colour as it prevents the migration of melanocytes into the developing hair follicles. [10] The genetics of this pattern are not as well understood in cats but at least some of the genes involved in melanocyte migration and survival may play a role similar as in other animals. [11]

Three genotypes possible with the S (white spotting) gene, with capital S standing for a wild-type copy and lower-case s standing for the mutant. [9]

The lack of tabby striping in bicolour cats is controlled by the agouti protein, which inhibits the production of melanin and thus prevents the formation of dark hair colours. [12] In agouti cats the gene is turned on and off as the hair grows, producing hairs with alternating stripes yellow and black. [9] In domestic cats, inactivation of the agouti gene by a deletion mutation causes all-black coat colour. [13]

Possible bicolour colourations

Comparison of a black colourpoint-and-white adult (left) and kitten (right). Kola, the Kupal Kat.jpg
Comparison of a black colourpoint-and-white adult (left) and kitten (right).

White spotting is not limited to solid colour-and-white combinations, and can also occur with any of the tabby patterns, resulting in tabby-and-white bicolour coats. Furthermore, colourpoint cats can have bicolour points (colourpoint-and-white), although this variation is not recognized for showing in some cat breeds. An example of a bicolour colourpoint cat breed is the tuxedo patterned colourpoint-and-white Snowshoe cat. [1] [8] The body markings of bicolour colourpoints become clearer with age, as the body fur of colourpoint cats darkens as the cats grow older and the white patches become more distinctively visible.

White spotting can also occur in combination with tortoiseshell coats, these are known as tricolour cats, tortoiseshell-and-white cats, or calico cats (US English). Tortoiseshell-and-white cats can also be found in combination with a tabby or colourpoint pattern.

Bicolour cats that are black and white are sometimes called "magpies". The cream and white bicolour cat is the rarest of the bicolours, while the black and white or "blue" (grey) and white are the most common.[ citation needed ]

A female bicolour patterned black-and-white cat with pink and black paw pads Tuxedo cat bi-color paws.JPG
A female bicolour patterned black-and-white cat with pink and black paw pads

Skin colouration

Bicolour may also appear in the skin colour, this feature is easily spotted in bicoloured hairless cats. Paw pads may be black, pink or a mixture of both, often matching the coat in that area; if the colour boundary crosses the underside of the paw, the pads on either side may be different colours or even bicoloured.[ citation needed ]

Bicoloured cat breeds

The bicolour coat colouration is not restricted to a specific breed of cat, as it can be found in many different types of pure-breed as well as mixed-breed domestic cats.[ citation needed ] However, some breeds are especially noted for having bicolour coats in their breed standards. These include the Ragdoll, American Shorthair, Manx, British Shorthair, and Turkish Angora. [14] The Turkish Van and Snowshoe [1] [8] cat breed are restricted to cats with bicoloured coats.

In contrast, other common breeds of cat have specific coat patterns specified in their breed standards. Cats with such specific coat patterns include the Russian Blue, which has a coat of one solid colour.

Domestic short-haired cat with tuxedo coat Tuxedo cat, front view.png
Domestic short-haired cat with tuxedo coat

In the United Kingdom, the tuxedo cat became depicted as the "Jellicle cat" in the fictional tribe of nocturnal black and white cats described by T. S. Eliot in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats , which was first published in 1939. [15] In its derivative musical Cats , the tuxedo cat is exemplified by the character of the magical Mr. Mistoffelees, who is portrayed as a stage magician wearing a lacy ruff and bow tie, as well as the character Bustopher Jones whose outfit consists of a tuxedo and spats. The musical differed from the book in that the characters included cats with many different coat colours, rather than just bicolour cats, but it retains the repeated assertion that "Jellicle cats are black and white." Cats with these markings also played a starring role in the drawings illustrating The Unadulterated Cat , a book written by Terry Pratchett, with cartoons by Gray Jolliffe. [16]

Other well-known cartoon bicolour cats include Sylvester the Cat, Felix the Cat, Tom Cat from Tom and Jerry , Oggy from Oggy and the Cockroaches , Blackie the Cat from The Cat that Hated People , Ventriloquist Cat , Krazy Kat, [17] Jess from Postman Pat , Kitty Softpaws from the Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots and its sequel, Disney's Figaro, the Cat in the Hat from the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, Beans from Looney Tunes, Penelope Pussycat, and Sebastian the cat from Josie and the Pussycats . A bicolour cat named Mittens is one of the main characters in the 2008 Disney animated film Bolt . Aldwyn from The Familiars is a tuxedo cat, while Meowrice (voiced by Paul Frees) from Gay Purr-ee is a bicolour.

A tuxedo cat is also the protagonist of the popular children's book Tip-Top Cat, and another is the giant Kat Kong in the children's book of the same name. Bo, a character from the TV series Abby Hatcher , is a "Fuzzly" who resembles a tuxedo cat. Tuxedos are one of the ten breeds of cats in the video game Minecraft . Morgana, a playable character in the JRPG Persona 5 , is a bicolour cat. Klonoa, the main character of the titular Klonoa games, closely resembles a tuxedo cat. Cait Sith, a playable character from the video game Final Fantasy VII is a tuxedo cat.

Notable tuxedo cats

Related Research Articles

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The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, pineapple eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siamese cat</span> Breed of cat

The Siamese cat is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cats native to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century. Siamese cats have a distinctive colourpoint coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type of albinism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Mist</span> Breed of cat

The Australian Mist is a breed of cat developed in Australia. It is a cross between the Abyssinian cat, the Burmese cat, and the Australian Tabby cat. The Australian Mist has a distinct and unique coat pattern hence the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moggy</span> Informal name for a non-pedigree cat

A Moggy is any cat which has not been intentionally bred. Moggies lack a standard appearance unlike pedigree cats which have a standard. In contexts where cats need to be registered—such as in veterinary practices or shelters—they are called a 'domestic short-hair' or 'domestic long-hair' depending on coat length. Although not as common as the aforementioned designations sometimes 'domestic medium-hair' is also used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish Van</span> Breed of cat

The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired, standardised breed of domestic cat, which was developed in the United Kingdom from a selection of cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey, especially southeast Turkey. The breed is rare, is one of the larger breeds, and is distinguished by the Van pattern, where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the piebald white spotting gene, a type of partial leucism. A Turkish Van may have blue or amber eyes, or be odd-eyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burmese cat</span> Breed of cat

The Burmese cat is a breed of domestic cat, originating in Burma, believed to have its roots near the Thai-Burma border and developed in the United States and Britain.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piebald</span> Animal with white markings on a darker coat

A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal's skin under the white background is not pigmented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowshoe cat</span> Breed of cat

The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. The Snowshoe is a short-haired bicolour colourpoint breed. Snowshoes were first produced when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding program to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bicolour American Shorthair cats and other breeds. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neva Masquerade</span> Breed of cat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental bicolour</span>

An Oriental bicolour is any cat of Oriental type, either long-haired or short-haired and in any pattern including colourpoint, which has white areas on its coat caused by the white spotting gene. In most cat fancier and breeder organisations, Oriental bicolours do not constitute a standardised breed, but a coat pattern variant of the breed of their foundation stock. One breed registry is an exception, the UK-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), which has defined them as a separate breed named Oriental Bicolour (capitalised).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abyssinian cat</span> Breed of cat

The Abyssinian is a breed of cat with a distinctive "ticked" tabby coat, in which individual hairs are banded with different colours. They are also known simply as Abys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian cat</span> Breed of cat

The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Khorasan as early as around 1620, however, this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Iran from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog coat genetics</span> Genetics behind dog coat

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