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 Tabby Cats - Information and facts on Tabby Cats including Tabby Cat colourings, Tabby Cat markings, and pictures of Tabby Cats.
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Cat Coat Patterns. Learn about the six basic Cat Coat Patterns. Read the descriptions and view the cat coat pattern images of the basic varieties.
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CAT COAT PATTERNS
Patterns are combinations of colours in a specific
layout. There are six basic varieties : Solid, Tabby, Bicolor,
Tortoiseshell, Tricolor, and Colorpoint.
Solid or Self- The easiest one to
recognize is a coat of one colour that is evenly distributed all over
the body.
If the cat retains any spot of another colour on the coat,
it is no longer considered a solid.
Tabby - This is the most common coat
pattern in the wild and it has four varieties: striped (Mackerel),
blotched (marbled), spotted, and ticked (agouti).
Bicolor -
The term bicolor refers to a coat of white and one other colour. The
other colour can be a solid or show a tabby pattern. The Bicolor
pattern is common among mixed bred cats but it is also acceptable in
many breeds.
Tortoiseshell -
A consistent mix of orange and black (or their diluted versions of
cream and blue) creates this unique coat pattern. Being a mix of
black and orange, this coat pattern (like the tricolor) can be seen
almost exclusively in females.
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Tortoiseshell males are rare and
probably always sterile. Torties (a favorite abbreviation) can also
display an underlying tabby pattern - this is sometimes referred to
as "torbie."
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Tricolor - The tricolor pattern comes in white, black
and red (orange), or their diluted versions of cream and blue.
Basically, the ratio between white and colour determines the number
and distribution of the patches of the other two colours.
Where there
is little white, the other two colors will be inter-mixed - a
pattern that can also be referred to as a "tortoiseshell and white."
As the amount of white increases, the patches of red and black
become more clearly defined - this patched pattern is known as
calico.
Colorpoint - In this pattern, the face, paws and tail
(tips/points) are of a darker colour than the rest of the body. This
pattern is actually temperature-related - the cooler parts of the
body develop a darker colour.
 Cat Colours - Main Cat Colours, descriptions and images.There are often differences between different professional cat associations regarding colour terminology. Different breeds can also have different terms for similar cat colors.
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Site written by Gemma Littlemore