Scottish Cat Colors

The Scottish cat is a very popular breed of feline animals. Previously, one of its most common colors was gray (blue). However, over time, new color variations have appeared.

Scottish Fold (Scottish Fold) is pioneered by Scottish William Ross, who noticed kittens with unusual coloring and strange ear shapes from a familiar farmer. For new, more varied types of coloring, the Scottish breed was first crossed with others.

Most often interbreeding occurred with British cats. However, now representatives of the Scottish Fold breed have all the necessary genes to reproduce almost any color., so that nowadays crossing a purebred tartan with other breeds is very, very undesirable.

Like other animals, a certain set of genes is responsible for coloring in Scots. Two shades prevail: red and black. Each of the colors, and, more precisely, of certain genes responsible for a particular color, is both dominant and recessive. The saturation of a certain shade of the wool, which is formed by the diluent gene, depends on this.

A very unusual genetic combination in white cats. Two cases are possible: either complete lack of color or suppression of other genes. In this regard, white Scottish cats are divided into albinos and dominant white.

Monophonic (solid, solid) - A description of this type of shade can be understood from its name. Cats of this color have uniform, continuous tone, not involving the presence of other colors (complete absence of blotches, stains, stripes and the like). If other colors are still present, then it is necessary to carefully examine the blotting itself - it can speak either about a different color variant or point to a birth defect, which reduces the cost of an individual and marks on shows.

Monophonic colors are divided into the following types.

• Blue (what ordinary people take for gray). Not so long ago, the blue color was considered a classic for Scottish cats, but over time, other monochromatic shades appeared. There are various variations: some closer to gray, others to blue and blue. Kittens can have a variety of drawings on woolwhich should disappear a few months after birth. The eyes are amber, the nose and the paw pads correspond to the color range of the wool.

• Black (ebony). Allowed 1-2 light hairs, not more. The presence of large red or other spots of rusty tones indicates that the animal is unclean. Eyes amber colors. The nose and paw pads are black, the color of the fur, often merge with it.

• White. These cats are controversial, and can also have amber, blue, copper-colored eyes. In kittens or individuals up to two years, the presence of specks of extraneous shades, which, however, should completely disappear by two years. White color should be crystal clear, without yellow tint. The nose and pads are pinkish.

• Brown (chocolate). Rare enough color. The eyes are golden, yellow or copper.

• Lilac (lavender or light coffee with milk). In fact, the latter shade name is incorrect, as this subspecies is much lighter. The fur of a gentle gray shade gradually turns into a lavender tone, but retains its monotony. Such a mixture gives the effect of a pinkish-blue color. Cats have eyes of amber, orange, copper colors and a light, slightly brownish nose.

• Young deer (fawn or light-purple). Slightly similar to the previous species, but in reality it is a clarified cinnamon. To distinguish these two varieties is simple - the nose and pads of kittens of this shade are painted in a beige-pinkish tone.

• Cinnamon. Lighter than chocolate, but darker than red. The hue is a bit like cinnamon. The paw pads and nose pads are brownish, pink or beige.

• Red (red). In kittens, as in mature individuals, the tail is unevenly colored. This defect does not disappear with age. If the cat has a pattern on the head or legs, which did not disappear by the age of two years, this is a deviation from the generally accepted breed standards.

Eyes amber colors. The nose and pads are monotonous with a fur. Pretty rare color.

• Cream (peach). These cats are much lighter than red cats. There may be subtle, blurry patterns on the limbs and tail, including in adult animals. However, leopard spots are unacceptable.

Eyes in the gold tones. Paw pads and nose - pink.

Bicolor - a kind of wool coloring, when an animal acts as a carrier of two basic tones. The snow-white acts as a base and there are patterns of blue, cream, red flowers or tabby.

The more symmetrical the pattern, the higher the value of such an individual.. The predominance of white in colors is mandatory. In purebred bicolors that have animals of the same color as their ancestors, the tummy, neck, chest, legs, chin and attractive face are white. It is possible to find a spot on the face itself, a bit similar to the inverted letter V. Eyes are either different colors, or golden or blue.

Bicolors are divided into the following types:

• Particolor (calico) - an animal with white color as a base and patterns of tortoise colors or spotted tabby;
• harlequin - white individual with black tail, ears and crown;
• van - almost the whole cat snow-white shade, except for the tail. Sometimes allow the presence of several specks on the crown.

Point (or color point) - light hair, but the limbs, attractive face and ears are much darker. There are various subtypes of this color.

• Pilak Point. The combination of the white color of wool with the burnings of unobtrusive lavender flowers.

• Blue Point. Light colors of wool, limbs have a pale blue tint.

• Choklit point Snow-white fur with patches of dry cocoa or coffee.

• Cream point The basic cream, light colored wool with dark cream areas.

• Tortie point Very unusual, exotic color, implying the presence of the main obligatory marks on the tail, legs and attractive face, which will alternate and make various combinations with cream, red and other colors. The pattern should be distributed symmetrically throughout the fur. This color belongs exclusively to cats. In cats, this is a genetic disorder and speaks of infertility.

In addition to the combination with red and cream, it can be a combination of chocolate and red, blue and cream, lilac and cream shades and so on. All sorts of options are allowed. The eyes are yellow, the nose and paw pads are either pinkish or black.

• Tabby point. Paws in a strip, as well as an attractive face, and a tail.

Smoky (fig or smoky) color. In cats with such colors, hairs are painted in different shades along the entire length. That is, the root area of ​​the hair will be silver or white, and the other half, which is closer to the tip, will be of a different shade. This division of hairs into color segments is called tipping. and is the result of the presence of the dominant silver gene. In this version of the colors on the animal should not be a picture or pattern.

It is not clear why, but currently, smoky-colored cats are not allowed to participate in exhibitions.

Shaded color it is a little similar to smoky, but they differ in that when the color is shaded, almost the entire hair will be white or light, and only the uppermost, third hair segment remains colored. The tips of the wool that make up the top layer of the coat, wear any tone inherent in the Scots. There should not be a clear pattern on the fur, only the presence of the letter “M” on the front area of ​​the forehead and darkened ringlets on the paws are allowed.

Coloring tabby (or tabby) suggests presence of zone pattern. It can be the letter "M" on the forehead, eyeliner of the nose and eyes, a necklace on the chest, ringlets around the tail and legs, lightened spots on the back of the ear and curling patterns on the cheeks. Rules prescribe that all stripes should have a small widthand in marble colors a smooth, gradual transition into spots must be observed, which are then folded into drawings on the belly and neck of the seal. The pattern is often very bright and stands out well on a background-basis.often contrasted with it. The tip of the nose and eyes appear slightly circled.

The types of tabby color are divided according to the following principles.

1. Tiger (he is a mackerel) - has vertical, narrow, distinct stripes on the sides. On the neck, the pattern forms a semblance of a wide collar, the tail is striped. The bands from the sides rise higher and form a pattern on the back, which somewhat resembles a saddle.
2. Spotted implies the presence of spots of various shapes and sizes, but the contours of such spots are usually very clearly outlined. Along the spinal stains can create a line that runs from the head to the base of the tail, which is also covered with stripes. There are also spots on the stomach, but much smaller.
3. Marble (Shaded, Whiskas) - drawing of spots and stripes scattered randomly throughout the coat. Representatives of this variety can have almost any color, but a distinct pattern will always be a bright visible contrast with the base shade. This breed has received such a name, as its color is a bit like patterns on well-polished marble.

• Silver. The main background is silver, the patterns are black.
• Silver blue. With white undercoat, sides, attractive face and tail.
• Red. Light red base with deep red tones.
• Brown. The shade of the old, darkened copper with a black pattern.
• Blue. Base cream or blue tones, rich pattern.
• Cream. The base is very light, creamy, the pattern is much darker, maybe beige.
• Cameo tabby. The base is white with stripes of red tones.

The basis of the appearance of the chinchilla coloring is already familiar concept - tipping. These varieties are characterized by a color of about one-eighth of a hair, while most of it remains snow-white.

There are three types of chinchillas: silver, gold and unique, and therefore valuable - blue golden chinchilla. The silvery on the tail may have outlines - “shadows” of the stripes. Eyes are green, the nose is beige. The snow-white undercoat is a bit like making gray hair. The tips of the ears, chin and belly are snow-white.

The golden chinchilla has a reddish tint on the back, tail and sides. Unlike gold, the blue golden chinchilla of the undercoat resembles melted milk (delicate, light caramel) in color, and the wool is colored in blue with shining tone. The eyes have a rich green color and resemble large pure emeralds.

The ticked (other name - Abyssinian) color is rare. If in cases with tipping, the hair is colored in two different tones, then a ticked color implies the presence of three colors on one hair.

Ticking - uniform zonal coloring with alternating dark and yellow ringlets on the surface of the hair and dark apex. Each wool has stripes of different shades, that is, each hair becomes unique.

On the rarest colors of Scottish cats tell the following video.