7 Rare and Beautiful Cat Colors

17 comments

Without breaking out the Punnett squares and getting into the whole kit and caboodle about feline genetics and why cats come in pretty colors, here's a quick list of some of the rarer fur colors you might see some cats sporting. And, hey, while these cats aren't quite as fantastical as Lisa Frank's hot pink kitties, they're definitely as colorful. 

1. Chocolate

burmese cat havana brown cat chocolate cat

If you're wondering why they call this color chocolate, look no further than the Havana Brown breed. These cats are one of the only breeds to have a "true chocolate" coat color. The "chocolate" color is actually a genetic mutation of the Black gene, causing the black to dilute to this delightful chocolate color.  They also look great next to marshmallows and graham crackers. 

 

2. Cinnamon

oriental shorthair

Like Chocolate, Cinnamon is a dilution of the Black gene. Chocolate is recessive to Black, and Cinnamon is recessive to Chocolate. This Oriental Shorthair is sporting a beautiful Cinnamon-colored coat. 

3. Fawn

Fawn is an even further dilution of the Cinnamon gene. It is most commonly seen in breeds like the Abyssinian or Oriental Shorthairs. These rare and colorful dilutions are more likely to appear in pedigree or purebred cats that have been specifically bred for coloration.

 

4. Lilac or Lavender 

lilac cat lavender cat

Known as "lilac" or "lavender," this beautiful pastel color isn't actually purple. Like Fawn is to Cinnamon, Lilac is an even lighter dilution of the Chocolate gene. As recessive traits, dilutions like fawn and lilac are rare even in pedigree cats. 

 

5. Cream

Cream is a dilution of the Red gene (commonly called orange/ginger) in cats. 

6. Smoke

smoke cat smoke coloration cat

A cat with Smoke coloration will have a light silvery undercoat, ruff, and ear tufts with a  black topcoat and points (the face, ears, feet, tail). Smoke can come in longhaired or shorthaired cats. 

 

7. Chinchilla

chinchilla coat cat

The chinchilla coloration is most often found in Persian cats, and can actually present in "Silver" or "Gold". Like the Smoke coat, in Chinchilla coats to the cat's undercoat is pure white, while the tip of the hair is black, giving the cat a shimmery, silver appearance. 

 

Edit, 8/13/17: A correction has been made to Cinnamon; it is a dilute of black, not chocolate. 

 

 

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17 comments


  • Linda

    I have had until recently 9 cats. The oldest a British Shorthair a blue/cream age 15 died Xmas 2016. Eight days later one of my two Asain cats or Malayan cats age 4 and the size of a kitten of 4 months had developed Dilated Cardiomyopathy, which responded to Taurine an essential amino acid needed for the myocardial muscle of the heart.

    She was doing incredibly well until the start of September 2017 when all the glands in her neck became swollen and all tests came back negative for Lymphoma (a cancer of the blood) emotionally painful for me she lost her battle on October 12th 2017 when with her Cardiologist all her organs shut down, she was already receiving treatment for fluid not draining from her lungs.

    She had developed Pica ( it’s when a cat eats something that they shouldn’t eat like plastic, sucking on woollen blankets and in her case eating the cat litter, her cardiologist wondered if the tumour that had developed quickly in her chest had reached her brain) the hardest thing to do was hold her and talk to her while she was euthanised, it took about 15-20 seconds if that. I then held my baby poppet (not her name, just terms of endearment I used for her).

    I know this is a forum for rare cat colours, I just wanted to pay homage to two cats, my little poppet and a really grumpy cat- the Brit was born grumpy even when I saw her at 5 weeks old to be vetted by the breeder, who still keeps in contact with me.

    My Poppet and her brother are both Asain cats or as some call them Mylayan cats a breed that began back in the 1970’s with a unplanned mating between a Burmese boy and a Chinchilla girl – ah! True love? Or a randy boy cat! This breed has the wonderful coat of the Chinchilla and the sturdy body of the Burmese. They are highly intelligent and master manipulators.

    Poppet was like a Wild Scottish cat as in her colour but it was only at the tips brush back her fur and it was silver underneath. Her brother is such a dark brown like mahogany, just solid dark brown from tips to roots he had orange eyes when he was a kitten and in some lights still appear orange.

    I also have 2 British Shorthair one a true blue girl named after a ballet dancer, this Miss Piggy would never get into her tutu ! the other (not related) is half Swedish other half English. He is like one I had who died in 2010 and was the twin of the Brit who died at Xmas . He’s a cream Bitish Shorthair and both cats have copper eyes.

    The other 4 cats are Burmese, two have what’s called milk chocolate coats, like the Siamese dark points at ears, nose, paws and tail, both have yellow eyes one a boy the other a girl. I have a blue girl with green eyes and in sun lite she looks lilac and silver. The last but by no means least is a hearty boy who’s dark and I mean dark brown and his coat is slick he has chatrusse coloured eyes. Just think of a sea lion or beaver or even otter and you have my big boy he’s 6:5 kilos !


  • Greg

    It’s a shame there is some incorrect information on here….

    Cinnamon is not the dilute of Chocolate, lilac is. Cinnamon is on the same locus as chocolate and it’s dilute is fawn.

    Red is sex-linked recessive not dominant.

    Smoke and silver are the same gene just on different bases, smoke being on a solid non agouti base and silver on an agouti base.

    The cat pictured as cream is in fact a red colourpoint AKA flame point.


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