cat genetics

2 ways an injury can change Siamese cat coat patterning (infographic)

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I have employed the visually more interesting technique of an infographic to explain why an injury to a Siamese cat might cause the coat pattern to be temporarily altered as the Siamese cat pointed coat is heat sensitive. In fact, to study the sealpoint Siamese coat pattern is to observe what amounts to a …

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The genetic reason why cats can’t taste sweetness

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The genetic reason why cats can't taste sweetness is explained here

This is about the science – which is about the genetics of all the cat species – behind the failure of cats to detect sweetness in their food. We know that cats can’t detect the taste of sweetness in their food but what happened? It is a bit strange when you think about it …

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Small cat hair colour and pattern is determined by genes and their presence is determined by natural or artificial selection

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Natural and artificial selection influences the genes that create coat type and colour

In discussing small cat hair colour, I think we have to divide the world of the small cats into two groups: the purebred cats and the non-purebred cats. Purebred cats These are created through artificial selection a.k.a. selective breeding. Selective breeding determines the genes that the cats carry and these genes determine the coat …

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How Siamese cats change their colours

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Siamese cats should have vivid blue eyes as per the cat associations' breed standards

First a short introduction. Although the history of the Siamese cat in the West is somewhat vague, it would seem with some certainty that a certain Mrs Vyvyan of Dover, UK acquired some of the first Siamese cats in the West. Of course, they came from Siam (now Thailand) ostensibly from the King’s Palace …

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The classic blotched tabby (infographic)

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Silver classic tabby Scottish Fold kitten with a WOW appearance

Scroll down for an infographic on the classic tabby cat coat which is also referred to as the blotched tabby. Of the three types of tabby coat: the mackerel, spotted and classic, as stated in the infographic, the classic is believed to have evolved the last in the Elizabethan era due to a genetic mutation. But domestic cat tabby coats have evolved from the original domesticated cats which were all stripped/spotted tabbies as they were domesticated wildcats. Back in the day there was only one type of tabby.

Agouti tabby (infographic)
Click the link above for an infographic on the agouti gene which is responsible for the tabby coat.
The classic blotched tabby

‘Chinchilla’, its meaning in the cat world (infographic)

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Chinchilla Persian miniature cat

The word ‘chinchilla’ is used a lot in the cat fancy and it is associated with Persian cats. Usually not the extreme bred, flat-faced variety but the traditional doll-faced types. But there appears to be a certain flexibility in the meaning and use of the word which I have illustrated in the infographic. In essence ‘chinchilla’ refers to a type of coat in the cat world, specifically the cat fancy. The name has been taken from the name of a South American rodent with the same coat.

Bicolor cats infographic

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Black and white bicolor Scottish Fold kitten from Russia (Siberia)

The infographic by me summarises information about bicolour cats. I hope you find it useful. There are image links to more pages on piebaldism and bicolour cats after the infographic.

Note: I am indebted to Sarah Hartwell of messybeast.com for her knowledge on piebaldism and the images in the middle of the infographic about grading. Other source: me and Gloria Stephens of Legacy of the Cat.

Albinism in cats infographic

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albino cat eye color

This is an infographic which summarises albinism in cats. Rarely you will see albino wild and domestic cats. You will see quite a lot of people confusing cats that are completely white with blue eyes or odd-eye colour caused by the dominant white gene and albino cats with light-blue to pink eyes. The eyes are a good way to tell the difference. There are more articles with a reference to albinism below the infographic

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