You should definitely know this about tricolor cats

To answer this question, let’s dive into “fluffy genetics.” Several genes are involved in the formation of cat colors, each of which creates interesting patterns on the coat.

Eumelanin and pheomelanin

Cats, like humans, have two sets of sex chromosomes.

Kittens have XX and kittens have X. All genes associated with coloring are located at different sites-loci of the X chromosomes.

Since kittens have two of them, females are more varied in color.

The basic colors of a cat’s coat are formed by two pigments embedded in the genes:

– Pheomelanin, which gives the red coloration. Geneticists refer to it as “O,” from the word “Orange.”

– Eumelanin, which colors the six black. Such a variant is denoted by the small letter “o”, that is, not orange.

So all cats are genetically black or red, it’s just that additional genes have upgraded their coloring. A cat that has the “O” gene on one X chromosome and the “o” gene on the other will be black and red with no white spots. These purrs are called tortoiseshells. Cats don’t get that because they only have one X chromosome, which gives them a red or black color.

How other tricolor coat colors are obtained

A turtle coat with white spots is formed in a different way. This is where the additional S (spotting) gene, which can be present on one or both X chromosomes, comes into play.

If a tricolor cat has two such genes, the area of white fur will exceed 50%. If the gene is one, the white spots will occupy less than half of the body. This is the typical tricolor.

Everyone has met tricolor cats with peach and gray spots. For it to show up, the D (Dilute) gene, a diluter, must come into play. It dilutes the grain of the pigment, making it duller. This is how gray, smoky, peach, and other weakened colors are formed. If a male purr has a spotty gene as well, he will have a gray-peach-white coloring. Because of the lack of a second X-chromosome in cats, this coloration is not found.

A cat’s color palette is also affected by the gene for T (Tabby) striping. Several variants of the Tabby gene have stripes of various shapes on cat fur. If a tri-color purring cat inherited it from her parents, the coloring will be a tiger with stripes of red color. Cats can’t be like that, for lack of a second X-chromosome. Their stripes are more unassuming.

Are there tricolor cats?

Such an animal can hardly be called a cat. As a result of a mutation, it receives two sex chromosomes at once, and its genotype is determined as XY. It is something between a pussycat and a kitty cat. Despite having “bells”, tri-colored animals do not have offspring.

Humans have a disorder called Klinefelter’s syndrome. It, too, is accompanied by infertility.

In extremely rare cases, the genetic abnormality manifests itself mosaically, and some of the cells have a standard XY structure. Such animals, called chimeras, can have offspring. For example, a prolific tricolor Maine Coon named Mesomix was used for breeding in Germany and made his cattery famous.

Now if you see a tricolor cat on the street, you will understand what genes colored its coat and remember the rare chimera cats.