_edited_edited_edited_edited.jpg)
MAINE COON COLOURS & PATTERNS
COLOURS:
Maine Coons come 5 basic colours ... Everything else is a pattern.
COAT PATTERNS
There are 4 basic COAT patterns - Solid, Tabby, Tortie and Tortie/Tabby
COLOUR PATTERNS:
Colour patterns OVERLAY the Coat pattern - ie they change the appearance of the coat pattern.
Cats with white - the White Spotting gene
The White Spotting gene adds patches of white. Depending on the amount of white, the cat will be described as With White, And White, Bi-colour, Harlequin, Calico, or Van.
Silver & Smoke - the Inhibitor gene
The Inhibitor gene causes the base of each hair to be banded with white, making the cat's colour paler.
This is also a Colour pattern - it overlays the Coat Colour, changing the appearance of the cats colour.
- If the coat pattern is Solid or Tortie and the cat has the Inhibitor gene, the colour pattern is known as
Smoke.
- If the coat pattern is Tabby or Tortie Tabby and the cat has the Inhibitor gene, the colour pattern is known
as Silver.
Shaded, Tipped and Chinchilla
When combined with the Wide Banding gene, the Inhibitor gene can also give Shaded, Tipped and Chinchilla patterns [with each category getting progressively lighter].
Believe it or not, the first 4 cats below are actually Black!
But the combined wide-banding and inhibitor genes make their colour so pale, that on the Chinchilla the only way you can tell it's Black not White, is the black lining to eyes, nose and lips [instead of pink].
These colour patterns are extremely rare in Australia - you mostly find Shaded, Tipped & Chinchilla Maine Coons in Europe.
White is a Dominant colour
Black is a Dominant colour
Red is a Dominant colour
Blue is a Recessive colour, and is the dilute of Black.
Cream is a Recessive colour and is the dilute of Red.
Classic tabbies have curved stripes. The Tabby gene is Dominant.
Mackeral tabbies have vertical stripes, like a tiger.
Torties have patches of colour, in either Black & Red, or in Blue & Cream.
Tortie/tabbies [or Torbies] have both patches and stripes.
Solids have no stripes or patches. The Solid gene is Recessive.
With White cats have a small amount of white, paws or socks only.
And White cats are about 1/3 white … paws, legs, chest & belly
Bi-colour cats are about 30-50% white
Harlequin cats are 50-80% white and have 2 colours.
Calico cats are 50-80% white and have 3 colours.
VAN patterned cats are white all over except for their HEAD and TAIL.
A small spot of colour on the body of a Van is permissable.
Black Silver cats are Black Tabbies or Torbies with the Inhibitor gene
Black Smoke cats are Black Solids with the Inhibitor gene
Red Silver cats are Red Tabbies or Torbies with the Inhibitor gene
Red Smoke cats are Red Solids with the Inhibitor gene
Blue Silver cats are Blue Tabbies or Torbies with the Inhibitor gene
Blue Smoke cats are Blue Solids with the Inhibitor gene
Cream Silver cats are Cream Tabbies or Torbies with the Inhibitor gene
Cream Smoke cats are Cream Solids with the Inhibitor gene
