![]() ![]() You can learn more about the genetics behind this in our complete cat colors guide. If a cat has only one copy, they will carry the gene and may pass it on to their kittens but their own fur will be full strength color.ĭilute fur happens in a number of breeds, not just torties. That means your cat needs two copies of the dilute gene for the dilution to occur. If you’re keen to learn more about how the tortoiseshell pattern happens, take a look at this guideĪ separate pair of genes dilutes the color tones in the cat’s fur, and this gene is recessive. That means that the pattern which is caused by x-linked genes, and is normally only found in female cats. And the gene that is responsible for this pattern is sex-linked. The tortie pattern is also known as a mosaic expression of fur color. The gene that creates the tortie pattern works by redistributing the pigment in the fur, so that instead of appearing as bands of color along each hair shaft, one pigment completely covers parts of the cat and the other pigment colors other parts of the cat. So the blue color is a dilution of the black pigment, and the cream color is a dilution of the red pigment. However, in these cats, the colors are diluted. Just like a regular tortie, the blue tortie pattern is a mixture of two colors, based on the red pigment pheomelanin, and the black pigment eumelanin. So to be a blue tortie your cat needs both the genes for the tortoiseshell pattern and the genes that dilute the colors in the fur The first is the color pattern, and the second is the color dilution. ![]() There are two key factors that combine to create the unusual blue tortie. Let’s look at how the blue tortie variation comes about, and at the mechanism that causes these lovely coat patterns. But, this shouldn’t be confused with calico cats. Some torties may also have some patches of white. These colors can vary in their shades, but they are based on red and black. The tortie pattern is popular on cats partly because it is so pretty and partly because every tortie is unique! All tortoiseshell cats have a combination of two colors in their fur.
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