Patterns are a mixture of colors in a definite arrangement. The six
fundamental types of coat patterns present in cats with some
differences are Tabby, Tortoiseshell, Solid, Bicolor, Colorpoint and
Tricolor.
1. Tabby: This coat pattern is the most widespread found naturally
and is present in four varieties: blotched (marbled), striped
(mackerel), ticked (agouti) and spotted.
2. Tortoiseshell: An unswerving blend of black and orange or
thinned shades of blue and cream form this exclusive coat pattern. This
coat pattern is a tricolor present almost uniquely in females with a
blend of orange and black. Male cats rarely show this pattern and are
likely sterile. These cats also show an inner tabby pattern called as
“torbie”.
3. Solid: This pattern is the easiest and identifiable one, as it
consists of a single coat uniformly spread throughout the body. An
interesting solid pattern with hair of different color is seen in young
cats. The secondary colored hair vanishes as the cat grows and very
soon, the cat displays a solid hairy pattern all over. It is not
possible to acknowledge a cat that has a spot of some other color on
its coat, as a solid. People generally refer cats with a solid pattern
as “self s” or “self colored”.
4. Bicolor: The word bicolor is actually a white colored coat along
with another color. The other color displays a tabby or a solid
pattern. People commonly describe a cat with a white colored coat as a
harlequin. “Van” is the term describing a definite variation in which
the feline is white colored, with spots of color present only on the
tail and head. Names are given for the patches of white present on a
bicolor cat, which express their positions such as mittens (paws),
locket (chest), and buttons (patches on the abdomen).
5. Colorpoint: The paws, face and tail (points/tips) are dark in
color in comparison with the rest of the body in this coat pattern. The
colorpoint pattern mainly depends on temperature. The hotter body parts
show a lighter color and vice versa. The dissimilarity between the main
body color and the spots differ, but this coat pattern is very easily
recognizable. The spots are present in varied shades and colors
containing red (flame), brown (seal), lilac and blue. In some
varieties, generally, the spots have a tabby pattern or a tricolor
pattern containing the above mentioned colors. “Lynx” is the term used
to describe colorpoints having a tabby pattern.
6. Tricolor: The main color components of the tricolor coat
patterns are black, white, orange and red or thinned shades of blue and
cream. The proportion of the color and white displays the number and
position of the shades of the additional two colors. If there is some
amount of white, the remaining two colors may combine to form a pattern
called as a “tortoiseshell and white”. The patches of black and red
become visibly distinct, as the white color increases. Calico is the
term used for this type of coat pattern in cats.
