Cat coat genetics determine the coloration, pattern, length, and texture of feline fur. The variations among cat coats are physical properties and should not be confused with cat breeds. A cat may display the coat of a certain breed without actually being that breed. For example, aNeva Masquerade (Siberian colorpoint) could wearpoint coloration, the stereotypical coat of aSiamese.

The browning geneB/b/b^l codes forTYRP1 (Q4VNX8), an enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway for eumelanin pigment production. Its dominant form,B, will produce black eumelanin. It has two recessive variants,b (chocolate) andb^l (cinnamon), withb^l being recessive to bothB andb.^[1] Chocolate is a rich dark brown color, and is referred to as chestnut in some breeds. Cinnamon is a light brown which may be a reddish color.

Basic colors

A male red tabby showing the X^OY-phenotype

A female blacktortoiseshell cat showing the X^OX^o-phenotype

Thesex-linked red"Orange" locus,O/o, determines whether a cat will produce eumelanin. In cats with orange fur,phaeomelanin (red pigment) completely replaceseumelanin (black or brown pigment).^[2] This gene is located on theX chromosome. The orangeallele is O, and non-orange is o. Males are typically only orange or non-orange due to only having one X chromosome. Since females have two X chromosomes, they have two alleles of this gene. OO results in orange fur, oo results in fur without any orange (black, brown, etc.), and Oo results in atortoiseshell cat, in which some parts of the fur are orange and other areas non-orange.^[3] One in three thousand tortoiseshell cats are male, making the combination possible but rare - however, due to the nature of their genetics, male tortoiseshells often exhibit chromosomal abnormalities.^[4] In one study, less than a third of male calicos had a simple XXYKlinefelter's karyotype, slightly more than a third were complicated XXY mosaics, and about a third had no XXY component at all.^[4]

The pelt color commonly referred to as "orange" is scientifically known as red. Other common names include yellow, ginger, and marmalade. Red show cats have a deep orange color, but it can also present as a yellow or light ginger color. Unidentified "rufousingpolygenes" are theorized to be the reason for this variance.Orange isepistatic tononagouti, so all red cats are tabbies. "Solid" red show cats are usually low contrast ticked tabbies.^[5]

The identity of the gene at theOrange locus was narrowed down to a 3.5 Mb stretch on the X chromosome in 2009.^[6] In 2024 it was discovered that the dominant orange color associated with theOrange locus is the result of a genomic deletion in a regulatory region ofArhgap36, aRho GTPaseactivating protein. The deletion results in a 13-fold increase in expression of the protein in melanocytes.^[7][8]

Diluted colors

A cream (diluted red)tabby cat

A blue (diluted black)tortoiseshell cat

TheDense pigment gene,D/d, codes formelanophilin (MLPH;A0SJ36), a protein involved in the transportation and deposition of pigment into a growing hair.^[5] When a cat has two of the recessived alleles (Maltese dilution), black fur becomes "blue" (appearing gray), chocolate fur becomes "lilac" (appearing light, almost grayish brown-lavender), cinnamon fur becomes "fawn", and red fur becomes "cream".^[9] Similar to red cats, all cream cats are tabbies. Thed allele is a single-base deletion that truncates the protein. If the cat has d/d genes, the coat is diluted. If the genes are D/D or D/d, the coat will be unaffected.^[5]

• Barrington Brown is a recessive browning gene that dilutes black to mahogany, brown to light brown and chocolate to pale coffee. It is different from the browning gene and has only been observed in laboratory cats.^[10]
• TheDilution modifier gene,Dm, "caramelizes" the dilute colors as a dominant trait. The existence of this phenomenon as a discrete gene is a controversial subject among feline enthusiasts.^{[citation needed]}
• Amber, a mutation at the extension locusE/e (themelanocortin 1 receptor,MC1R) changes black pigment to amber or light amber, similar in appearance to red and cream. Kittens are born dark but lighten up as they age. Paws and nose still exhibit the original undiluted color in contrast to other diluted colors, where paws and nose have the diluted color. This phenomenon was first identified inNorwegian Forest cats.^[11]
• Another recessive mutation at extension was discovered which causes the russet color in Burmese cats. It is symbolized as e^r. Like amber cats, russet cats lighten as they age.^[12]
• A modifying factor has also been hypothesized in shaded silver and chinchillaPersians whose fur turns pale golden in adulthood, due to low levels of phaeomelanin production. These cats resemble shaded or tipped goldens, but are genetically shaded or tipped silvers. This is probably related to the phenomenon known as "tarnishing" in silvers.

Tabby cats have a range of variegated and blotched coats, consisting of a dark pattern on a lighter background. This variety is derived from the interplay of multiple genes and resulting phenotypes. Most tabbies feature thin dark markings on the face, including the 'M' on the forehead and an eyeliner effect, pigmented lips and paws, and a pink nose outlined in darker pigment.^{[citation needed]} However, the following different coat patterns are all possible:^{[citation needed]}

• Mackerel: Thin, dark stripes (sometimes called "tiger stripes")
• Blotched/Classic: Thicker bands or whorls of dark pigment.
• Spotted: Broken bands that look more like individual spots.
• Ticked: No distinct stripes, spots, or blotches on the body—though some may be visible on the legs, face, and tail.

• 
  Mackerel
• 
  Blotched / classic
• 
  Spotted
• 
  Ticked

The agouti factor determines the "background" of the tabby coat, which consists of hairs that are banded with dark eumelanin and lighter phaeomelanin along the length of the hair shaft. TheAgouti gene, with its dominantA allele and recessivea allele, controls the coding foragouti signaling protein (ASIP;Q865F0). The wild-type dominantA causes the banding and thus an overall lightening effect on the hair, while the recessivenon-agouti or "hypermelanistic" allelea does not initiate this shift in the pigmentation pathway. As a result, homozygousaa have pigment production throughout the entire growth cycle of the hair and therefore along its full length.^[13] These homozygotes are solidly dark throughout, which obscures the appearance of the characteristic dark tabby markings—sometimes a suggestion of the underlying pattern, called "ghost striping", can be seen, especially in bright slanted light on kittens and on the legs, tail and sometimes elsewhere on adults.

A major exception to the solid masking of the tabby pattern exists, as theO allele of theO/o locus isepistatic over theaa genotype. That is, in red or cream colored cats, tabby marking is displayed regardless of the genotype at the agouti locus. However, some red and most cream tabbies do have a fainter pattern when lacking an agouti allele, indicating that theaa genotype does still have a faint effect even if it does not induce complete masking. The mechanism of this process is unknown.

An example of theAgouti gene can be seen in Bengal cats, which are a hybrid between Asian Leopard cats and domestic cats. The breed has a characteristically dark face marking and a stripe down its back.^[14] This is term as a"mask" and"cape", as well as charcoal markings, according to Gershoney et. al. The charcoal mask is indicated to be the result of a heterozygote ofA^Pbe/a.The relationships between the different agouti haplotypes is not fully understood. More research to required to determine "modes of inheritance for charcoal"^[14] in Bengal cats.

TheTabby locus on chromosome A1 accounts for most tabby patterns seen in domestic cats, including those patterns seen in most breeds. The dominant alleleTa^M produces mackerel tabbies, and the recessiveTa^b produce classic (sometimes referred to as blotched) tabbies.^[15] The gene responsible for this differential patterning has been identified astransmembrane aminopeptidase Q (Taqpep,M3XFH7).^{[citation needed]} Athreonine toasparaginesubstitution atresidue 139 (T139N) in this protein is responsible for producing the tabby phenotype in domestic cats. Incheetahs, abase pair insertion intoexon 20 of the protein replaces the 16 C-terminal residues with 109 new ones (N977Kfs110), generating theking cheetah coat variant.^[16]

The wild-type (inAfrican wildcats) is the mackerel tabby (stripes look like thin fishbones and may break up into bars or spots). The most common variant is theclassic tabby pattern (broad bands, whorls, and spirals of dark color on pale background usually with bulls-eye or oyster pattern on flank).^[16] Spotted tabbies have their stripes broken up into spots, which may be arranged vertically or horizontally. A 2010 study suggests that spotted coats are caused by the modification of mackerel stripes, and may cause varying phenotypes such as "broken mackerel" tabbies via multiple loci. If the genes are Sp/Sp or Sp/sp the tabby coat will be spotted or broken. If it is an sp/sp gene, the tabby pattern will remain either mackerel or blotched. This gene has no effect on cats with a ticked coat.^[15]

TheTicked (Ti) locus on chromosome B1 controls the generation of "ticked coats", agouti coats with virtually no stripes or bars. Ticked tabbies are rare in the random-bred population, but fixed in certain breeds such as theAbyssinian andSingapura.^[17]Ti^A is the dominant allele that produces ticked coats;Ti⁺ is the recessive one. The causative gene for ticked tabby markings isDickkopf-related protein 4 (DKK4).^[18] Both acysteine totyrosinesubstitution atresidue 63 (C63Y) and analanine tovalinesubstitution atresidue 18 (A18V) result in decreasedDKK4, which is associated with ticking. Both variants are present in theAbyssinian breed, and the A18V variant is found in theBurmese breed.^[17] Stripes often remain to some extent on the face, tail, legs, and sometimes the chest ("bleeding through"). Traditionally, this has been thought to happen in heterozygotes (Ti^ATi⁺) but be nearly or completely nonexistent in homozygotes (Ti^ATi^A). The ticked tabby allele is epistatic to and therefore completely (or mostly) masks all the other tabby alleles, "hiding" the patterns they would otherwise express.^[15]

It was once thought thatTi^A was an allele of theTabby gene, calledT^a, dominant to all other alleles at the locus.^[19]

• Other genes (pattern modifier genes) are theorized to be responsible for creating various type of spotting patterns, many of which are variations on a basic mackerel or classic pattern. There are also hypothetical factors which affect the timing and frequency of the agouti shift, affecting agouti band width and the number and quality of alternating bands of eumelanin and phaeomelanin on individual hairs.
• There is a gene not yet identified, but believed to be related to the agouti gene in theChausie breed that produces silver-tipped black fur similar toAbyssinian ticked fur, known as "grizzled". This phenomenon is purported to have been inherited from thehybridization of the domestic cat to thejungle cat (Felis chaus).
• The rosette tabby pattern is a pattern similar to that of aleopard, whererosette spots are spread over the body. The pattern is found inhybrid cat breeds, such as theBengal andSafari.^{[20][unreliable source]}
• Theinhibited pigment gene,I/i. The dominant allele (I) producestipped hairs that are fully colored only at the tip and have a white base. This allele appears to interact with other genes to produce various degrees of tipping, ranging from deeply tipped silver tabby to lightly tipped shaded silver and chinchilla silver. The inhibitor gene interacts with the non-agouti genotype (I-aa) to produce the color known assmoke. The homozygous recessive genotype when combined with the agouti gene (iiA-), produces tabby coloration, which can vary along a spectrum ranging from a deeply patterned brown tabby, to a lighter "golden tabby", to the very lightly colored shaded or chinchilla golden colors. Red and cream cats with the inhibitor gene (I-O-) are commonly called "cameo".

Tortoiseshells have patches of orange fur (pheomelanin based) and black or brown (eumelanin based) fur, caused byX-inactivation. Because this requires two X chromosomes, the vast majority of tortoiseshells are female, with approximately 1 in 3,000 being male.^[21] Male tortoiseshells can occur as a result of chromosomal abnormalities such asKlinefelter syndrome, bymosaicism, or by a phenomenon known aschimerism, where two early stage embryos are merged into a single kitten.

Tortoiseshells with a relatively small amount ofwhite spotting are known as "tortoiseshell and white", while those with a larger amount are known in the United States ascalicos. Calicos are also known as tricolor cats,mi-ke (meaning "triple fur") in Japanese, andlapjeskat (meaning "patches cat") in Dutch. The factor that distinguishes tortoiseshell from calico is the pattern of eumelanin and pheomelanin, which is partly dependent on the amount of white, due to an effect of the white spotting gene on the general distribution of melanin. A cat which has both an orange and non-orange gene, Oo, and little to no white spotting, will present with a mottled blend of black/red and blue/cream, reminiscent oftortoiseshell material, and is called a tortoiseshell cat. An Oo cat with a large amount of white will have bigger, clearly defined patches of black/red and blue/cream, and is called a calico in the US.

With intermediate amounts of white, a cat may exhibit a calico pattern, a tortie pattern, or something in between, depending on other epigenetic factors. Blue tortoiseshell, ordiluted calico, cats have a lighter coloration (blue/cream) and are sometimes calledcalimanco orclouded tiger.^[22]

A true tricolor must consist of three colors: white, a red-based color like ginger or cream, and black-based color like black or blue. Tricolor should not be mistaken for the natural gradations in a tabby pattern. The shades which are present in the pale bands of a tabby are not considered to constitute a separate color.^[23]

• The basic tortoiseshell pattern has several different colors depending on the color of the eumelanin (the B locus), and dilution (the D locus).
• Tortoiseshell tabbies, also known astorbies, display tabby patterning on both red- and black-based colors. Calico tabbies are also calledcalibys ortabicos.^[24]

Tortoiseshell cats with small white patches are calledtortico cats, a portmanteau ofcalico andtortoiseshell.^{[25][failed verification]}

White spotting locus

Dominant white; solid white Norwegian Forest cat

White spotting; blue (gray) and white bicolor cat

TheKIT gene determines whether or not there will be any white in the coat, except when a solid white coat is caused by albinism. White spotting and epistatic white (also known as dominant white) were long thought to be two separate genes (calledS andW respectively),^[26] but in fact they are both on theKIT gene. The two have been combined into a singlewhite spotting locus (W). White spotting can take many forms, from a small spot of white to the mostly-white pattern of the Turkish Van, while epistatic white produces a fully white cat (solid or self white). The KIT geneW locus has the following alleles:^[26][27][28]

• W^D (or W)=dominant white (solid/self white), autosomal dominant allele. It causes complete white coloration by disrupting replication and migration ofmelanocytes into the skin. The carriers of this allele are white regardless of any other color-associated gene. It is linked to blue eyes andcongenital sensorineural deafness.^[29] The deafness is due to a reduction in the population and survival of melanoblast stem cells, which in addition to creating pigment-producing cells, develop into a variety of neurological cell types. White cats with one or two blue eyes have a particularly high likelihood of being deaf. Dominant white is distinct from albinism (c) which results from a mutation in a different gene that has no known impact on hearing.
• w^S (or S)=white spotting (bicolor ortricolor cats), dominant allele. It only disrupts migration ofmelanocytes to certain patches in the skin, thus leading to the formation of white spots. It exhibits codominance and variable expression:
  • heterozygote (W^h orSs)= low degree of spotting white (between 0–50% white); bicolor/tricolor or ventral white (usually the feet, nose, chest, and belly), which is dominant to solid color.
  • homozygote (W^l orSS)= high degree of spotting white (between 50 and 100% white); dominant harlequin and van pattern. The van pattern is named after theLake Van region in Turkey, and expresses as coloration limited to the head and tail.
• w (or N)=wild-type or normal (non-white coats), recessive allele. Homozygotes for it won't have any white in their coat.
• w^g=Birman white gloving allele, recessive allele.^[27][30][31]
• w^sal=salmiak allele, recessive allele. In addition to a white tuxedo pattern, hairs are colored at the root fading into white at the tips, except on the head, where they are often colored all the way through. It was found in Finland and the name means "salty licorice".^[32]

Thecolorpoint pattern is most commonly associated withSiamese cats, but due to crossbreeding may also appear in any (non-pedigree) domesticated cat. A colorpoint cat has dark colors on the face, ears, feet, and tail, with a lighter version of the same color on the rest of the body, and possibly some white. The exact name of the colorpoint pattern depends on the actual color. A few examples are seal points (dark brown to black), chocolate points (warm, lighter brown), blue points (gray), lilac or frost points (silvery gray-pink), red or flame points (orange), and tortie (tortoiseshell mottling) points. This pattern is the result of atemperature sensitive mutation in one of theenzymes in themetabolic pathway fromtyrosine to pigment, such asmelanin; thus, little or no pigment is produced except in the extremities or points where the skin is slightly cooler. For this reason, colorpoint cats tend to darken with age as bodily temperature drops; also, the fur over a significant injury may sometimes darken or lighten as a result of temperature change. More specifically, thealbino locus contains the geneTYR (P55033).^[5] Two distinct alleles causing blue-eyed and pink-eyed albinism respectively have been previously theorized.

Although the Siamese colorpoint pattern is the most famous coloration produced byTYR, there are color mutations at the locus.

• C is the wildtype allele resulting in full pigmentation and is completely dominant to all other known alleles at the locus.
• Point=c^s is thepoint allele associated with the Siamese colorpoint pattern.
• Sepia=c^b is an allele calledsepia (or solid), and is most associated withBurmese cats. It produces a pattern similar to the Siamese colorpoint, but with a much lower contrast and amber-yellow to green eyes.
• Mink=c^s andc^b are codominant, withc^b/c^s cats having an intermediate phenotype termedmink,^[33] in which the pigment distribution is between sepia and point, and the eye color is blue-green (aquamarine).
• Albinism=c and c2 are two synonymous alleles recessive to all other alleles at the locus that cause albinism.^[34][35]
• c^m is a novel mutation in Burmese cats that results in a color pattern named mocha. Its interactions with other alleles have not yet been fully established.^[36]

The tyrosine pathway also producesneurotransmitters, thus mutations in the early parts of that pathway may affect not only pigment, but also neurological development. This results in a higher frequency ofcross-eyes among colorpoint cats, as well as thehigh frequency of cross-eyes in white tigers.^[37]

• Comparison of different black (seal, sable) colourpoint cats
• 
  Black pointSiamese
• 
  Black minkTonkinese
• 
  Black sepiaBurmese
• 
  Black blotchedtabby (lynx) point cat
• 
  Blacktortoiseshell point cat

Thesilver series is caused by theMelanin inhibitor geneI/i. The dominant form causes melanin production to be suppressed, but it affects phaeomelanin (red pigment) much more than eumelanin (black or brown pigment). On tabbies, this turns the background a sparkling silver color while leaving the stripe color intact, making a cold-tonedsilver tabby. On solid cats, it turns the base of the hair pale, making themsilver smoke.^[38] The termcameo is commonly used for red silver and cream silver (inhibitor gene (I-O-)) colored coats in cats.

Silver agouti cats can have a range of phenotypes, from silver tabby, to silver shaded (under half the hair is pigmented, approx. 1/3 of hair length), to tipped silver also called chinchilla or shell (only the very tip of the hair is pigmented, approx. 1/8 of hair length). This seems to be affected by hypotheticalwide band factors, which make the silver band at the base of the hair wider. Breeders often notate wide band as a single geneWb/wb, but it is most likely apolygenic trait.

• 
  Smoke
• 
  Shaded
• 
  Tipped (chinchilla / shell)
• 
  Cameo shaded (red / cream silver)

If a cat has the wide band trait but no silver melanin inhibitor, the band will be golden instead of silver. These cats are known asgolden tabbies, or inSiberian catssunshine tabbies. The golden color is caused by theCORIN gene. Shaded golden and tipped golden are also possible, in the same hair length distribution as the silver-gene. However, there is no golden smoke, because the combination of wide band and nonagouti simply produces a solid cat.^{[39][unreliable source][40]}

The genetics involved in producing the ideal tabby,tipped [fr], shaded, or smoke cat is complex. Not only are there many interacting genes, but genes sometimes do not express themselves fully, or conflict with one another. For example, the silver melanin inhibitor gene in some instances does not block pigment, resulting in a grayer undercoat, or intarnishing (yellowish or rusty fur). The grayer undercoat is considered less desirable to fanciers.

Likewise, poorly-expressed non-agouti or over-expression of melanin inhibitor will cause a pale, washed out black smoke. Various polygenes (sets of related genes), epigenetic factors, or modifier genes, as yet unidentified, are believed to result in different phenotypes of coloration, some deemed more desirable than others by fanciers.

The genetic influences on tipped or shaded cats are:

• Agouti gene.
• Tabby pattern genes (such as T^a masking the tabby pattern).
• Silver/melanin inhibitor geneI/i.
• GoldenCORIN gene.
• Factors affecting the number and width of bands of color on each hair, such as the hypothetical wide band genewb. Resulting in shaded or tipped (chinchilla/shell) pigmentation.
• Factors affecting the amount and quality of eumelanin and/or phaeomelanin pigment expression (such as theorized rufousing factors)
• Genes causing sparkling appearance (such asglitter in the Bengal,satin in the Tennessee Rex,grizzle in the Chausie).
• Factors to clear up residual striping (hypothetical Chaos, Confusion, Unconfused, Erase, and Roan factors).

• Silver series
• 
  Black silver spotted tabbyEgyptian Mau.
• 
  Black smoke cat.
• 
  Cameo (red silver) shadedMaine Coon.
• 
  Black silver tipped (chinchilla)Persian cat.

• Golden series
• 
  Sunshine blotched tabbySiberian Cat.
• 
  Black golden ticked tabbyBritish Shorthair.
• 
  Black golden ticked tabbyBritish Shorthair.
• 
  Blue golden tipped (chinchilla)Persian cat.

Fever coat is an effect known in domestic cats, where a pregnant female cat has afever or is stressed, causing her unborn kittens' fur to develop a silver-type color (silver-grey, cream, or reddish) rather than what the kitten'sgenetics would normally cause. After birth, the silver fur is replaced naturally by fur colors over the span of a few weeks according to the kitten's genetics.^[41][42][43]

Cat fur can be short, long, curly, or hairless. Most cats are short-haired, like their ancestor.^[44] The fur can naturally come in three types of hairs;guard,awn, anddown hair. The length, density and proportions of these three hairs varies greatly between breeds, and in some cats only one or two types are found.^[44][45]

Most oriental breeds only express one single layer of silky coat.^[44] However, cats can also have double-layered coats out of two hair types in which the down hairs form the soft, insulating undercoat, and the guard hairs form the protective outer coat.^[44]

A typical cat coat exists of all three natural hair types, but due to the equal lengths of two of these hairs, the coat is still considered double-layered.^[44] Typically, the down hairs comprise the undercoat while the guard and awn hairs make up the basic top coat.^[44][45] Double-coated cats with thick undercoats require daily grooming as these coats are more prone to matting.^[44] Double coats are found in for example thePersian,British Shorthair,Maine Coon andNorwegian Forest cat.

Additionally, there even exist cats which express all three natural types of cat hair in different lengths and structures, which form three different layers. These cats are called triple-coated.Siberians andNeva Masquerades are known for their unique triple coats,^[44] which provides double insulation to withstand their natural cold climate.

There have been many genes identified that result in unusual cat fur. These genes were discovered in random-bred cats and selected for. Some of the genes are in danger of going extinct because the cats are not sold beyond the region where the mutation originated or there is simply not enough demand for cats expressing the mutation.

In many breeds, coat gene mutations are unwelcome. An example is the rex allele which appeared in Maine Coons in the early 1990s. Rexes appeared in America, Germany and the UK, where one breeder caused consternation by calling them "Maine Waves". Two UK breeders did test mating which indicated that this was probably a new rex mutation and that it was recessive. The density of the hair was similar to normally coated Maine Coons, but consisted only of down type hairs with a normal down type helical curl, which varied as in normal down hairs. Whiskers were more curved, but not curly. Maine Coons do not have awn hairs, and after moulting, the rexes had a very thin coat.^{[citation needed]}

Cat fur length is governed by theLength gene in which the dominant form,L, codes for short hair, and the recessivel codes for long hair. In the longhaired cat, the transition from anagen (hair growth) to catagen (cessation of hair growth) is delayed due to this mutation.^[46] A rare recessive shorthair gene has been observed in some lines of Persian cat (silvers) where two longhaired parents have produced shorthaired offspring.

TheLength gene has been identified as thefibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5;M3X9S6) gene. The dominant allele codes for the short coat is seen in most cats. Long coats are coded for by at least four different recessively inherited mutations, the alleles of which have been identified.^[47] The most ubiquitous is found in most or all long haired breeds while the remaining three are found only in Ragdolls, Norwegian Forest Cats, and Maine Coons.

There are various genes producing curly-coated or "rex" cats. New types of rex arise spontaneously in random-bred cats now and then. Some of the rex genes that breeders have selected for are:

• Devon Rex
  • Mutation inKRT71 (E1AB55), the same gene causing hairlessness inSphynx cats.re is an allele completely recessive to the wildtype and completely dominant tohr found in Sphynx.^[48]
• Cornish Rex
  • Mutation inLPAR6 (A0A5F5XLZ8). A completely recessive allele termedr.^[49]
• Ural Rex
  • Mutation inLIPH.^[50]
• German Rex
  • Provisionally an allele termedgr. Samelocus as Cornish, but proposed as a differentallele. However, most breeders consider the German Rex to haver/r genotype.
• Oregon Rex (extinct)
  • A hypothetical recessive allele termedro.
• Selkirk Rex
  • Adominant allele termedSe, although sometimes described as anincomplete dominant because the three possible allele pairings relate to three different phenotypes: heterozygous cats (Se/se) may have a fuller coat that is preferred in the show ring, while homozygous cats (Se/Se) may have a tighter curl and less coat volume. (se/se type cats have a normal coat.) This phenomenon may also colloquially be referred to as additive dominance.
• LaPerm
  • Provisional completely dominantLp allele.

There are also genes for hairlessness:

• h=French hairless cat,recessive.
• hd=British hairless cat,recessive.
• Hp=Russian Donskoy andPeterbald,dominant.
• hr=Sphynx cat,recessive. Identified onKRT71.^[48]

Some rex cats are prone to temporary hairlessness, known as baldness, during moulting.

Here are a few other genes resulting in unusual fur:

• The Wh gene (dominant, possibly incomplete) results inWirehair cats. They have bent or crooked hair producing springy, crinkled fur.
• A hypothetical Yuc gene, orYork Chocolate undercoat gene, results in cats with no undercoat. However, the proportional relationship betweenguard,awn, anddown hair production varies greatly between all breeds.
• A recessive autosomal gene forOnion hair which causes roughness and swelling on the hairs. The swelling is due to enlargement of the inner core of medulla cells.
• A recessive autosomal gene spf forsparse fur. As well as sparse coat, the hairs are thin, straggly and contorted and there is brown exudate around the eyes and nose and on the chest and stomach. A similar condition is linked toOrnithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency in mice.

• Cat Genetics articles in plain English
• Cat Gene Symbols
• The Pigment Parade: White and White Spotting in the Cat

• Cats
• Cat genetics
• Mutation
• Cat coat types
• Animal hair

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