Red cats. Genetics of red color in cats

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 12:45

The red color of cats and cats has a truly unique charm. And many pet lovers would like to have a red pet. The market demand for red thoroughbred cats is very high. And therefore, many breeders, for sure, would like to know how to choose the right producers in order to get more red kittens. What is the genetic makeup of red cats?

How coat color is formed

No matter how surprising it may sound, but the color of the fur of domestic cats is formed from only two primary colors: red and black. All other colors, except white, are only their combination. At the same time, the same gene, which exists in two alleles (forms), is responsible for both black and red color in cats:

• "O" - red (dominant allele);
• "o" - black (or rather - not red, recessive).

The color gene is located only on the X chromosome. In cats, there are, as you know, two of them in ordinary cells. In cats, the set of chromosomes is as follows - XY. That is, in one of them (Y), the gene "O" (or "o") is missing.

Accordingly, the genetic code of a female may look like this:

• "OO" - red coat color;
• "Oo" - tortoiseshell;
• "oo" - black (not red).

At the same time, cat hair can only be:

• "OY" - red;
• "oy" - black.

Possible failures

Thus, tortoiseshell cats should not exist in nature. However, such animals are still found, although extremely rare. A cat can get a tortoiseshell color only in case of a genetic failure. Sometimes it happens that a male kitten receives not two, but three chromosomes. The code for such an animal is as follows - XXY. If one of these X chromosomes is red and the other is black, a real miracle of nature will appear - a tortoiseshell cat.

How to select manufacturers

Combinations of colors for getting red kittens from parents can be, therefore, four:

• both parents are red;
• red cat - tortoiseshell cat;
• black cat - red cat;
• black cat - tortoiseshell cat.

By crossing a red cat with a black cat, you can only get black and tortoiseshell kittens. Genes in this case can only be added as follows: Oh, oh.

In red cats and cats, all kittens will therefore be red (OO + OU). There is simply nowhere for black to come from. In this case, onlyshades of red - red (red) or cream (dilute red).

A black cat and a red cat will have red boys and tortoiseshell girls. This is explained by the fact that combinations of genes in this case can only turn out like this: OU and Oo.

A black cat and a tortoiseshell cat can have both black and red boys. Girls will be black or tortoiseshell. Combinations of genes in this case are possible as follows: OU, Oo, oU, oo.

A red cat and a tortoiseshell cat will also have both red and black boys. In this case, the girls will be colorful or red. Colors in this case are determined by combinations of genes: Oo, OU, oU, OO.

As you can see, red boys can be born in any of the four possible combinations of parental colors. That is why red cats are much more common than pure red cats.

Shades

The coat of cats and cats can be either rich red, almost red (red Cat), or cream. For the brightness of the color of the fur of such domestic animals, a completely independent gene D is responsible - the “lightening” gene. In the dominant version D, it gives a bright red color, in the recessive d - "diluted" cream. In the first case, the code for cats will look like D-OO, for cats - D-OY, in the second, respectively - dd-OO and dd-OY. Both cream and red pets, of course, look very beautiful. Kittens of both these colors are very popular among animal lovers.

How to get bright red

Black wool colorin cats, like red, it can have different intensity. The D gene can, of course, also lighten such coats. If it is recessive, the black color will turn into gray, or, as the breeders call it, blue.

This color, along with red, can, of course, be present in the color of tortoiseshell cats. From blue-cream girls, as well as from black-and-red ones, red kittens can certainly be born. Moreover, many breeders when breeding give preference to just such producers. The fact is that from such cats, as has been observed, offspring are obtained with a brighter red color than from pure red or cream.

White

Of course, pure red cats and cats look great. However, red animals with white spots also look very good. This coloration is accepted by the standards of many breeds. Where does the white color appear on the fur of animals? After all, only one red/black gene is responsible for color in cats.

The color of animal hair is due to the pigment contained in the hairs. Faumelanin gives the red color to the fur of cats, eumelanin gives the black color. The white color of the coat of such pets is formed due to the presence of hairs that are completely devoid of pigment.

Responsible for the presence of such spots in the color of cats and cats, including redheads, a special gene S. In animals, it can be present in the chromosomes as SS, Ss or ss. Depending on this, the pet will be almost completely white, with white spots or completely red (black, tortoiseshell).

Spot location

White areas on the fur of red cats can be in different places. At the same time, such spots can have a very different shape. Different modifier genes are responsible for the location and appearance of white areas on the fur of cats. Unfortunately, there is currently no unequivocal information about which of them and how they affect spots. That is why it is usually very difficult for breeders to work with colors such as bicolor, harlequin, van.

In red cats and cats, due to the fact that the genetics of these animals in terms of white spots is not well studied, it is not easy, for example, to get perfectly even “socks” or a “mask”. Even two superbly colored parents in this regard can give birth to kittens with tight "stockings" or, for example, with a completely white head.

Tiger stripes

Single red cats and cats are quite rare. Almost always on the fur of such animals, among other things, there are so-called tiger stripes. The T gene is responsible for their formation. Also, the appearance of red cats can be influenced by:

• Tb gene - marbled;
• Ta gene - iridescent agouti with no visible stripes.

Abyssinian color is considered dominant in relation to Tb, and Tb itself - to Ta.

Shaded colors

Red Cat or Dilute red - the main red colors of cats. But “shaded” red wool can also be attributed to this group of colors. In such cats, the upper part of each hair is colored, and the lower part iswhite. Animals with such fur also look very beautiful, because they look "golden" or pale cream. These cats usually look a little lighter than pure red.

In kittens with this color, pure red hairs grow first. But at a certain age, the “retarder” gene, inhibitor I, is switched on in the work of the animal. As a result, the production of the pigment responsible for the color of the coat either stops completely or slows down greatly.

Are there red cat breeds

Red color in furry pets is indeed very common. Of course, it cannot be considered decisive for any of the known breeds. The largest percentage of red cats is found just among the “mongrels”. But the standards of many, including rare and expensive breeds, allow the presence of such a color. For example, Maine Coons, Scots, Persians, Siberians, British, etc. can be red.