British white: description and characteristics of the breed. Colors of British Shorthair cats - description, codes Coloring of British cats

Cats white color Ah, this is a separate touching story every time, about the majesty of snow-white fluffies. And if it is white, then not a single person is able to pass by these angelic creatures. It turns out that British white kittens come with... with different eyes, as you can see by looking at the photo, but often British cats have a white color, copper or light yellow eyes.

IN modern dream books there is a very ambiguous interpretation if a person suddenly dreams of white kittens. The authors of dream books advise people who saw white kittens in a dream to be careful when communicating with others. There is a high probability that ill-wishers want to interfere with your plans.

I am sure that the happy owners of a white cat, be it British white cats or ordinary white kittens, will never believe in such predictions, because if such a snow-white fluffy miracle lives in the house, all thoughts by default are bright and positive. Let's look and enjoy the white cats.

British plush cats - the pride of Great Britain - have been winning the hearts of cat lovers for many years. Their popularity is growing day by day. truly English: they are characterized by aristocracy, intelligence and self-sufficiency.

Many people imagine the British to be of only one color - blue. However, like Scottish, British cats can have a wide variety of colors (see photo below). Today, more than 250 varieties of colors are known, and this is not the limit. Rare combinations of shades are highly valued both among professional felinologists and among ordinary breed lovers. Even a cat couple with a classic monochromatic color may have a kitten of a rare color. To organize the variety of colors of British cats, they are divided into types and groups according to the main color, pattern and type of pigmentation.

Cat breeding has been going on since the late 19th century. From this time on, serious work of breeders began to breed animals of both different colors and breed varieties. So, initially these cats had short, thick hair with the same thick undercoat, but crossing with Persians made it possible to breed semi-long-haired pets. The colors of British cats with long hair correspond to the colors of short-haired cats. Despite this, the British are a natural breed that has not undergone too many changes in type.

If you want to know in more detail what the color of British cats can be, a photo and description will help with this.

Colors of British cats: table with photos

#	Color code (BRI)	Color code (BRI)
					W - numbers from 61 to 64
	Plain (flat, solid)
	Tortoiseshell (tortie)
	Smoky (smoky)	NS/AS/BS/CS/DS/ES - numbers 22,23,24; FS/GS/HS/JS - numbers 11, 12
	Shaded silver color	NS/AS/BS/CS/DS/ES - numbers 11,12; FS/GS/HS/JS - number 11 and 12
	Golden shaded	NY - 11.12
	Patterned (tabby)	N/A/B/C/D/E - numbers 22,23,24; F/G/H/J - numbers 22,23,24
	Silver patterned	NS/AS/BS/CS/DS/ES - numbers 22,23,24; FS/GS/HS/JS - numbers 22,23,24
	Golden patterned color	NY - numbers 22,23,24
	Bicolor, van and harlequin	N/A/B/C/D/E - numbers 01,02,03; F/G/H/J - numbers 01,02,03
	Colorpoint	N/A/B/C/D/E - number 33; F/G/H/J - number 33
	Colorpoint with a pattern	N/A/B/C/D/E - number 21 and 33; F/G/H/J - also number 21 and 33

Solid colors

The solid color of British cats is uniform, without spots, patterns or any white hairs. The coat looks and feels plush, thick and soft.

The following solid colors are available:

Blue or gray color

Classic and most common. It is this color that comes to mind when it comes to British cats. The coat of this color should be uniform, while the undercoat may be slightly lighter than the main color, but whitish hairs are unacceptable. The lighter blue color is especially valuable. Kittens are allowed to have stripes that disappear over time. The color of the iris in British babies is gray or blue, but with age it becomes a rich amber color.

Black color

This is a rare color, it is difficult to obtain and is considered “capricious”. It often happens that a kitten born black changes its coat color to chocolate as it ages. The pigmentation of the coat, undercoat and skin is rich. In this case, the color of the undercoat and coat should not differ. It is believed that the more unbleached colors the ancestors have in their pedigree, the richer the black color will be. The rule of mating like with like, without experiments, so as not to harm the breed, applies here.

White color

The white color of a British cat's coat should be pure, without yellowness or spots. Kittens may have blue or black stripes on their foreheads, but they disappear with age. Eye color coding is indicated by a number, so 61 is blue (or) blue eyes, 62 – orange, 63 – odd-eyed, 64 ? green. I wonder what the name itself is “white”? It’s not a color, but its absence, which is why in the group of solid shades, white stands alone. It is quite difficult to breed animals with perfectly white fur, and obtaining such a color is associated with a high risk of producing unhealthy offspring. Thus, white parents have a high probability of giving birth to offspring with deafness. Since 1997, breeding work with white color has been stopped.

Cream color of British cats

This is a bleached red that is produced by the presence of a bleach gene. This shade of coat is one of the oldest types of solid colors, but recently it has become rare in breeding. The cream-colored British must have a clear (pastel) shade, intense color, and color i.e. "hot" cream is considered a disadvantage. Kittens have a tabby pattern, while residual tabby markings are acceptable for adult animals. The nose and paw pads are pink. In terms of wool quality, cream British are not inferior to blue and lilac.

Chocolate color

Should it be rich and deep? the darker the shade, the better. This color is called differently Havana, or chestnut.

Recently, breeders, as a result of careful selection of offspring, i.e. future producers have achieved high quality wool, in no way inferior to classic blue. The fur of such cats looks like a mouton. For the British, the standard recognizes all shades of chocolate: from light milky to dark “bitter”. The eye color of the chocolate-colored Briton is dark orange or copper, with rich colors being a priority. The nose should be the same color as the coat: chocolate or light chocolate.

Lilac color

Lilac color British cat hair? this is a combination of gray, pink and blue flowers and it looks like clarified chocolate. The animal's nose, as well as its paw pads, match the tone of its coat. Eyes orange-copper shades. The lilac color is presented in various variations: from cold lavender to warm pink-gray. The undercoat of cats of this color may be slightly lighter in tone than the outer hair, but a pronounced contrast is not acceptable. Kittens often have a residual pattern (moire) that disappears with age. The quality of the wool of lilac British cats is similar to blue mink coat, to the color of which a little pink paint is mixed. The nose, paw pads and lining of the mucous membranes are pink-purple in color, which darkens slightly with age.

Red (red, gold)

The red color of the Briton was introduced from Persians and other exotic cat breeds that have a red tint to their coat. These cats often have tabby markings on their foreheads. The eyes of British cats with red fur have a rich orange color. The shade of the nose and paw pads is red, brick. A significant drawback of the red coat of the British is the uneven color distribution; for example, a cat's tail often has a lightened tip, so it is quite difficult to meet a Brit with a uniform red color. In view of this, the standards allow for a small, weakly defined tabby pattern.

Cinnamon

Quite a rare, highly desirable color, the name of which is translated from English as cinnamon. The shade is similar to a lightened chocolate color. Cinnamon-colored kittens are born quite rarely, because... The gene for this coat color is recessive. Cinnamon Britons always have pink paw pads and noses, but brown or milky ones? no longer cinnamon.

Faun

No less rare and desirable color for breeders. Looks like bleached, faded cinnamon.

It was recognized as an independent color in 2006.

The color is very interesting for breeders because of the possibility of breeding even lighter colors. The cat's belonging to a faun is confirmed by a DNA test. Individuals with a similar, but not confirmed color are classified as blue, cream, or discarded.

Tortoiseshell colors

Tortoiseshell variety of color? These are combinations of spots of solid color that leave a mosaic pattern on the cat’s fur in various combinations. Intense solid colors? black, chocolate and cinnamon? goes with red, in turn, diluted options: lilac, fawn and blue? with cream. This type of coat color is characteristic only of cats.

The tortoiseshell coat color appears gradually. A newborn kitten may have a few spots, but as they grow, the number will increase. Young British cats may have a gray undercoat or a somewhat muted red tint, but the final color develops by the age of one year.

Tortoiseshell cats are rightfully considered the queens of any cattery, because... they can produce offspring that are diverse in color scheme.

Variants of tortoiseshell colors of British cats:

Black turtle

This is a harmonious combination of proportional red and black spots of different shades. The hairs are dyed evenly. Black color should be saturated, and red, accordingly, bright and intense. Both shades should be present on the paws and head of British tortoiseshells. According to the standard, mixed spots are acceptable. A red “tongue of flame” (scorch mark) on the muzzle would be desirable. It is not desirable to have patterns on red spots.

Chocolate turtle

It is a combination of chocolate and red shades in identical mosaic proportions. General requirements, as in the previous case: intense, saturated color, harmony in arrangement, evenly colored hairs, tan on the face and lack of a pattern.

Cinnamon turtle

This is a combination of cinnamon and red spots on the coat. The color requirements are the same as for black and chocolate turtles.

Blue or bluish-cream turtle

Combines blue and cream spotted pattern, the spots should also be proportional. The tone of this color can be either light cream or medium blue. Creamy tan markings on the face of this type of color are welcome.

Lilac (option: lilac-cream) turtle

This is a uniform combination of lilac and cream shades, respectively. Colors must be clear. A cream-colored tan leading to the nose is desirable.

Faun turtle

Combination of fawn coat color and cream spots. The basic requirements are the same as for other British tortoiseshell colors.

Tabby colors

Tabby colors include brindle, merle, and spotted patterns on the agouti-type coat. Tabby color also implies the presence of the following important elements:

• Ticking? the presence of zonally colored hairs that make up the background, and the hairs of the pattern are painted in the same color almost to the very base.
• The so-called “sign of the scarab”? pattern on the forehead in the form of the letter "M".
• The presence of a light spot, similar to a fingerprint, on the auricle.
• The outlines of the mucous membrane of the eyes and nasal planum are in the main color.
• A necklace on the chest (at least 3 stripes), curls on the cheeks and rings on the tail and paws.
• There are 2 rows of double spots on the belly.
• The pattern is clear, saturated, not blurry, painted in any primary color or mosaic (for tortoiseshell Britons), contrasting with the main background, which is several shades lighter.

Types of tabby colors

The tabby pattern does not depend on the main coat color; it is a dark color pattern on a light background. There can be as many color variations as there are colors in general.

Without subdividing into types of patterns, we can distinguish colors:

• brown tabby? The main part of the coat is copper-brown in color, and the pattern is rich black.
• blue tabby distinguished by a background light blue tint and deep blue markings
• For chocolate tabby The coat is characterized by a bronze shade and a deep chocolate color pattern.
• lilac tabby It is distinguished by a lilac pattern and a beige background shade.
• red tabby: dark red color pattern and intense red coat tone.
• cream tabby? pattern in rich cream shades, coat color is warm pale cream.
• silver tabby colors, or silver tabby: silver black, blue, chocolate, red, lilac-silver, creamy silver. The pattern is a deep, rich shade of the main tone, and the area outside the pattern has a silver or pale silver tint to the main color (for example, silver cream or silver blue. The letter “s” is added to the pattern code).

Tabby colors, depending on the pattern, are divided into:

Tiger (mackerel) tabby

This color is considered an ancient natural pattern, and is quite widespread among cats. Along the spine, from head to tail, a narrow solid stripe of the main color is visible. And along the entire surface of the body there are vertical parallel stripes. The more there are, and the narrower they are, the better. They must be clearly distinguishable from the main background. A Briton must have the letter “M” on his forehead. A continuous line leads to the back of the head from the outer edge of the eye. There is a “necklace” on the neck, narrow stripes on the cheeks, double button-like spots on the cat’s belly, and even narrow rings on the tail and limbs. Despite the fact that this color is one of the dominant colors in the group of tabby colors, it is quite rare in the British breed, and real British “tiger cubs” are highly valued among professional breeders.

Spotted Tabby

The basis of the spotted pattern is a tiger pattern. In spotted Britons, under the influence of polygenes, the stripes are interrupted, forming small round spots on the coat along the entire body, which can be different sizes, but always of the same shape and evenly spaced. The scarab sign, as in the previous version, is required. There are intermittent stripes down to the neck and along the back. In kittens, a continuous stripe on the back is allowed, but with a tendency to form spots. There are open and closed rings on the chest, neck and tail of the cat, and a colored tip of the tail. There may be rings and spots on the paws. On the cheeks? stripes.

Marble tabby color

It belongs to the classic, popular designs. Essentially, this is a mutation of the striped variant. The pattern resembles a cut on marble. All its elements should be contrasting, symmetrical, and have a rich color. There must be an “M” mark on the forehead. From outer corners Narrow stripes run from the eyes to the back of the head, and from the back of the head a “butterfly” pattern begins, spreading to the neck and shoulders. On the cat’s cheeks there are narrow rings twisted into a spiral. Three parallel lines run along the back from the shoulders to the tail. There are pronounced stains on the sides, and a “necklace” on the neck and chest. Are there “buttons” located in the area from the chest to the stomach? two parallel rows of spots. The paws and tail have clear, evenly spaced rings, and the tip of the tail is dark.

Thorby color (short for tabby and torty)

This is when a tortoiseshell-colored animal combines, in addition to a spotted mosaic, tabby patterns that cover the entire body of the cat and have all features. If the color is uniform, there are no stripes or characteristic signs of a tabby, then the cat has a normal tortoiseshell color. The color of the torby is distinguished by the expressiveness and clarity of the tabby pattern, which goes evenly and appears above the tortoiseshell (both red and black) color.

Abyssinian or ticked tabby

The color is named after Abyssinian breed where it is most pronounced. With this color, the hair should be evenly colored with stripes of dark main and, accordingly, light background shades. This is called tikkig. Each hair has double or triple ticking. Moreover, there should be no patterns, stains or designs on the wool. Markings are only allowed on a lightened belly. The presence of a “necklace” on the chest should be minimal.

Smoky colors

The smoky coat colors of the British are quite common and numerous. The peculiarity of this color is that, under the influence of an inhibitor gene, the guard hairs are colored only on top, and the hair from the roots and undercoat is devoid of pigment. This zonal staining is called tipping. There are 2 subgroups in this group: smoky type and chinchillas.

The smoky should not be confused with the agouti color. Smoke type cats have a completely colored nasal surface and should be free of body patterns. The tipping of the hair is quite deep: it should be painted over 4/5 of the total length. The main characteristics of the Smoky British are: pronounced contrast, the undercoat is as close to white as possible, and the tips of the coat are rich in color. The photo does not fully convey this color of British cats: at first it seems that the cat has a solid color, but only in person can you appreciate all its beauty, since when it moves, “silver” appears, which is hidden under the plush fur.

Varieties of smoky color

Black smoky

Coat of contrasting shades: from smoky black to silver on the sides. The undercoat is whitish, with black specks visible on the back and sides. The muzzle and legs are black, without patterns or marks.

Blue smoky

Wool of contrasting colors: from smoky blue to silver. The muzzle and paws are blue, without any markings. The undercoat is closer to a white shade, and the fur on the belly, chin, and bottom of the tail is silvery-white. The Chocolate Smoky has a smoky chocolate-colored coat that fades to silver on the sides. The fur on the chin and underbelly is silvery-whitish. The undercoat is close to white, the muzzle and paws are the color of chocolate, without markings.

Lilac smoky

The shade is distinguished by its lilac color in contrast with the white undercoat. The sides fade to silver. The chin, belly and underside of the tail are silvery white. The muzzle and legs are lilac without markings.

Red smoky

implies a red tint to the coat with a white undercoat, the chin and belly are silvery-white. The muzzle and legs have a uniform red hue. Tabby fur is not allowed.

Creamy smoky

With a creamy-smoky color, the predominant white contrast in the area of ​​the sides with transition to the stomach and bottom of the tail. The undercoat is white. Paws are cream colored and tabby patterns are not allowed.

Tortoiseshell smoky colors

Do they look like mixed shades with a combination of derivatives of the main ones? black and red? colors. Tipping can be of any intensity. The predominant color of the undercoat is white. The collar, ears and sides are silvery.

Silver colors: typed and shaded

These types of colors develop on a genetic background agouti.

Silver shaded (shading color)

This color is characterized by 1/3 coloring of the hair. It is characterized by a white undercoat and black tipping. Tipping in the head and tail area is mandatory. The areas of the chin, chest, bottom of the tail and belly should have a predominant white tint. The coloring is uniform, which gives the impression of a dark cape. The cat's eyes, nose and lips must be edged with black. Let's allow a light pattern (open rings) on the tail and legs. Eye color can be green or green-blue.

The following colors are available in the silver-shaded version:

• shaded silver-blue;
• silver-lilac;
• silver-red;
• silver cream;
• silver chocolate;
• tortoiseshell shaded.

Silver Chinchilla (Silver Veil)

A color in which the pigment is distributed over only 1/8 of the hair's entire length. It is characterized by a predominance of white undercoat. There is black tipping on the back, tail, head area, sides and ears. The main requirement for silver chinchillas is an even distribution of tipping. The areas of the chin, chest, belly and underside, tail, and mustache are white. There is a dark rim on the lips, nose and eyes. Eyes in this color are green or bluish-green.

For black color, the name chinchilla is used, and for the remaining colors of the silver line, the main color is indicated: blue chinchilla, red chinchilla, etc. For the silver colors of British red line cats, the name “cameo” is added: smoky cameo, veil cameo, shaded cameo.

Deep, pronounced tipping in silver types color allows the pattern to appear, which causes the appearance of silver tabbies with different drawings(spots, stripes or marbling). So, for example, silver marble (blue, black, etc.) are the well-known so-called “whisky” types.

Golden colors

The golden series of colors of British cats is divided in the same way as the silver. This type was developed relatively recently, which explains many controversial issues in the classification. In the golden variation there cannot be red and cream shades of wool.

The undercoat of golden cats is not white, like silver cats, but a rich, warm cream or apricot color. The hair has black (optionally: brown) tipping on the head, back, tail and sides. The cat's chin, ears, chest and belly are soft apricot, nose? brick, paw pads dark (brown to black). The tipping on the tail is deeper than on the rest of the body. The eyes must be green. The mirror of the nose is reddish in color. Tabby markings are acceptable on kittens. In adults? the letter "M" on the forehead, as well as closed rings on the legs and tail and an open necklace.

Color point

The color of British color point cats is distinguished by special colored markings.

The British inherited this unusually attractive type of color from the Siamese. The coloring is most intense in remote areas of the cat's fur, but in other parts it is lighter, but not pure white.

Accumulations of pigment (markings) are called “points”, and the overall color in relation to the main body is called color point. The Siamese color gene is recessive and in order for it to appear in the future, both parents must have it. The gene is also linked to blue eye color. Breeding British color point dogs is difficult. Kittens are born pure white or close to white, so it is unlikely that you will be able to find a color point in a photo of British kittens of all colors. The marks begin to fade over time.

The Siamese color gene matches all colors British breed. If it “works” with solid colors, then it is called color point, if in combination with tabby colors it is links point, and the combination of the pattern on the points with silver? has the name silver lynx point, respectively shaded colors? This is a shaded point.

Solid color points are characterized by a diamond-shaped face color, and the color of the markings should be identical in color with pronounced borders at the transitions. The rest of the body is painted in light colors, and the lighter the better. The muzzle mask should not extend to the back of the head in any way. The paw pads and nose are completely consistent in color with the main color of the markings.

The number of colors of color points is the same as for solid ones:

• seal point (markings are dark brown);
• Choklit (all chocolate shades);
• blue point (bluish markings);
• lilac point (warm lilac shade);
• red point (warm red markings);
• cream point (cream markings);
• cinnamon point (golden cinnamon markings);
• fawn point (beige-sand markings).

Tortoiseshell color-points

In these colors, in most variants, the color of the markings repeats any of the main shades, and the spots on it are red or cream shades. The coat color is light cream or beige. The pads and the nose are in the main tone of the points.

The following colors of tortoiseshell colorpoints exist:

• seal-torty-point;
• blue cream;
• Chokli-torti;
• Lilac cake;
• cinnamon cake;
• faun-tortoise.

Tabby point (links) colors

They are distinguished by the presence of a tabby pattern on the points: the letters “M”, a pattern around the eyes, pronounced spotting in the whisker area, spots on the ears. The body of the links is heavily lightened, without drawings. On the cat's front paws there is a pattern in the form of open rings running from the toes upward. Are there stripes on the thighs and on the hind legs down to the hocks? solid shade. Paw pads and area around nose to match markings. Lynx-point colors are presented in all the variety that only tortoiseshell and point colors can have.

Silver color points

This group of color point colors includes smoke point and silver tabby point. The colors differ from other variations in the lighter shade of the body and markings, as well as the presence of a whitish undercoat. The requirements for this line are the same as for color points, but the contrast is not as pronounced and intense. Smoke points may have shadow stripes, which is not a fault.

Shaded point and chinchilla point color

It is quite difficult to distinguish a point chinchilla from a chinchilla color, but it is quite possible: a point chinchilla is characterized by blue or blue eyes. Also, the tipping tone is slightly lighter in relation to the points. The requirements for these types of colors are the same as for tipped ones. The contrast between the point markings and the rest of the body is not so important.

Interestingly, golden colorpoints are very rare, so their description is controversial.

Colors with white - particolors

Particolor colors in the British breed are distinguished by their originality and uniqueness.

The group of particolors includes all colors and their combinations with varying degrees of white. Particolors should be distinguished from bicolors: if the former have colored spots of a non-solid color and/or patterns, then the latter are distinguished by monochromatic colored spots. Following the standards, at least 1/3 and no more than 1/2 shades of white are bicolors (minimum 1/3 and maximum 1/2 white of the total body surface) and particolors; more than 90% white? Harlequin cats (about 5/6 white) and Vans (maximum amount of white).

For bicolors, it is ideal when the cat’s chin, chest, abdomen and inner surface paws are white. There should be a closed white “collar” on the neck, and the letter “L” on the muzzle. The top of the animal's head, shoulders, tail, etc. are painted. “cloak” on the back, which should not have whitish inclusions. Approximately this distribution in the standards is desirable and more preferable.

At the Harlequins on the white back, head and thighs there are clearly defined large or medium colored spots different shapes. Ideally, the neck, chest, belly, paws and chin areas should be white. The tail is completely painted.

British cat color van distinguished by a large amount of white. Two spots on the cat's head are required, separated by a whitish line. In this case, the ears should be white, the tail should be colored. In the color of the bathtubs, 1-2 small colored spots on the body are acceptable.

Tricolor turtle with white is gender-linked, so only cats can be tri-colored. This color has the following feature: the black and red spots are not mixed, as in the tortoiseshell color, but are isolated and outlined.

Mitted- This is a color not recognized in the British breed and is therefore considered a fault. In such animals, white spotting occupies no more than 1/4 of the total surface. Also characteristic is a white stripe down the chest from the chin, a white groin and belly, the so-called. "socks" on the paws.

Currently, the British have about 60 colors.

These are single-color, bicolor, tricolor options. Let's look at the more popular colors:

Blue color- classic for the British. The coat is even in color, from light blue to deep blue. The hairs are dyed from base to tip; specks, spots, and impurities in color are rejected. Eyes orange, amber, copper color.

Black color should be continuous, coat with a glossy sheen, hairs evenly colored, rich black, without the slightest glimmer of red or red. Copper colored eyes.

Chocolate color- new, still very rare, since it is available only in those animals that have color-point ancestors in their pedigrees. The coat must be an even, rich dark chocolate color; marks, speckles, and stripes are rejected.

Lilac color- The coat is an even lilac-gray color with a pinkish tint. Eyes amber, orange, copper color.

Cinnamon color. Lighter than chocolate and has a warmer tone. In this case, the nose is colored pinkish-brown (almost beige), as are the paw pads. As cinnamon-colored cats grow up, they acquire a warmer tone with a reddish-brown sheen, while the undercoat at the base is always slightly lighter than the main coat and this is not considered a disadvantage in cinnamon. With the cinnamon color: the coat color is red-brown (cinnamon color), the undercoat is yellow-brown, lighter than the main tone, and the red tone of the coat is light copper, sometimes bronze (in bicolors), and not orange like in reds and is never brick-gray . In kittens, the paw pads, nose mirror and rims of the lips and eyes are very light, almost white with a slightly pinkish tint, and in adult animals they are the color of cocoa with milk, darkening to the color of milk chocolate when stressed. It is quite difficult to obtain this color in breeding; knowledge of genetics is required.

Fawn color. The faun's light beige, sandy color is sometimes called Fawn. The nose, paw pads and rims of the fawn color are pink-beige, of a very delicate tone. Just like cinnamon, it is quite difficult to breed, so it is very popular and in demand.

Cream color. The coat should be a uniform light cream color, preferably without leopard markings. Such markings are often more noticeable during the hot season and during molting. Eyes amber, orange, copper color.

White color. British Shorthair cats are white and have three varieties: with orange and blue eyes, and odd-eyed. When buying a white kitten, you need to keep in mind that until 12-18 months the color is not yet fully formed. White kittens with blue ancestors in their pedigree will have pale blue markings on their heads, while those with black ancestors will have black markings. With age, the coat becomes pure white. The hair should be evenly dyed, pure, shiny white, without yellowness. The eyes are dark orange, copper, in those with odd eyes, one eye is orange, the other is blue. White cats with blue eyes may be deaf.

Blue-cream. The coat should have an even mix of blue and cream colors. A narrow stripe on the nose and cream markings on the paws are not defective. The eyes are dark orange and copper. According to US standards, bluish-cream cats must have a coat that is colored with spots of blue and cream.

Color point. An extremely rare color, obtained on the basis of the British, who have long-haired color-points in their pedigree. The coat is colored like Siamese cats: paws, tail, mask and ears of dark color, body of contrasting color light color. The eyes are bright blue.

Smoky color. A very beautiful color, in which the outer hair is a uniform bluish-gray color, and the roots of the hairs are silver. The coat of these cats is very thick and coarser than that of cats of other colors. The eyes are dark amber, copper.

Black smoke. The undercoat should be white, and the ends of the hairs should form strong black spots. When looking at the back and sides of a stationary cat, it seems that it is black; when moving, a white undercoat is visible. Down the sides the coat has a silvery undercoat. According to UK standards, the fur on the paws and face should be black along the entire length, and according to US standards, they should be white at the roots. The eyes are bright copper, orange.

Blue smoke. The coat is such that the hairs are painted white at the base and blue at the ends, which creates the impression of a uniform blue color on the back and sides of a motionless cat. On the paws and face, the hairs should be painted blue along the entire length according to UK standards; according to US standards, they should be white at the base. Eyes orange, copper. Now quite a rare color.

Tabby (lynx, merle, mackerel).

tiger (mackerel, mackerel)
spotted (spotted, spotted)
marbled (blotched, blotched)

There are three types of color: classic, spotted

and striped.

The classic pattern is a butterfly-shaped marking on the nape and shoulders, and rounded markings on the sides.

With a striped pattern, there are vertical stripes on the body; it is more popularly called brindle tabby.

All tabby colors should have an M-shaped mark on the animal's forehead.

The eyes are dark orange, copper, in silver tabbies they are green, yellow-green.

Spotted color in which there are scattered spots on a lighter background dark spots. There are dark rings on the tail against a light background, and a mark in the shape of the letter M on the forehead.

Typically, spotted cats have black, blue, brown, and red spots on a silver background. The eyes are dark orange and copper.

Tortoiseshell color. Occurs only in female cats. The coat is stained with spots different color with clearly defined boundaries. A narrow stripe on the nose and cream spots on the soles of the paws are not rejected. The eyes are dark orange and copper.

Red color. Obtained by introducing red Persian and exotic cats into the British genetic line. The coat is an even fiery orange color, usually called red, but due to genetics correct name- red. Tabby markings are more common, clear ones are less common. The weaker the stripes are, the better. The eyes are dark orange and copper.

Colors with white spotting (bicolor, harlequin, van, tricolor calico, mitted) The colors of cats with white spotting are very elegant and original. They represent various combinations of the main color with varying degrees of predominance of white and are combined into a general group of particolors. In this case, there is a division according to the nature of the color of the colored spots - they can be either monochromatic (for example, black, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon) - then they are bicolors, or carry some kind of pattern - then they are actually particolors.

Bicolor color. These cats have coats with clearly demarcated areas of white and any other color found in the Scots. White color should occupy from 1/3 to 1/2 of the total body surface. The eyes are dark amber, copper.

Color Van. This color is characterized maximum number white in color. Van cats should have two spots on their head, separated by a white line, and their ears should remain white. The tail must be completely colored, and one or two minor colored spots are allowed on the body of the animal. But their complete absence is desirable.

Harlequin color.This color is intermediate between bicolor and van color. Colored spots make up no more than 1/6 of the part and are placed in a certain way. On the head, on the back and front legs, colored hind legs and a colored tail. On the head, it is sufficient to have only one spot that covers the animal’s ear. The presence of several spots on the back is acceptable. The tail must be completely colored. It is not a defect to have small spots on the legs, but, ideally, the chest, neck and legs should be pure white, and the tail should be completely colored.

Calico color (tortoiseshell with white). This is a tortoiseshell and white color, which is found only in female cats. The coat is colored with spots of black, red and cream colors combined with white spots. British and European standards require that the colored areas are evenly interspersed with white, according to American standards there - white color is desirable on the lower parts of the body.

There is a bleached calico, in which the coat is characterized by a combination of blue, cream and white flowers. The eyes are dark orange and copper.

There is also a Mitted color, this is -white color covers no more than 1/4 of the body.

As a rule, this is a white stripe that stretches from the chin to the chest, groin, belly of the animal and “socks” on the paws. This color is not recognized by felinological organizations and is considered a fault.

Cameo with scorch marks. With this color, the undercoat should be pure white, and the markings should be a rich red color. The eyes are bright copper.

Silver with tan (ticked, chinchilla). Another name for this color is shaded. A relatively new color, recently bred. Relatively recently, a special standard was established for them in the USA. It exists in several varieties: silver, cameo and tortoiseshell (less common, because it is not so popular among breeders). The coat is colored the main color for 1/4 of the length of the guard hair, and white for 3/4. In silver and tan, the undercoat should be pure white and the markings should be black. The eyes are green, bluish-green.

Golden ticked, shaded.

There are seven acceptable shades for plain British ones:

Turtle Ladies

This type is typical only for British cats: tortoiseshell cats are very rare. Tortoiseshell males are born, but are extremely rare and are a genetic abnormality that are unable to reproduce. Turtle is a mixture of similar monochromatic shades, but no more than two: one is the base, the second is less intense. It is acceptable if the additional background has a different intensity - such a variation seems to be three-color, but in fact the cats are still two-color. Variations of the suit are named after the main shades in the mixture. The black tortoise is a mixture of black and red of varying intensities without a pronounced pattern on the red spots. Chocolate turtle is a mixture of chocolate and different shades of red. Cinnamon is a red-based mixture. The blue, fawn and lilac tortoises combine all the pastel colors of the British breed. Each variety of tortoiseshell color has its own characteristic standard features. So for lilac and blue turtles, a creamy tan pointing towards the nose is desirable.

Cinnamon

For chocolate and cinnamon turtles, the following are required: uniform coloring of the hairs, a harmonious color mosaic without a pronounced pattern and tan on the nose. For black turtles, a characteristic feature is a “tongue of flame” on the nose, and the color should be bright and rich.

Patterned tabbies

The tabby classification is quite extensive. First of all, the British tabby cat differs in the type of pattern: brindle, spotted, marbled (classic tabby) and torby. Color also plays an important role. Tabbies can be based on the main shade: brown (red and black), blue (different saturation and brightness), chocolate (difference in saturation and brightness), lilac (combination with beige), red (dark and bright of different saturation), cream (shades different saturation), silver (any color with a silver background). Tabby color standards are incredibly broad and difficult to judge. But there are several distinctive and mandatory features:

• Ticking is a rich coloring of the hairs of the pattern to the very base. Background hairs may not be colored evenly.
• “Scarab mark” - the letter M on the face. Sometimes such animals are called “Madonna’s cat.”
• Light spot on the ear.
• The rim of the iris and nose must fully correspond to the main suit.
• Stripes on the chest in the shape of a necklace (at least 3 stripes, maybe more).
• Ring stripes on the tail and paws.
• Two rows of spots on the belly.
• On the cheeks the hair is longer and curled.
• The tone of the stripes is always darker or more saturated than the background.

At one time the British Whiskey cat was very popular. In fact, this is not a separate species, but a silver brindle (classified as a markel). This type of British people began to be identified after the appearance of a well-known advertisement for cat food.

British smoke

The secret of this smoky type is the uneven coloring of the guard hairs.

British smoky

At the base of the hair the hair is bleached, at the end there is a dark base tone, the so-called tipping. For the British, tipping of at least 4/5 of the entire hair length is possible: this means that only a fifth of the entire length can be bleached. The undercoat of Smokey Britons matches the main tone, but the intensity is close to white. In photographs, smoky cats appear normal. The “silver haze” effect only appears in motion. Smoke color options are incredibly varied, with black lilac, red, cream and many tortoiseshell variations being the most popular.

Mysterious silver

Genetically determined color, the visual effect is associated with incomplete coloring of the hairs, black tipping and a necessarily white undercoat. The coat is darker on top (on the back and muzzle) and lighter below (belly, lower part of the tail, chin). There are only two recognized varieties of British silvers: shaded and chinchilla.

The shaded type of color is characterized by coloring of the hair only a third of the length, pronounced black tipping on the head (especially on the forehead) and tail, and a black edging of the iris. Pronounced tipping may exhibit a tabby pattern. The silver version allows any shades accepted by breed standards.

The chinchilla is distinguished by rich pigmentation of only an eighth of the hairs and pronounced black tipping, as well as a black rim of the iris and nose. Traditionally, only the black version is called chinchilla. In other cases, it is necessary to add the name of the main color (lilac chinchilla, blue chinchilla). The word “cameo” is used to name the red color options of the silver type: smoky cameo, shaded cameo.

British gold

This color type has recently been recognized; it differs from silver in the undercoat: not white, but cream. There are no red or cream variations in this color type. The tipping can be black or brown, the eyes are green of varying saturation.

Color point - games of color

This color type is obtained using the gene of Siamese cats - a rather complex type from the point of view of breeders. Firstly, the color gene is recessive and will only appear in the offspring if both parents have it.

Color point

Secondly, the typical arrangement of spots in kittens does not appear immediately, but with age, as in many Siamese.

Color point is a combination of the Siamese gene with solid colors, and with any color options. The color characteristics of the spots are assessed in accordance with the standards of single-color options.

• seal point - the spots are only dark brown, like the Siamese;
• choklit - any chocolate specks;
• blue point - any blue spots of varying intensity and brightness;
• lilac point - lilac spots closer to the warm spectrum predominate;
• red point - specks of any red saturated shades;
• cream point - spots of various cream variations;
• cinnamon point - golden-cinnamon cinnamon spots;
• fawn point - beige spots.

The Siamese color gene is also combined with other variations, but it will no longer be a color point. In combination with tabby patterns, the type of links point is highlighted, with shaded ones - shaded point, with silver ones - silver links point, smoky - smoke point. There are also variants of tortoiseshell point colors - the color of the markings follows the basic tone.

The most difficult thing to distinguish from the main type is the point chinchilla - the main difference is the rich blue or light blue iris.

Golden points also exist, but they have not yet been identified as a separate type, since the differences are controversial.

Particolor - cats of happiness

The most original color option is a combination of traditional color options with white. The famous tricolor cat that brings happiness is the tortoiseshell particolor.

particolor

“Lucky cats” can only be female, and the tortoiseshell spots have clear boundaries.

Particolor standards relate mainly to the size of the white spots. Particolors can be of three types:

bicolors - no more than half white, and no less than one third of another tone; the letter L on the muzzle, a closed white collar on the neck, a dark tone distributed over the body in the shape of a “cape” without white spots, the belly is white;

harlequins - about 90% white, the tail is always colored, the lower parts of the body are always white;

Vans - maximum white, ears must be white, tail of the main tone, a couple of spots on the face, ideally symmetrical, a small number of spots on the body is acceptable.

An officially unrecognized variety of particolors is the mitted - cats with white socks and a stripe from the chin to the tail.

Variety of colors

For an inexperienced cat owner, determining the colors of British cats is a rather difficult task; you cannot do without a table with photos. But that's not all the difficulties.

When choosing a kitten, you should remember that the exact and final color of the coat does not appear immediately. Therefore, attention should be paid to documents and pedigree. It is especially necessary to take into account the pedigree for those who intend to breed the breed in the future - many traits, including color, are transmitted by recessive genes and can only appear after several generations or only if both parents have a recessive trait. But in the litter there may be kittens with dominant colors that appear after a generation.

The British Shorthair cat can also have original colors that were recognized not so long ago.

Cinnamon is clarified chocolate, looks more like red. A distinctive feature of this suit is its pure pink skin.

Cinnamon cats are quite rare, as the gene is passed on through generations.

Fawn is a genetically determined shade similar to a very pale cinnamon, blue or cream. The type of fawn breed can only be confirmed through DNA analysis.

The white color of British cats is an elegant, even color, but, however, with some difficulties.

Photo of a white British man with different eyes (BRI w 63)

WHITE BRITISH: COLOR STANDARD

White color british cats should be smooth, clean, monochromatic, each hair should be equally colored from top to bottom.

A white British cat should not have spots, stripes, or “smoky” dark hairs. There should also be no yellowness; it is most often found near the eyes, at the base of the tail and on the head. The nose and paw pads of a white British breed should be Pink colour.

Important! IN childhood White kittens often have small spots (on the head), which indicates the absence of deafness. As the years progress, all these spots disappear.

The white British cat has interesting feature: the fact is that the hairs are not white, and the color of the coat is hidden by the W gene.

Eye color in white cats can be in three variations:

• orange (BRI w 64)
• blue (BRI w 61)
• odd-eyed (BRI w 63)

GENETICS OF WHITE COLOR

The genetics of this color are one of the most interesting. The “W” gene is responsible for the white color, which seems to “hide” any other color under the white. In other words, under the white color there can be any other color that is “covered” with white paint.

And it’s not even entirely correct to call animals of a given color colored at all. After all, there is no pigment in their fur at all; more precisely, they are not colored.

White cats have the “W” gene - dominant. Genotype "WW" or "Ww". Cats with the “WW” genotype will produce offspring of only white color (regardless of what color the second sire is), and cats with the “Ww” genotype can produce offspring of both white and other colors.

The first sign of a white color is a pink nose and no rim, which is extremely important because... many may confuse this color with the silver chinchilla.

Let's take a closer look.

W– white epistasis, covers all colors (dominant gene).

w– allows color to appear

The “W” gene also affects the hearing organs and eye color. Often white animals with blue eyes suffer from deafness.

Eye color in white cats depends on the “c” and “c a” genes.

“c” is a true albino, pink iris, “c a” is an albino with blue eyes.

• White cats with blue eyes will most often be deaf, since this color is linked to hearing genes.
• Cats with different eye colors (one eye is blue, the other is golden) can be deaf in one ear - exactly on the side where the eye color is blue.
• This color, unfortunately, carries many mutations and often cats of this elegant color cannot boast of such excellent health as their colored counterparts, and their immune system is also weaker.
• Two white cats can produce a kitten of a different color (if the genetic formula of the parents looks like Ww+Ww)
• can never be born from two non-white parents white kitten(since the gene for white color - W - is dominant)

BRITISH WHITE KITTENS

Some white British kittens sometimes have dark markings on their heads, which go away with age (up to about 1 year).

You should also know that mating white cats with each other is prohibited, because... white British kittens develop congenital deafness.

White Britons are a fairly rare color for this breed.

WHITE BRITISH CATS: PHOTOS OF ADULTS

Below is a gallery of photos of British cats and cats.

WHITE BRITISH KITTENS: PHOTOS OF SMALL KITTENS

We are pleased to present photos of white British kittens.