Lilac color of the cat. Lilac British cat. Description of the purple British

Lovers british cats know that this breed has a wide variety of colors. Today we will talk about lilac cats. Kittens of this breed are in demand among buyers, because a kitten with spectacular pinkish-smoky fur cannot leave anyone indifferent. What are the features of purple pets - find out from our article, and also enjoy photographs of these cute animals.

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Features of the color of the breed

British Shorthair cats have an ancient pedigree descending from English cats. Animal lovers often associate them with English aristocracy and severity. Therefore, lilac and pinkish colors for this breed look very exotic. This feature of the coat, like the chocolate color, is usually attributed to oriental breeds: Siamese and oriental cats. So where did the purple brothers come from among the British?

These amazing Britons appeared thanks to the efforts of breeders. Contrary to popular belief, there is no separate gene responsible for purple coloration. This feature is the result of bleaching chocolate-colored cats and cats, just as blue is obtained by bleaching black, and cream is obtained by bleaching red. The history of the origin of lilac color in British cats is very short and is associated with the development of the color point breed. What's interesting is new breed has become even more popular than color point.

It is worth noting that breeders have made a lot of effort to ensure that British parents have a lilac-colored kitten. By the way, another name for this color is lilac. In person, it resembles blooming lavender, but even in photos, kittens and cats in the Lilac shade look mesmerizing.

How do you get such beauties?

Breeders of mustachioed beauties have been working on obtaining the “lilac” shade for a long time. To get a baby with the desired shade of fur, genes of a certain type must be present in the genotype of the parents. In our case, these are the chocolate shade gene and the lightening gene. Initially, purple babies were obtained by crossing two individuals with such genes, that is, the parents were of different colors. Now that the work of breeders has been crowned with success, breeding Lilac pets has become much easier.

The shade of the coat depends on what type of coloring substance - melanin - is present in a particular individual. There are two types of melanin: one is called eumelanin and is responsible for the black pigment, pheomelanin is aimed at the formation of red-yellow pigments. Eumelanin is involved in producing purple shades. With a certain synthesis of melanin, an oxidized form of black is formed - brown. If a diluting genome is present in the animal’s body, then the color becomes less saturated.

According to the standard, a lavender cat can have three shades: light, medium and dark lilac. In the first case, cats have light purple fur with a pink pigment. Medium purple animals are distinguished by a subtle purple tint. Cats have an intense dark lavender coat color that resembles the color of coffee with milk. In photographs, these subtleties are almost invisible, so experts should evaluate pets directly in person, and not in photos.

Even the pads on the paws of such cats have a slight pinkish or lilac tint. Breed standards also take into account eye color. Lavender-colored animals should have copper or bright amber eyes.

Lilac Britons have a friendly and gentle character. They are as playful as kittens, even as adults. This cat is very attached to its owners. Therefore, those who have small children at home can safely get such pets: the British cat will become an affectionate friend for them.

Cats have lilac color a good appetite, sometimes they are very picky about food. But in general, there are no special nuances in care. Of course, if you are going to participate in cat shows, you will need to pay a lot of attention to the condition of the coat, since this criterion is very important when assessing the breed.

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Color of kittens

Lilac colored kittens are born with a pigment characteristic of this species. However, the uniformity of color inherent in adult cats is not characteristic of small kittens. So if you come across a kitten with a purple or pink tint, but with spots on its body, do not rush to be annoyed by the deception on the part of the seller. The photo shows a small, barely born kitten.

White or darker spots that are noticeable on kittens are called residual patterns. While the kitten is small, these inclusions are more noticeable, but over time they disappear. In six months, a British Lilac kitten will look the same as an adult cat.

Photo gallery

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Video “Funny British cat babies”

The video shows newborn kittens of lilac and chocolate color.

The British are real beauties. They are strong and resilient, moderately proud and soft. Today there are a huge number of colors of these fluffies. Breeders note that some are easier to obtain, while others are much more difficult. This includes the British lilac cat. One can only envy her appearance.

Breed characteristics

Attachment to family

Game activity

Intelligence

General health

Hair loss

Love for meowing

History of appearance

Few people know, but the lilac color of British cats is also called the Isabella shade. This is not easy. The cats got their name in honor of Isabella of Bovard, the French queen. If you believe the story, then a woman, sending her husband on a long hike, promised him that she would not take off his shirt until she saw him again in front of her. During the separation, the linen acquired a light gray color, with a hint of pink.

As for when the purple British appeared, it is impossible to say for certain. Some note that this color has always existed, but there are so many shades that you won’t even understand that we are talking about a specific color.

Features and types of lilac color of British cats

The lilac Briton is one of the most unusual, but at the same time original and striking representatives of this breed. Breeders say that they began breeding animals of this color quite recently, although cats of this color could have been encountered earlier due to accidental mating. Lilac is a difficult color to obtain, which is a great success.

The lilac color is available in several shades.

This is about:

• dark purple;
• lilac, having medium saturation;
• light purple, it is very similar to gray-pink.

Today, you can most often find shorthaired lilac British cats, whose fur has a pinkish tint.

Important! It is just as difficult to bring out a shade of pink wool as another from the lilac series. Usually this happens completely by accident.

To develop the desired color, breeders have to work for quite a long time. At the same time, no one can guarantee 100% results. This is luck that cannot be avoided.

Lilac color is a cool color, but that’s where the beauty lies. Pink color must be present somewhere in the distance. In addition, based on standards, hairs must have the same tone along their entire length. Otherwise, we are already talking about a crossbreed, which cannot be classified as a purebred cat breed.

However, many people who have such a pet note its beauty and inimitability. And indeed, despite the fact that it will not be possible to obtain a passport due to some discrepancy, this will not in any way affect the originality and cuteness of the pet.

Lilac British kittens

Lilac British kittens have a slightly different appearance than adult animals. There is nothing surprising in this, because young pets still have “baby fur” for six months to a year, and only then it begins to change. Despite this, in young people the pads of the paws, the edging of the mucous membranes, and also the nose must necessarily match the color of the main coat, which initially has a gray-blue tint. After birth, the lilac kitten has blue-gray eyes. True, after time they change and become yellowish. In some animals you can even notice golden and copper ones.

Important! Sometimes newborn babies have light purple fur with scattered spots or stripes of a different color. This normal phenomenon, such deviations are allowed. By the year they pass.

At the same time, if there is a contrasting undercoat, which does not change after reaching a certain age, it means that an error occurred during crossing and the lop-eared baby, although very beautiful, will not be classified as a member of the lilac family.

Inexperienced people believe that if you cross two british cats purple color, you will get babies of the same shade or a slightly different one. In fact, this is a blunder. Breeders note that such mating will lead to dulling of the fur of the cat babies. Instead of being colorful and bright, it will be as close to a gray shade as possible. In addition, in some “children,” the inclusions that appear do not go away with age. Therefore, it is better to refuse such experiments.

In addition to classic lilac cats, marble fluffies look amazing. However, they are so rare that it is impossible to admire them.
The international names for lilac cats are Lavender and Lilac, although in the passport the breed and color are simply indicated by the letter “c”.

Character

The character does not particularly depend on whether we are talking about short-haired lilac British or marbled ones. These two types of furry pets are very soft, charming and playful. They are not characterized by English stiffness and arrogance. The peculiarity of the breed is also that the pets remain playful until old age. Feeling good, they old age may resemble children.

Animals like to climb onto the highest furniture in the apartment and from there watch the people below. Cats are loyal and devoted to their owners, although they often do not show their love openly. The British try to stay close, but at the same time stay away. Breeders note that animals of this breed perfectly sense the owner’s mood, so when it wants to be better, the pets stay away, fearing to fall under the “hot hand.” Despite the non-conflict nature of the cat, it is better not to have a dog in the house, because the animal may develop jealousy and will stay away.

Care

If you trace the history of the appearance of the British, it goes back more than one century. Purple shades, albeit interspersed, were present at that time. Therefore, caring for these animals, regardless of their color, is the same. Considering that pets are fluffy and stuffed, they should be brushed as often as possible. For these purposes, you should use special soft brushes that do not tear out the fur, but at the same time comb it perfectly. IN mandatory need to keep an eye on oral cavity pets, as well as their eyes and ears. Even if the animal is active and nothing bothers it, it should be examined by a veterinarian once a year and given the necessary vaccinations.

How do you get such beauties?

Some people mistakenly believe that lilac cats are the result of crossing a Scottish Fold. In fact, such mating leads to genetic failures, as well as incorrect coloring, which does not even closely resemble lilac. A similar shade can be achieved using a color gene. If you introduce animals with recessive forms of blue and chocolate shades, you can hope to get purple offspring. And then the probability of success does not exceed 25%.

As already mentioned, there are several purple colors, they depend directly on the pigment present in the wool. There are two types of melanin. The first is pheomelanin - red-yellow, and the second is eumelanin - black. Depending on the ratios of these pigments in relation to each other, the final shade depends.

The Lilac Briton is a representative of the British cat breed, which appeared thanks to breeders. Is one of 250 variations of the color palette.

Origin story

The breed appeared in Great Britain in the 19th century. About 10 years were spent on selection. The color was obtained by crossing recessive forms and blue shades. According to statistics, only a quarter of pets are born with a similar shade. About 30 years ago, felinologists officially accepted the color.

The belief that the color was created by crossing a marbled cat is incorrect. The result of this will be the birth of kittens with disorders at the genetic level.

The British lilac cat is not a separate breed, but is classified as having short hair; the main difference with other representatives lies in the shade of the coat.

There is no breed of British Fold. There are only British people with short hair long hair and lop-eared/straight-eared Scots.

Types and standard of lilac color

Two pigments are responsible for color: eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (yellow-red). The combination and percentage of these pigments determine the color.

The generally accepted standard divides the breed into 3 color tones:

1. Lavender. Soft lilac cool undertone.
2. Lilac shade. Average color saturation.
3. Isabella. Rich lilac tone.

Without special training, it is impossible to distinguish the color scheme; only specialized breeders can handle this. British kitten in the first six months of life it has light stripes on its coat, which gradually disappear.

It is not recommended to breed Lilac Britons yourself because their blood has two incompatible subtypes. An incorrectly selected pair will produce non-viable offspring.

The lilac color of British cats can be present in various variations:

1. Plain.
   Uniformly colored wool along the entire length, without spots, stripes or inclusions.
2. Tortoiseshell.
   Occurs in cats, and in rare cases in cats. The mosaic pattern combines purple and cream colors. The standard for this color does not impose strict requirements, since it is impossible to regulate the location of inclusions on the coat at the genetic level. The tortoiseshell color is individual for each pet and is never repeated.
3. Bicolor.
   The main color is combined with white. The border separating the colors must be clearly defined. White hairs are necessarily absent from the main lilac color. One ear is always painted white. Color variations: van (white tail and spots on the head), harlequin (lilac color covers an area of ​​15% of the total coat), bicolor (white no less than 1/3 and no more than ½). The bicolor color is called magpie (from English magpie), it was recognized in Europe and the USA in the last decades of the 20th century.
4. Smoky.
   Distinctive feature is the presence of a white light undercoat. The pet's belly is almost white. The richest purple color is on the back, paws, and head. Medium color saturation on the neck, sides, ears. The lilac tone of the color is preserved only at the ends of the coat hairs.
5. Tabby.
   Purple pattern on lighter coat. The hairs are painted with alternating colors. A pattern in the form of the letter M is required on the forehead. On the back you can see a pattern in the form of a butterfly. There is a pattern in the form of rings on the neck and tail. The borders of the pattern are clear. Pattern options: marbled, striped, spotted. The name of the shade comes from the word “tabbis”, which meant a pattern on oriental silk, which was popular in Britain.
6. Color point.
   The cat's mask on the face, ears, tail, paws, and testicles are colored purple; the rest of the parts are less colored. There may be a pattern on the light parts; such a pattern will be called lilac tabby point.

The lilac color standard requires that the color of the nose and pads match the base tint and be lilac. Each color variety has a standard code.

General conformation of the breed

The standard for the British Shorthair was adopted in 1950. The head of representatives of this breed is round with wide cheekbones and developed cheeks, the neck is thick and short. A wide nose and chin form a vertical line. Pronounced pads under the mustache. The ears are small, rounded, without tufts, and set low and wide. Wide-set round eyes. Eye color can be copper, amber, orange.

Kittens have blue eyes with a grayish tint; as they grow older, the color of the pupils changes to golden. Thick short legs. Powerful physique. The coat is short, feels like plush, with a pronounced undercoat. The tail is thick with a rounded end. The average weight of females is from 3 to 5 kg, and males - from 5 to 7 kg. With proper care, a pet of this breed can live up to 20 years.

Do external factors affect the preservation of coat color?

The type of color point color is influenced by air temperature: the lower it is, the darker the color.

The color may become less intense as the cat ages. Nutrition affects the preservation of shade; a change in color will indicate a disturbance in the animal’s diet.

May cause color changes. If exposed to the sun for a long time, the cat's fur may fade. During shedding conditions, the color may change due to the growth of new undercoat.

British coat care

The condition of your pet's coat is influenced by its diet. The diet should contain either natural products or industrial feed. Owners need to know that this breed is prone to obesity, so they should monitor the size of the portions the cat eats. Obesity affects your pet's health and can lead to heart and joint disease.

Direct care of the coat consists of combing and washing.

Cats need to be brushed about 2 times a week, increasing the frequency of procedures during the molting period. The comb must be special - silicone. During the molting period, you need to use a furminator. You need to comb the animal, starting from the head, back and tail, ending with the stomach and paws. You can brush both with the growth of the coat and against it.

Pets should be bathed no more than once every six months, with the exception of light-colored cats. Bathing such individuals can be done once every 3 months. To wash cats you need a special shampoo that will not cause allergies. It is not recommended to bathe kittens under one year of age. If desired, the animal can be cleaned using special wipes, dry shampoos and cleaning powder.

It is worth giving your cat special medications that prevent the formation of hairballs in the stomach.

The Briton's coat should not mat, which meets the standard.

The British shorthair lilac cat is suitable for those who are often away from home, for families with children, and for those who already have other pets. The character of these cats is calm and friendly.

You need to purchase a representative of this breed from a special nursery, where viable individuals that meet the standard are bred. Caring for a British dog is not burdensome and consists of standard procedures: feeding, combing, bathing, ear cleaning.

British Lilac cats are considered the most beautiful cats. It is precisely them that will be discussed in this article. It is very difficult not to fall in love with cats of this breed, since these felines have different colors. They are extraordinarily beautiful. Their fur can be blue, cream, black and even chocolate. But cats that are purple in color are considered special.

Fur

British cats with lilac coloring appeared quite recently. Of course, the breeders spent a lot of time and effort on this.

The fur has an unusual shade of pinkish and blue. It resembles the color of lavender. This amazing shade was the result of cats with blue and chocolate colors.

The wool is also pleasant to the touch, smooth and uniform. The coloring is the same throughout the body, there are no inclusions. Except that under the fur the shade might be a little lighter.

Color exceptions in the breed

Small kittens have special markings. Since the main shade appears only as the cat grows up. If suddenly the inclusions do not disappear with the appearance of the shade, it means that the kitten is not purebred.

Lilac kittens have only yellow eyes. The most common are honey-colored eyes. Gold and orange colors are also considered standard.

The pads on the paws and the nose are the same color as the rest of the fur. In general, the entire purple color is divided into three shades:

1. pure lilac,
2. lavender,
3. and isabella shade.

The last shade is considered the lightest of the first two.

History of origin

Not many people know, but the isabella shade even has its own own story occurrence. The name of this shade was given in honor of a noble person, the Queen of France - Isabella of Bavaria.

When her husband went on a hike, she swore fidelity and said that she would not take off his shirt until he returned. After a long time, the linen acquired a light gray tint.

By themselves, this type of cat touches all people, and not even because it has such unusual color. They love to play and move. But even at the same time, affection and affection for their owners is not alien to them. The only drawback of these cats is their diet; they, unfortunately, are not omnivores, like many cats.

Breed Features

British lilac cats have their own characteristics in the breed. First of all, it is a round head with large cheeks. The neck is small and thick, the nose is wide, the ears are also round and low set. The legs should be short and dense. The tail is medium and has a wide base.

To be honest, the British Lilac Cat breed does not exist as such. As stated earlier, this breed bred from another breed, or rather from the “British Shorthair” and “Scottish Fold”.

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”? This is not a color, but its absence, therefore in the group of solid shades white color stands apart. 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. Yes, the parents white there is a high probability of producing 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 wool belongs to the oldest types of solid colors, but in Lately 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 coat color of a British cat? it is a combination of grey, pink and blue colors and looks like bleached 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 resembles a blue mink coat, the color of which is mixed with a little pink dye. 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. The general requirements are the same as in the previous case: intense, saturated color, harmony in arrangement, evenly colored hairs, tan on the face and absence 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 and characteristic features tabby, 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 the 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 color gene of the Siamese is combined with all the colors of the 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. There are stripes on the thighs and hind legs 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

IN this group Color point colors include 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 area, belly and inner surface of the 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.