Tricolor cat. Description, features, signs and breeds of tricolor cats

Description and features

When nature dyes a cat's fur, it does things differently. Maybe the cat's hair is not dyed at all, then the cat becomes pure white. Can use two colors: black and orange. They are part of melanin, a chemical compound that colors wool. Mixing the black and orange components of melanin gives all the different colors of cats.

Black pigment often gives rise to its derivatives: brown, blue, purple, etc. Orange pigment can manifest itself as red, red, cream colors. Not only the colors are varied, but also their geometric implementation. A solid color is possible, it is called solid. Cat stripes and circles give a color called tabby. In this version, each hair is partially colored in one or another color.

A tortoiseshell color is often found - black and orange (red, red) spots of uncertain shape throughout the body. When tortoiseshell is placed on a white background, the resulting color combination is called calico. This name comes from the name of calico fabric, invented in India, the city of Calicut (now called Kozhikode).

Animals with this color are often called simply: tricolor cats. The color scheme is often called tricolor. The names don't end there. Often the tricolor color is called patchwork, calico, brindle. Spots of three colors fit into colors in which a white background predominates:

harlequin - the white background should occupy 5/6 of the total area;

van - spots in small quantities may be present on the head and tail, the rest of the animal is pure white.

In addition, the colored spots may have a pattern typical of a tabby. That is, the color is tricolor tabby. Owners consider tricolor cats to be especially affectionate, trusting, and playful. Positive character traits are noticeable not because of the colored spots on the cat’s fur, but because of the attitude of the owners towards the animals. All misdeeds of a creature that brings good luck and prosperity to the house will seem like a slight prank, a manifestation of playfulness.

Agouti and non-agouti

The colors of cats are very diverse. Some cats are evenly colored - these are the so-called solid colors, or solids. Other cats have a pronounced pattern - in the form of stripes, circles. This pattern is called tabby. Tabby appears on the coat due to the dominant gene A - agouti. This gene colors each cat's hair in evenly alternating dark and light transverse stripes.

In dark stripes, a larger amount of eumelanin pigment is concentrated, in light ones - less, and the pigment granules elongate, acquiring an ellipsoidal shape and are located sparsely along the length of the hair. But if a homozygous allele (aa)—non-agouti—appears in the genotype of a black animal, the tabby pattern does not appear and the color turns out to be solid.

This influence of some genes on other genes that are not allelic with them is called epistasis. That is, the allele (aa) has an epistatic effect on the tabby genes, it suppresses them, masks them, and prevents them from appearing. However, the effect of the allele (aa) does not apply to the O (Orange) gene. Therefore, cats of red (or cream) color always have an open tabby pattern, and a solid red color in cats is obtained through the breeding work of the breeder, when selection is carried out for wider dark-colored stripes, the close proximity of which is perceived by the human eye as a solid red color.

Thus, all cats are tabbies, but not all are agoutis. Confirmation that all cats have tabbies in their genotype is the residual “ghost” baby tabby in many kittens. This residual tabby in cats of solid color goes away, the cat sheds, the coat changes and becomes evenly colored.

It is necessary to check the quality of the translation and bring the article into compliance with the stylistic rules of Wikipedia. You can help improve this article by correcting errors. The original is not indicated. Please indicate it.

Zoned hair coloring under the influence of the agouti gene

Calico cat breeds

The patches of three colors on an animal's fur are not a characteristic of one or more breeds. special breed of calico cat . These can be any purebred or outbred cats. Considering the fame of cats with the Calico color, breeders are directing their efforts to consolidate this trait.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the appearance of a cat with spots of white, black and orange is a random event and not very common. Most breed standards allow the Calico color. This is first of all:

shorthaired British and American cats;
bobtails, Kuril and Japanese;
Persian and Siberian cats;
Manx;
Maine Coon;
masquerade cats;
Turkish van;
and others.

In all cases, it looks fresh and original. Especially in Persian, Siberian and other long-haired cats. In some cases, the edges of the spots are blurred, as if created with watercolor paint. Short-haired tricolor cats in the photo with this color look very elegant.

Turkish Angora

An elegant large cat with a wedge-shaped head, long soft hair with virtually no undercoat is considered one hundred percent blonde. But in fact, the angora can have different colors, including red.

Other breeds whose standards allow red color: Siberian, Norwegian Forest, Oriental, Devon Rex, Selkirk Rex, La Perm, Canadian Sphynx.

The popularity of ginger cats is associated not only with their “joyful” appearance. According to legend, they bring success and protect the owners from the negative energy of bad people.

Red-colored male and female cats are not uncommon. However, this coat color is most often found among yard dwellers. This is due to the fact that street animals do not experience any particular difficulties with mating and do not depend on the plans of the breeders.

In this article we will tell you: which gene is responsible for the red pigment, which color variations are most common and among which breeds.

Signs

Everyone reacts the same way to a black cat that gets in the way of a person. It’s better to go back, go around the place where the cat ran, otherwise there will be no way. With a calico cat it's the other way around. If such an animal comes across to a person, expect good luck, you will soon be lucky, especially in matters related to money. The sign is old, tested, and works flawlessly.

When it comes to signs associated with cats, one of the first to come to mind is the belief that the cat should be the first to enter a new house and look around. She will bring peace to your home and deal with otherworldly forces.

If the cat is tricolor, then along with well-being, good luck and luck will settle in the house. A cat with a patchwork color living in the house is a source of luck. People did not limit themselves to a generalized statement.

The luck that a cat brings is detailed by color:

orange spots are responsible for wealth,
black spots are aimed at fighting dark otherworldly forces,
white color governs kindness and purity of thoughts.

Signs of tricolor cats often take on specific forms:

a patchwork cat protects the house in which it lives from fire;
a Calico cat that came into the house by chance and strayed is a harbinger of an imminent wedding;
a tricolor animal crossing the path of the wedding procession is a sure sign of a happy, large marriage;
a calico cat with blue eyes had a special function - it protected family members from the evil eye, gossip and slander;
a calico cat portends a person receiving good news, in the direction in which it is drawn;
A wart rubbed with the tip of a Calico cat's tail should, according to knowledgeable people, soon disappear.

Japan is a country with a unique culture. Signs and beliefs associated with cats are not uncommon; they are certainly believed in even in our century. may not always live in the house But every Japanese wants to get their piece of luck from her. For this occasion, there is a porcelain figurine - a cat with a raised paw.

His name sounds like Maneki-neko. The color is mostly white, with black and orange spots. This money cat is found in offices, shops, apartments, ensuring the financial well-being of employees, visitors and residents. The Japanese act rationally: instead of an animal that requires care, they acquire its porcelain embodiment.

Interesting facts and signs about ginger cats

Red cats often become heroes of films, comics, cartoons, and TV series. The most famous movie characters are the plump red cat Garfield and Puss in Boots from the cartoon “Shrek.” Red-haired beasts made a splash at the Disney film company! This includes Thomas O'Malley from the cartoon "The Aristocats" and the Cheshire Cat from "Alice in Wonderland."

Fans of Audrey Hepburn will remember the red cat in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. Potter lovers will not forget Crookshanks, Hermione’s unusual friend (pictured below).

If in ancient times black cats were feared and considered fiends of hell, then red furry cats were revered and called amulets, fearless defenders of the home.

There is an opinion that if a ginger cat takes care of a sick person, it means that recovery will come soon.

They used to believe that if a ginger cat comes into a house, it brings warmth and harmony. A fiery red cat in a person’s home means wealth.

Cats are excellent diagnosticians and healers. They are placed on the sore spot, and after a while the person notices that the pain and discomfort go away.

To improve family relationships, people adopted a sunny kitten.

Reference. Sometimes owners love their pets so much that they bequeath entire fortunes to them. A cat named Blackie is considered the richest cat in the world. The owner bequeathed her 15 million pounds sterling.

There are some signs associated with the behavior of red cats. For example, if an animal greets a guest warily, then most likely the person has bad thoughts.

If the cat does not lag behind the owner and asks to be held, perhaps it feels negative energy and is trying to remove it.

If a ginger cat crosses the owner's path from left to right before a trip, it is better to reschedule plans or delay them for half an hour.

Only cats or cats can be tri-colored

If you come across a calico-colored animal on the way, with a 99.9% probability we can say that it is a cat, that is, a female. Calico cats are a rare phenomenon. The connection between color and the sex of the animal itself seems surprising. Scientists cannot yet explain why nature realized the opportunity to be painted in three colors for cats, but rejected it for cats.

Genetics explains this fact, but does not reveal the natural design. The cells of the male body are equipped with X and Y chromosomes, while female cells have two X chromosomes. It is the X chromosomes that determine which pigment will manifest itself in the color of the cat. The orange color comes from the pigment pheomelanin, the black color from eumelanin.

The X chromosome can only activate one pigment: either orange or black. The female has two X chromosomes, one can give rise to orange, the other - black pigment. Males have one X chromosome, which means the color of the spots can also be one: black or orange.

There are exceptions. Sometimes males are born with an XXY set of chromosomes (the so-called Klinefelter syndrome). Such males can become tricolored. Or have a two-tone, tortoiseshell color. Very few tricolor males are born. In addition, due to the presence of two X chromosomes, they do not produce offspring.

In everyday life, it is not necessary to remember the names of pigments, which chromosomes store the genes responsible for cat color. It is enough to know that only cats are full tricolor . Cats with the same color are flawed: there are very few of them, and they cannot give birth.

If a breeder plans to breed cats with patchwork colors, he will have to become more familiar with the basics of genetics and the peculiarities of the appearance of tricolor spots. After which the idea of breeding tri-colored short-haired or long-haired animals will come to naught. The good thing about tricolor cats is that it is impossible to predict their birth.

The cat comes into the house

If a cat comes into the house, you cannot kick it out. He needs to be sheltered, because he brings happiness. You cannot kick out those kittens that do not come on their own, but are brought by children. Kids feel other people's energy much better than adults. If they brought an animal, it means they know on an intuitive level that it can protect them.

If the cat came into the house on its own, it must also be left. It will bring good luck, attract wealth and protect from troubles.

If a cat has strayed, but there is no way to leave it, then you need to feed and warm the animal. Afterwards you need to take care of her home. If you do all this, then good luck will come soon.

If a cat suddenly comes to your house, you need to pay for it. Three coins of any denomination are thrown onto the road, and gratitude is offered to fate for good luck.

If a strange cat appeared on the threshold, stood for a while and left, this is also considered a sign. Its interpretation depends on the color of the animal. If a red or black kitten arrives, the owners of the house will receive a monetary profit. Happiness and love - this is what a white or gray cat comes to.

If a kitten comes to the house of a married couple, then they will have an addition to the family. If a cat attaches itself to lonely people, it may promise a wedding.

If a neighbor's kitten strays, it cannot be kicked out or taken back to its owners. When the time comes, he will leave on his own. The baby who has settled down needs to be fed. Perhaps he came to scare away misfortune or warn the owners of trouble. The arriving kitten cannot be given away, because then it will not be able to protect it from harm.

A nested kitten is often considered a messenger from the other world. Along with him come the souls of deceased relatives. This is how they convey some kind of message or warn about impending misfortune, so a kitten that has become stuck cannot be kicked out. You need to keep it. If you kick out a nested kitten, this will bring misfortune to people, which will last for 7 days.

When a pregnant cat comes home and starts giving birth, you need to adopt her kittens. This will bring good luck for many years.

A stranded kitten cannot be kept in the house. If he wants to leave, you need to let him out. This will mean that the kitten has completed its mission and its services are no longer needed here.

What to name a tricolor cat

When deciding what to name a tricolor cat , owners are guided by several motives:

Associations caused by the color of a cat. In this section, the name Chubais is the leader among cats with large red spots.
The first manifestations of character in a kitten. Often this is Sonya, Shustrik, Marsik (warlike kitten), Beda (in the sense of troublesome).
Events or circumstances due to which the kitten appeared in the house. For example, Prize, Winter, Storm, Gift, Chief.
Most often, a kitten is named spontaneously.

The names for tricolor cats differ little from the names of animals of other colors. The entire list of popular calico cat names looks impressive.

Ava, Agata, Aya, Agnia, Aida, Anita, Anka, Ariadne, Ars, Artem, Astra;
Barbie, Basya, Bella, Black, Lingonberry, Borya, Bob, Betty, Bertha, Bambi, Buka, Storm;
Varna, Vanda, Varya, Vasilisa, Cornflower, Vasya, Venus, Viola, Willy, Vlasta, Vesta, Volya;
Galya, Glafira, Glasha, Hera, Greta, Glafira, Gloria, Gerta, Golub;
Dio, Gina, Julie, Deutsche, Dekabrina;
Eva, Evdokinia, Elizabeth, Efim;
Zhanna, Julia, Zhuzha, Georges;
Zlata, Zimka, Zarya, Zarina, Beast;
Ivanna, Isabella, Jonah, Isolde, Ipa, Isis, Irma, Iskra;
Capa, Drop. Coco, Carolina, Clara, Constance, Cleo, Ksyunya;
Lana, Lesya, Lina, Lu, Lulu, Lilu, Lina, Lily, Lilia;
Mavra, Mara, Mars, Marusya, Maggi, Magda, Madeleine, Malvinka, Margot, Martha, Marfa, Matilda, Matryoshka, Mila, Milana, Milya, Mimi, Mia, Molly, Muse, Mura;
Nana, Nata, Nessie, Nelly, Nefertiti, Ninel, Nina, Novella, Nora, Note, Nochka, Nate, Nyusha, Nyasha;
Ori, Octava, Oktyabrina, Olympia, Osya;
Pavlina, Panna, Paula, Panda, Praskovya, Panochka, Pans;
Rada, Rimma, Rosa, Ruslan;
Solomeya, Svoboda, North, Severina, Serafima, Sendy, Simon, Sophia, Susanna, Suzy, Susan, Styopa;
Taiga, Tasha, Tosha, Trisha, Taira, Tess;
Ulya, Ustya;
Faina, Fanya, Fina, Fima, Fiona, Frau, Felicia, Flora;
Eureka, Elsa, Emma, Eric;
Julia, Juno, Utah, Yuna;
Yarik, Yars.

High-breed kittens go to the owner's house with a name, which is formed according to special rules. The first letter is the same for all kittens of the same litter. The nickname must contain the name of the nursery or the name of the breeder. Some nurseries assign a word (toponym, surname, title, etc.) to themselves, which serves as an integral part of the nicknames of all kittens.

In the case of a kitten of high origin, the owner has to think about how to shorten the name to make it simpler and more memorable. The kitten quickly learns its name; it is advisable that it has no more than three syllables, then there will be no problems with memorization.

The variety of redheads

Everyone is attracted to this color of optimism and joy that adorns their pet. Since a cat has more color variations, it passes them on by inheritance. Other tones that are given by ancestors also participate in the formation of coat shades. Upon careful examination, you will notice that any red color of cats does not look solid, but patterned. Although breeders work hard, it is impossible to genetically achieve the ideal tone to get rid of a tabby. But what beautiful variations you get!

White-red

The white and red cat is the owner of the most popular color. But it is worth taking into account the dominance of the white color gene, which is expressed in the desire to suppress white spotting of solid colors. Various forms of the same spotting gene, the partial spotting gene and the white recessive gene are included in the color work. And how bright the red-and-white kitten looks, which has become a brand of many famous companies.

Grey-red

A spectacular gray-red cat is obtained if the D gene is present, which is responsible for color saturation. This gene colors the coat red. The most spectacular color can combine red, gray and white shades. Such cats are rarely purebred, but they are no less loved and recognized.

Tabby red

The red color cannot be solid; marbled spots or stripes are always visible on the cat’s body. A tabby ginger cat is one of the main signs of a tabby - thin lines that clearly outline the upper and lower eyelids, forming the letter “M” on the cat’s forehead.

Red marbled

Marble color has many varieties. We can say that the red tabby cat is shading his tabby pattern. It is found in varying degrees of contrast in ginger cats. A heavily shaded tabby looks like a pure color. Medium shaded tabby is associated with marble stains, and weak blurriness shows the tabby more clearly.

Black and red

The color of a black cat with red spots is called tortoiseshell. A ginger kitten receives this rare combination of colors from its parents, who carry the genes for black and red coat pigmentation. Cats often turn out to be carriers of similar colors. This color is found in Maine Coons and Persians.

Why do you dream about a tricolor cat?

The appearance of a calico cat in a dream is not always interpreted as the onset of happy, successful times. Much depends on the mise-en-scène. Unlike reality, the spotted creature that appeared in the kingdom of Morpheus does not make a person a priori lucky, but makes him think.

A dream in which a calico cat scratches near the door foreshadows for men a meeting with a woman who should please them. But this woman's intentions may not be entirely benign. The old established life order may change not for the better. For women, such a dream indicates an imminent clash with a rival.

After a dream in which a calico cat lies on a person’s body, it is a good idea to consult a doctor. Pay close attention to your health, listen to the organs on which the cat lies down.

There are dreams in which a cat with a calico color rubs at a person’s feet. In this case, it is impossible to avoid conflicts with someone close to you. If in a dream you were able to discern which color prevails in a cat’s fur, you can predict the nature of the disagreement. With the predominant color red (orange), the opponent will be cunning and two-faced. If black takes over, the opponent will be rude but straightforward.

Scottish fold (Scottish fold cat)

Scots have a short, dense and dense coat that feels like soft plush. A feature of the breed is the characteristic structure of the ears. They are curved forward and downward, which gives the felines a special charm. Fold-eared pets can be of absolutely any color, but red and white cats are the most popular.

Stottish Folds are calm, unobtrusive and undemanding creatures. They are loyal to only one person, even if they live in a large family. However, pets will not ignore other inhabitants of the house - people and animals. Cats love to play, lie next to their owner or “do yoga”, taking unusual poses.

Interesting Facts

On the main Japanese island of Honshu there is the Kii Peninsula. A railroad runs through it. The 14 km line connects the capital of Wakayama with the village of Kishigawa. Few people used the railway and it was decided to close it in 2007 as unprofitable.

A tricolor cat Tama lived at the station. After the line was closed, the cat automatically became homeless. Residents of other cities located along the railway began to visit Kishigawa just to look at the cat and have time to pet it for good luck. The cat brought good luck not only to passengers, but to the railway department - the flow of passengers increased. For this she was made an honorary station commander.

It turned out that besides the cat, there are many remarkable places in the area. Tourists and residents of neighboring regions have flocked to Wakayama Prefecture. The cat prevented the bankruptcy of the railway line and boosted the development of the tourism business. Over the past 7 years of work, the “honorary station master” tricolor Tama has brought 1.1 billion yen to the railway ticket office.

A fact indirectly related to calico cats, but very impressive. The online journal Nature reported in April 2021 that scientists from the University of California were able to read and voice human thoughts.

Sensors mounted on the head detected electromagnetic waves generated by the brain. The computer deciphered and reproduced the thought. The first mental phrase that received a sound embodiment was: “Get a calico cat, and the rodents will go away.”

In Krasnoyarsk there is a children's technology park "Tvori-Gora". One of the activities of which is educational work. That is, there are a lot of visitors. All of them are met and accompanied by the tricolor cat Florida. This was reported in March 2021 by the online publication “City News” from Krasnoyarsk. The cat is included in the staff and receives a salary with food and affection.

Wild colors of cats: a little history

Once upon a time, wild cats lived in Europe and Africa, which did not differ in a wide variety of colors. For example, European forest cats had mostly grayish coats with the addition of ocher. The steppe cat had stripes “painted” on its fur of a sandy or grayish tint. Sometimes stripes replaced spots. That's probably all the diversity. So where did modern colors come from?

About five thousand years ago, the cat was domesticated by humans. Animals traveled around the world on ships, settled in different places, and experienced many mutations, as a result of which their color changed. Selection was of great importance. Some breeders are still working on unusual colors for pets. For example, for lovers of wild animals, cats similar to a panther or jaguar were bred. However, they have a docile nature as pets.

Cats of gold and amber colors

Cats with golden coats are considered beauties, because their fur, with several tones, always seems unusual. It combines basal yellow color and ticking. The golden tones are produced by the wb or agouti genes.

Colors vary depending on the area of dyed hairs.

Tabby colors

Tabbies are colors with a specific pattern: circles, stripes, spots on a ticked coat. For this purpose, the T gene is required. Due to the fact that some areas of the fur coat are painted, while others are not, a pattern appears.

For example, the T gene is responsible for the brindle color. For the Abyssinian color, when there are stripes only on the face, and ticked hairs are located throughout the fur coat - Ta.

Cats' fur coats can be not only brindle, but have the most bizarre patterns.