Color tabby in cats of different breeds - this is the most classic "brindle" pattern, which immediately comes to mind at the thought of a cat as such. A similar color is not found in other animals and is a privilege of a cat-like kind. This striped or mottled pattern is difficult to confuse with anything. Its varieties are divided into several basic and a great many additional ones.

Peculiarities of color

Initially, the tiger tabby was the prevalent color wild cats, and now occurs in most feline breeds as an additional or basic. Among the rocks that do not allow this color are the Balinese cat, Siamese, Havana Brown, Bombay and some others. With many common features, the tabby pattern in different cats differs in color gamut (shades of background, spots and bands), as well as the shape of individual elements. It is believed that cats and cats with this color have a special vitality and good health.

A lot of controversy is caused by the relationship between the color of the coat and the character of the animal.

But although the tabby is a natural, "wild" color, which helps the animal to survive and disguise, no wildness or aggression of a cat with such a coat shows. Animals with tiger spots or stripes are just as calm and affectionate as their fellow van or bicolor.

However, many breeders claim that the cat with tabby color is very active, energetic and curious.

General requirements

Regardless of the type of tabby, the cats of this color are characterized by some universal features. The first is the presence of a pattern or pattern that creates two types of hairs (the so-called "ticking"). The first type of hairs is colored zoned and serves as a background, and the second is completely painted in the main shade of the pattern. Also cats of this color are distinguished by an original pattern on the forehead, reminiscent of the letter "M". Behind the ears in these animals are oval light spots, and the eyes and nose are surrounded by lines of the primary color.

Eyelids of the eyes and chin zone differ in a lighter shade, and on the cheeks are depicted graceful curls. The tabby breast is decorated with three "necklaces" - drawings in the form of closed rings. On the paws and tail, bracelets are adorned. On the stomach of these cats in two rows are double spots. The figure itself is painted in contrast and has a bright, deep color. At the same time silver tabby most often has a saturated emerald color of the eyes, and other colors - golden yellow or copper-orange.

Basic Types

There are four types of this color cats. Perhaps the most common of these is the brindle (also known as the striped or tabby mackerel). Such fur often show off home shorthair cats, as well as their wild forest relatives. The figure itself consists of clear dark bands, located on a lighter background. In the photo you can see how the lines descend vertically from the animal's spine to the stomach, and along the back a continuous dark stripe stretches (the more vertical stripes and the more clearly they are traced, the more this type is valued).

Marble Tabby is a pattern in the form of specks on the cheeks, neck, abdomen and legs. The photo shows that along the back stretch three strips, located in parallel.

Ticked color (it is also called Abyssinian) is also extremely common. It does not imply a clear picture, differing in an even background with a beautiful "spraying".

Spotted tabby (or spotted) instead of strips has small specks, and a strip running along its back is traced in dotted lines.

Combinations

Often striped or spotted cat color is combined with a monophonic white. The plain color can be represented by "golphics" on the paws, "medallions" on the chest, specks on the abdomen. Most often the area of tiger color occupies about the same place as the white one, creating a peculiar bicolor. However, in some cases, the tabby is represented by a pattern on the legs, tail, mask and on the ears.

Popular varieties

Smoky leopard - the figure is similar to a trotting coat and slightly resembles a marble in combination with a smoky shade.
Silver or silver assumes a dark pattern with a white background (British tabby of this type are distinguished by a combination of silvery color with gray).
Rosette - a kind of spotted color, in which the spots are like rosettes. It can be seen in the photo of a Bengal cat.
The blue tabby assumes a gray or bluish pattern on a light background.
Brown tabby is common in a British cat. Characterized by a black pattern and a red-brown background.
Black silver tabby can be seen in the British breed - a black pattern on a silvery background.
Tabby Force - this exquisite color point can be seen on the photo thai cat. It assumes light brown points on a creamy background, as well as a striped mask, ears, paws and tail.
The Blue tabby point is found in the Scottish lop-eared cat: blue points decorate the cream-beige background. In this case, the animal's body is painted white.
Chocolate tabby point - it's chocolate brown points on a light bronze background (they can be seen in a photo of a Scotsman).
The purple tabby point suggests a lilac color on a creamy background.
The red tabby point features a reddish pattern that adorns the peach background (you can find it in the Scottish fold or in the straight).
Cream tabby point is a cream pattern on a light creamy background, while the case is white.
Golden cinnamon is found in ocicetes. It is distinguished by golden specks and a white background.
Gold is a light brown spotted color (it happens to a smoky Australian cat).
Chocolate in silver color suggests a chocolate brown pattern and a silvery-blue background.
Lilac silver differs lilac pattern on a pale silvery background.
Red silver suggests a reddish pattern and a silvery-creamy background.
Cream silver differs cream pattern and light-silvery, almost white background.

British tabby

The British tabby is a beautiful short-haired cat with a bright and clear pattern. Ticked color is determined by the color of the undercoat and can be of different shades (lilac, blue, red) with a slight effect of "gloss". A British tabby cat with a ticked coat should have a letter "M" on his forehead and curls on his cheeks. In this case, the color of the animal's eyes should be golden yellow or emerald green.

The spotted short-haired Brit looks like a small leopard. In addition to the letter "M", he must have strokes of the nose and eyes, "bracelets" on the paws and tail, "necklaces" and spots on the abdomen. His eyes are green or golden-copper. The same requirements apply to striped short-haired british cat with frequent vertical strips from the line of the spine to the abdomen.

British Shorthair kittens. Color tabby (tabby)

British kittens are looking for owners.

BRITISH KITTENKO OF THE VISHKAS VICTORY

BRITISH KITTENKO OF THE VICTORY "VISKAS"

What is the difference between the British and the Scots? Cats are Scots. Says EXPERT

http://tanaisdiamond.ru Than the cats are British from Scotland

Marble british cat is extremely beautiful and bright pattern. The "marble" of his drawing is represented by closed circles on the sides, curlicues on cheeks, a "butterfly" on the back of the head, a letter "M", "necklaces" and "bracelets", and two stripes on the back. A marble short-haired Brit with well-patterned patterns is very appreciated among breeders. It is interesting that a small Briton can be striped, but with age, the strips are often torn, and the cat becomes spotty.

Siberian tabby

Siberian cats show pronounced tabby colors from spots and broad bands. The pattern on their fur is clear, and the color is saturated. Paws and tail are decorated with uniform rings. On the chest are placed "necklaces" and "medallions", on the forehead - the letter "M". Going from the outer corners of the eyes, the lines stretch on the back, and curls are drawn on the cheeks. On the back of the head, the picture forms in a butterfly.

The most common Siberian tiger tabby - with narrow, clear lines, running from the back to the stomach. Often there is color of a torby, in which tiger silvery, chocolate or blue shade is combined with cream spots. Ticked color is almost always combined with "bracelets" and stripes. Cameo tabby is a combination of reddish tiger (as well as spotty, marble or ticked) pattern with a white undercoat.

Scottish Tabby

Scottish cats with a brindle color have vertical narrow bands, in the region of the back they pass into the "saddle". Their tail is striped, on the forehead - the letter "M", eyes and nose are surrounded by a black line. Spotted Scottish tabby is decorated with small specks of various shapes. The line along the spine is drawn by a dotted line (often on the back there are several dotted lines), and the feet are decorated with "bracelets". Marble color is represented by beautiful spots like rings or loops.

The most common colors - red, brown, cream, blue, silver, as well as combinations with smoky. The ticked color of the Scots is also called shaded. Most often it is represented by golden, silvery and red tones, and also cameo. For silvery shades of wool, green or hazel-colored eyes are characteristic, for golden colors - amber and golden-yellow.

Laperm Tabby

The classic or marble color of cats of the Lappers is represented by wide stripes: clear and well defined. Paws and tail are decorated with "bracelets". On the forehead - the letter "M", on the sides - continuous rings. Tiger color is characterized by thin lines, "saddle" on the back, ringed paws and tail, chains on the chest. The spotted cat luperm has small spots, like rosettes, ovals or circles.

Ticked color can be continuous with "gloss", and also be combined with tiger or spotted areas. The color of the turbo combines a tabby pattern with cream spots on the sides and paws. The most common tabby colors are silver, brown, blue, red, cream, chocolate. Also popular are cinnamon, faunal, lavender, and various combinations with silver.

Persians and Maine Coons

Persian cats and tabby cats most often show varieties of tiger and marble colors. Striped pattern of the Persians is also called a "patchwork pattern": this color combines red stripes on a creamy background, as well as a mark on the muzzle. Among the marble most popular are black, silver-black, blue, brown, silver. In order to emphasize the exquisite pattern on the fur, the Persian should be carefully combed.

Maine coon cats very often have a patterned color. Among Maine Coons there are also striped, spotted, and marble, and ticked. The most popular varieties of colors, such as red, black, silver and cream marble, as well as red and silver tiger. There are also combinations of tortoiseshell and smoky colors with tabby.

What color to choose a cat is not an idle question, because it is by the color of cat hair that you can learn in advance about the nature of a cat and even make up its psychological portrait. In this article on the site, we will talk about the nature of the cats of several typical colors.

Color in cats is a multi-faceted concept and means not only the color of the wool, but also the pattern of the bands on it (or its absence), the presence of white spots on the coat, the degree of coloration of the fur itself. The main colors, from which the variations of feline colors develop, are few: black, brown, red, yellow ... Still, of course, white, but since it is not a color, and quite the contrary - it speaks of its absence, it is called a color symbolically .

White and fluffy

Cats of white color were highly valued at all times: they were raised in ancient Egypt, the French kings held in their quarters. It is well known that white cat lived with an English writer Charles Dickens and the Japanese Emperor Isido ... Cats of solid white color have always been considered a symbol of purity and purity. They also help those who in life risk and work a lot: white cats ideally relieve stress and mystically bring luck.

"Snow White" among the meowing tribe are not very common - there are only 5% of such individuals from the total number. Most often white cats are found among Persian and Angora, there are also white maine coon , white curly Devonian and Cornish Rex. Very popular in recent years have become British white cats. According to the standards, the wool of such cats should not have any stains, inclusions or shades of a different color. Although kittens can have colored markings on the head and in between, but over time, as a rule, to 8-9 months, during the first molt, they disappear. The nostrils and paw pads in such cats should be gently pink. The eyes can be yellow, copper, dark orange and blue. It is believed that white cats with blue eyes suffer from deafness, but experts say that only 5% of them are born really deaf (however, deafness does not prevent them from living a full life next to their master and giving healthy offspring). The rest of the white cats hear absolutely everything that happens around.

The character of white cats is usually complaisant, calm, very friendly. They are undemanding, and sometimes even timid. White cats are very clever, affectionate and loyal pets.

Black nights

Special among monochrome cats are considered black. A cat, which in appearance looks "blacker than night", has always been attributed to various kinds magical and magical abilities . There are a lot of superstitions around cats with a coal color: a black cat brings luck and health to some people, protects a house from thieves, while others, on the contrary, have such a cat - a messenger of misfortunes, troubles and losses. Black cats and cats have become heroes of many books and movies, many songs have been devoted to them. In the international calendar there is even a Black Cat Day (November 17). However, rejecting mystical prejudices, we must admit that a black cat is a very beautiful, elegant and graceful person, she knows her worth very well.

Cats of black color are imperturbable, prudent, cautious, wise. They love communication, but at the same time they can spend a lot of time alone, they feel the mood of the owner, they know how to relieve tension. Black cats are distinguished by strong immunity, good health and resistance to stress. Black color is inherent in many breeds as traditional, having centuries-old roots (British black cats are considered to be the oldest species), and younger ones, deduced several decades ago, such as the Bombay cat, remarkable for its dense hair to hair - wool, good temper and a constant purr.

The Red Sun

This amazing color felinologists (experts in feline breed standards) are called "red", and ordinary cat lovers are "golden". A red cat's fur coat, for which a special gene is responsible, is one feature - it is not continuous. On red hair there is certainly some pattern: spotted, striped, marble. It can be clear, bright or shaded. are found among the different breeds of cats - Persian, Siberian, British and even Siamese (Siamese redheads are considered very aggressive). But, according to experts, despite the fact that the red color is very popular and commercially profitable, most of all red-haired is observed among the non-pedigreed cats.

For red cats and cats has long been entrenched the glory of defenders and healers. It is believed that if a red cat lays around to the patient, then the person will quickly recover. Helps communicate with a red pet and people suffering from hypertension and migraine. Many "solar" cats cause joy and a positive attitude. Noteworthy and this "trend": people with red hair like to start a house of red cats. However, this is understandable: representatives of one "suit" easily find a common language with each other.

Red cats are generally positive and peaceful creatures, but with cunning, and, as they say, on their mind. They require special attention. The red cat always tries to be closer to its owner. Among the kids, red kittens are the most amusing, mischievous and playful.

50 shades of grey

Aristocrats in the cat world are gray cats, so it is not surprising that this rather banal color in relation to the cat's color is more often called blue. There are a lot of shades of gray: from light to dark, with a slight admixture of blue, or a touch of silver. One of the varieties gray color is smoky (the upper half of the hairs is gray, and at the roots - white). Typical representatives of "gray" are cats of British breed, whose wool differs bluish tint. This barely perceptible shade is beautifully combined with the orange and green color of the cat's eyes. Gray color is often found in Persians, Angora and Siberian cats.

Gray cats have firmly established a reputation for vigorous, strong and accommodating pets. From the relatives of another color they are distinguished by an even and soft character, a lively mind and exceptional devotion to the master. Gray cats are never vindictive, they are well-bred and generous. It is believed that gray cats bring harmony and love to the house, that they relieve heart pains and nervous experiences and even help their mistress, who is in an "interesting position", to calmly transfer the pregnancy.

Two in one

Very unusual look two-colored cats. Their color is called bicolor. Not long ago such cats were considered "defective" and officially recognized only in 1969. Nowadays, two-colored cats have become fashionable and in demand, they collect many honorable prizes at feline exhibitions. Their color consists of the main color and the color of the spots of different sizes. In this case, specks should not blur and blend together - this is the main requirement for two-colored cats. By the prevailing color, the name of the color is also defined: white-black, white-blue. Cat cats with a symmetrical pattern are especially valued, but breeders can not bring such "twins" infrequently.

It is believed that two-colored cats are much softer, kinder and more obedient than monochrome cats, they peacefully coexist and friends with other pets . Bicolors are very active and sociable, like to play and very clean.

A separate conversation, of course, deserve and tricolor cats. Cats, in color which harmoniously combined white, black and red colors in many countries are considered a symbol of happiness, prosperity, wealth. Such cats (namely cats, not cats, because tricolor color is transmitted only through the "female" line) are very special, because they inherited all the best qualities from monochrome congeners. They are intelligent, affectionate, loyal and, like all beauties, a little flirtatious.

Do you believe that the color of a cat affects her character?

Thanks to the ability to dissolve in the night, which gave an indisputable advantage on the hunt, wild black cats from ancient times demonstrated their superiority over the kinsmen. In fact, they are the progenitors of all the now known domesticated cats.

Purely black cats were deified by the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians. They were kept in temples, attributing to them magical and curative properties.

With the spread of Christianity around the world, the attitude towards the "black demons" has changed. During the Inquisition, cats of black color were burned on the fire along with witches. From the brutal punishment of a black cat, only a bright spot on the wool could save. So in the European countries black and white, motley animals received an advantage, and the population of purely black cats was practically destroyed.

Now only one breed is known, the standard of which allows only black color— .

Important.Genetics consider the black color of cats and the color of tabby (striped pattern on the main background) to be original, basic for all that appeared in domesticated breeds, colors.

Black color of the coat directly depends on the presence of the dominant ancient gene B. The gene regulates the amount of pigment eumelanin in the wool cover of the animal. Recessive (secondary) colors in relation to black are the colors of the color of chocolate and cinnamon (cinnamon).

The Bombay cat (bombay, bombeyskaya coska), is bred, in spite of its exotic name, in the USA. Felinologist from the State of Kentucky, Nicky Horner in the 50s of the twentieth century set out to breed a breed of pure black cats that look like a panther.

Bombay cat in the photo

American curl

A distinctive feature of the American curls is the hard ears turned outwards and backwards and the immediate, "childish" character. Natives of sunny California are intelligent, like sharing pranks with children.

Kittens are born with straight ears. The characteristic curl begins to form later and appears in about 2/3 of the kittens.

Curls were the first breed of cats in which the standard admits both long-haired and short-haired subspecies.

Any coloring of curls is acceptable, but preference is given to animals with a colorpoint color. Often there are tortoiseshell, tabby, silvery, smoky colors, colorpoint with white or black spots on the muzzle, paws, tail.

Important.In the coloring colorpoint, we do not allow purely black, charcoal color. It is replaced by black-brown, or dark-brown.

Cornish rex

Cornish or Cornish Rex has a very short, "plush" fur, which forms curls and peculiar wavy patterns. Cornish is characterized by long legs, a dry constitution with well-developed musculature, large ears, contours giving the head of a cat a resemblance to a bat.

Adherents of the breed emphasize the flexibility and gracefulness of the Cornish: elegantly arched back, tight tail-twig.

Cornish loves the owners madly, ask for hands and show their affection in every possible way.

Wavy, thick, very warm coat can be of different colors, including:

coal-black;
smoky-black;
silvery-smoky with black markings, forming a semblance of mantle;
tabby classic, tiger, brown-spotted, silvery-spotted, red;
tortoiseshell;
calico, smoky calico, van calico - with faded black spots of various shapes and locations on a white or smoky background;
van bicolor - black and white cats with walnut, golden or multi-colored eyes.

Laperme (La Perm, Laperm sat)

Representative of "curly" breeds. Soft curls of la-Perms are twisted into elastic spirals directed from the ears to the magnificent magnificent tail. Cats, in addition, there is also a rich fluffy collar around his neck.

La Perma likes the company, is very curious, does not tolerate loneliness, they need regular walks.

There are no specific requirements for the color of la-Perms. The standard allows the color of the most diverse from black to white.

Norwegian Forest cat

One of the oldest European breeds. It was formed on the basis of aboriginal populations inhabiting the Nordic countries.

Outwardly similar to a short-haired European cat, but refers to semi-longhaired breeds. The wool is smooth with a dense, water-repellent undercoat that fits snugly to the body.

On the cheekbones are characteristic whiskers. On the hind legs are thick coats in the form of trousers. For winter, forest cats "release" a fluffy collar (splashes) on the shoulders and neck.

Important.Justifying the name "forest", the cat has tassels on pointed ears like a lynx, a long shaggy tail, long legs with wide, heavy legs like wild reed cats.

Color varied: monochrome (including black), bicolor (gray-black, black-red, white-black colors), shaded. Preferred are tiger color and various tabby variants.

Ragamaffin cat

Ragamuffins (literally, ragamuffins) were deliberately deduced for obtaining more diverse colors in the base rock. The theologian Anne Baker got the first ragwort crossing a black mongrel cat with a ragdoll cat.

Widely placed rounded ears, sometimes decorated with brushes. Although the ragamuffins are leading their pedigree from street cats, they have completely lost the hunting instinct. To get them in the hope of getting rid of rodents soon is pointless.

There are many types of color of ragamuffins, but more often there are bicolor and various tabby, including pure black cats and individuals with different types of black patterns and spots.

Siberian cat

Siberian cat - the first registered domestic breed. Siberian cats have preserved the best qualities of their ancestors: dense water-repellent wool, double dense undercoat, pants on the legs, jabot on the neck and shoulders, fluffy tail.

Beautiful hunters, protecting the house from mice and rats. They are unpretentious to the content and feed, they perfectly tolerate heat and frost.

Colors are diverse, to "black" colors include:

neva Masquerade, one of the finest among the Siberians;
brindle black;
marble;
spotted black;
chinchilla shaded and chinchillae veiled;
tortoiseshell;
bicolor.

Japanese Bobtail cat

Japanese Bobtail is a funny short-tailed breed of cats.

The main distinctive feature of the breed is the tail.It can be of different shapes: a pompon ball, a straight tail, a tail-hook. In any case, the straightened tail is no longer than 12 cm. The tail, twisted as a chrysanthemum, is considered ideal.

Types of colors are numerous:

the coloring "mi-ke", found only in cats - on a snow-white background, rare light and dark red, black spots;
tortoise shells;
monochrome - red, white, black, pale, gray;
bicolors;
marble;
calico.

Black cats are very elegant, elegant and graceful. Black wool glitters and casts in the sun, making the cat attractive and elegant. On a black background, in contrast, yellow, green or orange cat's eyes look unusually bright.

Black color has always been associated with night, darkness, magic, witchcraft, so black cats seem mysterious and mysterious to us. About these cats tell stories and parables, they are characters of books, legends, aphorisms. Like white cats, black cats are wonderful healers, but they have different ways of healing. White cats take negative energy from people, and black, on the contrary, are highly energetic and share their energy with the owner. They say that black cats are able to protect the hosts from damage and evil eye.

A little genetics. The black color of the cat's fur is due to the presence of the pigment eumelanin, the synthesis of which controls the dominant gene B (from the English Black to Black). The mutations of this gene determine, in addition to black, chocolate color and cinnamon color (cinnamon color), both of which are recessive to black. In order for gene B to appear and give a really black color, the cat, in addition to it, must also have a dominant gene of color saturation D. The genetic formula of a black cat is B- D- (where the genes B or b and D or d can stand , respectively). A gene of black color of wool B is an ancient gene. Black color, along with the color of the "wild-type" tabby, was found in non-domesticated cats living in nature. Therefore, black cats and tabby cats have many common characteristics.

Breeds and distribution. Black refers to solid colors, under which the hair is dyed evenly from the root to the tip. Black color - basic, that is one of the main for cats. Black cats are found in all breeds . This color is very common among mongrel cats. It is interesting that mongrel cats of black color are more common in large cities than in rural areas. Perhaps black color is more favorable for stray, homeless animals, since it helps them to better camouflage and makes them invisible against the backdrop of the cityscape. Although there are other explanations for this phenomenon.

Character. Black cats are able to stand up for themselves, are active, enterprising, enterprising. One of the characteristics of cats of this color is high stress resistance. Black cats are smart and smart, but their behavior can be unpredictable. They are both friendly and stubborn. Black cats are sociable, they like society of people and other cats, but at the same time they are independent. When keeping on a free-range, they like to wander, sometimes moving away from home for significant distances. Among other things, they are usually good mouser, with them you can not be afraid of invasion of rodents.

Care. Since black cats have good immunity and they are more resistant to diseases than cats of the vast majority of other colors, no special care is required of them. Cares can be demanded only by the black color of the cat. Many environmental factors (humidity, sunlight) and chemicals contained in saliva and other body secretions turn the black pigment into brown, especially on the chin, collar, paws and "panties". In the summer, a black cat can burn almost to a reddish color, keeping only the nose and paw pads black. To save a beautiful pure black color, the cat should be protected from direct sunlight. The lack of an amino acid tyrosine, which participates in the synthesis of the pigment of eumelanin (and, as we recall, it also determines the black color of the wool), also leads to a "fading" of the color. Tyrosine is found in protein foods (meat, eggs), if they are not enough to feed the cat, it can burst.

Superstitions and omens. With black cats is most connected, they often figure in folklore. Since the black color was traditionally attributed to the impure force, this view turned to black cats. Black cat - an indispensable companion sorcerer or magician. The witch was always portrayed with a black cat, it was believed that she could turn into a black cat and vice versa, a black cat could turn into a witch. In the Middle Ages, black cats were declared accomplices of the devil and ruthlessly persecuted: brutally killed, burned alive at the stake. Salvation for the cat had white spots and marks: if they were found, the cat was found not guilty of witchcraft and she was granted a pardon.

Old prejudices are tenacious. And in our days there are many signs associated specifically with black cats. "They say it will not be lucky if the black cat crosses the road ..." It is believed that if a black cat crosses the road, it heralds failure. A black cat, jumping on the bed of a seriously ill patient, heralds death. In general, a black cat brings misfortune. Such superstitions are typical for most countries in Western and Eastern Europe, for America and Russia. As a result, according to the data of American zoosecretists, the blackest kittens and cats are most often attached to shelters, but they are often brought to the veterinary clinics for euthanasia. In Russia, such statistics do not exist, but it is precisely known that it is necessary to place Chernyshs in good hands with special caution, since they can fall into the hands of Satanists and be used by them for rites of black magic. It turns out, as in the song quoted above: "For now, on the contrary, it's only for a black cat and does not carry it!"

However, in conclusion - a little positive: in some other countries, such as Japan and England, it is believed that a black cat brings happiness. For English sailors and fishermen for a long time, a black cat was a symbol of luck and a lucky talisman that one must have on board to safely return home from a long voyage. It is widely known that on board the ship of Christopher Columbus, when he traveled to America, there was a black cat (which did not stop the Americans from subsequently declaring black cats a bad omen). Here are some of the beliefs of different European nations, in which a black cat acts as a good omen.

White cat: special signs

A pure white cat is magic! So not only modern happy owners of such animals consider it, even our ancestors were sure of it. Already in Ancient Egypt, white cats were revered especially, considering that they are the ones that best help people whose lives are connected with risk and heavy physical exertion. In addition, at different times cats of white were considered the embodiment of purity (both physical and purity of thoughts) and purity.

Concerning external features, then white cats are a sample of the purest colors that have been respected and admired at all times. According to the standards, the wool of such cats should not have any impurities or shades of color, as well as inclusions and spots, although kittens are allowed to mark any colors on the head, since such specks eventually disappear.

Gray cats: the mystery of true silver

Silver gray coat color of cats is rarely called common gray: as a rule, it is called blue, although, of course, there are several other varieties of color and, as a consequence, species names.

In general, gray cats are distinguished by wool of light or dark gray, pure and uniform shade without admixtures of hairs of a different color. To directly blue colors include light colors with a light admixture of silvery color, which are combined with the bluish-gray color of the pads of the paws and the lobes of the nose. In addition, there are several other varieties of gray color, the main among which can be considered smoky (half of the hairs are gray, and half, at the roots - white).

The origin of the black cat

A cat with this unusual color has long been considered an indispensable attribute of any magician or witch. This is not surprising, because a black cat has always been famous for its mystery and mystery, and many attributed to her sorcerous abilities and properties. And only very few really know that in fact black cats appeared in the world ... by accident.

The earliest cats wore a brownish-golden color, which they gave a mixture of black hairs with yellow. The true origin of the black cat began with a gene mutation, when one of her ancestors was disturbed by the distribution of the yellow pigment over the wool. As a result of crossing this ancestor with another, equally dark, the first black cat appeared, which, by the way, had absolutely no relation to the otherworldly forces. And the eyes of the black cat - expressive, piercing and bright - look like those primarily due to the monotone and "seriousness" of her color.

Red cat: a sign of happiness

Even in ancient times it was believed that a red cat is the support and hope of all the suffering and sick. It was the red-haired cats and cats who were considered real protectors (sometimes they were even attributed to magical properties), and later they were even elevated to the rank of healers: it was believed that if the red cat starts to patronize the patient, the latter will recover much sooner after the operation or a serious illness.

Moreover, cats with such an amazing color are also called golden: people who let in such a "sunny" beast are sure that they will bring with them joy and fun for all household members, and at the same time the wealth that is symbolized by his red fur. It is also believed that red-haired cats like to keep houses with people with red hair, for which the cat is a symbol of their cheerful and bright nature.

Two-colored cat: double treasure

Two-colored cat color is called bicolor in another way. As a rule, such color features are peculiar only to some breeds of animals, and in general, bicolor cats were recognized only recently - mainly in 1969, when they were actively shown at exhibitions and specially planted. Before, two-colored cats for some reason were considered "defective".

Today it is considered that cats of two-color color are the softest, kind, balanced, obedient and friendly. They are very easy to comb out and bathe, which is necessary to do often enough - two-colored cats require care at least once in 10 days, and comb them better on a daily basis. However, perhaps it is the need for such careful care and lowers the demand for cats-bicolor, which are less popular than animals of other colors. The color quality of such animals determines their dominant color, on which large or small monochromatic spots appear. The names of the colors are also determined by the primary color. For example, there are black and white, white-blue, chocolate-white and other varieties of cats. The main requirement for cats of this color - the specks should not be mixed with each other, and the predominantly colored part should be the upper part of the body. Sometimes two-colored cats (most often British) are also called magpie - megpai, from the English word "magpie".

Three-colored cat

Three-colored cats - tricolor happiness

Probably everyone who loves cats has repeatedly heard in his life the famous belief that three-colored cats in any home bring happiness and special protection. And especially valuable are white cats with black and red spots: white color symbolizes purity, black - the ability to fight evil spirits, red - the ability to drive away diseases and bring gold into the house. It is on this variety of color that many beliefs are built.

For example, in Japan, there are similar signs: a tricolor cat in this country is considered a talisman that brings happiness, and its figure (called some manikas) is placed at the entrance to the house, where, along with happiness, wealth should come in. Such a cat is also called "cheerful": it is depicted with a paw raised to the ear as if in greeting, namely with a greeting, according to the Japanese belief, prosperity comes to the house.

Cats of rare colors

Color cats: the most incredible options

Thanks to constant crossbreeding and various experiments, the felinologists managed to bring out a lot of feline colors, many of which look simply amazing and unusual. However, the genetics of the colors of cats, even the most unusual colors, still made them standard for certain breeds: these standards should not only correspond to the color of cats, but also the color of their nose lobes, paw pads and eye color, and only this strict correspondence can be considered a proof of the true belonging of the cat to a particular breed.

In general, the color of cats is finally established only to six months of life of the kitten, and until this time it is very difficult to determine what color will be his coat. Moreover, some colors (for example, tortoise-colored cats or cream-blue) are sex-dependent, and they can be found only in cats or only in cats. Other colors are directly related only to a certain breed. For example, the smoky purple color of cats is almost not peculiar to the British, although for this breed such smoky varieties as "black smoke" and "blue smoke" have already been derived.