British striped. Colors of British cats with photos and descriptions

Calm and independent British Shorthair cat is quite self-sufficient and does not really need the constant presence of the owner. She perfectly tolerates loneliness - for this quality they are chosen by business, working people.

What else is the difference between a British cat and its relatives, what kind of care it needs and how much money needs to be allocated for it, what kind of food they prefer - you will find answers to these and other questions in our article.

Character and description of the British cat

How does loneliness endure 5

If you leave for work early in the morning and return only in the evening or at night - this breed is for you!

British cats do not feel any discomfort from the fact that you are not around. They will always find a toy and something to do to relieve boredom. They will not suffer without you and do dirty tricks to attract attention - this is not a royal business. But, they will be emotionally greeted when you return. When leaving for work, be sure to leave your pet food, water, and a clean litter box.

How much it sheds 4

Don't be fooled that the British cat is a shorthair - it sheds.

Sheds often and in large quantities. Be prepared to collect fur from all over the house and brush your pet daily.

Activity / playfulness 2

The British Shorthair is an excellent choice for those who cannot and do not want to play with their pet for hours.

This breed is only active as a kitten. The matured animal is calm, balanced and will not rush about, dropping you off your feet, climb curtains and jump on cabinets.

Does he like to purr 3

Restrained British cats do not belong to affectionate purrs - they do it rarely and very quietly. However, some representatives of this breed meow a lot and loudly.

If you want the cat to rub against your feet, sit on its knees and purr soothingly - take a look at other breeds.

How about children 4

British cats are tolerant of children, but indifferent - they are not attracted to small family members. The British will never be a toy for babies.

It is important from the first day to explain to children that there is no need to grab and carry a Briton in their arms - they can endure, but they do not like it. Do not be afraid that the cat will harm the child - from too intrusive toddlers, cats simply hide in secluded corners of the house.

Treating guests 3

Plush beauties are wary of strangers - noisy and too mobile guests can scare them, which forces the cats to hide in a shelter.

Warn guests to give the cat time to observe them from a safe distance, so that they may have a chance to pet your pet.

How other animals / dogs are treated 3

The British cat is selfish and jealous. She won't be happy about your idea of \u200b\u200bhaving a new pet.

If a British cat is taken to a house where there are already other animals, he will be able to coexist with them. But, on one condition - they should not bother his British Majesty too much. With calm dogs and cats, British cats live peacefully - they are not aggressive by nature.

Easy maintenance 4

It will be difficult for those who are not ready to comb their cats regularly, at least once a week - they will have to struggle with hair throughout the apartment.

There will be no difficulties with toilet training and scratching posts - this cat immediately understands where to do his business and sharpen his claws.

Intellect 5

Cats of this breed have incredible intelligence. If you take a Briton, be prepared that he will train you, not you.

It may seem that these cats understand human speech - they do what the owner says. But, if they consider it reasonable and necessary. They, like dogs, can understand and follow commands, like to bring toys and run after a ball.

Soreness 4

Health is the weak point of British cats.

They have a predisposition to certain genetic diseases. Buy kittens from trusted breeders and be sure to ask for the results of their genetic tests.

History of the origin of the breed

The breed appeared naturally. The ancestors of the modern British cat were the cats of the Roman legionaries, whom they brought with them to the island during the campaigns of conquest. It was a very long time ago - in the 1st century AD. The Romans needed cats to protect their food from rodents.

The Romans left British soil in the 5th century, and the cats remained. At first, they were street animals and pets of farmers who conquered the British with their plush charm, strength and endurance. Then, when breeding of purebred cats became fashionable in Victorian England, these street animals were taken as the basis for a new breed - the British shorthair cat. The first representatives of the breed had a classic blue color.

The breed barely survived two World Wars, most of the cats died in those years from hunger. The breeders revived the breed after the end of World War II, by crossing the surviving British with other breeds. In the course of this selection, a separate pedigree branch was distinguished - the British Longhair. These cats are bred now, but they are recognized only by one International Felinological Organization - TICA.

Shorthaired British are listed in all international cat registries. So, the American Cat Association (ACFA) was the first to recognize the breed in 1967. In 1979, she was recognized by the International Cat Association, and a year later, in 1980 - by the Cat Fanciers Association.

Appearance

Description of the exterior and characteristics of the breed British cat is found in all major international standards. Let's see how the British are described in the European WCF system.

Breed description according to WCF standard

• Body. Muscular, stocky, dense and stocky. Medium to large in size. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced - cats are much larger than cats.
• Rib cage. Massive and wide.
• Back. Straight, short.
• Shoulders. Wide, massive.
• Hips. Wide.
• Head. Rounded shape. Massive with well-developed cheeks (in cats this sign is more pronounced). Cheekbones are wide. A required feature is a round forehead.
• Muzzle. Short. Not narrowed. The chin and nose are vertical. Smooth transition from nose to forehead. Mustache pads are large and round.
• Nose. Straight, wide and short.
• The chin. Strong, even.
• Ears. Rounded, small size. Set wide and low.
• Eyes. Round, large. Set wide and open wide. The color of the eyes is saturated, matches the color of the coat. Most often - orange (gold). A green rim around the pupil is not allowed. The expression in the eyes should be serious and judgmental.
• Neck. Thickened, short.
• Extremities. Muscular, short.
• Paws. Round, strong, with tightly closed toes.
• Tail. Wide at the base. Medium length, thick. The tip is rounded.
• Wool. Type "beaver" - plush, elastic. Short, dense, with a pronounced dense undercoat. Shiny. Long-haired Britons exist, but they are not recognized by most international feline organizations.
• Color. All colors and color point colors are allowed without white. The classic color is plain blue.
• Weight. Cats - 2.5-5.5 kg., Cats - 4.5-8 kg.
• Height at the withers. From 28 to 33 cm. Not measured at exhibitions.
• Average life expectancy. 10 to 16 years old.

A distinctive feature of an adult British cat is the presence of full cheeks (the so-called flews) and the "smile of a Cheshire cat". Only British cats can smile.

Experts refer to breed marriage:

• pinching. So they say in the case when the pads in British cats stand out too much;
• "Exaggeration" of the muzzle. If the short nose passes into the forehead through a noticeable hump, this is the case. Following the deformation of the nose, the proportions of the cheekbones and eyes change;
• a muzzle close to a domestic cat. Expressed in a flat forehead, large brow ridges and a long nose;
• "Fox muzzle". The fullness of the muzzle, characteristic of the British, is absent, but there is a narrowed nose. Often accompanied by a malocclusion.

Photos and colors of British cats

Any color for British cats is acceptable, but the shade of color-point with white is not allowed.

The monochromatic color of the animal implies uniform staining of all hairs, without exception. But there may be some shading, haze and ebb, which is not prohibited by the breed standard.

Experts identify 30 types of British cats! Of the monochromatic, the most popular are British kittens with: black, white, blue (gray), cream, red, lilac (a combination of pink, gray and gray).

Of the two-tone colors, the most common combinations are silver-blue, marble, tabby and ticked colors. The latter is one of the varieties of tabby, which is also sometimes called the Abyssinian color. Looks like freckles - very cute!

At the peak of popularity these days, the color is whiskey (remember, those cats that starred in popular advertising?). In fact, this color has the official name "mackerel" (mackerel). The tiger of the whiskas is provided by the obligatory three wide stripes on the back and thin stripes along the body of the animal. Moreover, the main color of the whiskas is silver, and the stripes are always darker.

British cats are called "cats for businessmen" - this breed can be afforded by busy city dwellers. In addition, they are quite unpretentious, do not require too much space and attention. However, proper care and maintenance is the key to the health and longevity of your pet.

Hair care

With a furminator or a soft brush, dead hairs are also needed. You will have to try especially in. If the cat is not brushed regularly, mats may form. The active process of changing the coat will be too noticeable on furniture and clothes, so the British kitty should be combed out daily.

But that's not all. Cats constantly lick themselves and their stomachs are clogged with bezoars (dead hairs). No need to wait for the pet to get rid of them himself, because hairballs can clog the intestinal lumen. During the moulting period, give special pills, or food, to absorb hair in the pet's stomach.

It is not necessary to bathe kittens and adult animals unless absolutely necessary. This is a mandatory procedure for show-class pets, they are bathed before exhibitions. Regular cats are washed in case of heavy contamination of the coat (paint, oil). But, in this case, it is best not to bathe the whole pet, but only to rinse the places of pollution.

Eye, Ear & Nose Care

Light-colored discharge from the eyes of a British cat is normal. But, this discharge can leave an unwanted tear path on the pet's coat. Remove these tears with a cotton pad dipped in a special eye care product. Saturate the disc and gently wipe the eye area. The direction of movement should be from the inner corner to the outer corner. If the discharge from the eyes becomes profuse, colored, foul-smelling, see a specialist immediately.

The ears of a healthy British cat do not need to be cleaned often - they need to be clean. The owner is required to regularly examine the ears in order to notice the signs of ill health in time: acne, dark brown spots of sulfur, redness. If such signs are detected, the cat should be shown to the veterinarian.

If your pet has increased serum production, you will need to clean the ears once a week. This should be done gently with a cotton pad dipped in a special ear care product. You can grease a cotton pad with petroleum jelly. Be careful not to insert the disc too deeply to avoid injuring the eardrum. If the auricle is very dirty, the treatment is carried out with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.

In a healthy animal, the nose should be clean and free of discharge. In British kittens, crusts in the corners of the nostrils are allowed - this is a dried-up secret. They are removed with a damp swab or cotton pad dipped in ordinary boiled water at room temperature. Discharge from the nose, redness, microtrauma (cracks) - a reason to see a doctor.

Dental care

The main thing that the owners must take care of is to ensure that there is sufficient stress on the teeth. When breastfed, cats are fed large chunks to stimulate chewing. Your veterinarian may recommend a special brand of food for animals on dry food. This promotes self-cleaning of the mouth and teeth. The teeth are cleaned with a special brush and paste no more than 1-2 times a week - you need to gradually accustom kittens to this. As a result of this procedure, the gums are massaged and soft deposits are removed. Tartar is removed only in the clinic, as directed by a veterinarian.

Nail care

Check your animal's claws regularly for the presence of fungus as a preventive measure. only needed when they are over-industry. If the cat moves a lot, climbs trees and special play complexes, is accustomed to, then there is no need for this procedure.

How much money do you need for care and maintenance

What you need to buy for a kitten

Mandatory set:

1. Bowls for food and water. Deep ones won't do. Choose wide ones with a low rim. Ceramic ones with a ribbed bottom are best. Price: from 100 to 350 rubles.
2. Tray. A closed type tray or a large open one (without a lattice) with sides bent inward will do - the British have big paws and they like to dig. Price: from 800 to 4000 rubles.
3. Comb and massage mitten. It will cost you 350-550 rubles.
4. Choose a stable model or one that is mounted on the wall. Price: from 250 to 950 rubles.
5. Toys (to play with your pet and keep him busy while you are away). Price: from 100 to 1500 rubles.

Additional accessories:

1. Lounger. Will cost 300-1200 rubles.
2. Carrying. Best of all are plastic models with a soft mattress inside - they can be used instead of a house. Price: from 1200 to 4500 rubles.
3. Ribbed rubber mat under the tray. Helps keep your home clean. Price: from 300 to 500 rubles.
4. This device for grooming costs 600-1200 rubles.
5. Harness. For outdoor walks. Price: from 600 to 1300 rubles.
6. ... Price: 300 - 500 rubles.

Every year, the care and maintenance of a British cat may require from 20,000 to 35,000 rubles.

The total amount will depend on the feeding method chosen, the brand of food, the type of litter for the tray, the need for professional grooming, the number of visits to the veterinary clinic and the animal care products used.

British cat grooming videos:

Health and disease

The British are strong cats, physically well developed. But in the course of breeding work, the breed developed a predisposition to a number of hereditary (genetic) diseases.

Genetic pathologies

1. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Pathology that does not respond to treatment. It is an adult animal disease that is easier to prevent than to cure. Her symptoms:

• anorexia;
• loss of interest;
• weakened heartbeat;
• difficulty breathing, breathing with sounds;
• unexpected hind limb paralysis;
• bluish color of paw pads.

1. Christmas disease (hemophilia B). It is characterized by increased bleeding after injuries or surgery.

Non-hereditary diseases

1. Gingivitis. It usually starts with inflammation of one tooth, which progresses over time without treatment. In the second stage, pathology will affect 25% of the teeth, in the third stage - 30%. Then extended periodontitis occurs, the gum tissue recedes and the disease spreads to the roots of the teeth.
2. Fungus of claws. Outwardly, it looks like spots on the nails and their deformation. Examine your pet's limbs periodically and systematically.

Preventive measures

The main preventive measure is this!

Thanks to vaccination, you can negate the risk of contracting panleukopenia, calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis, rabies, chlamydia.

Traditionally, kittens are vaccinated at 2-3 months or at 8 months when teeth change. It is important to stick to your veterinarian's recommended vaccination schedule.

First, the animal is given. If worms are found, re-deworming is carried out after 10 days and after another 10 days they are vaccinated. If the worms in the feces are not detected immediately, then after 10 days they are vaccinated as usual. Do not forget to quarantine for about 2 weeks after each vaccination.

The rabies vaccination is carried out immediately after the change of teeth and is repeated annually.

Of course, the vaccine is powerless against genetic pathologies. To be on the safe side, you need to carefully get acquainted with the kitten, request data from the breeder about the health of his parents and demand the results of genetic tests.

On average (excluding the cost of the sterilization / castration operation), treatment and prophylactic measures will require from 3,500 to 5,000 rubles. in year. Add to this amount a one-time payment for a veterinary passport - 100-200 rubles; the cost of the sterilization / castration operation is 1500-3000 rubles; chipping - 950 rubles.

Genetically healthy British cats can live up to 15 years. Life span depends not only on health, but also on the conditions of keeping and feeding.

A huge number of people all over the world have pets. Kittens of the breed such as the British cat are very popular because of their unusual tabby color. This breed has been developed through careful crossbreeding and selection.

Features:

The term tabby is commonly used to refer to a patterned color. Kittens with a tabby color look very unusual. Several different breeds of cats have tabby colors, and British cats are on their list.

This breed is distinguished by a huge number of different colors. There will never be two identical representatives of the breed, each is unique.

If there is already a cat of this breed in the house, in any case, the question of the origin of the pet and its colors will be brewing. Symmetrical spots on the coat have clear lines with distinctive contrasting patterns. The ancestors who passed this color on to today's cats lived in the wild in India, Kazakhstan and Africa.

Despite the many colors, this color is the rarest, it has incredible brightness and contrast.

Elements of variegated color

Consider what elements and features the tabby color has.

• A characteristic feature is the presence on the animal's forehead of a peculiar pattern in the form of the letter "M", this pattern is also called the "sign of the scarab". All painted cats have this sign.
• The coat is very unusual, divided into two coats. The first layer forms the background. From the top layer, a pattern is obtained that differs in its depth.
• On the animal's chest, the pattern forms fancy necklaces. The value of the cat depends on their number.
• There are rings on the tail, and continuous stripes on the legs.
• The nose and eyes are in the appropriate color.
• Each ear should have a light spot on the outside.

Varieties

Picture

There are several subspecies of the British cat coloring with certain standards:

• striped, it is also called brindle;
• spotted, also called leopard;
• ticked;
• marble.

Striped

The tiger color of the British cat, or striped color pattern, is the most common. This color is most common. A distinctive feature is that the main color of the coloring passes along the spine of the cat. The main requirements of this type are surprisingly clear and dense drawing of the pattern. Like other types of coloring, a mark in the form of the letter "M" is drawn on the animal's face.

A very unusual eye color - orange and copper shades.

Marble

This coloring is very beautiful and unusual, the marble color shade of the drawn pattern is unique. The drawing is not interrupted or crossed. A fancy butterfly pattern is drawn on the back of the head. The characteristic letter "M" is located on the nose. A distinctive feature can be called a necklace, which is formed on the chest of the animal.

In kittens with a marbled color, the pattern may merge. At the age of two months, everything will fall into place. The drawing will take on a characteristic expressive appearance.

Ticked

With this type of color, it may seem that the coat has a solid color, but this is only at first glance.

The coloring differs in that the part of the wool that forms the top coat resembles a layer of "dust". The lower part of the undercoat has a color similar to the upper one. It can be blue, chocolate, black, and other colors.

In addition to the pattern, the color options also differ.

Color

Brown tabby

British brown tabby cats have an amazing color of the whole body. Very black in color, reminiscent of carbon black. The nose has a slightly red tint, has eyeliner along the contour. A distinctive feature is called the spotted tail of the animal.

Black silver

The background part of the wool has the most delicate blue color. On the paws of the animal, the pads are painted pink or blue. The patterns that are located all over the body are painted in a silvery shade.

Mixed

The above colors can also be combined with the white color of the animal's coat. They differ in that they have approximately the same amount of dyed tabby and white wool. If the tabby patterns are only on the head and tail of the animal, and the rest of the color is white, then this type of color is usually referred to as a "van".

There are a great many colors, which can be listed endlessly, among them such famous ones as the lilac color, which is distinguished by its rarity. A varied, detailed description will allow you to choose what the buyer needs. The gray color, which is quite popular in England, is also in demand.

Character traits

British cats are very affectionate and friendly creatures. They are quite sociable, sociability is their strong point. This cat gets along very easily with everyone with whom you have to live in the same space. A British woman can follow a person until he gives her the opportunity to comfortably and comfortably sit side by side. British cats are very fond of children, which is an important factor. They get along quite easily with other animals, including dogs.

If you plan to start such a cat as a toy, you should not do this, she does not like persistence and excessive attention to herself.

The British cat has an independent character, the coat does not require special care, the animal copes with its coat on its own. Such an animal is very suitable for those people who spend most of their time at work. They are also called the "businessman's cat". A cat is very similar to a plush toy, but you should not treat it like a toy. The animal will patiently do everything that will not humiliate her virtues given by nature.

A British cat must be treated carefully and calmly. The British cat does not require careful upbringing, she has enough intelligence to deal with everything she needs herself. Even at a young age, a kitten will never relieve itself where it is not supposed to, will not sharpen its claws on luxurious furniture. A small disadvantage of this breed is that the animal does not really like to sit on its hands, and may be indignant if the cat is forcibly tried to pick up.

But if there is a great desire, and most importantly, the opportunity, it is definitely worth taking this breed for maintenance. Huge selection of animal color palette will suit everyone's taste. They do not require special attention in care, they will become an excellent friend and pet.

But there are many disadvantages of this breed, which can serve as a decisive factor when choosing. Cats and cats, in spite of everything, are hunters, so it is necessary to provide an opportunity to realize this instinct. It will be necessary to additionally purchase appropriate play complexes for the animal, which are sold in specialized stores.

British tabby cat will be a great friend to the child. Many present such beautiful kittens as a gift for various holidays.

See the video below for the character of British cats.

The tabby color is considered one of the oldest and most diverse for all cats on the planet. The unusual name should not scare the owners of mustachioed animals - it is quite possible that the tabby cat lives in the next apartment or even the next room. What is this color?

The name of the picture comes from the English word tabby (pronounced "tabby"), which means - colorful, striped. The first stripes and spots appeared on animals for the purpose of self-defense and camouflage. So, small representatives of the cat family could hide from predators, and large ones - sneak up on prey unnoticed through the bushes.

Tabby is the most natural color of the coat. Despite the lengthy breeding process of working on new breeds, it is found more often than others. Moreover, all kittens from birth are decorated with certain marks, which disappear at the age of 2 weeks in certain breeds.

Despite the variety of colors and individuality of the pattern, all representatives of tabby cats have distinctive features:

• graphic markings on the forehead of the animal in the form of a schematic "M";
• the eyes and nose have a bright edging, which makes them stand out on the face;
• the presence of a pattern of any degree of expression in the form of a necklace on the collar and ring - on the limbs (tail, paws).

Tabby cats predominantly have eyes of warm shades: yellowish, brown, copper. Only tabby with silvery shades of coat are found with green eyes.

Types of tabby drawings

There is a classification of tabby drawings, which includes 4 main types: ticked, striped, classic and spotted. They are also called Abyssinian, mackerel, marbled and leopard, respectively.

Table 1. Types of tabby color

Color name	Ring design on the neck and tail	Drawings on the torso
	Almost imperceptible, not pronounced in all breeds. The tip of the tail is predominantly dark	The presence of so-called "freckles", also mild
	Narrow dense stripes	Thin stripes, often repeated throughout the body and along the spine
	Large, not always well-defined	Wide irregular stripes with rounding, spots, intermittent areas
	Wide, not very visible, interrupted, open	Spots of varying sizes that give the impression of broken lines

On a note! A specific color variant may belong to a particular breed, be its characteristic feature.

The thinnest and most inconspicuous of all tabby colors. At first glance, it seems that such cats are monochromatic - the pattern is pronounced only on the face, paws and tail, but the color of their fur is not uniform. All over the body there are light stripes, spots or "freckles" that differ from the main color by only a few tones. Representatives of the Abyssinian breed predominantly have a similar color, which is why the ticked color received such a second name.

Ticked is the most invisible of all tabby colors.

The brindle or mackerel color is characterized by the presence of bright narrow stripes, often repeated throughout the body. This type received the second name due to a certain similarity with the color of mackerel - striped fish. The pattern is distinct, often starting at the ridge line, descending in numerous branches down to the belly. The color of the stripes clearly contrasts with the basic color of the coat.

The marble pattern is considered one of the most beautiful. Wide linear, spiraling or graphic patterns are blurred on the neck and legs, becoming more pronounced on the back and sides of the animal. The body is often decorated with large spots, curls, uneven patterns, patterns that resemble human eyes, butterfly wings, oyster valves. The color of the patterns clearly contrasts with the basic tone of the coat, which can be of any shade other than white.

The stripes in spotted cats are practically absent, they are of an intermittent short character. The patterns are predominantly composed of successive dots, spots and blots. The color of the patterns is bright, insignificantly or very different in tone from the main color of the coat. Representatives of this type resemble small leopards.

Rarer variants

Although most tabby cats fall under the above classification, there are many exceptions that do not fit into it. In the variety of patterns and shapes, examples of rare beautiful types can be distinguished:

• outlet. It looks like a leopard print. At the same time, the spots are larger, have a clear edging of a darker color in the form of uneven arms and a lighter center. Both tones are usually different from the base coat color;

  

• tortoiseshell. The uniqueness of the tortie tabby is that the main color of the animal is two-tone (black and yellow shades, as a rule). The drawing does not have a clear order, it is not very pronounced;

  

• calico.A third main color is added - white (on the legs, chest, tail or muzzle, as a rule). The pattern looks more like spots or short thin stripes. Because of this, the second name of the color is spotted with white;

  

• patched (patch). The features of the two previous subspecies are combined in itself. The cat can be at the same time tricolor with white and spotted, and very large spots alternate with each other like patches. In each individual spot, both the base color and the color of the pattern change. The color is found mainly in cats;

  

• links point.The cat looks like accents from the drawing. Moreover, only some of the details are painted (muzzle or ears, tail, paws, chest or spine line).

  

Possible tabby colors

Among tabby cats, gray and silver predominate with markings of a wide variety of colors: lilac, chocolate, blue, smoky black, reddish. But this does not mean that other tabby colors are rare. In the table below, we look at the main variations in tabby color.

Table 2. Possible flower combinations for tabby color

Color name	Mark color	The leading shade of wool
Amber	Smoky black	Peach
Black silver	Deep black	Silver
Blue	Gray dust	Ivory
Blue silver	Gray	White
Bronze	Dark chocolate	Warm cream
Brown	Black night	Gray tinted brown or copper
Cameo	Fiery red	Warm ivory
Caramel		Beige
Coal	Dark chocolate	Smoky gray
Chestnut	Bright brown	Creamy with orange undertone
Chocolate Silver	Milk chocolate	Light blue silver
Cinnamon	Light chocolate with red splashes	Several shades lighter than the picture
Golden cinnamon	Cinnamon	Ivory
Cream	Bright cream	Pale cream
Cream silver	Cream	Delicate silver
Faun	Light beige with cinnamon	Pale beige
Gold	The black	Milk chocolate with a transition to light
Delicate amber	Gray, light gray	Delicate peach
Lilac	Gray with splashes of pink or blue	Light cream
Peach	Brown with pink	Delicate cream
Red	Fiery orange	Several shades softer than the original pattern
Lilac silver	Lilac	Light silver with lilac splashes
Silver	Deep black	White

It should be noted that the colors may differ depending on the pattern. So, spotted patterns are often presented in warm colors: golden, chocolate, wheat, brown, reddish, red. The classic type combines contrasting patterns of dark stripes on a light background: cream, yellowish, gray. The dark striped patterns are based on silver and gray. The ticked type contains almost all possible colors. You can read about the mechanisms of genetic inheritance of pigments from cat to cat below.

In addition, the pattern may differ depending on the breed.

Table 3. Variants of tabby colors for different breeds

Breed	Color name	Mark color	Main coat color
	Bronze, coal, snow leopard, royal shine	Bronze - chocolate, charcoal - dark chocolate, snow leopard - black, shine - brown and black	Bronze, snow leopard - ivory, charcoal - dark gray, shine - gold
	Spotted bronze, smoky spots, spotted tin	Bronze - chocolate, haze - dark chocolate, tin - gray-black	Bronze - cream, haze - dark gray, tin - silver
	Golden Cinnamon, Sienna, Spotted Taunie	Cinnamon - chocolate, sienna - beige, tauni - dark chocolate	Cinnamon, sienna - ivory, tawnee - red
	Golden haze, peach	Haze - golden chestnut, peach - brown with a departure to pink	Haze - lighter by several shades, peach - light cream
	Leopard, snow	Leopard - red markings in black circles, snow - cream marks in black circles	Leopard - yellow cream, snow - white

Tabby cats with a rarer color are valued higher - because of this, they can cost more than their brethren.

Tabby breeds

There are more than 20 cat breeds, among which there are tabby cats. For some breeds, this type of pattern is the only possible one.

Example breeds with tabby capability:

• British;
• Siberian;
• Pixie bob;
• Bengali;
• Scottish;
• Ceylon;
• Persian;
• Safari;
• Toyger;
• Sokoke.

Some of the breeds have specific types of patterns. For example, British Shorthairs are especially good at marbled tabby, Persian Longhairs are distinguished by their frequent tortoiseshell color, Toygers are interesting in mixing spots with stripes, and Abyssinian cats are most valuable in lilac colors (fawn). If color variations are possible for the breeds listed above, then exclusively all representatives of the breeds described below are presented in tabby colors.

Abyssinian

Despite the name of the breed, there are still disputes about its origin: African (Egypt) or Indian. The short-haired breed has a long-haired counterpart - the Somali cats are native to North America.

Much of their body area appears to be monochromatic, but the tail, paws and muzzle can be marked with typical tabby patterns. The traditional "M" is often adorned on the forehead, and the eyes and nose are brightly outlined. The patterns show through clearly on the coat, but their color usually differs from the main one by only a few tones. Ticked color predominates. The usual shades for Abyssinian cats and Somalia: reddish-brown-black, reddish-yellowish, bluish-purple.

Singaporean

All Singapore cats are of the same color. The basic coat tone is ivory to dirty gray with dark gray or brownish streaks.

The tabby color is predominantly ticked. Among the distinctive features of the breed pattern are:

• darkening on the back and front of the knees;
• shadows on the paws in the area of \u200b\u200bthe feet;
• intermittent pattern on the forehead and muzzle.

On a note! The pattern on the torso is more like ripples due to the frequent changes in tones on the hairs of the animal.

The Egyptian Mau has developed naturally. The tabby type is leopard. Among the signs that make it possible to classify a cat as a given breed, let us dwell on the main ones:

• many spots of different sizes, scattered throughout the body in a chaotic manner;
• various forms of spots;
• contrastingly excellent color of spots from the main shade of wool;
• clear "M" on the forehead, the pattern gives the impression of a frown in the cat;
• lines from the forehead go down, going down the back of the neck to the back, where they increase and disintegrate into spots;
• characteristic lines on the cheeks;
• clear "necklaces" on the chest and neck of dotted lines;
• bracelets on the top of the front legs.

The wool of the Egyptian Mau is characterized by the following colors: silver, bronze, haze, black, black haze.

The breed was artificially bred by crossing the representatives of the spotted tabby breeds - Abyssinian is one of the progenitors of Ocicat. Outwardly, the Ocicat resembles a small leopard or Ocelot - almost an exact copy of a wild cat in a reduced size.

The color of cats of the Ocicat breed has several features:

• bright markings on the forehead, muzzle, paws and tail;
• pattern in the form of chaotic spots on the body, paler than on the muzzle;
• possible creamy, almost white markings on lips, cheeks, neck, chest and feet.

The primary color (golden markings against an ivory background) was gradually diluted with others in the course of selection: chocolate, bluish, purple, violet, golden, silver with shades.

Mongrel cats

Often outbred pets also have a tabby pattern from birth, which indicates that they belong to the most beautiful type of color. Moreover, such cats can boast of a variety of colors and patterns, which are not always possible to obtain through long-term purebred selection.

Video - Ocicat cats

The British possess not only an independent character and good manners, but also a variety of colors, among which the most rare are the drawing. Patterned colors are distinguished by clear contrasting patterns with regular lines and symmetrical specks on the coat.

It was this color option that was inherited by pets from their wild progenitors - the Nubian Bucks, which were found in Africa, Asia, India, Kazakhstan and the Transcaucasia, as well as forest cats that lived in European territory. The second name for drawing colors is "tabby" or more correctly "tabby" (from the English. "Tabby").

It comes, according to one version, from the region of Baghdad - Attabia, which is famous for the production of exclusive striped fabric. According to another theory, this name comes from the word "tabbis" - this is the most beautiful type of painting on silk material brought to Foggy Albion from India in the 17th century.

For British shorthair cats with a tabby color, the following mandatory exterior elements are characteristic:

1. 1. On the forehead of the animal there must be a "scarab mark" - a mark in the form of the letter "M". This pattern is typical for all painted cats. There is a very interesting legend about his appearance, which says that the Prophet Muhammad stroked a patterned cat, after which the letter "M" appeared on the forehead of the animal.
2. 2. The coat contains two types of hairs: the first have an uneven coloration and form directly the background. The second ones are painted over completely along the entire length, it is from them that a drawing with a deep shade is formed.
3. 3. The cat's chest is dressed in a kind of "necklaces" (the more of them and the clearer and thicker they are, the more valuable the individual).
4. 4. Feet and tail are ringed with continuous stripes.
5. 5. There is a single or double row of button spots on the belly.
6. 6. There is also an unusual ornament on the face: several parallel lines in the form of curls extend from the corner of the eye.
7. 7. Eyes and nose are drawn with a darker outline matching the tone of the main skin color.
8. 8. On the outside of each ear, a small, light-colored spot resembling a fingerprint is visible.
9. 9. Depending on the color of the skin, the color of the iris of the Briton is also formed, which varies from orange-golden, copper and honey to green. There are individuals with blue eyes.

In this breed, only an even contrasting pattern is allowed. If it looks blurry, then such an animal must be discarded. This may be due to improper knitting, where one of the parents was patterned, and the other had a solid color.

British cats, the breeding of which began at the end of the 19th century, are still the true pride of Great Britain. According to legend, large cats with plush hair inherited their smile from the Cheshire cat. The first snow-white beauty belonging to this breed was officially presented at the exhibition in 1987. To this day, of special interest for cat lovers are the colors of British cats. Lop-eared British do not exist, this anatomical feature is inherent in Scottish cats.

From that moment on, the popularity of the breed has grown steadily. The British are attracted not only by their intelligent character and plush hair, but also by a huge variety of colors, which number more than 25 species. A table with a photo will help to study the colors of British cats, as well as a description of the species and types of color of this breed. Among the colors of wool, there are very rare combinations that are extremely highly valued by both professional breeders and amateurs of the breed. Let's figure out what colors British cats are.

Types of colors

Breeding work on representatives of the British breed with the involvement of various bloodlines has led to a variety of both colors and breed species. If initially the British had short hair with a thick undercoat, then crossing with a Persian cat allowed to obtain semi-long-haired animals. The British Longhair cats are the same as the shorthaired.

Many people imagine the British only as smoky, blue or striped cats and do not even realize what variety of colors the breed has. Even a couple of quite ordinary parents can get a kitten of a rare color.

To streamline the variety of colors of British cats, they are divided into types and groups according to color, pattern and method of pigmentation.

Types of colors of British cats:

• solid (or plain);
• typed: smoky, veiled, shaded;
• gold;
• silvery;
• tortoiseshell;
• color point;
• part-colors: harlequin, bicolor, van, mitted;
• tabby: spotted, striped, marbled, ticked.

The color table of British cats will help to represent all the diversity.

Light blue

This is the color that comes to mind when it comes to the British, so we'll start with him. It is often called classic, or simply gray. The coat should be solid, the undercoat may be lighter, but white hairs are unacceptable. A lighter color is considered valuable. A small kitten may have streaks that fade with age. The beautiful rich amber color of the eyes in blue Britons appears with age, although kittens are born with gray and blue irises.

Plain

In addition to blue, there are six more monochromatic colors: black, white, chocolate, purple, red, cream. The uniform color is uniform, without white hairs, spots, patterns. The coat is soft, thick, plush.

The charcoal black plush British look extremely impressive, they have rich pigmentation of the undercoat, coat and skin, but getting such a kitten is not easy. This is due to the fact that in adolescence, kittens can change their coat color to chocolate.

The coat of a white British cat is snow-white, without yellowness and spots. In kittens, stripes on the forehead of blue or black are acceptable, which pass without a trace with age. It is difficult to get kittens with perfectly white hair, and the breeding of cats of this color is associated with the risk of getting sick offspring. Since 1997, breeding work with this color has not been carried out.

In warm chocolate color, the saturation and depth of shade are appreciated. The darker the color, the better. This color is called havana, or chestnut.

Considering the monochromatic colors of British cats, purple is the most difficult to imagine. This color is a mix of pink and blue. Paw pads and nose are colored to match the coat. Obtaining this color is the result of professional breeding. The lilac gene does not exist. The goal is achieved by a rare combination of parental genes. Kittens are born in a delicate, almost pink color, and the color of an adult animal resembles a latte.

Red British cats are popularly called ginger. The coat is uniformly dyed, without spots and patterns. The nose and paw pads are brick red. The intensity of the color is appreciated.

Delicate creamy Britons are often called beige, or peach. Their nose and paw pads are pink.

Rare colors of British cats

Today, relatively new and rare uniform colors stand out - cinnamon and fawn. Dark colors of British cats are dominant, therefore, bleached kittens are rarely born.

Cinnamon is a very rare and desirable color, its name comes from the English cinnamon, which translates as cinnamon. The color is similar to clarified chocolate. The gene of this color, identified 50 years ago, is recessive, so cinnamon kittens are born quite rarely.

Fawn is an even rarer color, which is a clarified cinnamon. It was recognized quite recently, in 2006, and is of particular interest to breeders, as it makes it possible to breed new bleached colors.

Fawn-like kittens, i.e. fauns, and cinnamon cinnamon at birth are ranked as cream and blue colors. To identify a rare color, a DNA examination is carried out, which confirms that the animal belongs to a rare color.

Silver and gold

The silver color is one of the most popular among British cats. It can be of the following types:

• shaded;
• veiled;
• smoky;
• tabby.

The golden color is also not found in its pure form. This bright color is one of the most expensive in British cats. It can be represented by the following types:

• shaded;
• veiled;
• tabby.

Ticked tabby, shaded and veiled colors are called chinchilla. It is the representatives of the golden and silver colors that are called chinchilla and golden chinchilla.

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell cats are favorites of breeders. A wide variety of offspring can be obtained from these mothers. Their unique color, also called torti, combines two groups of colors at once - red and black, and this is possible only in females. Tortoiseshell cats can only be born as a result of a genetic abnormality - mosaicism. Such animals are sterile and have the XXY genotype.

Tortoiseshell color is black and red spots evenly distributed throughout the body (or derivatives of these colors, for example, blue and cream, chocolate and cream, purple and cream, etc.).

There are a huge number of species of tortoiseshell Britons:

1. Classic turtle (black-red, chocolate-red, lilac-cream, fawn-cream, cinnamon-red, lilac-cream).
2. Smoky turtle (black-red smoky, chocolate-red smoky, etc.).
3. Tortoiseshell tabby, or torby (black and red tabby, chocolate red tabby, etc.).
4. Tortoiseshell color point, or tortie (tortie point - black tortie, blue cream point - blue tortie, etc.).
5. Bicolor tortoiseshell or calico (black-red tortoise-bicolor, etc.).
6. Bicolor-tabby turtle, or torbiko (marbled, striped, spotted turtle-bicolor).

A tortoiseshell kitten can be born from parents of different color groups, for example, the mother is red and the father is black.

Tabby

Drawn cats resemble wild ones in color. They have spots, stripes, rings on the body and legs and the obligatory letter "M" on the forehead. The tabby color also has several types:

1. Spotted, spotted, or leopard is the most common tabby. Cats of this color are similar to miniature leopards.
2. Striped, mackerel, or brindle. Narrow, dense stripes should not be interrupted and intersect with each other. After a year, brindle can turn into leopard if the stripes begin to break.
3. The marbled color is very showy, bright and the most difficult of the tabby. The stripes on the back are straight, but on the sides they form well-visible circles and rings.
4. The ticked color stands apart - it has no pattern and looks like a monochromatic one with "dusting". Resembles obscured or veiled. Each hair has its own stripes.

Color point

Color-point Britons have a light body color and dark markings on the face, ears, paws, tail - points. This color is also called Himalayan, or Siamese. The color of the points corresponds to one of the main colors, and the color of the body is in harmony with it.

Types of color-poited:

• solid;
• shaded;
• veiled;
• bicolor;
• smoky;
• turtle;
• tabby.

Colors with white

The combination of any basic, patterned or tortoiseshell color with white is called the general name bicolor - these are colored spots without white villi, with clear boundaries. There are several groups of this color:

1. Bicolor - from 1/3 to 1/2 white - muzzle, chest, paws, belly. Colored - one or two ears, head, back, tail.
2. Harlequin - only 5/6 white - collar, neck, chest, paws.
3. Van - the main color is white. Colored spots on the head, but the ears are white, colored tail, colored spots on the back are allowed.
4. The tricolor, or calico, is a tortoiseshell (i.e. two-tone) color with white.
5. Mitted is not recognized by the standard and is considered a flaw. Little white, no more than 1/4, head, neck, collar, belly and legs are white.

Now you know what the colors of British cats are. The table with the photo helped us understand the variety of types and types of colors.