Ticked cats appeared at the exhibitions relatively recently and immediately gained immense popularity among pet lovers. Initially, such an unusual color could only have representatives of the Abyssinian breed. Later, breeders brought cats with this color and other breeds.
What is a tick
Cats with fur of this color look really very attractive and unusual. On the fur coat of such pets there are no usual stripes and at the same time it does not look monophonic.
Ticked color in cats is also called "color without color." The strips in this case are not located directly on the body of the animal, but on each individual hair. A cat with such fur looks as if covered with freckles. During the movement of such an animal, its fur seems to shimmer and shine. Many people think that this color is very similar to the color of squirrels or chinchillas.
The main signs of color
Ticked cat hair can only be recognized if:
on the animal’s body there is absolutely nothing — neither a clear, nor a blurry extraneous pattern;
on each hair on the animal’s fur there are several dark and light stripes (dark - at least 3).
In ticked colors, among other things, stripes are allowed on the tip of the tail and legs, the presence of a “necklace” on the neck, as well as stripes in the form of the letter “M” on the forehead. Such drawings are not considered an occasion for disqualification of cats of any breeds, except for the Abyssinian.
Types of ticked color
In addition to Abyssinians, cats of this breed can have such a hair color today:
Scottish and British;
American wire-haired, miniature, short-haired;
bobtail;
American Curl
Persian
Maine Coon;
Ceylon;
Devon Rex
Munchkin and some others.
The main types of ticked color in cats are distinguished 9:
the black;
cream;
blue;
chocolate;
cinnamon;
red;
lilac;
gold;
faun.
Black ticked color
The coding of this color is as follows: n 25. Cats with this color have a black pattern on a copper background. The nose and eyes of animals are surrounded by a rim. The color of this edging is dark. The nose of cats is brick red, and the eyes can be any color, including green. Do not have pets with such wool only blue eyes. Paw pads in black ticked animals are brown or black.
Cream
The code for this color is e 25. The background of the coat in these animals is cream. The ticking pattern on it is peach or sand. The eyes and nose of cats are surrounded by a dark pink rim. Paw pads in animals of cream ticked color pink. The nose of cats has the same color. Eyes in pets can be yellow, copper, orange or brown.
Chocolate
In cats of color b 25, the coat has an attractive milky chocolate background. The tick pattern in this case differs in dark chocolate color. The nose and eyes of these cats are surrounded by a brown rim. Paw pads for chocolate ticked pets are usually brown or cinnamon-colored. The eyes of animals are yellow or brown.
Ticked cinnamon
The coding of this color is about 25. The background of the coat in such cats is pleasant to the eyes - honey. In this case, the ticking pattern has the color of cinnamon. The nose and eyes of animals are encircled by a rim of the same dark shade. The nose of cats with this color can have a coral color or the same cinnamon. The animal's eyes are yellow, brown, or orange. Cinnamon color have paw pads of cats of this color.
Red ticked
The coat of cats d 25 looks not only unusual due to the ticking, but also very bright. The pattern on the body of such animals is rich red on a red background. The nose and mouth of ticked cats of this color are also encircled by the rim of the same color.
The eyes of animals in this group can vary in color from yellow to brown. The nose and paw pads are brick red.
Purple
This color in the catalogs is marked with a code from 25. The background of the fur of such cats is pale lavender. Freckles on it at the same time have a gray shade with hoarfrost. The nose and eyes of animals are surrounded by a lavender rim. The nose of cats in this group is pink, and the paw pads are lavender. Eyes can have all shades of yellow.
Gold
This is the rarest and very beautiful color of cats encoded ny 25. The background of the coat in animals in this case is apricot, and the stripes on the hair are dark. Most often, a golden ticked color is found among the British. The eyes of such pets should be emerald green by standard. The paw pads, as well as the stroke in animals of this group, are brown or black. The nose of cats of this color is brick red.
Ticked Faun
The coat in cats of group p 25 is distinguished by a pale ivory color background. The ticking pattern has a shade of fauns. The nose and eyes of such animals are surrounded by a light pink rim. The eyes of cats with ticked fauns can be yellow, orange or brown. The paw pads and nose of these cats are distinguished by the color of a pale faun.
Blue wool
Such cats, belonging to group a 25, have a wool of a warm beige background with a blue tick. The nose and eyes of these animals are surrounded by a grayish rim. The paw pads of blue cats are deep pink. In this case, the nose is distinguished by the color of a faded rose. The eyes of these cats are yellow.
The secrets of genetics
Breeding cats with ticked color breeders consider the task difficult, but at the same time very exciting. At the moment, experts were able to isolate only two genes responsible for this design of the fur of furry pets: ticking Abyssinian and general.
The first gene gives a tick on the hairs of the animal with the same frequency of stripes. At the same time, painting with triple zoning is considered ideal. Mandatory for such an exterior is, among other things, a strip on the back of a slightly darker shade than body color.
The gene for general ticking does not give the number of strips on the hairs and their distribution, but simply smooths the saturation in the color of the cat. The homozygous form of this U gene is capable of making the pattern on the animal’s body almost invisible. In heterozygous, however, a clear pattern on the legs and tail, as well as a shadow on the body, is observed. Such a gene has a feature that begins its work from the very birth of a kitten.