COLOUR DESCRIPTIONS
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COLOUR DIVISIONS & CATEGORIES CATZ Incorporated recognizes colours in four basic colour Divisions, based upon the degree of pigmentation.
TRADITIONAL Colours are those colours which may also be described as FULL COLOUR EXPRESSION. In the case of the other three colour divisions, these include cats affected by alleles which result in the decreased production of melanin in warmer areas of the body. The Pointed Division includes those colours associated with the Siamese or “Himalayan”. The Sepia Division is associated with the colour expression of Burmese and the Mink Division is associated with Tonkinese colours. The tortoiseshell cat carries both eumelanistic and phaeomelanistic alleles. As the phaeomelanistic (red/orange/cream) pigment locus is found only on the X chromosome, a cat carrying BOTH colours would generally have two X chromosomes and therefore typically be a female. Breed Councils may choose to recognize only eumelanistic (black based) colours or phaeomelanistic (red based) colours, but recognition of both requires automatic acceptance of the associated tortoiseshells. Likewise, if both eumelanitic and phaeomelanistic tabbies are accepted, then the associated torbie patterns must also be accepted. Breed Councils accepting both Sepia (Burmese) and Pointed (Himalayan) colours, must also accept the resultant “Mink” colours for Championship. Breed Councils which accept Parti-colours, (cats which exhibit the white spotting factor), must do so in combination with all colours accepted for the breed. The Traditional Colour Division also includes cats which express Dominant White. This is an epistatic trait that completely masks any colours or patterns carried by the cat. On occasion, the masked colours are present on the top of the head of a kitten at birth, but this spot or spots, fades with time and typically has disappeared by approximately one year of age. Kittens or young adults expressing coloured spots which are limited to the top of the head, should not be penalized. Breed Councils, subject to Board approval, may choose to restrict recognition for championship to only a single colour category, or to a grouping of specific colour categories. There are currently six grades of colours accepted by CATZ Inc. ALL BREEDS must conform to the standard colour descriptions listed within each of the FOUR COLOUR DIVISIONS as provided herein.
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TABBY PATTERNS
There are four patterns - Classic, Spotted, Mackerel and Ticked CLASSIC All markings to be clearly defined and dense. On the forehead there should be a letter “M” giving the impression of a frown. There should be an unbroken stripe running back from the outer corner of the eye and narrow lines on the cheeks. On the neck and upper chest there should be unbroken necklaces, the more the better. The edges of the ears to be the same colour as the markings with a central patch of ground colour resembling a thumbprint. A series of lines runs from above the “M” marking, over the top of the head and extends to the shoulder markings. The shoulder markings form the outline of a butterfly, when viewed from above. Both upper and lower “wings” should be clearly defined with the central areas broken by small areas of ground colour. On the back there should be an unbroken line running down the spine from the butterfly to the tail, and there should be a stripe on either side of this, running parallel to it. These stripes should be separated from each other by stripes of ground colour. There should be an oyster-shaped” patch, which should be surrounded by one or more unbroken rings on each flank. The legs should be barred evenly with bracelets from the body markings to the toes, which are spotted. The denser concentration of colour should extend from the feet up the back of the leg to the hock joint. The tail should have complete rings, as numerous as possible, with the tip of the tail being the same colour as the markings. The abdominal region should also be spotted. Ground colour and markings should be evenly balanced and both sides of the cat should have identical markings.
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SPOTTED All markings to be clearly defined and dense. The spots may vary in size and should be round and evenly distributed. They should not run together in a mackerel pattern in any part of the coat. On the forehead there should be an “M”. Lines should extend from the top of the head down the back of the neck, breaking into spots on the shoulders and along the spine. There should be an unbroken line running from the outer corner of each eye, and pencilling on the cheeks. The edges of the ears should be the same colour as the markings with a central patch of ground colour resembling a thumbprint. Any necklaces should be broken. The denser concentration of colour should extend from the feet up the back of the leg to the hock joint. The legs should be barred or spotted and the tail should be ringed with complete or broken rings and have a solid tip of the darker colour. In an adult coat a solid spine line is a serious fault. An apparent solid spine line in kittens should show signs of breaking into spots. The spots should not be speckled with any agouti hairs and should be solid to the roots, (except in silver tabbies), showing good contrast with the ground colour. The abdominal region should be spotted. Ground colour and markings should be evenly balanced and both sides of the cat should have identical markings.
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MACKEREL All markings to be clearly defined and dense. On the forehead there should be a letter “M” giving the impression of a frown. There should be an unbroken stripe running back from the outer corner of the eye and narrow lines on the cheeks. On the neck and upper chest there should be unbroken necklaces, the more the better. The edges of the ears to be the same colour as the markings with a central patch of ground colour resembling a thumbprint. A narrow unbroken line runs from the back of the head to the tail, on either side of which is a broken spine line from which narrow lines which form the Mackerel Pattern run vertically down the body; these lines should be as narrow and numerous as possible. The tail rings, which should be as narrow and numerous as possible, may be complete or broken with the tip of the tail being the same colour as the markings. Ground colour and markings should be evenly balanced and both sides of the cat should have identical markings.
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TICKED All markings to be clearly defined and dense. The coat should be evenly ticked with two or three bands of colour extending well down each hair. On the forehead there should be an “M”. There should be an unbroken line running from the outer corner of each eye, and pencilling on the cheeks. The edges of the ears should be the same colour as the markings with a central patch of ground colour resembling a thumbprint. Any necklaces should be broken. The darker colour should be more apparent down the spine line, shading to a paler but harmonious colour on the belly and inside the legs. The denser concentration of colour should extend from the feet up the back of the leg to the hock joint and be seen on the tip of the tail. The body should be free from spots, stripes or blotches. There should be tabby markings on the legs and tail. Ground colour and markings should be evenly balanced and both sides of the cat should have identical markings.
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TIPPED, SHADED, AND SMOKE All markings to be clearly defined and dense.
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BI-COLOUR
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HIMALAYAN POINTED
HIMALAYAN NON-TABBY POINTED
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Page 18 BURMESE POINTED (Sepia)
The Sepia (Burmese brown) factor reduces the amount of pigment in the melanin granules, resulting in a paler colour than in the corresponding full colour solids. Kittens are born light and darken with age. Allowance for paler colour or possible faint ghost tabby markings to be made for kittens and young cats. | ||||||||||||
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Page 19 TONKINESE POINTED (Mink)
The sepia trait is an allele at the same locus as the pointed factor. The expression between sepia and colourpoint (i.e. a cat which carries both the sepia and pointed alleles) produces the slightly pointed solids with blue-green or aqua eyes, referred to as “mink” tones. Coat colour is lighter than the corresponding sepia colours, yet darker than the body colour of the corresponding pointed colour. The mature specimen should be a rich, sound colour, shading almost imperceptibly to a slightly lighter hue on the underparts. Allowance may be made for lighter colour in kittens and young cats and for darker body colour in older cats, but there must be definite contrast between body colour and points. |