Witchfyre Siberian cats page, Witchstorm

Siberian coat genetics simplified!

Introduction

Whilst I know that being able to predict coat colour in a cat does not on its own make me a good cat breeder, understanding inheritance through genetics does. Getting these basics combinations wrong may demonstrate lack of basic knowledge and experience. This is particularly important in regards to health and equally applicable to traits or characteristics you want to preserve or introduce into your breed.

There are many good, and some too complex, websites out there and I have added links to the bottom of this article. You are very welcome to link to this page, but please do not just copy the information, it shows weakness of character and creates a false illusion that you have knowledge to those seeking to learn, which will eventually find you out.

Things to remember

There are dominant genes, those that take over or change others, and recessive genes, those that hide in the background that cannot be seen until two come together

In the case of black, brown or red, a male kitten gets its coat colour from its mother and a female kitten from its mother and father

There are three primary colour genes
B = Black or Brown pigment. This gene is dominant to b and b1
b = chocolate. This gene is dominant to b1 but recessive to B
b1 = cinnamon. This gene is recessive to both B and b

Blue is the dilute of black, cream is the dilute of red. In the case of recessive genes, like to like breeds alike. Two colourpoint cats can only produce colourpoint. Two blues can only produce blue.

A silver parent will produce silver kittens to a non silver

All cats have tabby genes. Solid black or blue cat do not show the tabby pattern. You cannot tell by sight if a red is tabby or solid.

XX is a female cat and XY is a male

At this point you can probably go away and work out your expected colours. Or you can go to Kitten predicter by D Macmillen. Remember, if you like to work with probabilities, these will be for each kitten. If you would like a little more technical information read on

Siberian Coats genetic codes and their meanings

Colours

I have placed these in a simple order of dominance when considering your kittens coat possibilities

W: This is the white gene. It is a modifier gene which covers the pigment in your cats coat, genetically the cat is still a red or black cat, but this is masked by the gene
It is dominant. If both parents are WW then all kittens will be WW(white). If one parent is WW and one ww(non white) then all of the kittens will be white carrying non white. If one or both parents are Ww(white carrying non white) some kittens will be white and some non white.
This gene can cause deafness in cats

S: This is the white spotting gene, responsible for bi-colour, white chest, face masks, paws and lockets. It is a modifier gene
It is dominant to colour, but equal to or recessive to White (you cannot tell by looking). All white cats can have white spotting but it does not show.
SS would show as a bi colour or high white
Ss would show as some white e.g chest, paws, lockets etc
ss would have no white

O: This is the gene responsible for the red colouring in cats. It is a modifier gene that changes the black colour to red.
It is dominant but is only passed on the X chromosome.
B (black) OO female is red
B (black) Oo female is tortie
B (black) oo female is black
B (black) O male is red
B (black) o male is black

B: This is the gene responsible for black and brown. It is a primary colour gene.
Its appearance can be modified by O (red), I (silver), ii (gold), d (dilute) Tabby (Ta, Tm and Tc) and A (agouti)

I: This is the gene responsible for silver, also known as the inhibitor gene. It is a modifier gene that changes the black to silver as in jewellery and red to a white base coat with red tips. It is dominant
B (black) II is silver
B (black) Ii is silver carrying golden
B (black) ii is golden
B (black) OO II is red silver
B (black) OO Ii is red silver carrying non silver
B (black) OO ii is red
If one parent is II then all the kittens will be silver. If one parent is Ii and one non silver some of the kittens will be silver and some not. If both parents are Ii some kittens will be silver and some not. A cat must have the agouti gene to express as black silver (tabby), if non agouti (solid) the colour is described as black smoke. As the tabby pattern shows through red coats you cannot tell by sight whether the cat is red silver tabby or red smoke. Golden is expressed as B ii and is recessive to silver.

d: This is the gene responsible for dilution. It is a modifier gene.
It is recessive gene which means you need this gene from both parents to modify the colour
B (black) DD is black
B (black) dd is blue or grey
B (black) Dd is black carrying blue
B (black) OO DD female is red
B (black) OO Dd female is red carrying dilute
B (black) OO dd female is cream
B (black) O dd male is cream�and so on
Two dilute cats, all kittens are dilute. Two parents carrying dilute, some kittens will be dilute and some not. One parent carries dilute, no dilute kittens but some kittens will carry the dilute gene

cs: This is the gene responsible for colourpoint. It is a modifier gene.
It is a recessive gene which means you need this gene from both parents to modify the colour
B (black) CsCs is black
B (black) Cscs is black carrying colourpoint
B (black) cscs is seal point
B (black) OO CsCs female is red
B (black) OO Cscs female is red carrying colourpoint
B (black) OO cscs female is red point
B (black) O cscs male is red point�and so on
Two colourpoint cats, all kittens are colourpoint. Two parents carrying colourpoint, some kittens will be colourpoint and some not. One parent carries colourpoint, no colourpoint kittens but some kittens will carry the colourpoint gene

Coat length

L: This is the gene responsible for coat length. It is dominant.
ll is longhair (recessive)
Ll is shorthair carrying longhair
LL is shorthaired (dominant)

Coat Pattern

A: This gene is responsible for the distribution of colour on the hair shaft. It is required as the dominant form to express the tabby coat and in the recessive form for solid colouration, all the hair is one colour.

There are three genetic tabby patterns. They can be modified by the colour genes above to give different appearances, but are basically:-
Ta. Ticked Tabby. Dominant to both Tm and Tc
Tm. Mackerel Tabby. Dominant to Tc but recessive to Ta
Tc. Classic Tabby. Recessive to Ta and Tm.
The agouti gene is needed to express the pattern hence:
AA Ta Ta is Ticked or Abyssinian tabby
Aa Ta Ta is Ticked or Abyssinian tabby carries solid
aa Ta Ta is solid carrying Ticked or Abyssinian tabby
AA Ta Tm is Ticked or Abyssinian Tabby carrying Mackerel tabby
AA Ta Tc is Ticked or Abyssinian Tabby carrying Classic tabby
AA Tm Tm is Mackerel tabby
Aa Tm Tm is Mackerel tabby carries solid
aa Tm Tm is solid carrying Mackerel tabby
AA Tm Tc is Mackerel tabby carries classic tabby
AA Tc Tc is Classic tabby
Aa Tc Tc is Classic tabby carries solid
aa Tc Tc is solid carrying Classic tabby
Variations of the tabby pattern including spotting and shading are explained in more depth on some of the links I have provided.

Examples of genetic notation for a particular colour

LLAATmTmWWSSOOIIBBDDCsCsXX ~ Longhaired, all white female. Masked, therefore carries red silver mackerel tabby with white spotting,
llaaTmTmwwssoo_ _BBddcscsxx ~ Shorthaired, blue point female, carrying mackerel tabby
LlAATmTcwwssO_ _ _B_DdCscsXY ~ Longhaired, red mackerel tabby male carries shorthair, classic tabby, dilute and colourpoint.
LLAaTcTcwwSso_IiB_DDCsCsXY ~ Longhaired, black silver classic tabby male with white, carries solid
LLaaTcTcwwsso_ _ _B_DDcscsXY ~ Longhaired, seal colourpoint male carries classic tabby.
LLAATmTcwwsso_iiB_DDCsCsXY ~ Longhaired, golden mackerel tabby male carries classic tabby.
LLaaTmTcwwSSOoiiBBddCscsXX ~ Longhaired, blue/cream/white tortie (tricoloured) female carrying mackerel and classic tabby and colourpoint

Hope this keeps it simple, check out the links for more in depth information, have fun

Witchfyre & Witchstorm

Colour genetics and the Siberian Cat