Gene C: Full colour

Eurocatfancy

	Genetic terms Dominance of genes Breeding techniques Crossing Table 1 Crossing Table 2 Gene A: Agouti Gene B: Black Gene C: Full colour Gene D: Diluted Gene I: Inhibitor Gene L: Shorthair Gene Mc: Mackerel Gene O: Orange Gene S: Piebald spotting Gene W: White Gene XY: Sex

[Gene C: Colour variants]

Gene C: Full colour

Gene group C, c^s, c^b, c^a, c

These group is called the Albino serie.

FULL COLOUR Gene C

Gene C is responsible that the coat is full coloured without Points.
It is dominant over its alleles. Gene C must be present only once to see its expression.

Alleles

This serie is called to be incomplete dominant, as between the alleles cannot be given a strict order of dominance over each other.
It is only assured that gene C is dominant over its alleles.

SIAMESE Gen c^s

Gene c^s is recessive to gene C. Your cat must have either c^sc^s, c^sc^b, c^sc^a or c^sc that the coat shows points.

sealpoint

BURMESE Gene c^b

Gene c^b is recessive to gen to gene C.
A cat must carry c^bc^a, c^bc or c^bc^b to show a Burmese pattern in the phenotype.

ALBINO Gene c^a

Gene c^a is recessive to gene C.
Albino with light blue eye colour.

ALBINO Gene c

Gene c is recessive to all other alleles.
Albino with pinkish eye colour. A cat must carry gene c twice to be a true Albino.

Possible gene combinations

CC	homozygous full coloured
Cc^s	heterozygous full coloured carries siamese pattern
Cc^b	heterozygous full coloured carries burmese pattern
Cc^a	heterozygous full coloured carries the albino gene
Cc	heterozygous full coloured carries the albino gene
c^sc^s	homozygous for siamese pattern These cats show the siamese pattern in their phenotype and have blue eyes.
c^sc^b	heterozygous for siamese pattern This pattern is called Tonkinese pattern and have an eye colour like green water.
c^sc^a	heterozygous for siamese pattern
c^sc	heterozygous for siamese pattern
c^bc^b	homozygous for burmese pattern These cats show the burmese pattern in their phenotype.
c^bc^a	heterozygous for burmese pattern
c^bc	heterozygous for burmese pattern
c^ac^a	homozygous Albino These cats are Albinos with light blue eye colour.
c^ac	heterozygous Albino
cc	homozygous Albino These cats are Albinos with pinkish eye colour.

If you want to know which colours are possible then click here.

What are Points ?

A cat has points if

It has a mask on its face, the mask is darker coloured then the rest of the head.

The ears are darker coloured in the same colour like the mask.

The legs are darker coloured in the same colour like the mask.

The tail is darker coloured in the same colour like the mask.

The body has a lighter colour than the point colour.

Well known are the Siamese points. There the body is almost white (off white) while the points can be of various colours, blue - blue pointed, seal - seal pointed, tortie - tortie pointed, lilac tabby - lilac tabbypoint, etc. Cats with siamese pattern have blue eyes.
You find this pattern of course in the Siamese and in their longhair version the Balinese - note the name Balinese is not because the cats are originating from Bali, it is an artificial name.

You find the pattern also in the Colourpoint Persians and Exotic - in some federations those Persian cats are called Himalayan, in older times they have been called Khmer.

You can also find the siamese pattern in the Rex, then they are often called Si-Rex.

Also Birman cats are pointed cats. Besides their points their white gloves are characteristique for this breed.

And recently you find this pattern also in the Colourpoint British.

Also Burmese cats are pointed cats. But the difference in colour between the point colour and the body colour is only gradually, the body colour is the same colour like the points which show slightly a darker shade.

A Tonkinese pattern can be seen inbetween those two, but the contrast between the points and the body colour is clearly to be seen, the body itself is not off white it has the same colour tone like the points but lighter. Their eye colour is that of green water, it is called aquamarine.
Well known are the Tonkinese themselves, a shorthaired breed. A speciality of the Tonkinese is that they are heterozygous, a cross breeding between Siamese and Burmese, and therefore you'll find also Siamese and Burmese pointed cats in their litter.

How can this theoretical knowledge be used for the breeding practice ?

You want to breed Colourpoint Persians

Example 1
You have already a colourpoint Persian female and want to get colourpoint tabby point kittens.
You can go in two different ways:
- You use a colourpoint tabby point stud male.
- You use a tabby stud male which carries the colourpoint gene c^s.

Let's assume You have a sealpoint Persian female: aa B- c^sc^s D- oo mcmc
We omit the combinations "ii" (our female is a non-silver point) and "ss" (we will deal with this in a later example, when we have a look at the Ragdolls). For the underlying tabby pattern we assume tabby blotched.

Case 1:
We use a red colourpoint tabby point stud male: A- B- c^sc^s D- OY mcmc
To make our table easier we assume that the male carries also mcmc.

		female
		aBc^sDomc	aBc^s-omc	a-c^sDomc	a-c^s-omc
male	ABc^sDOmc	AaBBc^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaBBc^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female
	ABc^sDYmc	AaBBc^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaBBc^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male
	ABc^s-Omc	AaBBc^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaBBc^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie tabbypoint female
	ABc^s-Ymc	AaBBc^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaBBc^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue tabbypoint male
	A-c^sDOmc	AaB-c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	Aa--c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie tabbypoint female	Aa--c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie tabbypoint female
	A-c^sDYmc	AaB-c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	Aa--c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint male	Aa--c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint male
	A-c^s-Omc	AaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie tabbypoint female	AaB-c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie tabbypoint female	Aa--c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie tabbypoint female	Aa--c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie tabbypoint or blue/lilac/fawn tortie tabbypoint female
	A-c^s-Ymc	AaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal tabbypoint male	AaB-c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue tabbypoint male	Aa--c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint male	Aa--c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint or blue/lilac/fawn tabbypoint male
	aBc^sDOmc	aaBBc^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie point female	aaBBc^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female
	aBc^sDYmc	aaBBc^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal point male	aaBBc^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male	aaB-c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal point male	aaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male
	aBc^s-Omc	aaBBc^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female	aaBBc^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie point female
	aBc^s-Ymc	aaBBc^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male	aaBBc^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue point male	aaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male	aaB-c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue point male
	a-c^sDOmc	aaB-c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female	aa--c^sc^sDDOomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie point female	aa--c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie point female
	a-c^sDYmc	aaB-c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal point male	aaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male	aa--c^sc^sDDoYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point male	aa--c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point male
	a-c^s-Omc	aaB-c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal tortie point female	aaB-c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/blue tortie point female	aa--c^sc^sD-Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie point female	aa--c^sc^s--Oomcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tortie point or blue/lilac/fawn tortie point female
	a-c^s-Ymc	aaB-c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal point male	aaB-c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/blue point male	aa--c^sc^sD-oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point male	aa--c^sc^s--oYmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point or blue/lilac/fawn point male

Case 2:
We use a blue tabby stud male which carries the colourpoint gene c^s: A- B- Cc^s dd mcmc
To make our table easier we omit the combinations "ii", "oo" and "ss" as they are not relevant for the colour - but note, that they are present of course - and we assume that the male is tabby blotched and therefore carries mcmc.

Our female is still the same: aa B- c^sc^s D- mcmc
We omit here also the combinations "ii", "oo" and "ss" as they are not relevant for the colour.

		female
		aBc^sDmc	aBc^s-mc	a-c^sDmc	a-c^s-mc
male	ABCdmc	AaBBCc^sDdmcmc black tabby	AaBBCc^sd-mcmc black/blue tabby	AaB-Cc^sDdmcmc black tabby	AaB-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue tabby
	ABc^sdmc	AaBBc^sc^sDdmcmc seal tabbypoint	AaBBc^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue tabbypoint	AaB-c^sc^sDdmcmc seal tabbypoint	AaB-c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue tabbypoint
	A-Cdmc	AaB-Cc^sDdmcmc black tabby	AaB-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue tabby	AaB-Cc^sDdmcmc black tabby	AaB-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue tabby
	A-c^sdmc	AaB-c^sc^sDdmcmc seal tabbypoint	AaB-c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue tabbypoint	Aa--c^sc^sDdmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint	Aa--c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon or blue/lilac/fawn tabbypoint
	-BCdmc	a-B-Cc^sDdmcmc black or black tabby	a-B-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue or black/blue tabby	a-B-Cc^sDdmcmc black or black tabby	a-B-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue or black/blue tabby
	-Bc^sdmc	a-B-c^sc^sDdmcmc seal point or seal tabbypoint	a-B-c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue point or seal/blue tabbypoint	a-B-c^sc^sDdmcmc seal point or seal tabby point	a-B-c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue point or seal/blue tabbypoint
	--Cdmc	a-B-Cc^sDdmcmc black or black tabby	a-B-Cc^sd-mcmc black/blue or black/blue tabby	a---Cc^sDdmcmc black/chocolate/cinnamon or black/chocolate/cinnamon tabby	a---Cc^sd-mcmc black/chocolate/cinnamon or blue/lilac/fawn or black/chocolate/cinnamon tabby or blue/lilac/fawn tabby
	--c^sdmc	a-B-c^sc^sDdmcmc seal point or seal tabbypoint	a-B-c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/blue point or seal/blue tabbypoint	a---c^sc^sDdmcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point or seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint	a---c^sc^sd-mcmc seal/chocolate/cinnamon point or blue/lilac/fawn point or seal/chocolate/cinnamon tabbypoint or blue/lilac/fawn tabbypoint

As you can see on both tables in some cases we are not able to decide the colour clearly, because we didn't know the full code of the parents - that's indicated by the "-".
In practice you use these tables to derive backwards the encoding of the parents. Once you have determined the colour of the kittens, you can fill out more parts of the table and deduct backwards some more parts of the encoding of the parents.

In the second table you can see another phenomenon, all non-colourpoints are colourpoint carriers, so called Colourpoint Hybrids - from outside they don't show points but inside they carry them. Such Hybrids are very often used in breeding programs - see our example 3.

Example 3

As you know it is still a problem with the Colourpoints that they are not so typy as their non-pointed collegues. How can that be improved that they get shorter noses ?
A very common breeding practice is to use solid (=non-pointed and non-colourpoint carriers) coloured cats because they are more typy and to mate them with colourpoints. The improvement in type already in the 1st generation is obvious.
And from this litter, which are all Colourpoint-Hybrids the best one is kept and used for further breeding.
A common practice is to breed Colourpoints from two Hybrids.
But note the eye colour of the Hybrids can be lighter orange and the blue eye colour of the Colourpoints bred from two hybrids might be faded. Sometimes also white cats with blue eyes are used - but only use cats with deep blue eye colour and which are not deaf.

1. step:
We mate colourpoints with solid coloured cats and keep from each mating one colourpoint-hybrid.
It doesn't matter wether the female or the male is the solid part.
We assume the male is solid coloured.

		male
		C	C
female	c^s	*Cc^s*	*Cc^s*
female	c^s	*Cc^s*	*Cc^s*

All the kittens are colourpoint carriers and we will keep the most typy ones for further breeding.

2. step:
Now we mate 2 hybrids.

By the way to find out wether a cat is a colourpoint carrier or not you have to do test mating either to mate the cat to a hybrid which is known to carry the gene c^s or to mate the cat with a colourpoint. If the cat carries the gene c^s you must get colourpoint kittens otherwise not.

		male
		C	*c^s*
female	C	CC no colourpoint carrier	*Cc^s* colourpoint carrier
female	*c^s*	*Cc^s* colourpoint carrier	*c^sc^s* colourpoint

What you can see in this table is that we got a colourpoint kitten and that we have increased the number of colourpoint carriers.

What's about the Ragdolls ?

The Ragdolls are also pointed cats. Their genetic encoding looks like this:

Bicolour:	aa c^sc^s SS
Mitted:	aa c^sc^s Ss
Colourpoint:	aa c^sc^s ss

Bicolour and mitted Ragdolls also must show white feet, which are caused by another gene, the so called gloving gene (we will deal with it later).
You find them mostly in the colours seal, blue, chocolate and lilac, red and cream, you have to add "BB" or "Bb" for the seal/blue, "bb" for the chocolate/lilac, and "OO/OY" or "Oo" for the red and tortie.
If they are non-diluted you add "DD" or "Dd" - seal, chocolate,red and tortie, and for the diluted you add "dd" - blue, lilac, cream and diluted tortie.

non-diluted colour			diluted colour
bicolour	seal	aa B- c^sc^s D- SS	blue	aa B- c^sc^s dd SS	For "B-" you may put "BB" or "Bb". For "D-" you may put "DD" or "Dd". Note: In the red/cream cat, the cat may carry black (B-) or chocolate (bb). The tortie may be either a black tortie (B- Oo) or a chocolate tortie (bb Oo). The same goes for the diluted tortie: it may be either a bluecream (B- dd Oo) or a lilac tortie (bb dd Oo).
	chocolate	aa bb c^sc^s D- SS	lilac	aa bb c^sc^s dd SS
	red	aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- OY male aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- OO female	cream	aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd OY male aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd OO female
	tortie	aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- Oo female	diluted tortie	aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd Oo female
mitted	seal	aa B- c^sc^s D- Ss	blue	aa B- c^sc^s dd Ss
	chocolate	aa bb c^sc^s D- Ss	lilac	aa bb c^sc^s dd Ss
	red	aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- OY Ss male aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- OO Ss female	cream	aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd OY Ss male aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd OO Ss female
	tortie	aa B-/bb c^sc^s D- Oo Ss female	diluted tortie	aa B-/bb c^sc^s dd Oo Ss female
colourpoint	seal	aa B- c^sc^s D- ss	blue	aa B- c^sc^s dd ss
	chocolate	aa bb c^sc^s D- ss	lilac	aa bb c^sc^s dd ss
	red	aa B- c^sc^s D- OY ss male aa B- c^sc^s D- OO ss female	cream	aa B- c^sc^s dd OY ss male aa B- c^sc^s dd OO ss female
	tortie	aa B- c^sc^s D- Oo ss female	diluted tortie	aa B- c^sc^s dd Oo ss female

If you breed Ragdolls you need all 3 varieties, Bicolour, Mitted and Colourpoint. You should not only use Bicolours, as you could produce Vans which are undesirable because they have too much white.

Example 4:
We cross a bicolour chocolate Ragdoll with a mitted lilac Ragdoll.

Our chocolate bicolour male has the combination: aa bb c^sc^s D- SS

The lilac mitted female has the combination: aa bb c^sc^s dd Ss.

Of course both of them carry also "ii" - as they are non-silver - and "oo" - as they are not red.
Which tabby pattern they carry is not important, because they cannot show it as they carry "aa".

		male
		abc^sDS	abc^s-S
female	abc^sdS	aabbc^sc^sDdSS chocolate bicolour	aabbc^sc^sd-SS chocolate/lilac bicolour
female	abc^sds	aabbc^sc^sDdSs chocolate mitted	aabbc^sc^sd-Ss chocolate/lilac mitted