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Cat Coat Genetics Calculator
Predict kitten colors and patterns based on parent genetics
🧬 Mendelian cat coat genetics • Predicts probabilities based on dominant/recessive inheritance
🎨 Predicted Kitten Coat Colors & Probabilities
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| Trait | Sire Genotype | Dam Genotype | Possible Offspring |
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🧬 How to read: Each trait follows Mendelian inheritance. Dominant alleles (capital letters) mask recessive ones (lowercase). Probabilities shown are statistical — actual litter results may vary. For red/tortie, males inherit one X from dam; females inherit from both.
Predict kitten coat colors — based on Mendelian genetics
How Cat Coat Genetics Work
Cat coat color and pattern are determined by several genes that interact in complex ways. This calculator uses Mendelian inheritance principles to predict the probability of different coat colors and patterns in kittens based on the parents' genetics.
Key Genes Explained
- Fur Length (L/l): Recessive long hair (ll) produces longhaired cats. Short hair is dominant.
- Eumelanin (B/b/bl): Controls black pigment. B (black) > b (chocolate) > bl (cinnamon).
- Red (O/o): Sex-linked (X chromosome). Red/ginger males inherit O from mother; females need two O for red, one O gives tortoiseshell.
- Dilution (D/d): Recessive dilution (dd) turns black to blue, chocolate to lilac, cinnamon to fawn, red to cream.
- Agouti (A/a): Tabby pattern. A (agouti) produces tabby; aa is solid/non-tabby.
- White Spotting (Ws): Causes white patches. Wsw = 0-50% white, WsWs = 50-100% white, ww = no white.
Color Combinations
- Black (B_ D_): Black, blue (dd), chocolate (bb), lilac (bb dd), cinnamon (blbl), fawn (blbl dd)
- Red/Ginger (O_): Red (D_), cream (dd)
- Tortoiseshell (Oo): Black + red patches; diluted version is blue-cream (dd)
Tabby Patterns
- Mackerel (Mc): Striped pattern (dominant)
- Classic (mc): Swirled bullseye pattern (recessive)
- Spotted/Ticked: Modified patterns from polygenes
Understanding Probabilities
Each genetic trait is inherited independently. The percentages shown are the statistical chance for each combination. For example, if both parents are Bb (black carrying chocolate), there's a 25% chance of chocolate kittens. Actual results may vary due to random assortment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can two black cats produce a chocolate kitten? — Yes, if both carry the chocolate gene (Bb).
- Why are most red cats male? — Red is sex-linked on the X chromosome. Males only need one red gene; females need two.
- What is a tortoiseshell cat? — A female with one red gene and one non-red gene (XOXo).
- Can dilute parents produce non-dilute kittens? — No. Dilute (dd) is recessive — both parents must carry at least one D to produce non-dilute.
- What determines white spotting? — The KIT gene (Ws) causes variable white patches. Dominant white (W) makes the whole cat white.