Cat Coat Colors and Patterns

Blue - The blue color is a dilute version of black and is in fact deep bluish-gray. Some breeds are more associated with this color, but it can be seen in many breeds or with mixed-breed cats.

Cream - The cream color is a dilute version of the red. In combination with the blue, it can create dilute calicos and tortoiseshells.

Brown - Solid brown cats are not very common. The breed associated with this color is the Havana Brown. In some breeds, brown variations are also called chocolate. Lavender/Lilac - Lilac or Lavender are interchangeable names for a shade of light gray-brown with pink overtones. Some associations and breed clubs use one while others use the other. In the colorpoint pattern, lilac is referred to as frost- point.

Special Effects

Some cats' coats present quite spectacular "special effects," achieved by a change from light color to dark color along the shaft of each hair. The lighter shade is usually white or cream and the darker can be of various colors. These can come in one of three versions:

Tipped - only the tips of the hair are dark. This gives the effect of the Chinchilla coat, where the cat appears almost white, with an all over silvery shimmer. This is sometimes referred to as "Shell."

Shaded - Roughly half of the hair is light and half is dark.

Smoked - Most of the hair is dark, with a light undercoat that shows through as the cat is moving.

Anne Moss is the founder and owner of TheCatSite.com. She is a cat behaviorist and a member of the Cats Writers Association.