Having a hard time determining color of kitten.

Hello I am new to this forum and I would be grateful if some one could help answer my question.

I just recently purcahsed a CFA registered Persian. Beautiful kitten with one of the most loving dispositions I have ever seen in a cat. Unfortuntely I cannot figure out what color he is. I was told he was (and he is registered as) a chocolate Persian but his coloring is very dark and his paw pads are also dark leading me to believe that he is not chocolate but black.

Strange part is, he was born a lighter chocolate color so it doesn't make sense to me why he would be black now?

In some light he looks chocolate while in other light he looks black. If black he is definately not a dark black, but if chocolate he is a VERY dark chocolate.

When comparing pictures of black Persians and chocolate Persians to his pictures I truly cannot tell because there are so many color variations of both.

Does any one know what color my kitten is and if so, could you explain to me how you know this?

His dad was a lilac lynx point Himalayan and his mom a black Persian. The chocolate/lilac is strong in his pedigree on both sides.

Thanks so much

Below are a few pictures of him youngest to most recent. See what I mean about different color in different light.

I'm not an expert, but I would say if he was a lighter chocolate as a kitten he is most likely chocolate.
In the photo it looks like he may have a different color undercoat?

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
I also agree with you that if he was born chocolate that he would stay chocolate. Although I have "heard" that the color can change over time. I'm not really sure what to think.

Thanks for your input

Also- his undercoat is kind of whitish at the base. He also has lighter hairs on his paws (see picture) and chest. Maybe a chocolate smoke?

Check his nose leather. The CFA standard says for choclolate:
nose leather - brown
paw pads - cinnamon pink

With his mother listed as black, he could very well be black. The lighter undercoat happens with the darker solids and usually grow out as they get older. To have a smoke, one of the parents would have to be smoke.

Hi
Thanks
I had read the CFA standards on chocolate Persians but what is exactly cinnimin paw pads? I tried finding pictures online of a chocolate Persians paw pads but couldn't find any thing other then a picture of pink paw pads on a chocolate Persian. His are definately not pink.

Could he turn from a chocolate Persian to a black Persian?

His mother has produced solid chocolates and solid lilacs before with the same father.

my persian boy looked chocolate when he was a kitten and now he is solid black. his mother is a blue persian and his father is flame point himalayan.

Cinnamon color is a pinkish red brown on the paw pads. If the paw pads are black and dark, he's a black - not a true chocolate. And his nose looks black to me. He COULD be a chocolate carrier tho.

My one rex was genetically a black smoke. Mother was tortie and father was a chocolate smoke. She was born off color black and as an adult she changed from black smoke in the winter to chocolate smoke in the summer. The hairs in the summer were literally chocolate brown. Her legs were a very dark chocolate black color.

If you are not intending on showing him or breeding him, then it really doesn't matter. But it matters only in the show ring or as a breeder.

toThanks for your responce. Well I guess he sounds more black then chocolate. He is registered as a chocolate Persian though- I don't know what I do about that? I did have my heart set on a chocolate Persian and I did pay quite a fee for him and had him shipped from VA to Canada, ON but this kitten is very sweet and loving and he's here to stay. I guess maybe in the future I can purchase a chocolate Persian after I save up again.

His paw pads are also fairly dark and not red/pink. More brown. I attached a picture below.

Thanks again

Did you buy him as a pet tho? And IMO it should not matter what color the cat is as far as pricing. Chocolate/Lilac is not rare and worth any more then any other color - its uncommon but shouldn't cost more.

Well I have been researching Persians/Himalayans and the different colors for ages and finally did decide on getting a chocolate Persian. After looking for six months for a chocolate Persian (because they are very hard to find! lol) I finally came across this little guy and then waited an additional 4 weeks until he was ready to go to get him (torture!). There are so many color variations and that is why I am having such a hard time determining whether this little guy is chocolate or black.

On every site I have been on the chocolate/lilac colors are more expensive then the other colors.

I do appreciate your advice and I guess what it comes down to is that I won't know his true color until he has stopped growing.

Kitten coats change a lot too. Not sure but the picture doesn't look like dark paw pads to me - they do look lighter and pinker. Can you try and get a better picture where the light is not so bright shining?

Most purebred kittens colours aren't fully established until they are 18 months old. He sure is cute but you are right he looks different depending on the light

I just took a new picture of his paw pad in regular light. This shows the true color of his paw pads better then the last picture I took (too fuzzy).



lol- maybe he is a chocolate/black Persian. Who knew that telling the color of a kitten could be so confuseing!

Those look pink'ish to me, but I'll leave it to the experts. As for black kitties, mine has black pads, nothing nearly like the above picture. So maybe yours is chocolate after all.

He's adorable!

Thank you for your input

I truly love all the colors of Persians but I really wanted chocolate so I am hoping that is what he is. Regardless, I'll love him to pieces!!

They look like my rexes - it was a weird color - not quite black/dark, but not enough pink to be chocolate. Genetically I'd say the kitten is a black; but it might wind up as a dark chocolate when fully grown and with an adult coat.

I had a very hard time deciding what my rex really was. But she was looked at by judges and breeders and we determined she should be registered as a black smoke and not a chocolate.

Charlie is a chocolate spotted Ocicat and his paw pads are rose color - no dark in them. Your kitten doesn't have that really rose color - its blacker.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

I guess I will wait until he is older to know for sure.

Either way, your kitten is adorable! What a cute face

Thanks he is adorable!!! and very sweet.

what a beauty!

I'm no expert on colours, but he looks more chocolatey than black!