Kitten markings?

[Jessbubz1802]

Hi everyone. Could I get some insight as to what ‘colour/markings’ these kittens are or will be please?
mums black and white. No idea who the dad is we lost her for around a week
thank you x

 

[Sarthur2]

They look like little grey and white tabby kittens at present. Is it 2 or 4 kittens? StefanZ can offer a bit of genetic explanation when he comes around.

 

[Jessbubz1802]

There’s 2, the other 2 are full black. She’s had a litter before a few years ago and they were black and white so we were surprised at these. thank you for your reply. They have homes but I was just curious as I’ve not really seen a silver tabby with so much black / dark in the coat aswell. X

 

[Sarthur2]

Do you plan to spay your cat after this litter? She’ll be much healthier and live longer!

Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats - A Complete Guide - TheCatSite

 

[Jessbubz1802]

Do you plan to spay your cat after this litter? She’ll be much healthier and live longer!

Why You Should Spay And Neuter Your Cats - A Complete Guide - TheCatSite

Yes! I’ve booked her in for when they leave. We thought we’d be able to keep her in but she’s proved otherwise lol .

 

[StefanZ]

There’s 2, the other 2 are full black. She’s had a litter before a few years ago and they were black and white so we were surprised at these. thank you for your reply. They have homes but I was just curious as I’ve not really seen a silver tabby with so much black / dark in the coat aswell. X

So momma is black and white, littermates are full black?

These kittens are tabbies, probably mackerel tabbies...
In not sure they really carry any white... Its typical for tabbies to have whitish around mouth and eyes, its no true white spot gene.

OK, the easy part; daddy (or one of daddies) is the mackerel (black silver?) tabby...

He is heterozygot for tabby, otherwise all would be tabbies.... OR there are 2 fathers...

The problem is, none of the kittens seems to have true white spot. Not the all blackies, and probably not these here tabbies.

If momma is heterozygot on the white spot gene - which she probably is, half of her kittens "should" have white spots, half not.
Now, the statistics arent ironclad...
So its fully possible none will have no white spots.... In next batch perhaps all will have white spot...

Still, its less common. 10% chance?

 

[Jessbubz1802]

So momma is black and white, littermates are full black?

These kittens are tabbies, probably mackerel tabbies...
In not sure they really carry any white... Its typical for tabbies to have whitish around mouth and eyes, its no true white spot gene.

OK, the easy part; daddy (or one of daddies) is the mackerel (black silver?) tabby...

He is heterozygot for tabby, otherwise all would be tabbies.... OR there are 2 fathers...

The problem is, none of the kittens seems to have true white spot. Not the all blackies, and probably not these here tabbies.

If momma is heterozygot on the white spot gene - which she probably is, half of her kittens "should" have white spots, half not.
Now, the statistics arent ironclad...
So its fully possible none will have no white spots.... In next batch perhaps all will have white spot...

Still, its less common. 10% chance?

Sorry I must of missed adding that there was a black and white one born too. There was 5 altogether if that changes your comment he is male. The all black and the tabbies there’s a male & female of both x

 

[Jessbubz1802]

So momma is black and white, littermates are full black?

These kittens are tabbies, probably mackerel tabbies...
In not sure they really carry any white... Its typical for tabbies to have whitish around mouth and eyes, its no true white spot gene.

OK, the easy part; daddy (or one of daddies) is the mackerel (black silver?) tabby...

He is heterozygot for tabby, otherwise all would be tabbies.... OR there are 2 fathers...

The problem is, none of the kittens seems to have true white spot. Not the all blackies, and probably not these here tabbies.

If momma is heterozygot on the white spot gene - which she probably is, half of her kittens "should" have white spots, half not.
Now, the statistics arent ironclad...
So its fully possible none will have no white spots.... In next batch perhaps all will have white spot...

Still, its less common. 10% chance?

 

[StefanZ]

Ok tx. This improves the statistics somewhat, but the answer essentially the same.
These colors arent gender dependent.

 

[Jessbubz1802]

Ok tx. This improves the statistics somewhat, but the answer essentially the same.
These colors arent gender dependent.

Thank you for the info are they brown or silver tabby? I think they’re definitely mackerel, I can see it more today x

 

[StefanZ]

I dont see the colors good enough... Perhaps later on?

For the time being, presume they are regular mackerel brown / black tabbies.