Coat Genetics On Tabby Cats

Coat Genetics on Tabby Cats

John Guner

Eldridge

Honors Biology

1 December 2014

Studies show that different coats run in different type of cats. This is because of the cat’s coat genetics. Many different cats have their own genes to create different patterns and coats on them. Specifically tabby cats have a unique set of genes to produce the tabby cat gene. There are many results of the gene needed to produce a tabby cat and the gene can differ if the cat will intensely be striped or lightly be striped (Whiting 546). Tabbies can be crossed over with different breeds to have different outcomes of how intense the cats stripes will be and how his or her coats will turn out to be (Whiting 546). The tabby cat is one of the most dominant cat genetics

Most tabbies have the agouti gene on their chromosomes which is one of the tabby cat’s main genes (Whiting 562). Yellowish tabby cats have a sex-linked difference from every other possible color for the cat (Whiting 563). Tests can be ran to see if the offspring of a tabby cat that has the agouti gene will have the agouti gene. DNA tests prove that if the tabby has the aa form of the gene, the cat will hide or not show the tabby pattern of the cat’s fur. The tabby cat’s gene can be lined, blotched, and/or striped which are the three different categories that can divide the tabby cat’s different coats and patterns of fur (Whiting 558). Tabbies’ stripes that are recessive meaning non-agouti can still be seen though it is very subtle on their fur and coat. It gives solid black colors to the cat’s coat and makes it look different than regular tabby cats (Searle 214). The difference between striped tabbies and blotched tabbies are that striped tabbies is a variation of the normal pattern. Blotched tabbies have very wide stripes and have a lot less stripes and also the blotched tabby is one

Explained above the non-agouti cats look like solid black colored cats which does not look like a regular agouti tabby cat (Searle 112). The commonly known name for tabby cats’ stripes and patterns are called tabby markings. They are mostly common in the world and in the common domestic household cat. They are laid back and are friendly usually. This can depend on the owner of the cat and how the trainers train their cats. Otherwise they are kind and socialize often. If tabbies are happy then they will express it in their emotions. When they walk and play you can see their emotion which is amazing. Tabby cats can have patched marks, ticked marks, spotted marks, narrow stripes and marks, and/ or swirly patterns of tabby fur. Tabby cats’ genes have mutated to create odd tabbies that don’t express the color coats of tabbies or patterns of different tabbies (Robinson 326). Earlier most tabbies have had an agouti gene ever since mutations happened to the agouti gene in a cat, there have been some darker and solid black coats on tabby cats. These solid black coats are the non-agouti cat coats and patterns mentioned above. Silver and smoked tabbies have been mutated and