Expected Kitten Colour??

[Jessbubz1802]

Hi everyone,
Not sure if this post should be here specifically!
Anyway, can anyone help me with just a curiousity question?
My cat is pregnant. I found a male in my house, thought nothing of it, shooed it off never to be seen again. I’ve recently discovered she’s pregnant!! I’m ok with this but I’d like to know what colour her kittens are likely to be. I’ve searched google and can’t quite figure out all the coding etc. Anyway, she’s black and white and this male was black and white. Does anyone know what these kittens are likely to be and can give me the reasons why?
Thanks so much

 

[lutece]

If both parents are black and white, the kittens are most likely to be either black and white, or solid black.

It is possible that the parents carry recessive genes for dilute (blue) and/or colorpoint ("Siamese" pattern). In this case you may see a kitten or two that is blue (with or without white), seal point (with or without white), or blue point (with or without white).

You are not likely to see any tabby kittens, red (orange) kittens, or tortoiseshell or torbie kittens, because these colors are not possible if both parents are black and white. If you do see kittens with any of those colors, you will know that there was another male involved.

 

[Jessbubz1802]

Thanks for the reply
My cats mom was like a Siamese (grey/cream/white), her siblings were grey and 1 an almost ombré effect grey/black! I don’t know how it’s passed on though, I read somewhere it’s only the parents that pass colours onto kittens though? Xx

 

[lutece]

The genes for dilute (blue) and colorpoint are recessive. If your cat's mother was a bluepoint (with gray points instead of brown/black points), then your cat carries one copy of each of the recessive genes for colorpoint and dilute. So, *IF* the male also carries these genes, you could get blue, sealpoint, or bluepoint kittens, or any of these colors with white.

I don't know how the male got into your house, but from now on, you will want to make sure your house is secure so that she can't get out and other cats can't get in. She can easily get pregnant again very soon after the kittens are born, before you even notice any signs that she is in heat. Cats can be very determined when they want to find a mate! Do you plan to spay her after the litter?

 

[StefanZ]

Excellent answers by Lutece.

 

[StefanZ]

Ps as a rule of thumb colors com from momma patterns may come from both

 

[Jessbubz1802]

If both parents are black and white, the kittens are most likely to be either black and white, or solid black.

It is possible that the parents carry recessive genes for dilute (blue) and/or colorpoint ("Siamese" pattern). In this case you may see a kitten or two that is blue (with or without white), seal point (with or without white), or blue point (with or without white).

You are not likely to see any tabby kittens, red (orange) kittens, or tortoiseshell or torbie kittens, because these colors are not possible if both parents are black and white. If you do see kittens with any of those colors, you will know that there was another male involved.

The genes for dilute (blue) and colorpoint are recessive. If your cat's mother was a bluepoint (with gray points instead of brown/black points), then your cat carries one copy of each of the recessive genes for colorpoint and dilute. So, *IF* the male also carries these genes, you could get blue, sealpoint, or bluepoint kittens, or any of these colors with white.

I don't know how the male got into your house, but from now on, you will want to make sure your house is secure so that she can't get out and other cats can't get in. She can easily get pregnant again very soon after the kittens are born, before you even notice any signs that she is in heat. Cats can be very determined when they want to find a mate! Do you plan to spay her after the litter?

thanks so much for your help.
He got in through a very small window I had to open to air the kitchen out ( I’d burnt something accidentally ) and she’s terrified of the outside - I know it’s weird .. I came downstairs 20 mins or so later and saw the 2 of them just standing in my kitchen! She had been cat calling the night before ( first heat ) so I think she may of lured him to the house .. I’m not sure.. but yes she’s being spayed ASAP afterwards x

 

[Willowy]

Basically, all the kittens will be black and white. They can't be solid black since both parents carry the white spotting gene, but they could have very little white, though it's not likely. And, yes, if both of them carry for the same genes you may get one or two that are blue and white or seal/blue pointed. But no tabbies, no reds, no torties.

 

[lutece]

They can't be solid black since both parents carry the white spotting gene, but they could have very little white, though it's not likely.

White spotting is dominant, so two black and white parents can have solid black kittens. Of course, we haven't seen these particular parents, so we don't know how MUCH white is on them... but generally when people describe a cat as black and white, it's either a bicolor or tuxedo type of cat, consistent with having one copy of the white spotting gene...

 

[biancavd]

What lutece said. I have 2 parents both with white, but 2 of her kittens surely are without

 

[StefanZ]

Wait lutece . I do agree its enough with one copy of the white spotting gene to get a tuxedo. But do you mean a double copy will give something else??

Perhaps even the all white, whom occasionally may come out from a tuxedo?

Also, please tell me what is the difference between a bicolor and a tuxedo? I myself hold them for the same, but I have noticed people do see it as different patterns.

White spotting is dominant, so two black and white parents can have solid black kittens. Of course, we haven't seen these particular parents, so we don't know how MUCH white is on them... but generally when people describe a cat as black and white, it's either a bicolor or tuxedo type of cat, consistent with having one copy of the white spotting gene...

 

[lutece]

Here is information from UC Davis on the dominant white and white spotting genes (they have tests for these genes now): Dominant White
"While the extent of White Spotting is not definitively associated with copy number, anecdotal evidence suggests that two copies of the white spotting insert results in more white."

Basically, having two copies of the white spotting gene is correlated with "high white" (harlequin or van pattern, where more than 50% of the cat is white), and having only one copy of the gene is correlated with "low white" (bicolor or tuxedo, where less than 50% of the cat is white). However because of randomness in development, the amount of white is not always perfectly correlated with the number of copies of the gene, so it is also possible to get high white with one copy, or low white with two copies.

As far as tuxedo vs. bicolor, I think of "tuxedo" as just a little bit of white, usually only on the chest, belly, legs and/or face; "bicolor" is more white than that, maybe 30-50% of the cat being white; "harlequin" is a mostly white cat with patches of color on the body, head and tail; and "van" is a mostly white cat with patches of color being restricted to the head and tail only.

 

[thevoice]

Post pictures of the kittens when they arrive!