What color is this kitten ?

[jennyhamblin]

Curious about the color of this kitty

 

[lutece]

Brown (black-based) classic tabby, also known as blotched tabby. Is it your cat?

 

[jennyhamblin]

No he's not mine I was just curious . For some reason tabby cat colors confuse me lol .

 

[lutece]

No he's not mine I was just curious . For some reason tabby cat colors confuse me lol .

Is it the color or pattern that confuses you?

 

[jennyhamblin]

I think it's the color . It's hard to tell between grey, blue , brown and silver for me. I'm learning though .
Tabby cats are so pretty.

 

[lutece]

Ok, I'll see if I can help. A tabby's color is first of all determined by the color of the stripes:

• Brown tabby is genetically a black-based tabby (the solid colored version of brown tabby is black), so it is called black tabby by geneticists, as well as breeders in some countries and associations. Brown tabbies have black stripes on a brownish background. The background color can be anywhere from cold grayish beige, to warm orangey russet brown.
• Blue tabby is the dilute of brown tabby (just as blue is the dilute of black). Blue tabbies have gray stripes on a beige background.

Silver tabbies are the result of the inhibitor gene combined with tabby. This changes the color of the background and undercoat. The inhibitor gene suppresses the warm colored pigment and makes the base of each hair white.

• Silver tabby is more precisely known as black silver tabby. Silver tabbies have black stripes on a white or nearly white background, and a white or nearly white undercoat. This is the result of the inhibitor gene combined with brown (black-based) tabby.
• Blue silver tabby is also possible. Blue silver tabbies have gray stripes on a white or nearly white background. It is the result of the inhibitor gene combined with blue tabby.

We generally don't use the term "gray tabby" because this can be confusing. Some people use the term "gray tabby" to refer to a brown (black-based) tabby that has a grayish background color, but other people use the term "gray tabby" to refer to a blue tabby.

 

[jennyhamblin]

Ok thank you . This helps me .

 

[jennyhamblin]

Is this a Bengal or spotted tabby?

 

[lutece]

I would describe that pattern as broken mackerel.

 

[jennyhamblin]

Okay . Is it a brown or silver tabby ?

 

[lutece]

It appears to be brown (black-based) tabby, with a grayish beige background color. Silver tabby (that is, black silver tabby) would look more like this:

 

[jennyhamblin]

Ok that's what I was thinking but get confused as they both have black stripes lol I'm learning though . Thank you .

 

[lutece]

Yes, they both have black stripes / spots, the difference is just in the background color and undercoat

 

[jennyhamblin]

Okay those black stripes get me lol
I'm getting it though. A silver is like a white cat with black stripes and a brown tabby is brown with black stripes .