What types of British cats are there? Features of the appearance and character of the British Shorthair cat breed. Video - About the British Shorthair cat

The breed of British cats was bred in 1987 in Great Britain. To this day, these kittens are the pride of this country, despite the fact that they have spread throughout the world and have become very popular among many countries. And this is not surprising, because a plush fur coat, a charming look and a British smile cannot leave those who love cats indifferent.

When this cat breed was officially recognized, there was only a white British cat (see beautiful). Then the breeders wanted to breed a large male that would not only be beautiful, but also hardy. In the course of this work, different British kittens began to appear, and therefore at the moment there are about 25 colors of British cats.

Among this list there are very valuable fur coats, which have a rather rare color, and therefore are valued among people, but also cost a lot of money.

At the beginning of the history of the British cat, its coat had a dense undercoat and short, thick hair. However, during the crossing of a British cat with a Persian cat, kittens with longer hair began to appear.

At the moment, the most popular colors are smoky and blue. And cat lovers who breed them at home most likely have no idea that the same father and mother can produce children of completely different colors.

There are types of colors that are divided into groups, they distinguish between cats:

• according to drawings;
• pigmentation;
• predominance of color.

So, let's look at the most popular or rare colors of the British cat breed.

Solid and smoky colors

By the very name “monochromatic” it should be clear that a cat of this type must be exclusively one color. That is, its undercoat, fur and even skin are the same color. No pigmentation is allowed!

Among these pets there are fur coats of the following colors:

• chocolate;
• black;
• white;
• red;
• blue;
• cream;
• lilac.

Now let's look at each one-color pet in order.

Chocolate

This pet has a deep, uniform coat color. As kittens mature, they are predominantly a richer brown color. It is believed that the deeper the color, the more elite the pet.

In different countries, this color can be called differently; the most common names are havanna or chestnut.

Black

This pet has a charcoal-colored skin, undercoat, and entire coat. Why is this color considered the rarest? Because born kittens are black, they can change their color to brown or chocolate by six months. All this is very individual, and therefore difficulties arise in breeding a kitten with this color.

What's worth knowing! Light tan in black or chocolate kittens is unacceptable. It happens that this color is done artificially, by some dishonest breeders.

By nature this is unacceptable, but, unfortunately, this exists! These cats may look gorgeous, but they are considered defective breeds!

White

The skin of such beauties is light pink, the eyes can be blue (or aquamarine) or multi-colored. The fur coat is cool white and uniform in color. For such pets, any yellowing is under no circumstances acceptable.

It happens that born kittens have some pigmentation on their fur, but they must go away, otherwise such a breed will not be considered monochromatic.

Blue

Most people like this particular color of this pet. However, it is worth considering that there should not be any silver tints in the color! The undercoat may be one tone lighter. The coat color itself is without any light hairs. The skin should match the color of the coat - blue! Cm. .

Simply put, this color is called “classic” or “gray”. Young kittens may have minor markings on their bodies that should go away with age. The most elite kittens are those that have a slightly lighter color.

There are several myths about this breed of cats with this color.

Many argue that Britons with blue fur should only have orange eyes. But most Britons of any color are born with blue eyes and only gradually do they acquire their natural color, which they will have for the rest of their lives.

Lilac

A very amazing color, it combines soft pink and blue shades. Of course, this color cannot be described in words, but in the photo you can see what such a pet looks like. See all.

Newborn kittens have a more pinkish coat color, while adults have a slightly bluer coat. The undercoat of lilac kittens is slightly lighter than the color of the coat. The nose and pads on the paws also have this color.

Eyes should only be copper or amber in color. It is impossible to breed such a pet, since there is no such gene that would be responsible for this sheen of fur. Most likely, it is a miracle of nature when two different types of cats mix, as a result of which such purple kittens are born.

Faun

This color is very rare and is often confused. Most of all, it resembles the color of a newborn fawn - soft cream with a pink tint. Since it is very rare to meet such a cat, buying one is of great value.

Worth knowing! If you find a phantom-colored kitten in a nursery or from a breeder, you must ask for a document indicating the authenticity of this color. Because this color can only be determined after DNA analysis. Therefore, if you are not provided with any documentation, then do not buy such an animal. This is either a defective animal or an animal with a cream or purple color, but not a faun!

Cinnamon

It is very rare to meet such a handsome man. They are obtained from chocolate Britons who have this gene. Their babies turn out to be a slightly lighter chocolate color, the so-called “cinnamon” color.

There are also other colors of British cats. Next, we will look at them.

Color Point

These are kittens whose fur has two colors - primary and secondary. The primary color is white or light gray, the secondary color is gray, blue, red. The secondary color colors the pet's paws, face and tail. This Briton has blue eyes.

Shaded gold and silver color

Among blue, black, lilac and chocolate, there are kittens with a silver tint. In this case, this color will color the chest, collar, belly and paws.

Golden color is rare in pets. However, it does not stain the kitten's entire coat. Its hairs are dominated by two colors: at the root the color is dark, and then the whole color is golden.

A distinctive feature of such pets is the expressively black color of the paw pads, the tip of the tail and the eyeliner around the eyes. This breed is popularly called “golden” or “domestic chinchilla”.

Golden color

This pet color is one eighth. That is, one percent consists of a darkened color, and the rest is golden. But this color also has a white color, for example, it colors the collar of a British dog (see).

Among the British there are also colors: tortoiseshell, tabby, marbled tabby (or wild), whiskey and van.

Tortoiseshell

A Briton who is colored in this color scheme should have spots (red, black, cream) on his face. There should be no patterns on the body. Copper or orange eyes.

Tortoiseshell color can consist of several paint palettes, for example:

• Lilac and blue;
• Chocolate, black and brown;
• Cream and red.

It is interesting that this color is more common in females, and if it is present in a male, then this is a genetic error, and such a cat, unfortunately, most often turns out to be infertile. Therefore, if specialists want to bring a British tortoiseshell into the world with the correct colors and completely healthy, then it is worth working on this for a very long time!

Tabby

Such animals can have both silver and golden colors and some color point. Their body may have spots like a leopard or stripes.

Marbled or wild

This type of pussy has a white (silver) coat with dark stripes on it. Usually such drawings are large in size.

This subspecies of cats resembles the color of snow leopards. The stripes are not even, most likely they resemble streaks. The main colors can be blue, black or chocolate, etc.

Whiskas

This pet's official name is tiger or markel. However, the word whiskey is inextricably stuck to the kittens who starred in commercials for food with that name. Usually the main role in it was played by the British, who had this color, so people began to call them Whiskas.

This kitten should have a silver base coat. In order not to confuse this type of British with anyone, remember that he must have three black or gray stripes on his back and yellow-orange eyes.

Such beauties are very much appreciated if their stripes have a rich contrasting color.

Wang

This variety of spotted kittens also includes subspecies:

• bicolor - with white spots on the body;
• van – primary white color;
• harlequin - a kitten that has white on most of its fur;
• mitted - a stripe from the groin to the chin and white limbs of the paws;
• tricolor - tortoiseshell color scheme, which also includes white.

It is worth knowing that pets with the mitted color are not allowed to be bred, since they are still not officially recognized!

Do you know that you can see in this article at the link, it is not officially registered according to international standards as a fold-eared cat.

Tabby color of British cats often called patterned (or drawn, patterned), all because this color is one of the most contrasting and bright.

BRITISH TABBY: COLOR STANDARD

British tabbies, regardless of the pattern on the coat, must have the following elements in their color (the exception is the ticked color - it has no pattern):

• the letter "M" on the forehead;
• “necklaces” on the chest;
• stripes on the paws;
• tail rings;
• one or two rows of spots on the belly;
• A contrasting tabby pattern is required;
• a light spot on each ear on the outside;
• eyeliner and nose to match the main color.

BRITISH STRIPED COLOR (BRINCH, MACKERL)

The striped color of the British (British brindle tabby) must comply with all the same standards as the spotted one, only the pattern on the back and sides must have clear and uninterrupted stripes. In the color of a British Tabby Shorthair cat, the stripes should start at the spine and extend all the way to the paws. The stripes of a British brindle cat are narrow and frequent (and it is believed that the more often the better). Mackerel stripes (mackerel) should not intersect each other, be strictly vertical and always contrasting.

A brindle (striped) British kitten, even with very clear stripes, can “stretch” its color by adulthood and, if the stripes begin to be interrupted anywhere, the color is reviewed by experts and assigned - spotted. The full color of a British brindle kitten will be formed only by the age of one year (other tabby colors are not subject to such changes and most often do not change the appearance of the tabby pattern in adulthood).

British tabby cats are not as common as spotted cats, but more common than marbled cats.

The eye color of British tabby cats can be copper (golden, orange) or green (golden, occasionally silver).

BRITISH MARBLE COLOR (MARBLE)

The British merle color is a very bright, beautiful color, perhaps the most complex in the tabby series. Marbled British cats wear beautiful patterns on their backs (2 stripes along the ridge, closed large circles on the sides, inside of which there is a clear large painted spot. And this entire pattern should not intersect or be interrupted. Also, a British marbled tabby cat has a butterfly pattern on the back of its head, patterns on the cheeks, starting from the corners of the eyes, on the forehead the letter "M". In addition, the British marble cat has closed "necklaces" on the chest (the larger the better), clear rings on the paws and tail. The British marble cat is very valued among breeders for its beautiful design, especially if the color is drawn correctly.

A British merle color may not be contrasting, in which case the color is rejected.

The character of the British marbled cat is no different from all other colors, although often future owners are interested in it, thinking that it is a separate breed of cat.

The marbled color of British kittens is visible from birth and is already quite contrasting. The necessary stripes, circles, and rings are clearly visible. The pattern of a British marbled kitten (British marbled kitten) may blend in a little with the main color of the coat, do not worry, most often by 2 months everything evens out and the color becomes most expressive.

BRITISH TABBY CATS: TYPES OF COLOR

In British tabby cats, the main tone - the color of the coat - is light (for example, red, chocolate, lilac, etc.), but the pattern is made in a dark color (black, blue, red). The colors of British tabby cats (or tabby/tabby) are encoded with the numbers 22/23/24/25, which are added after the main color color.

British tabbies can be of the following types:

• black ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI n 25/24/23/22 (BROWN TABBY);
• blue ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI a 25/24/23/22 BLUE TABBY;
• lilac ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI c 25/24/23/22 LILAC TABBY;
• chocolate ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI b 25/24/23/22 CHOCOLATE TABBY;
• cinnamon ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI o 25/24/23/22 CINNAMON TABBY;
• fawn ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI p 25/24/23/22 FAVN TABBY;
• red ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI d 25/24/23/22 RED TABBY;
• cream ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI e 25/24/23/22 CREAM TABBY;
• silver ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI s 25/24/23/22 – SILVER TABBY;
• golden ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI y 25/24/23/22 GOLDEN TABBY;
• bicolor ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI 25/24/23/22;
• color-point ticked/spotted/striped/marbled BRI 25/24/23/22.

GENETICS OF COLOR

The tabby pattern is due to the A gene - agotti.

You can often hear the phrase from breeders “all cats are tabbies, but not all agoutis.” What does it mean? — Genetically, all cats (yes, all cats, of all breeds and species) have a pattern on their body, but the magic gene “not agouti” hides the pattern on the body.

Color formula:

AA - a tabby cat (with a pattern), she will always give birth to kittens with a pattern, regardless of the color of the second sire;

Aa is a tabby cat (with a pattern), she will always give birth to kittens with and without a pattern (plain);

aa is a cat of a single color (without a pattern).

WHAT DOES A TABBY CAT'S HAIR LOOK LIKE?

The tip of the hair is well pigmented, then there is a less saturated section of the hair and so alternates.

There are several types of tabby patterns - brindle, spotted, ticked, marbled.

• T a – ticked tabby
• T – striped/spotted tabby
• t b – marbled tabby

Color dominance:

• T a is dominant over color T and t b
• T is dominant over color t b
• t b - recessive color

• Most kittens have a visible tabby pattern at birth, even if they are born to solid-colored parents. This confirms that all cats are tabbies.
• If we breed a cat with the recessive allele “aa” (it has an even, solid color) with a tabby cat who has the “Aa” gene, we will get offspring with a tabby pattern and a solid color.
• Two same-colored parents can never produce a tabby kitten.
• From two tabby sires a monochromatic kitten can be born (in the case when the formula of the parents is Aa + Aa - this means that they are carriers of a monochromatic color, being drawn)
• Two ticked parents can produce kittens: ticked, spotted/striped and marbled
• Two spotted/striped parents can produce kittens: spotted/striped and marbled
• Only merle kittens can be born from two merle parents and never spotted/striped or ticked kittens.

BRITISH - TABBY COLOR: SPOTTED, BRIDGE (STRIPPED), MARBLE

Here are photos of British cats, cats, tabby kittens. British tabbies are spotted, striped (brindle), marbled.

	Photo of a British tabby kitten: lilac ticked BRI c
British black marbled on silver, photo of tortoiseshell silver British kitten BRI fs 22
	British tabby, photo color point tabby color BRI a 33 21

BRITISH TABBY KITTENS

British tabby kittens can only be born from parents of this color. Those. at least one parent must be a tabby (with a pattern). A British tabby/tabby kitten should have a fairly contrasting pattern from birth. It must be remembered that over time, the color of British tabby cats “erodes” as the kitten grows, so, for example, a brindle color can turn out to be a spotted color. The full tabby color of British cats is formed by one year.

Cats with aristocratic roots were bred in Great Britain and to this day are the pride of the country. Large and medium-sized Murkies with short plush fur and a charming “Cheshire” smile are a British breed that officially appeared in 1987 and has won millions of fans. The first officially recognized representative was pure white. The desire to breed a large, strong, hardy, calm and intelligent cat has led to the fact that the colors of British cats include more than 25 species. Some of them are considered very rare and are highly valued not only in breed, but also in monetary terms.

Intensive work on popularization, attraction of other popular breeds to breeding, and obtaining offspring from cats from different continents has led to the expansion of breed species. The first Britons had a thick undercoat and short coat. The relationship with the Persian cat gave birth to the British semi-longhair.

Associatively, a British cat appears to be smoky or blue in color; many “cat lovers” cannot even imagine what colors British cats come in and how unusual kittens can appear in a family of two “standard” parents. The types of colors of British cats are divided into groups depending on the pattern, the predominance of color and the method of pigmentation.

Blue solid

The standard color of the breed, popularly called gray or classic. The British Blue's coat is monochromatic, without light hairs; the undercoat may be slightly lighter. The skin is exclusively blue. Representatives with a lighter tone are more valuable for the breed. Kittens are allowed to have a residual pattern, which disappears as the animal grows.

Myths about British blue cats!

№1. It is a common belief that Blue British kittens should have bright orange eyes - this is not true. Kittens of all breeds and colors are born with blue or gray “cloudy” eyes; the iris gradually gains color.

№2. If a breeder offers you an exclusive British Blue Fold, say “Thank you” and walk away. At best, you are offered a Scottish cat, at worst, a mixed breed. There are no shorthaired British Folds.

Golden color, suggests darkened pigmentation on 1/8 of the length of the hair, the rest is painted in a rich golden color. Gray tint or undercoat is not allowed. At the same time, the collar is light, often white, and the ear tassels are silver. Despite the light tone of the coat, cats predominantly have black paw pads, dark or black eyeliner and nose. “Home name” is golden chinchilla.

Tortoiseshell

A prerequisite is an equal presence of tones, the absence of a pattern in red/beige areas. Red/cream spots on the face are desirable. The eyes are copper or orange. According to the laws of genetics, only females can have a tortoiseshell color, so obtaining the ideal color is painstaking work and calculated “for luck.” Tortoiseshell is a rare and difficult to obtain color that combines several colors:

• black/brown/chocolate;

• red/cream;

• blue/lilac.

This is interesting! The birth of males of the correct tortoiseshell color has been recorded throughout the world. However, an error in the genetic code makes cats infertile.

Patterned, aka tabby

One of the colors allows a difference in the color of the fur at the base. British tabbies have a variety of body patterns, from stripes to large and leopard spots. Tabby is divided into silver, golden and color point subspecies.

Each breed standard stipulates not only the size, shape and location of a particular part of the body, but also color. In some breeds, color plays almost no role (for example, sphinxes). In others, on the contrary, color is allocated more than 30% of 100 points of the standard (for example, Korat, Abyssinian, Bengal and some other cats).

Color should be understood as a set of characteristics such as coat color, coat pattern and eye color. Moreover, the color of the coat is genetically linked to the color of the paw pads and nose. And, if, for example, a pure blue cat has some pinkish spot on the pad of her paw, then she is not blue, but blue-cream.

So, the colors of the British Shorthair. First, we give a description of the color of the hairs according to the standard:

“Each hair should be dyed the same color from tip to root, excluding tabby and silver varieties.”

I believe that familiarity with such a description of coat color will upset many owners of solid-colored Britons (a solid coat color is often called solid). According to the above description, British Blues SHOULD NOT have silver coats, no matter how attractive it may look. In black and chocolate British cats, the lower part of the hair SHOULD NOT be bleached. All these defects are related to color defects. And for coat color, the CFA standard assigns 15 points, and FIFE and WCF standards assign 25 points. The American (CFA) standard clearly explains:

“Residual pattern in solids, smokes, shades, shaded golds, bi-colors or calico colors is a disadvantage.”

It should be noted that smoky, shaded and chinchilla are combined into one general group of silver colors. The most popular among cat lovers are blue British cats, second place is occupied by lilac cats, third by silver tabbies and, finally, fourth by spotted varieties. In some countries, the brown-spotted color (chocolate spots on a light background) has become equally popular.

Both European standards adhere to the following color coding.

Solid colors

And x is only seven. Black, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream and white - they are divided by eye color. The color should be uniform, without spots, shades or white hairs. The presence of any drawing is also not allowed. The coat of the British is thick, short and soft to the touch (plush). And, perhaps, only their encodings are worth remembering. Everything else will be remembered by itself. So:

• Black (Black) BRI n
• Blue BRI a
• Chocolate BRI b
• Lilac BRI c
• Red BRI d
• Cream BRI e
• White BRI w

The white color stands a little apart, since white British cats have the right to have orange or blue eyes and even different eye colors in the same animal! Eye color coding is done by number, namely:

• 61 – blue (blue) eyes,
• 62 – orange eyes,
• 63 – odd-eyed

White British dogs are extraordinarily beautiful: their short, thick and soft coat is snow-white, without a hint of yellowness. Any shades and stains are excluded. It is no coincidence that the popularity of these animals has recently begun to increase. However, when breeding them, breeders face considerable difficulties.

At the felinological congress held in 1997, it was even decided to prohibit the breeding of white cats due to the high probability of the offspring developing such physical defects as lack of hearing, sense of smell, etc. In addition, it is not always possible to obtain offspring with with impeccable white fur and blue eyes.

Newborn white kittens may have subtle markings on their heads. If the animals were bred from blue Britons, the markings are pale blue; in the descendants of black cats, the markings are black. That's why it's often said that white Britons have their "ancestry written on their foreheads." Since in adult animals the marks disappear without a trace, their presence in kittens is quite acceptable.

Tortoiseshell colors

Tortoiseshell - spots of two colors (black/red, blue/cream, etc.) fairly evenly distributed throughout the body. Tortoiseshell coloring occurs exclusively in cats (genetics practically excludes tortoiseshell coloring in cats). Here are four more colors whose encodings are worth remembering:

Tortie BRI f, g, h, j

The coat of “turtles” is short, thick and soft. The colors in the coat should be evenly mixed. Short stripes are allowed, in particular on the nose, as well as cream “slippers” on the paws. According to the American standard, the stains must be painted in different colors. The nose and paw pads of these cats are pink and/or black, and the eyes are gold or copper.

The attitude towards tortoiseshell colors is very ambiguous. There are people who do not accept such “creativity” at all. There are others who think this coloring is “cool”. In any case, “turtles” are an irreplaceable “material” for breeding. They give kittens with such a variety of colors that any solid mother can only dream of.

As for an exhibition career, the “turtles” have every right to it. And the judges are very, very loyal to these sweet girls. Every judge understands that British "turtle" cats are "hens that lay golden eggs." Precisely in the sense of beautiful and elegant children.

Typed colors

This part is devoted to colors with “silver”. This very “silver” adds the letter “s” to the encoding. Not all of the hair is dyed, but part of it, starting from the periphery. Depending on the ratio of the dyed part and the total length of the hair, chinchilla, shaded and smoky colors are distinguished.

SMOKE colors

Cats are smoky in color and are genetically descended from silver. Their peculiarity is that each hair is dyed in the main color for 1/3 of the length of the hair, the lower part of the hair and the undercoat should be pure silver (almost white) color.
The coat is short, thick and hard. The nose and paw pads are the same color as the coat. The eyes of British Smokey cats should be golden or copper.

BRI ns, as, bs, cs, ds, es.

• ns – (Black-smoke) black-smoky
• as – (Blue-smoke) blue smoky
• bs – (Chocolate-smoke) chocolate smoky
• cs – (Lilac-smoke) lilac smoky
• ds – (Red-smoke) red smoky
• es – (Cream-smoke) creamy smoky

When looking at a smoky cat, you may get the impression that its color is absolutely uniform. But as soon as the cat begins to move, the light silver undercoat becomes noticeable. So the first impression, as they say, is deceiving.

BRI fs, gs, hs, js.

• fs – black tortoiseshell, smoky
• gs - blue-cream, smoky
• hs - chocolate cream, smoky
• js - lilac-cream, smoky

For example, look at the photo of a black and smoky cat. Please note that taking a photograph of any “smoky” cat is a highly professional matter. Apparently, it is for this reason that it is not so easy to find good photographs of “smoke”.

Shaded and chinchilla colors

The following group of silver colors: shaded And "chinchilla" (shell).

If “smoky” colors look light, then shaded and chinchilla colors look almost white, with a characteristic “spraying” at the very tips of the hairs. In cats with a shaded color, this “spraying” occupies only a sixth of the hair, and in individuals with a chinchilla color, even less - an eighth. Naturally, no one measures the length of a hair with a ruler, much less 1/6 or 1/8 of its color. And anyway, we call all such elegant pussies chinchillas. The following points should be noted regarding shaded and shell colors.

1. Both colors are coded as “smoky” colors, but with the numbers 11 - shaded and 12 - chinchilla (shell). For example, BRI ns11 – black, shaded. Outwardly, she looks white, with a black “spray”, and her paw pads, the rim of her nose and the rim of her eyes should be completely black.

2. Both colors imply that there should be no closed stripes on the limbs, tail, or chest (such stripes on the chest are called a necklace). Shaded cats should have shaded hair on the head, ears, sides, back and tail.

3. Chinchillas must have bright green eyes. Shaded, that is, slightly darker, have the right to have yellow (or orange) eyes. Only then the eye color coding is then added to the color coding: 62, for example, BRI ns11 62.

No less interesting are the golden colors (coded by the letter y, which is indicated by analogy with the letter s in the designation of “silver”). However, this is even more rare for the British breed.

The chin, belly and lower part of the tail should be painted a pale apricot color, the nose - brick, while a transition to black or dark brown is considered quite acceptable. The paw pads of animals of the color in question are black or dark brown, and their eyes are green.

British chinchilla cats look amazingly rich and elegant. Their fur is similar to a fox fur coat. The chinchilla was developed in the early 1970s. English breeder Norman Winder, who crossed the Persian chinchilla with the British shorthair. The breeder was attracted by the luxurious silver coat of the chinchilla and the power of the British. The experiment was a success: in 1973, Winder demonstrated a new breed at an exhibition, which was called the British black with tipping (“spraying”).
This color was recognized in 1980 in England by the board of the cat fanciers' club.

Patterned colors

All patterned colors are called the unifying word “tabby” or “tabby”, which is more correct (English: “tabby”). Tabby colors are more reminiscent of wild cats than others. The coat color can be any

For the British breed, the standard establishes three types of patterns: brindle (mackerel), spotted and marbled. So simple? But any such pattern can be on the “main” color, on a silver or gold background. So try, describe them all, if only there are 6 “main” colors. And also turtles, and “silver” ones, and many, many others. Therefore, now we will not focus on the color of the drawing and the color of the base.

The encoding of the picture is indicated by numbers:

• 22 – Marble
• 23 – Mackerel
• 24 – Spotted

When assessing the exterior, coat color is not in the first place. The highest scores are given to the British cat's head (30), coat color (25), and body type (20 points). A separate line in the standard marks the description of the eyes. Their color is assessed especially strictly when they are blue. It should be very intense, a bright copper or orange color.

● Marble (classic tabby) - characterized by a dense, clear pattern with wide lines. On the shoulder blades the pattern resembles the wings of a butterfly, wide, dark stripes run along the back from the withers to the tail, curls on the sides, the tail is surrounded by 2-3 wide rings. There are several closed rings (“necklaces”) on the neck, which should be as large as possible.

● Tiger (mackerel) - a longitudinal line is “drawn” along the center of the back, from which many thin transverse stripes descend perpendicularly to the sides. The tail is also striped. The “necklaces” around the neck look like chains.

● Spotted tabbies - the body has separate spots, evenly scattered on the back and sides.

The spotted tabby is characterized by frequent and dark spots, which should be clearly visible against a lighter background. In their shape they can be round, oblong or rosette-like. The spotted tabby's head is colored the same as the classic tabby's. The limbs are also spotted. There may not be spots on the tail, but their presence is still desirable. In addition, the tail is sometimes decorated with open rings.

The most common are silver and black, brown and black, and red and brick spotted tabbies. The standard also allows the presence of spotting in cats with even colors: black, blue, brown, red. Their eyes are dark orange or copper in color.

U silver tabby with a pattern, the main color of the coat is pale with a clear silvery tint. The pattern is clear, black, with individual areas painted red or its soft shades, located on the body and limbs. It can be classic, brindle or spotted. Cats of this color have a brick nose, black and/or brick paw pads, and diamond green or hazel eyes.

Main color red tabby, of course, red. The drawing is clear, rich red. The nose and paw pads are brick. Eyes are golden or copper.

Main color brown tabby with a pattern (varieties: classic, brindle, spotted) - shiny copper-brown. A special feature of the black pattern are spots or stains of red or soft shades of this color, which can be located on the body and limbs. Such animals have a brick-colored nose, black and/or brick-colored paw pads, and golden or copper eyes.

U blue tabby the main color, including the jaws, is pale blue or ivory; a pattern of rich blue color, contrasting with the main one. The nose and paw pads are dark pink. Eyes are golden or copper.

Blue tabby with a pattern (classic, brindle, spotted) differs from the previous type by the presence of cream spots or streaks on the body and limbs. The nose and paw pads of cats of this color are pink. Eyes are golden or copper.

U cream tabby the base color, including the jaws, is a very pale cream. The pattern is beige or cream, much darker than the main color, contrasting. The nose and paw pads are pink. Eyes are golden or copper.

U tabby with white the main color is red, cream, blue, silver or brown. According to the requirements of the standard, the cat must have a pure white muzzle, “slippers” on its paws, hips and lower body, without any admixture of other colors. Particular importance is also attached to the symmetry of the design. The nose, paw pads and eyes are the main tabby color.

A large selection of colors in combination with silver and gold or without it, plus three types of designs - isn’t this the soil and incentive for the breeder’s work?

Color point colors

Colorpoints are characterized by the presence of darker markings (points) that contrast with the lightened body. Points cover the muzzle, ears, tail, and limbs. The color of the points corresponds to one of the main color groups. The color of the body is very light, has a shade that is harmonious with the color of the points. Let's remember the main colors of British dogs.

• n – black
• a – blue
• b – chocolate (chocolate)
• c – lilac (lilac)
• d – red
• e – cream

The number that codes the Siamese color is 33. If the strokes are black, then this color is called seal-pont. And the coding of this color is n33. But with the following “points” everything is simpler: blue-point (blue-point, a33), chocolate-point (chocolate-point, b33), lilac-point (lilac-point, c33), red-point , d33) and cream-point (cream-point, e33).

Color-point tabbed (patterned) colors are not distinguished by pattern. That is, there cannot be color-point merle or color-point brindle. All patterned color-point colors are called Links-point and are designated by a combination of two numbers 21 33. But how beautiful these British are!

Beautiful eye color is the dream of any British Colorpoint breeder.

Bicolor colors

B and color colors are a combination of any main color with white. In addition, tortoiseshell and patterned colors can be combined with white. There are three main groups. Van - only the tail and two spots on the head are colored. Harlequin - about 1/5 of the total surface of the body is colored, individual large spots are located on the back, head and rump. Bicolor - about 1/2 of the entire surface of the body is colored. There is a white spot in the shape of an inverted “V” on the muzzle, and a white closed “collar” on the neck.

The more white, the lower the color coding number:

• 01 - "Van"
• 02 - "Harlequin"
• 03 - “Bi-color”

If the second color (besides white) is black, then the color is called Black Van / Harlequin / Bicolor. And so on, white with all other colors.

Bicolor cats should have white muzzle, chest, lower torso, hips and “slippers.” Ideally, the muzzle should be colored symmetrically, as if in a scarf. At the same time, slight asymmetry not only does not spoil the appearance of two-color animals, but, on the contrary, gives them some piquancy. For Harlequins and Vans, a white collar is a mandatory requirement. Bicolor may not have it.

All three varieties of bicolors (Van, Harlequin and Bi-color) can be white not only in combination with the main and tortoiseshell colors, but also with tabbed, shaded, etc. The eyes of bicolors are golden or copper.

Color is not just the color of a cat's fur, but the most important component of the standard of a purebred animal. The British cat breed is distinguished by an enviable variety of acceptable colors, but only specialists can thoroughly understand them.

About British cats

In the world of purebred cats, the British occupy a leading position in popularity, while remaining mysterious and incomprehensible. Like the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll's famous book, this amazing character is of obvious British origin.

The Cheshire Cat is a clear representative of the British breed

History of the breed

The official date of birth of the British breed is considered to be July 13, 1871, and the place of birth is the Crystal Palace in London. On this day, the first British exhibition took place here, which created a real sensation and became the start of the victorious march of the new breed around the world.

However, to call the British breed new at that time would be completely wrong - the formation of the British began long before the end of the nineteenth century, when these feline aristocrats received their official recognition. According to one version, the historical roots of the majestic breed should be sought not just anywhere, but in Ancient Rome.

The British breed began with a blue color

In ancient English engravings and paintings, cats are often found that are practically indistinguishable from modern British cats. They enjoyed truly popular love: they lived at the royal court and in the castles of the nobility, but at the same time they also lived in the farmsteads of commoners. British sailors and fishermen respected these cats for their strong and loyal character, endurance and courage - several centuries ago, the ancestors of our beloved Britons honestly served as cats on merchant and fishing ships, warships...

The British are the royal dynasty of the cat world

Purely British characteristics

The British are quite large cats, stocky, with a strong texture, and it is no coincidence that the owners love to call their pets teddy bears. By the way, only “plush” dogs are available, however, long-haired representatives of this breed are still less popular.

A massive strong body, strong low paws, a thick tail, a round head, huge, fantastically expressive eyes - this is how the breed standard paints a vivid image of this cat, worthy in all respects.

This look will not leave anyone indifferent

As for character, the British are by no means teddy bears. They are distinguished by a very high sense of self-esteem, self-sufficiency, intelligence, calmness and patience - the best traits of a true English lord. No plebeianism, like jumping on your head or tearing wallpaper to shreds! The Briton is interested in human society, but he will never allow excessive familiarity towards himself.

Video: everything about the British breed

British breed colors

In addition to all its numerous and undeniable advantages, the British cat breed is famous for its bright and generous palette of colors - almost their entire line is presented in the breed standard. Only the most popular and well-known colors among the British have up to six dozen! And if we count new, rare colors and variations, the total number will be up to two hundred.

Different colors may be present in one litter

But even this seemingly democratic approach to the variegated ribbon of colors is clearly regulated by the breed standard in each specific case. In the exhibition evaluation of an animal, there is a very large quota of expert evaluation specifically for color - according to the standards of various international felinological organizations, this ranges from 15 to 25 points.

British cats of all stripes - photo gallery

Blue (gray)

The blue color can be called classic for the British cat breed. Against the background of plush gray fur, huge eyes of all shades of amber look especially impressive.

Blue British cat is a classic of the breed

The color spectrum is quite wide - from very light gray to deep and dark shades of graphite. But the development of the breed is still moving towards lightening - breeders are trying to move away from darkened versions of the blue color in breeding.

Gray fur is soft, dense and matte; it cannot shine or shimmer with silver. Each hair must be evenly dyed along its entire length; the slightest inclusions and shades of other colors are considered defective and are categorically not welcome. Uniformly gray - and no other! - there may be both the nose and the pads on the paws of a blue British cat. For this color, the standard allows three eye colors:

• rich golden;
• copper;
• orange.

Some nuances of color in the form of unexpressed patterns and darkening can only be observed in small kittens - provided that with age all these unevennesses disappear without a trace. Children's fur can also change color, even significantly change its shade, mainly in the lighter direction.

Video: blue Briton named Harry

White

The white British cat looks stunning, but this color remains rare in the breed - breeders do not strive to “put it on stream”, since they are well aware of the difficulties associated with this.

White British cat is a very beautiful but problematic animal

The main requirement for the color of white British dogs is brightness and purity of color. Even the slightest inclusions of other colors and shades are considered faults - the most common problem in this sense is untidy yellowish spots, which are most often localized on the face or at the root of the tail. white kittens are sometimes born with dark markings, but the spots in almost all cases disappear by the age of one year.

The nose and paw pads are unpigmented and pink; but for the eyes the standard allows a very expressive palette of options:

• blue;
• yellow;
• odd-eyed (blue and yellow).

Breeders know how difficult it is to get an animal of the standard white color - this is a rarity in the breed. Another problem for breeding is that it is impossible to breed two white animals - this creates a high risk of having offspring with hearing atrophy.

Video: lazy handsome white guy

Black

A British cat of the correct black color is extremely rare and valuable; Usually it is in this color that certain problems appear, which are assessed by experts as shortcomings or even as a defect.

Black British cat is a rarity in the breed

The structure of the British breed's black coat stands apart from many other colors - it is more rigid and shiny. It is very important that the tone of the undercoat completely matches the tone of the guard hair. Various kinds of color stretches and spots are not allowed - a black Briton should not have even a hint of smokiness or pattern. But so far only a few representatives of the breed have the ideal, deep black color - often with age it is somewhat washed out and becomes unexpressed.

With this color, both the nose and paw pads should be black, without any options. But for the eyes the usual breed colors are acceptable:

• golden-bright;
• orange;
• copper.

Experienced breeders try to carefully select breeding sires with deep black, shiny wool for mating - otherwise the offspring have a high risk of overcoloring and the appearance of “untidy” shades of black color - grayish and brown.

Video: perfect black cat

Cream

The delicate and charming cream color of British cats is also called peach or beige - these British cats look very elegant and are now at the peak of popularity.

Cream British are one of the most popular today.

The beige color of varying degrees of saturation should be evenly distributed over the animal’s body, and traces of the pattern on the fur should be practically invisible. It is important that each hair is dyed along its entire length without color transitions; inclusions of white hairs are not allowed.

In peachy Britons, both the nose and pads are soft pink, and the following options are acceptable for the eyes:

• rich golden;
• copper;
• orange.

Beige babies can only be born from a pair of cream British dogs, or if the parents are carriers of the genes for this color.

Video: cream cat, cheerful and beautiful

Chocolate

It is no coincidence that the Briton's color of all shades of chocolate - from milk to almost black - is at the peak of cat fashion: he looks impressive at shows and is quickly winning the sympathy of ordinary owners.

Chocolate British cat is a relatively new, but already popular color

This color, which is quite new for the breed, immediately turned out to be in demand, but there are still some difficulties in its formation - in an animal it is fully manifested only by one and a half years, and it is definitely impossible to predict from a small kitten what color its coat will acquire. A minimum of pattern on the coat, no white spots or even hairs - the standard requirements for this color are strict.

The nose and paw pads of a chocolate-colored animal should be evenly colored chestnut, and the eyes can have the following colors:

• bright yellow;
• dark orange;
• copper.

To secure the color, it is very important that the chocolate gene is present in both parents of the breeding pair - otherwise there may not be any kittens with this color in the litter at all.

Video: playful chocolate kitten

Lilac

On the coat of the British, the lilac color looks sophisticated and unusual - such kittens are always in demand, which stimulates breeders to search for new, more expressive shades of color.

The lilac color of the British cat is characterized by unusual nuances of color

Today's standard lilac color allows for three main shades:

• light;
• average;
• dark.

The coat of such cats is short and truly “plush”; a subtle smokiness, manifested in a slightly lightened undercoat, is acceptable. Depending on the saturation of the main tone, the nuances of the beige color in which the nose and pads on the paws are painted can also change significantly. The eyes of a lilac Briton should be of the following colors:

• dark gold;
• copper;
• orange

Light shades of color are considered the most popular and promising - based on them, breeders achieve amazing color compositions, including pastel shades of pink and purple.

Video: young lilac cat

Red

The red British cat is one of the brightest, in the truest sense of the word, representatives of its breed. The red color itself is quite complex; there are important nuances that need to be taken into account.

The red British cat is a bright representative of its breed

The breed standard is relatively loyal to the red color of the British, but still makes certain, quite clear requirements for it. Ideally, uniform coloring of the coat is desirable; only minimal darkening and some hint of pattern are acceptable. The brighter, deeper and more saturated the red color is, the higher the value of a particular individual.

The “mirror” of the nose and the pads on the paws of a ginger British cat should have the color of terracotta. As for eye color, the standard provides the following options:

• red;
• orange;
• copper.

Unfortunately, the ideal red color in the British breed is still extremely rare, although breeders are actively working in this direction.

Video: red British furry

Tortoiseshell

The British “tortoise” is an amazing natural phenomenon; each of these cats is unique and unrepeatable. Tortoiseshell coloring occurs in a combination of dark and light colors, more or less evenly distributed throughout the animal's body.

Each British tortoiseshell is unique and inimitable

“Torti” - as this color is also called - has up to eighty different variations, which can be divided into several main subgroups:

• classic turtles;
• smoky turtles;
• tortoiseshell tabby (torby);
• tortoiseshell color-point (tortie);
• tortoiseshell bicolor (calico);
• tortoiseshell tabby with white (mixed color).

British tortillas are always elegant and charismatic. The breed standard is highly creative in relation to the tortoiseshell color - the most incredible and imaginative combinations of elements of various patterns, small spotting and patchiness are allowed. The main thing is that the cat looks harmonious and beautiful as a result. The fur of British breed turtles is short, densely packed, plush and soft. The eyes can be copper or dark gold, and there are different options for the nose and paw pads:

• pink;
• black;
• pink and black.

  Professional journalist, higher education major, 30 years of experience in print and electronic media, major advertising and PR campaigns. author, co-author and literary editor of two dozen books on various topics. Nominee and winner of literary competitions.