Genotypes of cats

Note that the extra credit project requires you to determine the genotype of at least one cat. There is no substitute for attending class and carefully reading the handout. However, to supplement that information, here are some images of various cats with their genotypes.

This is a standard domestic short-hair tabby. Note the pattern of stripes that are visible, which means she is A_. She is not dominant white, therefore she is ww. There is no orange so she is oo. The black pigment is black so she is not dilute, therefore D_. No piebald spotting (the light color on the belly is normal for A_) so she is ss. Short hair is L_, and she is not albino or Siamese or Burmese, therefore she is C_. The genotype is therefore A_ ww oo D_ ss L_ C_. Both pictures are of the same cat, but in different light. Note that the belly and chin are lighter - this is not piebald spotting, it's a normal effect of the A gene. The stripes are black, and the fur between the stripes has the agouti pattern.

For information on the fancy breeds, Siamese, Burmese, Balinese and Himalayan, click here.

This cat is a long-haired dominant white. Her genotype is ll W_. Because dominant white is epistatic to all other colors, the genotype at A, D, and O can not be determined. She is however C_.

This is a short-haired orange tabby. His genotype differs only in that he is OY (a female would be OO). He is A_ OY D_ ww ss L_ C_.

A tabby, but diluted, so instead of black it is gray. A_ L_ ww oo dd ss C_

Solid black, short hair female: aa oo D_ L_ ww ss C_

This cat is also a solid color, therefore aa, but the black pigment has been changed to gray by the dilute locus, so she is dd. The complete genotype is aa dd ww oo L_ C_ ss. In some cases this genotype has a bluish hue.

This is an example of piebald spotting. She is the same genotype as the black cat above, except at the S locus. She has less than 50% white fur on her body so we will estimate her genotype as Ss. The complete genotype is aa oo D_ L_ ww Ss C_.

This is a male. The tabby stripes can be seen (especially on the forehead). It is orange, and piebald spotted with more than 50% white. A_ L_ D_ OY ww SS C_

Calico female: aa Oo D_ ll ww Ss C_ Note that the patches of orange and black are large on this cat, and it seems to be less than 50% white so it is assumed to be Ss rather than SS.

This cat has the same genotype as the one above, even though she looks different. Her patches of orange and black are smaller and more interspersed, but she is still Oo. There is very little white on her, but there is some, so she is Ss. No tabby markings are apparent so she is aa. aa Oo D_ L_ ww Ss C_

This cat is a calico tabby. She still shows the tabby markings, thus she is A_. She is also L_ D_ ww C_. She has less than 50% white, so is Ss. She has patches where the black pigment has become orange, so she must be Oo. Her genotype is the same as the previous cat except for A_ instead of aa.