cat genetics win!

give me your kitties and i will name their phenotype! askbox is open!

[identifying-cat-phenotypes]

Welcome!

Here, we identify cat phenotypes (the genes showing visibly) based on the work of many cat geneticists! If you want to dive into the wide world of cat genetics, I suggest this series by little hungry warrior for a basic overview.

Ask box is always open (unless it’s a stressful week, like finals) and please ping me in posts so I can identify! I will also identify drawn kitties, if the artist themself requests!

On another note, please do not send me cats that have already been identified by whatcoloristhatcat! It's rude to them! If it's a larger post and you overlooked it, I understand a little, but won't do the ID.

Header image (above image) is provided by @featherfrond

This cat seems to be a black classic tabby with low white! What a darling kitty, and with such handsome scars too! What an adorable fella!!! :3

[dogpuppy]

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seal point!

[cat-alogue0]

May 22nd, 2026

This phenomenal loaf action deserved its own post. Watch his pose

[kat-witha-k]

@identifying-cat-phenotypes

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looks like a blue self with high white

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Thank you for your fabulous blog!

I was wondering if you knew anything about how white is distributed? My mum adopted this beautiful tuxedo with fancy feet, and I dont think I've ever seen anything like it before. Weird fluke or genes? Or both?

some really cool white spotting, but nothing i would call the local news about, if you know what i mean.

a really beautiful example of a black self with medium white spotting!

[identifying-cat-phenotypes]

my baby Pharaoh‼️‼️ what kinda kitty is he?

Pharaoh is a black mackerel tabby with low white! What a handsome lad :)

[identifying-cat-phenotypes]

What's the best way to tell the difference between a red tabby with the silver gene and one that's dilute? I have two red tabby girls who aren't "just" red, but they're also two different shades of red-ish. I'm pretty sure at least one of them is simply dilute red, but I wonder about the other one, and why they look different.

It's hard to get a picture of them next to each other because they don't really get along (in the second picture I think they were investigating a piece of dropped food I think)

The little old lady that's a bit less stripey is Babycakes, and the big fat one is Ginger. Ginger is a bit lighter compared to the reds my friends have.

Best way to tell the difference between a cream (dilute red) and a cameo (red silver) cat is the base of the hairs. Cameo cats will have the bases of the hairs be extremely pale and white. If you part their fur, the color of the fur at the base of their skin should be white. Cream cats do not have this, because it's a side effect of inhibitor.

That being said, Babycakes is a cream mackerel tabby, and Ginger is a cameo mackerel tabby with white.

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This is my Stoat cat. I have no idea how to describe anything about her than weird, she is very odd and about 1 year old. I love my beautiful Stoat. I mean cat. Thanks for any insight you have!

ummm we only identify cats here? this is clearly closer to some kind of mustelid with the patterning of a blue self cat with high white

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My cat and my moms cat! They became bros after hitting each other

A black classic tabby (medium white) and a black mackerel tabby! What a lovely, snugly duo!

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my kitty

black classic tabby with medium white! and what a pretty one, such gorgeous eyes

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hiii (: here is my son oscar (apologies for the crunchy photos, i am not a very good photographer and oscar sucks at being in any shape thats not a circle)

and heres my moms cat nike (: my mom says shes a blue or lynx seal point (the photos are bad here because she hates my ass lol)

oscar is a Gorgeous black classic tabby! and nike is a blue lynx point (i can’t tell which kind of tabby though 😔)

[rat-tailed-maggot-drone-fly]

July 18th, 2023, i saw a very pretty cat, and today she visited again!!!!!!

She was tiny the last time I saw her

Last time, i did kidnap her for a little while, as I browsed lost cat ads near me, alas she is not a stray, she is an outdoor cat.

Cat nerds, I call upon thee, look at this weirdly colored cat!

@identifying-cat-coat-genetics @identifying-cat-phenotypes @identifying-cat-colors

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black broken mackerel tortoiseshell tabby! what a gorgeous little kitty!!

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how would you describe her color? she’s my pretty darling girl but I’m kinda guessing when I describe her coat.

seal tortoiseshell point! what a pretty example of one of my all time favourite types of cat!!

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Hi! I just wanted to show you my childhood cat Bob, who was the most chill cat I have ever seen :D

+ a couple slightly clearer pictures, which happen to also show my other childhood cat Shelby, who was basically anxiety in cat form.

awesome cream tabby with high white and distinguished black self with low white! what a charmingly matched pair of fellows!

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this is adobe, breccia, and paul :3

Such a cute trio of cats!

Adobe appears to be a cream mackerel tabby with low white, Breccia appears to be a blue self tortoiseshell, and Paul seems to be a red classic tabby!

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My mom just adopted this beautiful momma with kitties. My sister says she's a calico colourpoint with lighter colors, even the brown on the ears and tail is light... i think she might also have a bit of tabbyness on the tail.

mama cat looks like a seal tortie point with low white! as far as i can tell, she has two blue self kittens with varying low white spotting!

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Hewwo! I would like to know if my baby boy is something special color wise. He is special too me. Here is my boy :)

Sent many examples :)

what a lovely black mackerel tabby and medium white with such gorgeous dark stripes!!

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this is my very stinky very horrid sink water obsessed daughter, sophie, who we found in a garage as a stray kitten who was left by her mother too early, only about 1-2 years old iirc

and my two braincell orange flavored son, mercury who i got from a shelter alongside his brother saturn (who unfortunately passed from an undiagnosed tumor last year). he is 7 or 8 years old this summer i believe :)

sophie is a seal point! gorgeous gorgeous kitty!!

and mercury is a red mackerel tabby