Cat Fur Patterns

Solid - One consistent colour

Bicolour - At least 1/3 white, with 2/3 another colour. Umbrella category depending on placement of markings

Tuxedo - Bicolour, mostly black with white on chest, belly, paws and face

Mask-and-Mantle - Bicolour, similar to tuxedo, but with a solid top half of their body, and white lower half of their face, chest, belly, and legs

Harlequin - Bicolour, white with large patches of another solid colour anywhere on body

Van - Bicolour, white with solid tail and between ears

Classic Tabby - dark marbled swirls with bullseye on sides and butterfly pattern over shoulders and back

Mackerel Tabby - dark, vertical tiger stripes on a lighter background colour, usually with a dark stripe down their spine and a ringed tail

Spotted Tabby - dark spots on a lighter background colour, may have stripes around their legs and tail

Rosetted Tabby - mini jaquar! more orange/brown, with two-toned spots. Seen in Bengal and Savannah cats.

Patched Tabby/Torbie - combination of tabby and tortoiseshell patterns

Ticked Tabby - no stripes, swirls or spots, but will still have the signature tabby “M” on the forehead. Will have a lighter base with darker tips. Seen in Abyssinian, Somali, and Singapura cats

Tortoiseshell - mottled black and orange, almost always female

Dilute tortoiseshell - think pastel tortoiseshell

Calico - tricolored, large patches of black, white, and orange. Almost always female

Dilute calico - pastel calico

Colourpoint - light body with darker extremities. Umbrella term for multiple colour options

Seal point

Flame point

Smoke - two-toned pattern in which each individual hair is two colours. White at the base with another solid colour at the tip. Comes in many colour variations