24 Aug 2006
Black versus Red
• pigment in cats comes in two basic forms.
• Eumelanin is the dark pigment • it produces black, brown (i.e.
chocolate/cinnamon) colour• Phaeomelanin is the bright pigment • it produces red colour
24 Aug 2006
Dense Colours
• Black = round shaped Eumelanin granules• Chocolate = oval shaped Eumelanin
granules• Cinnamon = spindle shaped Eumelanin
granules• Red = round shaped Phaeomelanin
granules• dense coloured pigment granules tightly
pack hair shaft
24 Aug 2006
Dilute Colours
• Blue = clumped round shaped Eumelanin granules
• Lilac (Lavender) = clumped oval shaped Eumelanin granules
• Fawn = clumped spindle shaped Eumelanin granules
• Cream = clumped Phaeomelanin granules
• dilute colour pigment grains clump together in hair shaft
24 Aug 2006
Dilute Modified Colours
• Blue Caramel = break away single + clumped round shaped Eumelanin granules
• Lilac (Lavender) Caramel = break away single + clumped oval shaped Eumelanin granules
• Fawn Caramel = break away single + clumped spindle shaped Eumelanin granules
• Apricot (Cream Caramel) = break away single + clumped Phaeomelanin granules
24 Aug 2006
Effect
• colour granules are clumped • single grains break off • muddies the light in the hair shaft • causes the blue, lilac, fawn and
cream to modify • appears to have a browning effect• Coat can have metallic sheen
24 Aug 2006
Caramel is the modification of a colour.
• Like tabby or silver it does not and can not stand alone.
• It has to have a colour to exist. • It is impossible for a caramel to appear
in a litter of two blue, two lilac, two fawn or two cream parents.
• The Dm gene has no apparent effect on dense coat colours (Turner, 1992; Vella et al, 1999).
24 Aug 2006
Dense Dilute Modifier Dilute
Black
Chocolate
Blue Caramel Blue
Lavender Caramel
Lilac/Lavender
Cinnamon
Red
Fawn Caramel
Fawn
Apricot Cream
24 Aug 2006
Visual Chart of Dm Colours
Gene D B B1 O
Dense Black Chocolate Cinnamon Red
Dilute Modifier
Blue Caramel
Lilac/Lavender Caramel
Fawn Caramel
Apricot
Dilute Blue Lilac/Lavender Fawn Cream
These colours are not exact and are only to show where the Dm gene fits into the colour range.
24 Aug 2006
References
• P Turner (1992) The Birth of Caramels. Courtesy: D Turner, NSWCFA
• CM Vella, LM Shelton, JJ McGonagle and TW Stranglen (1999) Colour Inheritance in Robinson’s Genetics for cat breeders and veterinarians. 4th edition, Butterworth Heinemann; Oxford, UK
• D Brown (1992) Feline Colour Genetics Dearinger Enterprises; Utah, USA