Unique Warrior Cat Guide

.: Pelt Genetics:.

There are a few rules to pelt genetics before I start to explain how cats should look and how dominate traits work. You should know about punnet squares and basic cat color terms for this.

The color of a cat's fur is a sex-linked trait, which means based on their chromosomes you can tell what colors they will have. Normally, you will see traits as only one letter; for this however it will be a bit different using X and Y to represent chromosomes. Only the X chromosome has the gene for fur color.

Dominate Traits- Overwrite recessive traits, mostly seen in the phenotype.

Recessive Traits- Are passed down from generation to generation, often without noticing.

Phenotype: What you see.

Genotype: The genetic makeup.

Dilute: A softened version.

Dilute colors are recessive, so you will need two dd alleles for it to show in the phenotype.
The following dilute genotypes are as follows:
DD
Dd
dd

Chocolate and cinnamon, dark and pale brown colors, are mutations of black and therefore cannot be seen in Tortoiseshells or calicos as black and chocolate etc.

- The order of allele domination is as follows:
XW: White
----------------
XO: Orange dd ----> Creme
XB: Black dd -----> Blue
Xb: Chocolate dd-----> Lilac
X1: Cinnamon   dd----> Fawn

Phenotypes and genotypes
All possible genotypes and what they mean, not including white. Change the dilute alleles to dd for creme, blue, lilac, and fawn. From she-cats to toms.
Red
XOXO DD/Dd
XOY DD/Dd

RED-BLACK Tortoiseshell
XOXB DD/Dd
XOXBY DD/Dd

RED-CHOCOLATE Tortoiseshell
XOXb DD/Dd
XOXbY DD/Dd

RED-CINNAMON Tortoiseshell
XOX1 DD/Dd

Black
XBXB DD/Dd
XBXb DD/Dd
XBX1 DD/Dd
XBY DD/Dd

Chocolate
XbXb DD/Dd
XbX1 DD/Dd
XbY DD/Dd

Cinnamon
X1X1 DD/Dd
X1Y DD/Dd

Chromosomes and tortoiseshells
The color for fur is located on the X chromosome, which she-cats have two; XX. However, toms only have one, XY. This means toms will only have one color. She cats can have two colors.

Tortoiseshells will always be female, unless the cat has an XXY chromosome which is very rare and often will mean the cat is infertile or sterile. A tortoiseshell's chromosomes are XX, like all she-cats'.
They can be any of the following combinations and their dilute counterparts:
XOXB
XOXb
XOX1

This means that a tom's pelt color will be determined by the mother, you can test this out with an XY punnet square. The T chromosome doesn't carry any pelt genes, so no toms will get any colors from their father- leaving only their mother to pass down the pelt color. Likewise, she-cats may have either or both colors from the parents.
Example; Let's say Firestar and Sandstorm have four realistic kits. Firestar will be XOY Dd and Sandstorm will be XOXO dd. The possible genotypes would be XOXO Dd 50% and XOY dd 50%. 50% Red she-cats and 50% Creme toms.

Red
The red gene is different from the black genes and is dominate. When a she-cat has a heterozygous allele; XOXo she will be a tortoiseshell. A tom will always be homozygous; XOY XoY and result in either a red/creme cat or of another color.
For this I have decided to shorten it, leaving it out completely if it is homozygous recessive. All cats of a different color than red or creme is XoXo.

White
Of course, if they have the white allele, which is dominate over all colors, it is also sex-linked but a different gene than normal pelt colors and can overwrite colors. Since its dominate it only takes one chromosome to have it for it to appear.
Example; there can be an orange tom with white paws. Although only having one X chromosome, he has a second 'color'.

Tabbies
The tabby trait is dominate and isn't sex-linked. Any cat can inherit it from either their mother or father.

All red-creme and "brown" cats are tabbies. Purebred cats may break this rule due to their genetics being changed.