What color will kittens be if one parent is lilac and the other is blue? - briefly
The color of kittens born to a lilac parent and a blue parent is typically blue. This outcome is due to the specific genetics involved in the dilution of the black pigment in their fur.
Feline coat colors are determined by specific genes that control the production and distribution of pigments. The lilac color is a diluted version of chocolate, while blue is a diluted version of black. When these two diluted colors are combined, the resulting kittens will exhibit the blue coloration. This is because the blue dilution gene is dominant over the lilac dilution gene, leading to blue kittens in such pairings.
What color will kittens be if one parent is lilac and the other is blue? - in detail
Understanding the potential coat colors of kittens when one parent is lilac and the other is blue requires a basic grasp of feline genetics, particularly the inheritance of coat color. In cats, coat color is determined by a combination of genes, with the primary focus being on the genes that control the production and distribution of melanin, the pigment responsible for color.
Lilac and blue are both dilute colors, meaning they result from a dilution of the base colors black and chocolate, respectively. The dilution gene, often referred to as the D gene, can modify these colors, making them lighter. Lilac is a dilution of chocolate, and blue is a dilution of black. Both lilac and blue cats are homozygous for the dilution gene (dd).
When breeding a lilac cat with a blue cat, several genetic combinations are possible. The key genes involved in this scenario are the B gene (which determines whether the cat will be black or chocolate) and the D gene (which determines whether the color will be diluted).
The possible genotypes for the kittens can be outlined as follows:
- The B gene has two alleles: B (dominant, producing black) and b (recessive, producing chocolate). Since lilac cats are chocolate and blue cats are black, the lilac cat will be bb, and the blue cat will be BB or Bb.
- The D gene has two alleles: D (dominant, producing full color) and d (recessive, producing diluted color). Both lilac and blue cats are dd.
Given these genotypes, the possible combinations for the kittens are:
- If the lilac cat (bb dd) is bred with a blue cat (BB or Bb dd), the kittens will inherit one b allele from the lilac parent and one B allele from the blue parent, resulting in Bb. This means the kittens will have the potential for either black or chocolate base colors.
- Since both parents are dd for the dilution gene, all kittens will inherit at least one d allele, ensuring that the colors will be diluted.
The resulting coat colors for the kittens can be:
- Blue: If the kittens inherit the B allele (black) from the blue parent and the d allele (dilution) from both parents, they will be blue.
- Lilac: If the kittens inherit the b allele (chocolate) from the lilac parent and the d allele (dilution) from both parents, they will be lilac.
- Gray (also known as gray-blue): This is a possible outcome if the kittens inherit a mix of alleles that result in a diluted gray color, which can occur due to the interaction of the B and D genes.
In summary, when breeding a lilac cat with a blue cat, the resulting kittens can be blue, lilac, or gray, depending on the specific genetic combinations inherited from their parents. The dilution gene ensures that all kittens will have a lighter, diluted coat color.