What color will the kittens be if a lilac cat mates with a lilac cat? - briefly
When two lilac cats mate, their kittens can exhibit a range of colors due to the complex nature of feline genetics. The most likely outcomes include dilute shades such as blue or cream, but other colors like red or brown are also possible.
What color will the kittens be if a lilac cat mates with a lilac cat? - in detail
The color of the kittens resulting from the mating of two lilac cats is primarily determined by genetics, specifically by the alleles that control coat color and pattern in cats.
Lilac is a dilute form of chocolate, which is caused by a recessive gene known as "d" (dilution). This gene lightens the shade of the fur. Additionally, lilac cats have two copies of the recessive allele for coat color, denoted as "cc." Therefore, both parent cats must carry at least one copy of these recessive genes to produce lilac kittens.
When two lilac cats mate, they both contribute the "d" and "c" alleles to their offspring. Since both parents are homozygous for these traits (i.e., they have two copies of each allele), all the kittens will inherit one copy of each from each parent. Consequently, the kittens will also be homozygous for the "d" and "c" alleles, resulting in a lilac coat color.
It is important to note that while the dilution gene "d" affects the intensity of the coat color, other modifier genes can influence the exact shade of lilac, leading to variations within the lilac spectrum. However, all kittens from this mating will exhibit some form of the lilac coloration due to the inheritance of the recessive "d" and "c" alleles from both parents.
In summary, when two lilac cats mate, all their kittens will be lilac in color, inheriting the recessive genes that determine this unique coat appearance.