Tabby Genes
From Children of StarClan
Genetics Department
- Status: Active
- Head: Kitsufox
Department Mission
- To provide genetic information for every character who procreates in game, and to provide genotypes as requested by players.
Genetics Information
- Colors
- Markings
- Tabby Marking Genes
- White Marking Gene
- Color Restriction Gene
- Visual Color Guides
- Essays
- Making it Work
Other Departments
The genetics of a tabby are complicated and this article is indented to explain the polygenes that result in a solid or tabby cat.
Tabby Patterns
Pattern Notes
- Alternate Names
- Classic: Blotched, Marbled
- Mackerel: Tiger, Striped
- Spotted: None
- Ticked: Abyssinian
- Residual Markings: Barring, Barred, Primal
- Exclusions
- Modified Classic: Extremely rare, to the point of only appearing in a specific wild population. Little is known about the genetics and they will not be discussed here.
- Rosetted: Product of Wild/Domestic Hybridization.
- Marbled: Product of Wild/Domestic Hybridization.
- Candle-flame/Braided: Product of Wild/Domestic Hybridization.
- Wild/Domestic Hybridization will be discussed in another article.
Agouti
- The Agouti Gene controls whether or not tabby genes are displayed at all.
Agouti Genes
- AA: Agouti (Homozygous); A Tabby Cat
- Aa: Agouti (Hetrozygous); A Tabby Cat
- aa: Non-agouti; A Non-tabby Cat
Agouti Breeding
- Tabby (AA) x Tabby (AA) = 100% (AA) Tabby
- Tabby (AA) x Tabby (Aa) = 50% (AA) Tabby, 50% (Aa) Tabby
- Tabby (Aa) x Tabby (Aa) = 25% (AA) Tabby, 50% (Aa) Tabby, 25% (aa) Non-tabby
- Tabby (Aa) x Non-tabby (aa) = 50% (Aa) Tabby, 50% (aa) Non-tabby
- Non-tabby (aa) x Non-tabby (aa) = 100% (aa) Non-tabby
- Tabby (AA) x Non-tabby (aa) = 100% (Aa) Tabby
- Click here to see the Agouti Gene Breeding in Visual Format
- Click here to see the Agouti Gene Breedings in Punnet Squares
Ticked Tabby
- The ticked gene is the most dominated of the tabby genes, and will display over all other forms of tabby.
Ticked Tabby Genes
- TaTa: Ticked Tabby (Homozygous); A Ticked Tabby without Barring
- Tata: Primal Tabby (Hetrozygous); A Ticked Tabby with Barring
- tata: Unticked Tabby; a typical cat.
Ticked Tabby Breeding
- Ticked (TaTa) x Ticked (TaTa) = 100% (TaTa) Ticked
- Ticked (TaTa) x Primal (Tata) = 50% (TaTa) Ticked, 50% (Tata) Primal
- Primal (Tata) x Primal (Tata) = 25% (TaTa) Ticked, 50% (Tata) Primal, 25% (tata) Unticked
- Primal (Aa) x Unticked (aa) = 50% (Tata) Primal, 50% (tata) Unticked
- Unticked (tata) x Unticked (tata) = 100% (tata) Unticked
- Ticked (TaTa) x Unticked (tata) = 100% (Tata) Primal
- Click here to see the Ticked Tabby Gene Breeding in Visual Format
- Click here to see the Ticked Tabby Gene Breedings in Punnet Squares
Spotted Tabby
- Spotted tabby displays when the Agouti Allele permits tabby display, and the ticked allele indicates an un-ticked cat.
Spotted Tabby Genes
- SpSp: Spotted Tabby (Homozygous)
- Spsp: Spotted Tabby (Hetrozygous)
- spsp: Un-spotted Tabby
Spotted Tabby Breeding
- Spotted (SpSp) x Spotted (SpSp) = 100% (SpSp) Spotted
- Spotted (TaTa) x Spotted (Tata) = 50% (SpSp) Spotted, 50% (Spsp) Spotted
- Spotted (Spsp) x Spotted (Spsp) = 25% (SpSp) Spotted, 50% (Spsp) Spotted, 25% (spsp) Un-spotted
- Spotted (Spsp) x Un-spotted (spsp) = 50% (Spsp) Spotted, 50% (spsp) Spotted
- Un-spotted (spsp) x Un-spotted (spsp) = 100% (spsp) Un-spotted
- Spotted (SpSp) x Un-spotted (spsp) = 100% (Spsp) Spotted
- Click here to see the Spotted Tabby Gene Breeding in Visual Format
- Click here to see the Spotted Tabby Gene Breedings in Punnet Squares
Mackerel & Classic Tabby
The basic tabby gene controls the most common forms of tabby. These genes display when Agouti permits tabby and no ticking or spotting are present.
Tabby Genes
- McMc: Mackerel Tabby (Homozygous)
- Mcmc: Mackerel Tabby (Hetrozygous) Carries Classic
- mcmc: Classic Tabby
Tabby Breeding
- Mackerel (McMc) x Mackerel (McMc) = 100% (McMc) Mackerel
- Mackerel (McMc) x Mackerel (Mcmc) = 50% (McMc) Mackerel, 50% (Mcmc) Mackerel
- Mackerel (Mcmc) x Mackerel (Mcmc) = 25% (McMc) Mackerel, 50% (Mcmc) Mackerel, 25% (mcmc) Classic
- Mackerel (Mcmc) x Classic (mcmc) = 50% (Mcmc) Mackerel, 50% (mcmc) Classic
- Classic (mcmc) x Classic (mcmc) = 100% (mcmc) Classic
- Mackerel (McMc) x Classic (mcmc) = 100% (Mcmc) Mackerel
- Click here to see the Tabby Gene Breeding in Visual Format
- Click here to see the Tabby Gene Breedings in Punnet Squares
Conclusion
The complexity of the control of the tabby display is resultant of the pattern being spread over four genes. This means that to decipher the tabby pattern a genotype indicates, one must examine all of the related genes rather than looking at the individual parts.
Application Examples
- aa Tata SpSp mcmc
- aa (Solid Cat) Tata (Carries primal ticked tabby) SpSp (Carries spotted tabby) mcmc (Carries classic tabby).
- A Self/Solid Colored Cat.
- Aa Tata SpSp mcmc
- Aa (Tabby will be displayed) Tata (Cat is a primal ticked tabby) SpSp (Carries spotted tabby) mcmc (Carries classic tabby).
- A Primal Ticked Tabby Cat.
- AA tata Spsp Mcmc
- AA (Tabby will be displayed) tata (Cat is not ticked) Spsp (Cat is spotted tabby) Mcmc (Carries mackerel and classic tabby).
- A Spotted Tabby Cat.
- AA tata spsp Mcmc
- AA (Tabby will be displayed) tata (Cat is not ticked) spsp (Cat is not spotted tabby) Mcmc (Cat is a mackerel tabby and carries classic tabby).
- A Mackerel Tabby Cat.
- Aa tata spsp mcmc
- Aa (Tabby will be displayed) tata (Cat is not ticked) spsp (Cat is not spotted tabby) mcmc (Cat is classic tabby).
- A Classic Tabby Cat.