Post by Sorrel on Jan 28, 2020 8:32:21 GMT
Interpreting Breeding Results
For those who haven't dealt much with feline fancy or genetics, the results from a breeding can be a little confusing. To keep things clear and hopefully reduce confusion moving forward, this guide will outline cat coat terms, how I interpret appearances and images, style of genetics used, and as a bonus an updating list of approved examples for each kind of physical mutation and disability category.
Patterns & You
Cat pelts come in a variety of colors, patterns, and even lengths and styles. Naming of these colors is not a precise art; while there's some commonly agreed-upon terms, it can be confusing trying to interpret those, especially when some seemingly different tones are actually the same on a genetic level. Let's start with the five basics-
Black - Just what it says on the tin, a black cat is... black. Black cats generally always have pretty much the same color of coat, but some may be glossier, fuzzier, or coarser than others.
Chocolate - A rich warm brown color, a chocolate cat's exact color can vary some but generally if it's brown, it's a chocolate. Chocolate is recessive to black, meaning it tends to be rarer.
Cinnamon - A sort of dusty sand-like color, just like ground cinnamon or nutmeg. At its darkest, cinnamon can be hard to tell apart from chocolate- look out for a distinctively redder nose and paw pads. Cinnamon is recessive to both black and chocolate, making it the rarest of the non-ginger bases.
Ginger - Also commonly called "red", an intense orange color. While we don't enforce this, in the real world all ginger cats show at least faint tabby markings even if they are genetically non-tabby. Ginger is sex-linked, meaning more male cats than female tend to be ginger. A female cat with both versions of the gene will be a tortoiseshell.
Tortoiseshell - Called a "tortie" for short. A mottled pelt pattern that only occurs on female cats and rare mutant males. It combines a black-based color such as black, chocolate, or cinnamon, with patches of ginger. Patches can vary in placement, size, and "cleanliness"- some torties have clear piebald-style patches of their two colors, some are almost brindled-looking, and others may appear to be almost entirely just one color(Also called a "cryptic" tortoiseshell)!
So, those are the basic ones. Let's delve a little deeper, into diluted colors-
Grey/Blue - Grey and blue are actually the same thing, genetically! It just has a range of colors it can ultimately come out as. Grey is a dilution of black.
Lilac - A dusty, cool-hued brown color, perhaps named for the subtle purple or pink-ish hint in the skin color. Lilac is a dilution of chocolate.
Fawn - A warm light gold color, like wheat grains or some types of wood. Fawn is a dilution of cinnamon.
Cream - Also sometimes called pale ginger, cream is a pale reddish-pink to butter yellow color, sometimes appearing almost white. Cream is a dilution of ginger.
Now, for patterns;
Tabby - Known as "agouti" in fancy terms, tabby is a striped pattern that comes in two common varieties- mackerel, which is mostly thin vertical stripes, and classic, which is mostly blobbier, swirling stripes. There are some special modifications of these basic patterns- ticked, spotted, and marbled- and some wild tabby patterns from crossbreeding to non-domestic cats, but we won't cover those here much. A cat that isn't tabby is called solid.
Silvering - A cat that is silver genetically will show as either smoke if they're a non-tabby, or silver tabby if they're a tabby. Silvering turns the lowest band of the fur strands a pale whitish color. Smoke cats have pale undercoats that show on their necks, bellies, and tails, while silver tabbies will have their original dark colored stripes on a pale silver "background".
Whitespotting - Patterns of white that may appear on a cat. There are a few different genes that may be responsible for the exact appearance of white on a cat, but for simplicity and creative freedom we generally go by a simplified version. Did you know- some cats may have small white markings without genetically having actual whitespotting?
Dominant White - A special gene on the whitespotting locus that masks all other colors and patterns, making a cat that is 100% pure white. Many dominant white cats have blue eyes. Dominant white is associated with hearing issues.
Colorpoint - Colorpoint is a type of pattern that results in a cat with dark "points"- the muzzle, ears, legs, and tail- and a paler body. This can come in three levels of "intensity"- traditional colorpoint, also known as siamese patterning, where body is usually nearly white; mink, where the body is a medium-tone; and sepia, also known as burmese patterning, where the body and points are nearly the same color with the body only being slightly paler.
That's about all of the ones you can expect to see popping up! Let's take a look at Blackstar- he is a black cat, a tabby, and a silvered cat-in other words, a black silver tabby!
Interpreting Descriptions
When given a cat's RP description and/or image, I try to work with both to make something as accurate as possible to the given design while still keeping in the same ballpark as real genetics. If a cat has something truly impossible- like a black and brown "dog-patterned" cat- then I will usually go with whatever is more prominent.
If there is contradictory or unclear information, I will side with whichever source seems clearer. If the photo provided is a bit blurry or badly lit, I will prefer the written description- if the description is unclear but the character has an artistic reference, I will prefer the reference.
If I'm truly confused, I will probably ask you lol.
Genetics Used
We allow members to provide their own genetics for breeding; if both partners provide genetics, kittens will also automatically receive a gene string as well. However, this is in no way required.
For what I consider the ideal compromise between accuracy and simplicity, I more or less use the genes listed in Sparrow's Garden's Advanced Cat Coat calculator. However, if you can provide me a description for the genes not included there, I will use them.
And at last, the part you've probably been waiting for-
Physical Mutations & Disabilities
Confirmed, approved examples of conditions or mutations you can roll on bred kittens.
Physical Mutations - Usually aesthetic only, though some may affect the cat's abilities in a minor way. Mutations with a (*) by them may impact their health or ability to become a warrior. Mutations with a (**) by them must be discussed with the leader in order to become a warrior, as many leaders may not allow a kitten to even begin their training with this mutation.
Tooth/Claw/Paw Mutations: Claws Unable To Retract*, Elongated Claws, Elongated Fangs/Teeth, Extra Teeth, Minor Clubbed Paw*, Overbite, Polydactyly, Underbite, Unusually Short Claws*, Unusually Small Teeth
Color Mutations: Black & Tan-type Pattern, Discolored Limb(ie, like Rosetail), Ignoring Parent Colors(ie, two cinnamon cats having a black kitten), Impossible/Unusual White Pattern, Rufescence, Somatic Markings, Unusual Color Tint(ie, dim purple tint, or a more intense blue like canon books' Bluestar), Vitiligo
Leg/Height Mutations: Dwarfism*, Gigantism*, Mismatched Legs*(ie, short front, regular hind legs), Teacup**
Tail Mutations: Bobbed Tail, Curled Tail, Extra-long Tail, Kinked Tail, Split Tail-tip
Fur/Coat Mutations: Curly Fur, Glittering Fur, Hairless**, Lykoi*, Mismatched/Uneven Fur, "Werewolf" Mutation*, Wiry Fur
Ear/Eye Mutations: Extra Ears(Non-functioning), Extra/Split Pupils, Heterochromia, Sectoral Hetrochromia, Unusual Eye Color(ie pink), Unusually Big/Small Ears
Disabilities - Conditions which affect a cat's health and ability to perform warrior duties in a measurable way. Many disabled cats can still train and earn a warrior name just like their abled clanmates, but it's ultimately up to both the severity of the condition and the discretion of the leader. Disabilities with a (*) next to them may be more likely to be considered grounds for rejection from warrior duties; disabilities with a (**) are NOT allowed to be passed down without an item if the character breeds.
Sensory Disability: Anosmia(No Sense of Smell), Blindness(Full* or Partial), Deafness(Full* or Partial), Hyperesthesia*, Hypersensitivity to Pain*, Inability To Feel Pain**, Inability to Taste, Synesthesia
Physical Disability: Clubbed Limb/Paw(s), Missing Limb(s)*/**, Partial Paralysis*/**, Two-Faced/"Janus Cat"*/**, Two-Tailed(Causes spinal issues)
Internal/Unseen Disability: Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy*, Sickle Cell, Tumors/Cancers
Deadly Disability: Autoimmune Disorders, Epilepsy(Severe)*/**, Tumors/Cancers
Patterns & You
Cat pelts come in a variety of colors, patterns, and even lengths and styles. Naming of these colors is not a precise art; while there's some commonly agreed-upon terms, it can be confusing trying to interpret those, especially when some seemingly different tones are actually the same on a genetic level. Let's start with the five basics-
Black - Just what it says on the tin, a black cat is... black. Black cats generally always have pretty much the same color of coat, but some may be glossier, fuzzier, or coarser than others.
Chocolate - A rich warm brown color, a chocolate cat's exact color can vary some but generally if it's brown, it's a chocolate. Chocolate is recessive to black, meaning it tends to be rarer.
Cinnamon - A sort of dusty sand-like color, just like ground cinnamon or nutmeg. At its darkest, cinnamon can be hard to tell apart from chocolate- look out for a distinctively redder nose and paw pads. Cinnamon is recessive to both black and chocolate, making it the rarest of the non-ginger bases.
Ginger - Also commonly called "red", an intense orange color. While we don't enforce this, in the real world all ginger cats show at least faint tabby markings even if they are genetically non-tabby. Ginger is sex-linked, meaning more male cats than female tend to be ginger. A female cat with both versions of the gene will be a tortoiseshell.
Tortoiseshell - Called a "tortie" for short. A mottled pelt pattern that only occurs on female cats and rare mutant males. It combines a black-based color such as black, chocolate, or cinnamon, with patches of ginger. Patches can vary in placement, size, and "cleanliness"- some torties have clear piebald-style patches of their two colors, some are almost brindled-looking, and others may appear to be almost entirely just one color(Also called a "cryptic" tortoiseshell)!
So, those are the basic ones. Let's delve a little deeper, into diluted colors-
Grey/Blue - Grey and blue are actually the same thing, genetically! It just has a range of colors it can ultimately come out as. Grey is a dilution of black.
Lilac - A dusty, cool-hued brown color, perhaps named for the subtle purple or pink-ish hint in the skin color. Lilac is a dilution of chocolate.
Fawn - A warm light gold color, like wheat grains or some types of wood. Fawn is a dilution of cinnamon.
Cream - Also sometimes called pale ginger, cream is a pale reddish-pink to butter yellow color, sometimes appearing almost white. Cream is a dilution of ginger.
Now, for patterns;
Tabby - Known as "agouti" in fancy terms, tabby is a striped pattern that comes in two common varieties- mackerel, which is mostly thin vertical stripes, and classic, which is mostly blobbier, swirling stripes. There are some special modifications of these basic patterns- ticked, spotted, and marbled- and some wild tabby patterns from crossbreeding to non-domestic cats, but we won't cover those here much. A cat that isn't tabby is called solid.
Silvering - A cat that is silver genetically will show as either smoke if they're a non-tabby, or silver tabby if they're a tabby. Silvering turns the lowest band of the fur strands a pale whitish color. Smoke cats have pale undercoats that show on their necks, bellies, and tails, while silver tabbies will have their original dark colored stripes on a pale silver "background".
Whitespotting - Patterns of white that may appear on a cat. There are a few different genes that may be responsible for the exact appearance of white on a cat, but for simplicity and creative freedom we generally go by a simplified version. Did you know- some cats may have small white markings without genetically having actual whitespotting?
Dominant White - A special gene on the whitespotting locus that masks all other colors and patterns, making a cat that is 100% pure white. Many dominant white cats have blue eyes. Dominant white is associated with hearing issues.
Colorpoint - Colorpoint is a type of pattern that results in a cat with dark "points"- the muzzle, ears, legs, and tail- and a paler body. This can come in three levels of "intensity"- traditional colorpoint, also known as siamese patterning, where body is usually nearly white; mink, where the body is a medium-tone; and sepia, also known as burmese patterning, where the body and points are nearly the same color with the body only being slightly paler.
That's about all of the ones you can expect to see popping up! Let's take a look at Blackstar- he is a black cat, a tabby, and a silvered cat-in other words, a black silver tabby!
Interpreting Descriptions
When given a cat's RP description and/or image, I try to work with both to make something as accurate as possible to the given design while still keeping in the same ballpark as real genetics. If a cat has something truly impossible- like a black and brown "dog-patterned" cat- then I will usually go with whatever is more prominent.
If there is contradictory or unclear information, I will side with whichever source seems clearer. If the photo provided is a bit blurry or badly lit, I will prefer the written description- if the description is unclear but the character has an artistic reference, I will prefer the reference.
If I'm truly confused, I will probably ask you lol.
Genetics Used
We allow members to provide their own genetics for breeding; if both partners provide genetics, kittens will also automatically receive a gene string as well. However, this is in no way required.
For what I consider the ideal compromise between accuracy and simplicity, I more or less use the genes listed in Sparrow's Garden's Advanced Cat Coat calculator. However, if you can provide me a description for the genes not included there, I will use them.
And at last, the part you've probably been waiting for-
Physical Mutations & Disabilities
Confirmed, approved examples of conditions or mutations you can roll on bred kittens.
Physical Mutations - Usually aesthetic only, though some may affect the cat's abilities in a minor way. Mutations with a (*) by them may impact their health or ability to become a warrior. Mutations with a (**) by them must be discussed with the leader in order to become a warrior, as many leaders may not allow a kitten to even begin their training with this mutation.
Tooth/Claw/Paw Mutations: Claws Unable To Retract*, Elongated Claws, Elongated Fangs/Teeth, Extra Teeth, Minor Clubbed Paw*, Overbite, Polydactyly, Underbite, Unusually Short Claws*, Unusually Small Teeth
Color Mutations: Black & Tan-type Pattern, Discolored Limb(ie, like Rosetail), Ignoring Parent Colors(ie, two cinnamon cats having a black kitten), Impossible/Unusual White Pattern, Rufescence, Somatic Markings, Unusual Color Tint(ie, dim purple tint, or a more intense blue like canon books' Bluestar), Vitiligo
Leg/Height Mutations: Dwarfism*, Gigantism*, Mismatched Legs*(ie, short front, regular hind legs), Teacup**
Tail Mutations: Bobbed Tail, Curled Tail, Extra-long Tail, Kinked Tail, Split Tail-tip
Fur/Coat Mutations: Curly Fur, Glittering Fur, Hairless**, Lykoi*, Mismatched/Uneven Fur, "Werewolf" Mutation*, Wiry Fur
Ear/Eye Mutations: Extra Ears(Non-functioning), Extra/Split Pupils, Heterochromia, Sectoral Hetrochromia, Unusual Eye Color(ie pink), Unusually Big/Small Ears
Disabilities - Conditions which affect a cat's health and ability to perform warrior duties in a measurable way. Many disabled cats can still train and earn a warrior name just like their abled clanmates, but it's ultimately up to both the severity of the condition and the discretion of the leader. Disabilities with a (*) next to them may be more likely to be considered grounds for rejection from warrior duties; disabilities with a (**) are NOT allowed to be passed down without an item if the character breeds.
Sensory Disability: Anosmia(No Sense of Smell), Blindness(Full* or Partial), Deafness(Full* or Partial), Hyperesthesia*, Hypersensitivity to Pain*, Inability To Feel Pain**, Inability to Taste, Synesthesia
Physical Disability: Clubbed Limb/Paw(s), Missing Limb(s)*/**, Partial Paralysis*/**, Two-Faced/"Janus Cat"*/**, Two-Tailed(Causes spinal issues)
Internal/Unseen Disability: Asthma, Diabetes, Epilepsy*, Sickle Cell, Tumors/Cancers
Deadly Disability: Autoimmune Disorders, Epilepsy(Severe)*/**, Tumors/Cancers
