With White

With White

All colors and patterns can also come with white - called particolors in the cat fancy. This is caused by the white spotting gene.

Below are three names for with white patterns and their descriptions. However, the location and amount of white can vary tremendously. Mother Nature must think that cats with white are very special. That is why she paints each one individually so no two are ever exactly alike. Some purebred breeds such as Birmans, Snowshoes, Ragdolls, and Turkish Vans do require that the white only be in specific areas.

Mitted Pattern - The white may only be on paws, belly, chest and chin.
Bi-Color Pattern - White is allowed much farther up the back legs and on the face.
Van Pattern - A predominantly white cat with colored patches. The patches of color are usually seen on the face and tail.

Solid with White
Solid black and white cats are often referred to as Tux. That is not a breed or an official color name. Just a great nickname since the black and white color combination looks like a cat wearing a tuxedo.
The picture of a Sphynx, the hairless breed, is included to show that a cat's skin is exactly the same color as their fur.


Cream with White	Black with White


Black with White	Black with White (Van Pattern)

Tabby with White
The pattern on the body of any tabby can be very distinct or rather difficult to see. Regardless of the color, all tabbies have tabby markings on their head including stripes that form an "M" on the forehead. The tabby markings on a classic tabby are always much wider stripes than the stripes on a mackerel tabby. A tabby with white in the van pattern, is just called a tabby with white since it is impossible to tell if the tabby markings are classic or mackerel or spotted or ticked.


Blue Mackerel Tabby with White	Brown Mackerel Tabby with White


Brown Classic Tabby with White	Red Classic Tabby with White


Silver Tabby with White (Van Pattern)	Red Ticked Tabby with White

Tortie/Torbie with White
Torties and torbies with white are very eye catching colors. In the cat fancy, this is referred to as having "flash".
The first two girls are excellent examples of different shades of the same color. One is a very dark blue color. The light blue is referred to as a powder blue in the cat fancy. Because the amount of white differs, the girl on the left used to be called a dilute tortoiseshell with white and the girl on the right was a dilute calico.
Notice the picture of the black tortie next to the brown torbie . You can see stripes in the red color on the tortie. This is very common. Since the black areas are solid instead of striped, she is a tortie.


Blue Tortie with White	Blue Tortie with White


Brown Classic Torbie with White	Black Tortie with White


Brown Spotted Torbie with White	Brown Mackerel Torbie with White


Silver Classic Torbie with White	Silver Classic Torbie with White

Pointed with White
The presence of the white spotting gene on a pointed cat can cause patches of color to show on the cat’s body. Sometimes a lot of color will show but all pointed with white cats will still have blue eyes.


Seal & Blue Point with White (Bi-Color Pattern)	Seal Point with White (Mitted Pattern)


Seal Tortie Point with White	Seal Tortie Point with White

Tabbies

Pointed

Tortie/Torbie

Solid

Introduction Page

Photos courtesy of Helmi Flick Cat Photography