genetics question

[Dawn F]

well they turned out to be from different queens after all but are yummy!!!

[Gillian Harvey]

Ooh colourpoint British, I love them  - well, to be honest I like any colourpoint cat regardless of breed LOL!

[Dawn F]

british shorthair - yes that is probably a good idea Gillian, I'll email her now - its probably my fault - since another friend parted with several hundred pounds for a persian that wasn't registered with gccf or tica I've been a bit of a nag!!  I know being registered isn't everything but it does mean that some restrictions are put on the number of litters a queen has which I'm sure we all agree is a good thing

[Gillian Harvey]

What breed colourpoint is this? Maybe your friend could just come straight out and ask the breeder about the tortie, act surprised and say I'm sure I read somewhere that colourpoint parents could only produce colourpoint kittens, this little tortie must be a rarity then? and just see what the breeder says.

[Dawn F]

thanks for that!  the reason I asked is because my friend first went to the breeder wanting a colourpoint and went to visit and all was fine and she picked her little kitten to be collected at 13 weeks called pugsley - then she decided she would actually quite like two and the only one available was a little torti supposed from the same litter but which hadn't been around when she visited the first time - so alarm bells started ringing and although she doesn't have a problem with it being from elsewhere wonders why somebody would say it was and is a bit worried about everything else that has been said now

[Janeyk]

Sooooo, Byron had either a red or tortie parent (or both) 

[Mark]

So mum must have been putting it around 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So pleased you explained all that LOL.................thinking I am probably still confuddled 

But reckon you have said that if both parents are colourpoints and not tortie their can be no tortie kittens   

[Team Svartalfheims]

I've no idea about colourpointing as it doesn't occur in my breed but I can try to help a bit with regard to torties (to keep it simple I'm ignoring dilutes, tortie tabbies and silver/smoke torties)

To get tortie kittens either Dad needs to be red or Mum needs to be red or tortie.


If Mum and Dad are both red all kittens will be red

If Dad red and Mum non red/non tortie all female kittens will be tortie

If Dad red and Mum tortie all female kittens will be red or tortie

If Mum Tortie and Dad not red then female kittens can be tortie or non tortie

If Mum red and Dad non red all female kittens will be tortie

If neither parent is red or tortie then tortie kittens cannot be produced


If the lilac is a lilac tortie or the seal is a seal tortie then yes you could get tortie kittens but if they are just lilac and seal then no.

[Dawn F]

mmm I sort of thought that but the book I have on genetics is soooooooo complicated that I start wondering what is for dinner when I'm reading it lol!  I will speak to my friend not sure the breeder is above board

[Gillian Harvey]

one is lilac point and one seal - so could a blue cream torti baby be from them?

If the parents are both colourpoints then they can ony have colourpoint kittens as I understand it. 

[Dawn F]

one is lilac point and one seal - so could a blue cream torti baby be from them?

[Gillian Harvey]

Yes I think it is possible, one or both parents must either be or carry colourpoint to produce colourpoint kittens. Two colourpoint parents will only produce colourpoint kittens. Do you know what colour points it has? My Joe (solid red) comes from a red colourpoint dad and a solid cream mum.

[Dawn F]

tbh that is why I am a bit suspicious my friend is supposed to be buying this kitten and well lets just say I'm not sure all is as it seems

[Mark]

I did some basic genetics but Janey is studying it properly so she can probably answer. I hate the idea of breeding cats 

[Dawn F]

these have been bred Mark, she isn't that sort of girl!

[Mark]

I thought it was possible for a cat to get pregnant by different Toms and not something that can be worked out on a punnet square 

[Dawn F]

is it possible for a mum cat to have torti and colourpoint in the same litter and what colour would the mum and dad be?  probably a stupid question to anyone who understands the subject but I don't!!!