No 1. How Coat Patterns Develop
Cats’ coat patterns appear first on their head and tail and then on their back and belly.
After the patterns develop on the cats’ head, tail, and back, they may end up having a patternless, white belly if they don’t have enough pigment cells.
That’s why there may be cats with a dark back and a white belly but not those with a white back and dark belly. It is also why cats have white feet.
No 2. Do Cats with White Fur and Blue Eyes Have Hearing Disability?
Some say that cats with white fur and blue eyes have hearing disability.
While the probability of hearing disability is higher for cats with such fur-eye color combination, it is not always the case.
A cat with white fur and one blue eye has a 40% chance, and a cat with white fur and two blue eyes has a 65-85% probability of having hearing disability.
Also, if a cat with one blue eye has hearing loss, they have difficulty hearing with the ear on the same side of the blue eye.
No 3. The Secret Behind M-Shaped Pattern
Tabby cats with stripes (= mackerel tabbies) have M-shaped patterns on their forehead.
If a tabby cat does not have an M-shaped pattern, it could be that the color of the fur tips is different from the roots.
In such cases, the M-shaped pattern won’t be so visible due to the fur color.
No 4. Can Fur Color Change?
Cats’ fur colors can change due to various reasons, such as growth, aging, nutrition, sunlight exposure, etc.
In the case of Siamese, Burmese, and Tonkinese cats, their fur colors can turn darker if the temperature around them decreases.
No 5. Most Tricolor (Calico) Cats Are Female
Cats’ fur colors are determined by the X chromosome.
Female cats who have two X chromosomes can have two different fur colors excluding white, but male cats cannot as they have an XY chromosome pair.
Therefore, tricolor cats (= calico cats) are almost always females.
There is a 1/3000 probability that a male calico cat will be born. If so, it will be because he has an XXY chromosome combination.