10/28/2026
CAT COLOURS & PATTERNS
HOW MANY DO YOU KNOW?
Did you know cats come in an incredible variety of colours and patterns? Some are common, while others are quite rare! And here's something interesting: Tabby, Calico, Tortoiseshell, Tuxedo and Flame Point aren't breeds. They're descriptions of a cat's colouring or markings!
Let's learn about our feline friends!
SOLID COLOURS
Black — A beautiful, solid dark coat.
White — An all-white appearance.
Blue/Grey — The official term for a grey coat is "blue."
Red/Orange — Also called ginger or marmalade.
Cream — A softer, diluted version of orange.
Chocolate — A rich, warm brown.
Cinnamon — A lighter, reddish-brown colour.
Lilac/Lavender — A pale, pinkish-grey shade.
Fawn — A soft, warm beige colour.
Amber — An uncommon colour that develops through changes in pigment as some cats mature.
TABBY PATTERNS
Tabbies can be brown, orange, silver, blue, cream and other colours!
Mackerel — Narrow, tiger-like stripes.
Classic — Beautiful swirls and bullseye markings.
Spotted — Spots instead of continuous stripes.
Ticked — Individual hairs with bands of colour, giving a speckled appearance.
TORTOISESHELL, CALICO & MIXED COLOURS
Tortoiseshell (Tortie) — A mixture of black and orange.
Dilute Tortoiseshell — A softer combination of blue-grey and cream.
Calico — Distinct patches of black, orange and white.
Dilute Calico — Grey, cream and white patches.
Torbie — A tortoiseshell with tabby markings.
Dilute Torbie — Grey and cream with tabby markings.
Tuxedo — Usually black and white, resembling a little formal suit.
Bicolour — White combined with another colour or pattern.
Van Pattern — Predominantly white, with colour mainly on the head and tail.
COLOURPOINT CATS
These beautiful cats have lighter bodies with darker colouring around their faces, ears, paws and tails.
Flame Point (Red Point) — Creamy-white body with reddish-orange points.
Cream Point — Pale cream-coloured points.
Seal Point — Deep, dark brown points.
Blue Point — Soft slate-grey points.
Chocolate Point — Warm chocolate-brown points.
Lilac Point — Light pinkish-grey points.
Cinnamon Point — Warm reddish-brown points.
Fawn Point — Soft beige points.
Lynx Point — Tabby stripes within the darker points.
Tortie Point — Mixed orange and dark colouring within the points.
Blue-Cream Point — Soft grey and cream point markings.
SMOKE, SILVER & GOLDEN COATS
Black Smoke — Appears black but has pale silver or white hair roots.
Silver Tabby — Dark tabby markings over a silver background.
Shaded Silver — Pale hair with darker tips.
Chinchilla/Shell — Very lightly tipped hair, creating a shimmering appearance.
Golden Shaded — Warm golden undercolour with darker hair tips.
FUN CAT GENETICS
Dilute colouring is genetic. Black becomes blue, orange becomes cream, chocolate becomes lilac and cinnamon becomes fawn.
Not every cat with colourpoint markings is a Siamese!
Many colours and patterns can combine, so this guide covers the major coat families rather than every possible combination!
At Peakside Animal Rescue, we love them all, from the tiniest tabby to the fluffiest flame point!
Every cat deserves kindness, safety and a loving home, regardless of colour, pattern or appearance.
📸 LET'S SEE YOUR CATS!
Share a picture of your kitty in the comments and tell us their colour or pattern! How many different ones can we find in our community?
- Peakside Animal Rescue
