A locus — agouti (tabby vs solid)

Controls: Whether the tabby pattern is visible or hidden under a solid coat.

How it works

Every cat is genetically tabby; the A locus decides whether it shows. Dominant A lets the tabby pattern appear; two copies of recessive a give a solid (self) coat that masks the pattern. Note: the red/orange series always shows its tabby markings regardless of A.

Alleles

AAgouti (tabby shows)Dominant

aNon-agouti (solid)Recessive

Breeding examples

Tabby carrying solid (A/a) × Tabby carrying solid (A/a)

← ≈ 3 in 4 tabby, 1 in 4 solid.

Solid (a/a) × Solid (a/a)

← All kittens solid — the pattern stays masked.

Colours it produces

Black Blue (Grey)

Frequently asked questions

Do solid cats carry a tabby pattern?+

Yes — the tabby pattern is still there genetically, just masked by the non-agouti (solid) gene.

Why does my solid black kitten show faint stripes?+

Those are 'ghost markings' — the hidden tabby pattern showing faintly. They usually fade as the solid adult coat comes in.

Can two tabby cats have a solid kitten?+

Yes — if both tabby parents carry the recessive non-agouti allele (a), a kitten can inherit two copies and be solid.

Related genes

Mc/Ta

Tabby pattern

The shape of the tabby markings: mackerel, classic, spotted or ticked.

I locus — silver & smoke

Whether the hair has a silver-white base (silver, smoke, chinchilla).

B locus — black series

Whether the black pigment shows as black, chocolate or cinnamon.

See these colours on real cats.

Browse cat colours