D locus — dilution
Controls: Whether a colour is dense (full) or dilute (softened).
The D locus controls dilution. Dominant D keeps colour dense; two copies of the recessive d dilute it: black→blue, chocolate→lilac, cinnamon→fawn, red→cream. Dilution clumps the pigment granules in the hair so the same colour simply looks softer.
Alleles
DDenseDominantdDiluteRecessiveBreeding examples
Black carrying dilute (D/d) × Black carrying dilute (D/d)
← ≈ 3 in 4 dense (black), 1 in 4 dilute (blue).
Blue (d/d) × Blue (d/d)
← All kittens dilute (blue / lilac / cream by base).
Dense (D/D) × Blue (d/d)
← All kittens dense, and every one carries dilute.
Colours it produces
Frequently asked questions
How do two black cats have a blue kitten?+
If both black parents secretly carry the recessive dilution allele (d), a kitten can inherit two copies and be blue.
What are lilac and fawn?+
They are the dilute versions of the brown series: lilac is diluted chocolate, and fawn is diluted cinnamon — soft, frosty tones.
Dense parent × dilute parent — will any kitten be dilute?+
Not from that pairing alone. Dilute needs two copies of d. All kittens will look dense, but each carries one dilute allele, so dilute can appear in the NEXT generation.
Related genes
See these colours on real cats.
Browse cat colours