Golden
Controls: A warm golden undercoat instead of silver.
Golden is a recessive expression linked to the wide-band trait that produces a warm apricot-gold undercoat with darker tipping, most striking in shaded and chinchilla cats. Unlike silver, golden has NO inhibitor gene — the base of the hair stays warm gold rather than white.
Alleles
wbGolden (wide band)RecessiveWbNot goldenDominantBreeding examples
Golden (wb/wb) × Golden (wb/wb)
← All kittens golden. The tipping level (shaded vs shell) still varies — it is polygenic.
Golden (wb/wb) × Not-golden carrier (Wb/wb)
← ≈ half golden, half not-golden carriers.
Golden (wb/wb) × Not-golden, non-carrier (Wb/Wb)
← No golden kittens — but every kitten carries golden for later.
Frequently asked questions
What do you get from golden × golden?+
Golden is recessive, so two golden parents (both carrying the wide-band pair) produce golden kittens. The exact tipping level (shaded vs shell) then varies, as it is polygenic.
What is the difference between silver and golden?+
Silver removes pigment from the hair base leaving it WHITE (a cool look); golden leaves the base a WARM apricot-gold. Same tipped structure, opposite undercoat colour.
Golden shaded vs golden shell (chinchilla) — what is the difference?+
It is the amount of tipping. Shell (chinchilla) has only the very tips coloured — the lightest; shaded has more colour down the hair — a deeper, more defined mantle.
Related genes
See these colours on real cats.
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