I locus — silver & smoke
Controls: Whether the hair has a silver-white base (silver, smoke, chinchilla).
The dominant Inhibitor gene (I) removes pigment from the base of each hair, leaving a silver-white undercoat. On a tabby it gives silver; on a solid it gives smoke; with heavy tipping it gives shaded or chinchilla. How much of each hair stays coloured (the 'tipping') is a polygenic gradient.
Alleles
ISilver (inhibitor)DominantiFull colourRecessiveBreeding examples
Silver (I/i) × Full colour (i/i)
← ≈ half silver, half full colour (silver is dominant, one copy shows).
Silver (I/i) × Silver (I/i)
← ≈ 3 in 4 silver, 1 in 4 full colour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between silver and smoke?+
Both come from the inhibitor gene. Silver sits on a tabby (silver undercoat WITH visible pattern); smoke sits on a solid (white roots under a solid-looking coat that shows only when the fur parts).
What is a chinchilla cat?+
A silver cat with only the very tip of each hair coloured — the palest, most sparkling silver, with a clear white body and dark-rimmed eyes.
Is silver dominant?+
Yes — a single copy of the inhibitor gene (I) is enough to show silver or smoke.
Related genes
See these colours on real cats.
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