COAT COLOR AND LENGTH: The Napoleon Cat Breed Standard for coat states: COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:
Length (long): Long all over the body. Full of life. Dense undercoat giving the coat full volume. Ruffs should be immense. Seasonal variations in coats shall be recognized.
Length (short): Short, but slightly longer than most shorthairs. Soft, dense, plush; standing away from the body. Seasonal variation in coat and density should be recognized.
Color (long/short): As described in TICA Color Descriptions.
COAT/COLOR/PATTERN 20 points
Length/Texture 10 points
Color/Pattern 10 points
Comments On Coat Length
Napoleons can be shorthaired and/or longhaired - this is true. Obviously, you will want to try to avoid the in-betweens. That said, it will be a challenge to continue to produce nice typey longhaired Napoleons without also incorporating the extra thick cottony Persiany coat. It will require a purposeful breeding program that carefully includes a silkier coat in your longhaired breedings. Often breeders will choose to breed the shorthaired Munchkins or Exotic Shorthairs into their breeding programs in an effort to achieve this goal. This may be a good option but it can often produce offspring that don't quite fit into the shorthaired category nor the longhaired category. In the scope of things - the coat points is only 20 in total once we get to a show level (whether in Preliminary New Breed or in Championship status) so the sacrifice may be worth it in the long run.
Comments On Coat Color
One of the exciting options for Napoleon breeders is that Napoleons are allowed in all colors. All means more than the Persian allowable colors - all means ALL; i.e. shadeds, chocolates, mink, sepia, pointed, bicolor, odd-eyed bicolor, green-eyed whites, cinnamon, lilac, etc. Obviously, the more unique and rare - the more challenging it will be. Obviously, the more unique - the more difficult it will be to produce them "well." That said, it gives a breeder great flexibility and creative options. It will also mean a challenge in accurately naming such of these colors; for example - silver lilac patched mackeral tabby & white....what a mouthful! It is often advisable to check out some of the other breed color descriptions (and pictures) if you are getting stumped. For example, a Persian can come in a color category of "Golden" but often the coloring will look dirtier or more tabbied or the hue might be slightly different than a Golden Persian. But...if you go to a Norwegian Forest Cat website - you may see kittens in the golden category there that resemble your kittens/cats that may help you determine color. This in no way implies that you have Norwegian Forest Cat bloodlines in your Napoleons. What it does mean is that the Munchkin bloodlines which comes from very diverse and a mixed heritage do contribute a different slant to the color make up of your kittens. This again may be that your Napoleon color is "accepted" but not ideal and may require working towards improving the color but at least identifying properly a color is step number one.
Great Links for Color Genetics Genetics For Shaded Silvers
(This is a great link that addresses the issues about Shaded Silvers, Chinchillas, and Smokes.)
http://www.messybeast.com/chinchillas.htm
Basic Color Chart (This is a basic color chart that helps the beginner get a grasp on what color kittens you can produce when you have specific colored parents.)
http://www.batcho.net/persian_color_breeding_chart.htm
More Color Information Links
http://www.pandecats.com/gallery/g_tabby.php
More Color Information Links
http://www.catbreedsjunction.com/persian-cats-colors.html
Length (long): Long all over the body. Full of life. Dense undercoat giving the coat full volume. Ruffs should be immense. Seasonal variations in coats shall be recognized.
Length (short): Short, but slightly longer than most shorthairs. Soft, dense, plush; standing away from the body. Seasonal variation in coat and density should be recognized.
Color (long/short): As described in TICA Color Descriptions.
COAT/COLOR/PATTERN 20 points
Length/Texture 10 points
Color/Pattern 10 points
Comments On Coat Length
Napoleons can be shorthaired and/or longhaired - this is true. Obviously, you will want to try to avoid the in-betweens. That said, it will be a challenge to continue to produce nice typey longhaired Napoleons without also incorporating the extra thick cottony Persiany coat. It will require a purposeful breeding program that carefully includes a silkier coat in your longhaired breedings. Often breeders will choose to breed the shorthaired Munchkins or Exotic Shorthairs into their breeding programs in an effort to achieve this goal. This may be a good option but it can often produce offspring that don't quite fit into the shorthaired category nor the longhaired category. In the scope of things - the coat points is only 20 in total once we get to a show level (whether in Preliminary New Breed or in Championship status) so the sacrifice may be worth it in the long run.
Comments On Coat Color
One of the exciting options for Napoleon breeders is that Napoleons are allowed in all colors. All means more than the Persian allowable colors - all means ALL; i.e. shadeds, chocolates, mink, sepia, pointed, bicolor, odd-eyed bicolor, green-eyed whites, cinnamon, lilac, etc. Obviously, the more unique and rare - the more challenging it will be. Obviously, the more unique - the more difficult it will be to produce them "well." That said, it gives a breeder great flexibility and creative options. It will also mean a challenge in accurately naming such of these colors; for example - silver lilac patched mackeral tabby & white....what a mouthful! It is often advisable to check out some of the other breed color descriptions (and pictures) if you are getting stumped. For example, a Persian can come in a color category of "Golden" but often the coloring will look dirtier or more tabbied or the hue might be slightly different than a Golden Persian. But...if you go to a Norwegian Forest Cat website - you may see kittens in the golden category there that resemble your kittens/cats that may help you determine color. This in no way implies that you have Norwegian Forest Cat bloodlines in your Napoleons. What it does mean is that the Munchkin bloodlines which comes from very diverse and a mixed heritage do contribute a different slant to the color make up of your kittens. This again may be that your Napoleon color is "accepted" but not ideal and may require working towards improving the color but at least identifying properly a color is step number one.
Great Links for Color Genetics Genetics For Shaded Silvers
(This is a great link that addresses the issues about Shaded Silvers, Chinchillas, and Smokes.)
http://www.messybeast.com/chinchillas.htm
Basic Color Chart (This is a basic color chart that helps the beginner get a grasp on what color kittens you can produce when you have specific colored parents.)
http://www.batcho.net/persian_color_breeding_chart.htm
More Color Information Links
http://www.pandecats.com/gallery/g_tabby.php
More Color Information Links
http://www.catbreedsjunction.com/persian-cats-colors.html
If you are a breeder and want more detailed information on cat colors - let's go a bit further. The following information has been provided by Margie Gardner of Creator's Cattery.
Color Genetics 101 - I do not know it all but have absorbed much information over the years as I have first hand dealt with unique colors and seen what happens when they are mixed and the hues changes a bit. I am called the color guru by many of my cat friends and I think I look at it like a puzzle of sorts. Fortunately, nowadays you can send off a saliva cotton swab and get your cat DNA tested and remove all doubt! Now, what is the fun of that? So...this should be helpful but not to be considered the Bible of color genetics.
Let me start with some abbreviations show that I don't wear out my fingers:
Nap = Napoleon
Mk = Munchkin
Std = Standard
NS = Non-Standard
CP = Color Point coat pattern (Like a Himalayan)
CPC = Color Point Carrier (means that the cat isn't visually a color point pattern but carries it genetically)
Bi = Bicolor
X = mates with
Choc = Chocolate
CC = Chocolate Carrier
PHE = Persian/Himalayan/Exotic Shorthair
BEW = Blue Eyed White
Dil = Dilute (blue; i.e. gray...is the dilute form of black, cream is the dilute form of red, lilac is the dilute form of chocolate)
1. Cats are what they are visually plus what they are genetically. This means that a black cat can produce black offspring but they can possibly produce other colors too...depending on 1. what color they carry genetically and 2. what they are bred to.
2. It takes two to tango.
*A black cat is considered a dominant color and if that black cat doesn't carry dilute, nor chocolate, nor pointed....it is pretty much going to only produce black offspring. There are some exceptions but let's not go off into a tangent just yet. If a black male that doesn't carry anything is bred to a black female that doesn't carry anything...then guess what?...You will have all black offspring.
*A black male cat that doesn't carry anything bred to a blue cat - for instance - will still only produce black offspring...because why?...it takes two to tango. Just like in science class when studying genes...it takes two genes doubling up to produce something. This particular black male cat then cannot produce anything more than what he is .
*There are a few exceptions - to be discussed further down...but let's continue with this basic thought.
*Let's say now that we have a male black cat that does carry dilute but nothing else. If he is bred to a black female that doesn't carry dilute or point or anything.....like above...they cannot produce anything but black offspring. But..if this black boy carrying dilute is bred to a blue female...Wala!...they can produce black and also some blue kittens. In fact....this black boy carrying dilute can be bred to black female carrying dilute and because they both are or carry the dilute gene - they too can produce both black and some blue offspring.
*This same line of thought also works with the pointed gene. If this black boy doesn't carry the pointed gene, he cannot produce pointed kittens no matter what he is bred to - whether it is a pointed female or what....he just can't. Now...if this black boy DOES carry the pointed gene and is bred to a seal point female - Wala!....they can produce some black kittens and some seal point kittens. (*Note: the pointed female already automatically carries the gene for non-pointedness.) This black boy who carries point can even be bred to a black female and if she too carries the pointed gene....they together can produce some black offspring and some pointed offspring. And...to compound to what you have now learned....If this black boy who carries the pointed gene ALSO carries the dilute gene and is bred to a black female who also carries dilute and pointed...they together can produce offspring in the following colors: black, blue, seal point, and blue point. But remember..it takes two to tango so you need to know what your cat carries and what its potential mate is and is carrying.
*Chocolate and lilac is like this as well. Both parents have to be it or carry it to produce it. A Black boy who carries dilute and colorpoint but not chocolate.........can be bred to a chocolate point female and they will never produce any chocolate kittens or chocolate points or lilac anything. The chocolate point female will in essence produce 'with this particular male" as if she was a seal point. But, as above...if both parents are visually or at least carry - then you can produce them. If the black boy carries dilute and colorpoint and chocolate and is bred to a chocolate point female who also carries dilute (for she is already visually a chocolate and automatically can produce non-color points when bred to one...)....this mating could produce the following offspring: black, blue, chocolate, lilac, seal point, blue point, chocolate point, lilac point.
3. More rules:
*CPxCP= a full litter of color points
*Dilute x dilute = a full litter of dilutes
*Visual choc or lilacs x visual choc or lilac = a full litter of visuals
^Std x std = some of both
*Non-std x std = some of both
*Non-std x Non-std = all non-stds...you cannot "carry" the short-legged gene...they either have it or they don't
^To produce a white kitten - at least one parent MUST be white.
^To produce a silver or smoke variety - at least one of the parents MUST be a silver or smoke.
*To produce a red/cream variety (i.e. red, cream, dilute tortie, calico, etc.) - at least one parent MUST have visually the red gene on them
^To produce a bicolor kitten - at least one parent MUST be a bicolor.
4. The white cat.
^As stated above - to produce a white cat, at least one of the parents MUST be a white cat.
^A white cat looks white but is actually another "color" genetically. Think of it as if the cat underneath has been white-washed so that you only see the white. What this basically means is that a white can CAN produce whites (typically half of its litter will be white) plus it can produce the color that it is "masking" (i.e. hiding behind the white mask.) So, for example, if your white male boy is "masking" blue point....it means that depending on what he is bred to (as you learned earlier in this segment), that your white male boy may also be able to produce blues or blue points. This can be great and bad at the same time. Great in that you can possibly get more variety in your litters than typical. Bad in that if you are anxious to produce a certain color - let's say chocolate for example - it may be that the white cat will produce white offspring that would've been visually chocolates except that they have been whitewashed and are now 'white cats." So....let's lay out a scenario to make sure you understand the premise. If you have a white male boy who is masking blue point and he is bred to a black girl carrying dilute and points - then you could produce the following: whites, blacks, blues, seal points, and blue points.
^If you look in the pedigree of a white cat - you will see at least one white parent going back every generation.
^If you look in the pedigree of a white cat - you can make an educated guess at white your white cat is masking. Again, a DNA test will answer it and breeding it a few times will likely tell but a good guess is often the best opportunity for you to decide whether you want to purchase that particular cat or not.
^White cats can have copper eyes, green eyes, gold eyes, blue eyes, or odd-eyes. Odd-eyes can mean one green one blue, one green one copper, one green one gold, one blue one copper, one blue one gold...I think that is it. These eye colors can be carried too. An odd eyed can produce straight eyed (two green, two blue, etc.) and vice versa - a straight eyed white if carrying the others can produce odd-eyes.
*The white cat is not the same gene as the bicolor cat.
^There is deafness associated with the blue eyed white cats. Not all of them are deaf. Not most of them are deaf....just some. It is generally recommended not to breed two white cats together unless one of them is a non-blue eyed. I personally think that using a pointed cat which already has blue eyes is a good enforcer to breed to the white cat (whether blue eyed or odd eyed or even straight eyed)...this seems to be the safer method.