Although it doesn’t seem like it, cream-colored cats are actually very rare. A feline lover who is after muted colors would surely have a hard time finding this color variety in local catteries or just about anywhere.
The rarity of the cream-colored cat, however, doesn’t make it any less of a cat variety. Creams are, in fact, some of the prettiest felines, and they glow as much as the white cats.
If you’re fascinated with cream-colored cats as much as we are, this blog has you covered! Here, we’ve listed ten exciting facts about creams that may convince you to start your hunt for one.
1. Cream is a diluted red cat color
Cream color in cats occurs due to the dilution gene, which alters the primary red color. Specifically, a single base deletion 1 bp alters the production of melanophilin, a type of protein that produces coat pigments.
When melanin synthesis occurs, the pigment granules created are deposited unevenly on the cat’s hair. It is also enlarged, which results in melanin clumps of different sizes.
These melanin clumps found on body areas that lack pigment and along the hair shaft create the illusion of a diluted red coat commonly called cream in the feline world.
2. Cream cats were once considered defective
When Harrison Weir, known as “the Father of Cat Fancy,” set the standards and colors for cat breeds, the color cream wasn’t included. But this doesn’t mean that they’re non-existent at the time.
Cream-colored cats already existed, and they were well-known by the English people. However, they were perceived as cats with an insufficient red color, and so they were considered defective.
Cats with a cream color were treated differently (often poorly) due to their coats. For instance, cream Persian cats were castrated or sent to America.
Thus, it is in America that they were first recognized and accepted. The British followed suit but not after a long time.
3. Cream cats are often female
Statistically, there are more female cats that are born with a cream color than males. This is because the cream coat has two genes in the red color genotype that are localized in the X chromosome.
That said, since females carry two X chromosomes, they are more likely to be cream. In contrast, males carry an XY combination, which means they only have a single X chromosome.
With this in mind, if you are planning to breed your cream cat to produce another cream, this might pose a challenge. You have to do genetic testing for possible pairs to identify if they carry the same gene.
4. The cream color in kittens does not necessarily remain so
Most kittens are born with a cream color, but they don’t remain light-colored for long. Eventually, their juvenile coat changes, and their top hair regrowth appears much darker than their undercoat.
When this color change happens, distinct stripes may also appear if the cream cat is a tabby. Note that this phenomenon is not unique to creams.
Kittens with a shaded blue coat, a smoky color, or red will also undergo color transition, just like the cream.
5. Cream fur can be a sign of a fever coat
When a cat has a high fever, gets stressed, or is given medication during pregnancy, the pigmentation of its coat gets affected.
A feline’s coat is super sensitive to temperature; hence, a high womb temperature means the color pigments of the kittens aren’t deposited as they should be.
As a result, these kittens would have a cream coloration when born. The roots are typically darker, while the tips are lighter. However, this doesn’t last very long, and the feline eventually assumes its natural color.
6. Cream can be a point color in cats
The cream coloration doesn’t always occur as a solid color in cats. In some cases, they just appear as color point markings.
The cream points in cats are caused by a type of albinism known as temperature-sensitive albinism. Cats with this condition have more pigments on areas of the skin with lower surface temperatures.
Hence, you’ll see a cat with cream points on its muzzle, paws, ears, and tail.
Some of the most common cat breeds with cream points are the Siamese, Shorthair, Birman, and Persian.
7. Cream tabby cats are super rare
If a solid cream cat is already considered rare, a cream tabby is even rarer. These cats showcase a diluted red base color and dark stripes or markings that are fawn, light orange, or amber in color.
The paws and pads of cream tabbies are pink instead of black or dark brown, while their eye color may be amber or golden.
Even though the cream tabby coat is uncommon, it is still considered acceptable for the American Bobtail, American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Norwegian Forest Cat, and many other cat breeds.
They are also highly sought after because of their relatively long lifespan of 10 to 20 years.
Check out this video to see a one-year-old cream-colored tabby cat:
Calico: Cream-Colored Cat<a href="https://youtu.be/WmzRjgXUjvM" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.bubblypet.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FWmzRjgXUjvM%2F0.jpg" alt="Calico: Cream-Colored Cat" width="1280" height="700" /><br />Watch this video on YouTube</a>
8. Cream tabby cats come in four different patterns
Similar to other tabby cats, the cream tabby comes in four different patterns — classic, ticked, mackerel, and spotted.
Note, however, that ticked and spotted cream tabby cats are rarer than the mackerel and classic. In other words, they fetch a higher price tag.
In most cases, too, the patterns are really subtle, so they cannot be identified easily by the untrained eye.
On a different note, other cat patterns that are non-tabby, such as the tortie, torbie, and calico, rarely sport cream-colored coats.
9. Cream tabby cats are affectionate and intelligent
Some traits that are very common to all tabby cats, including the cream tabbies, are their intelligence and sweetness to humans.
They love to cuddle and lie around, but they also love playtime, especially with their owner. Feline lovers who are after cats that are highly affectionate would find a friend in this variety.
But, of course, there’s always a catch. The intelligence of cream tabbies also makes them cranky when they don’t get their way. They are super bright felines, and they’ll do everything to get what they want.
10. Cream tabby cats are excellent hunters
Tabbies are great hunters, so even if your cream tabby looks like it won’t hurt anyone, it is actually wired to exterminate mice on your property.
If you see them running around your backyard or attic in full-on hunting mode, better back off and let them do what their instinct tells them to do. Besides, hunting rodents is a thrilling game for them.
Final Thoughts
Cream-colored cats, including cream tabbies, are some of the best-looking felines you’ll ever get sight of. They’re also extremely rare, so getting one of them would prove to be a challenge.
We hope that this blog satisfies your curiosity or makes you know your cream-colored cat better if you are already an owner of one!
Want to share your thoughts or any interesting facts about these mesmerizing cats? Leave a comment below with your thoughts about cream-colored cats!
コメント