Gray cats are increasingly attracting the attention of cat lovers for their attractive fur. Although it is not an exclusive color of a breed, and we can find gray fur in many cats, both purebred and mixed, when we think of a gray cat, several breeds of cats come to mind and we will mention them here.
In principle, we will tell you about the genetics of gray cats and the different breeds that have this striking coat color.
Genetics of the gray cat:
For a cat to be gray, several factors must occur at the same time. For example, the coat color of the cat's parents, which influences in equal parts the coat color of their offspring. It will also depend on whether they are recessive or dominant genes.
Gray cats can come from both the crossing of black and white cats, or from a mating that occurs between gray cats and other colors.
The most common gray cat genotype is -AAB dd. The AA refers to the black gene, while the B implies the presence of brown. The dd means that there are two dilution genes.
What common characteristics do gray cats have?
There are investigations from the University of California, which provide information about the character of a gray cat. In these investigations it is suggested that the gray cat stands out for its loyalty and affection. But also because of his shyness and distrust of strangers. As children, they are unruly and do mischief; but over time this changes, they learn the basic rules of coexistence and respect them.
These are general behavioral characteristics of gray cats, although their character varies depending on various factors, one of which is the breed that you will meet below.
Some breeds of gray cats:
There are many breeds of cats that can have gray fur (among other colors) such as Persian cats, European cats, Munchkin, Egyptian Mau, Oriental shorthairs, and American shorthairs.
But there are other breeds of cats in which their distinctive color is gray, such as:
Russian Blue:
Its fur is between gray and silver, silky, shiny and very soft; with beautiful emerald green eyes. But it is not only physically striking, but it must be mentioned that they are affectionate and playful, so children will enjoy their company very much.
They have a very dynamic character, since they like hunting and adventure. Its origin is from the Archangel Islands, in Russia.
Korat:
The first data on this gray cat are documented in the Middle Ages and have been located in Thailand. Like the Russian Blue, it has silvery blue fur and green eyes.
This breed is highly appreciated in their country of origin, because they are considered to be of great purity. It was introduced to the United States in the middle of the last century.
Nebelung:
It is a cat with platinum blue fur with semi-long hair and green eyes. It comes from the cross between an American semi-longhair cat and a Russian Blue cat. It is currently present in many countries. These specimens stand out for being calm and even a bit lazy.
They are very cheerful and affectionate with the people they meet, but they are reserved when they don't know people, their country of origin is the United States.
Chartreux or Carthusian:
This breed comes from France. It is a gray cat, but with copper eyes.
It is characterized by being affectionate and having a gentle character, which is why they were highly valued in the Carthusian monasteries where their first appearances were documented in the monks' writings. At that time, the monks raised them because the meows they emitted were very soft, so they did not interfere with their prayers.
British cat:
Among its characteristic features we find in addition to its gray fur, with its particular flattened face and its large copper eyes. Depending on the length of its coat, it can be dense, thick and silky if it is short-haired or smooth, dense and soft if it has long hair.
They are sweet and playful. However, their character is sometimes reserved and they like to have their own space. Its origin is United Kingdom.
Main differences between the breeds of gray cats:
Those unfamiliar with breed standards may confuse the cats we just mentioned.
As we describe, the Nebelung differs from the rest of the gray cats, in that it is the only one that has semi-long gray hair and green eyes.
The British cat can have short or long gray hair, but it has brown eyes and a particular flattened face, which distinguishes it from Chartreux, which has short gray fur and brown eyes.
The difficulty arises in being able to differentiate the Russian Blue cat and the Korat cat, since both have short, silver-gray fur and green eyes. But their physical build slightly differs a bit from each other. The Korat cat has a heart-shaped face and appears to be stockier and heavier. While the Russian Blue, on the other hand, has a more triangular (wedge-shaped) face and very little body fat, it is more muscular.
If you want to know more about these wonderful breeds of cats, you can search our page.
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