# Very Unusual Kitten Pattern - Red Panda?



## AshleyHoneyBee

I work with an animal shelter, and this 12 week old kitten came into our possession yesterday.

It was sent off to a foster home that evening and the photo was provided by the foster parent. I examined the kitten myself while it was at the shelter, and the color pattern seen in person is true to to what is seen in the photo. The kitten was collected at a feral cat colony, but is not feral itself. Although this places its parental origin in question, a particular calico seemed a likely parental candidate. 

Can anyone chime in with some insight into this color pattern? I've never seen anything like it, but I'm tempted to call it a red/cinnamon(?) ticked/shaded(?) silver mackerel tabby.


----------



## NebraskaCat

Man, there have been some unusually colored cats the last few days in the forum.

I preface my guess by saying I have no training or cfa/tica activity. I just like to read about colorations and patterns.

I'd call her DLH cinnamon torbie with white or DLH cinnamon calico/tabby "caliby". Whether there should be a shell/smoke/shade in there, I'm not even going to try to guess.

Super cute though. She'll get adopted in no time.


----------



## Linsmd

Very beautiful! I believe that the cinnamon color is a recessive gene usually. Chances are its parents didnt even show signs of this color. 

This article is a good understanding of how genes affect the colors of a cat.
http://www.examiner.com/article/cat-fur-colors-patterns-the-basic-colors

In the fifth paragraph you will see that a cats third gene accounts for any orange or red.

The author has a number of articles on the subject, this one discusses that a cinnamon-like color is actually part of the black family of colors and is derived from those genes. 
http://www.examiner.com/article/cat-fur-colors-and-patterns-basic-genetics-part-1

It's pretty interesting. I hope you'll post pictures of it when it's older if possible, but I'm sure this cutie is going to be adopted ASAP! 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Marcia

Yes, she will get adopted in no time - as a matter of fact I will break my vow of only adopting adults and seniors so you can bring her right over!! I'll be waiting by the front door!!! SUPER CUTE!! Love those eyes.


----------



## Lotu

I've heard of black fur getting reddish in the Sun--could this be a brown tabby mackerel whose black fur has turned reddish in the Sun? It is a really cool look


----------



## JungliBillis

Omg so cute! Amazing red color.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Mitts & Tess

Gosh list this cat as a cinnamon calico/tabby as Jeff described it! Anything to capture lookers interest. What a cutie. So unusual!


----------



## AshleyHoneyBee

We already have multiple applications on the cutie, so I'm quite certain she'll have an excellent home after we finish clearing her medically.  

I checked out the articles on the Examiner regarding color coat genetics, but neither really addresses the complexity of the coloration shown by this kitten (I've almost completed my Master's degree in biology, so simple genetics are well within my purview if anyone has any more in depth information in this regard). 

Regarding the torbie classification, while it seems possible that this is a rare tortoiseshell variant, it didn't seem to fit since the color appears as a consistent solid shell where it is present. 

Although I was hesitant to mention this since I didn't check an individual hair shaft up close, when her coat is parted to her skin, the color of each hair shaft appears to be divided into thirds. It appears to shift from a light silver close to her body, to a dark smoke grey to the lovely cinnamon color seen on the outside. My understanding is that individual hair shafts do not usually contain more than two colors, though. :/


----------



## asnnbrg

She's gorgeous!


----------



## TinyPaws

Wow that coat pattern is amazing! The different types of coats on cats never ends in amazing me!


----------



## 10cats2dogs

OMG! I'm in Love! Love, love, love!!
Sweetness overload alert!


----------



## wallycat

WHAT a cutie!! Would be wonderful to see how she ages!!


----------



## Jakiepoo

Yeah, doesn't really look like a black cat gone red, the color is much richer than you usually see there. I would agree with the torbie remark I think, she just has much larger patches by the looks of things then you see in most torbie's! With possibly some sort of ticking going on? Who knows, she is adorable though!


----------



## Marcia

I hope the new owners join the forum and keep us updated with pics. A truly unusual kitten color, that's for sure!!


----------



## katrina89

What a lucky genetic mixture. She is sure to get a lovely home!


----------



## gizmothecat

Wish I could call her mine


----------



## _ANT_

Oh wow she's adorable!!!!!!


----------



## Jetlaya67

She does look like a red panda. Beautiful kitten.


----------

