Tabby cat or "hypermelanistic" allele, "a", does not. Solid-color (black or blue) cats have the "aa" combination, hiding the tabby pattern, although sometimes a suggestion of the underlying pattern can be seen (called "ghost striping") This pattern is mostly seen in young cats that still have the baby coat. The right pattern (Classic, Mackerel, or Spotted) will reveal itself then, because that is independent of whether it is tabby or solid. However, the agouti gene only controls the production of black pigment, so a cat with an "O" allele for orange color will still have the tabby pattern. As a result, both
Cat body-type mutation Cat body-type mutation Cats, like all living organisms, occasionally have mutations that affect their body type. Sometimes, these cat body-type mutations are striking enough that humans select for and perpetuate them. This is not always in the best interests of the cat, as many of these mutations are harmful; some are even lethal in their homozygous form. This page gives a selection of cat body type mutant alleles and the associated mutations with a brief description. Jb = Japanese bobtail gene (autosomal dominant). Cats homozygous and heterozygous for this gene display shortened and kinked tails. Cats homozygous for the gene