Tabby cat red cats and the patches of red on tortoiseshell cats will show tabby striping. The primary tabby pattern gene, "Mc/mc or Mc/Mc", sets the basic pattern of stripes that underlies the coat. "Mc" is the wild-type tabby gene and produces what is called a Mackerel Striped tabby. Classic tabbies are cats who also possess "mc/mc", a recessive mutant gene that produces the blotched pattern. The spotted gene is directly connected to the Mc gene; it 'breaks' the lines of a Mackerel tabby, turning it into spots. The spotted gene is dominant as well, which means a Spotted will be Sp/sp
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