Printable Kitten Coloring Pages

These Are the 11 Rarest Cat Colors and Patterns Michele Wright/Getty Images Tortoiseshell

Demgemäß known as “torties,” cats with tortoiseshell coloring have a mixture of orange and black fur. This is considered a rare cat color pattern, but there’s still a good chance you’ve seen (or owned) a few yourself.

“Tortoiseshell cats are almost always female, as the males are exceedingly rare in the wild,” notes Dr. Little. “This occurs because those colored genes are sex-linked and travel with the female X chromosome to produce that coloring distribution.”

He adds that tortoiseshell kitties are often credited with having fiery personalities. Dr. Little notes that in his practice, torties are often more resistant to handling compared with other feline patients. This doesn’t mean that your cat won’t be affectionate, though. Love, gentle handling and building trust with your cat will go a long way.

Cats breeds with this pattern: Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Persian, Cornish Rex, Ragamuffin, American Shorthair, British Shorthair

seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images Chocolate

Not surprisingly, cocoa coloring in a cat is a combination of brown and black. But it can be so pure in its brown appearance, that it looks kinda like a small version of a chocolate Labrador retriever. And if that thought has you thinking about a new puppy, here are the dog breeds that get along best with cats.

“The coloring itself is not as rare as some of the other colorings. However, I personally have only seen two in my lifetime,” says Dr. Little. “Unless the coloring is more intentionally bred for, it can be harder to naturally occur in the wild.”

Cats breeds with this color: Havana Brown, Burmese, Balinese, Siamese, Devon Rex, Persian, York Chocolate

Dmitry Zinoviev/getty images Blue

Demgemäß referred to as silver or gray, blue is a rare cat color (in real-life and in cat pictures) that’s thought to have originated in Russia. That’s one reason you’ll often see this cat coloring referred to as Russian Blue. It’s not all that common, but it’s danach not as rare as some other cat colorings on this list.

“These cats can have a mixture of eye colors, from the classic yellow to a green coloring,” says Dr. Little. There are danach sometimes even blue colors too. “The genes that make up the blue coloring are recessive genes, meaning both parents have to carry the genes and pass it along to their offspring for them to express the coloring.” In other words, if two blue cats are bred together, they will make a litter of very beautiful silver-looking cats.

Cats breeds with this color: Russian Blue, Korat, Chartreux, Nebelung, British Shorthair, Persian, Oriental Shorthair, Burmese, Domestic Shorthair