CARAMEL CATS |
How does this beautiful color appear in cats? There is a dominant Dm modifier gene which changes the dilute genes which produces the blue, lilac and fawn colors to a brownish gray and taupe. The dilute cream changes to an apricot color. The Dm gene can be carried by the black, chocolate, cinnamon and orange cats and then appear when the cat is a dilute color.
The blue based caramel has a brownish tinge and is darker than lilac. The lilac based caramel has a taupe tone which changes to a soft brown in the shade. I have traced the Dm modifier gene back to Cat Magic’s Khaki of Sahja. She also carried the red gene and had lovely red and cream kittens with possibly some apricot kittens. Here is a link to a good web site with more details: Caramel and Apricot and Caramel and Apricot in the Oriental Shorthair. |
CAT MAGIC’S KHAKI OF SAHJA Sire: CH Oriental Image Neko of Cat Magic Dam: CH Oriental Image Foxfire of Cat Magic
Khaki is a lavender cream based caramel patched tabby. Montana is a lavender based caramel ticked tabby |
Sahja’s Chloe – GC Sahja’s Montana Haze b. 2002 (lavender based caramels) |
SAHJA’S CAMEO Sire: GC Sahja’s Montana Haze Dam: CH Sahja’s Mahria |
SAHJA’S SCOTCH Sire: CH Kolb’s Cayenne of Sahja Dam: Sahja’s Sienna
Sienna is a chestnut ticked tabby but is carrying the Dm gene from Khaki. She had both a lavender based caramel and a lavender spotted in the same litter in 2008. |