Tabby cats are some of the most common and beloved cat coat patterns. The distinctive swirled tabby pattern can come in many colors, including orange, brown, gray, and even yellow. But can tabby cats truly be yellow? The answer is yes, tabby coat patterns can manifest in yellow fur. However, it is quite rare to see yellow tabby cats.
What Makes A Cat Tabby?
The tabby coat pattern refers to the distinctive swirls, stripes, whorls, and markings on a cat’s fur. This pattern is the result of certain genes that code for these agouti hairs. All cats, regardless of their base coat color, have tabby coat patterns until the age of 3-4 weeks. After this age, some cats retain the tabby pattern while others develop solid coat colors.
Thus, any cat can be a tabby if they have the distinctive tabby markings. These markings include the characteristic ‘M’ shape on their foreheads and stripes of varying thickness on their bodies. The specific tabby pattern depends on the breed of cat. Classic tabbies have bold, broad stripes while mackerel tabbies have thin stripes on a lighter colored background.
How Tabby Patterns Develop
All kittens are born with the ‘agouti’ gene that codes for the tabby pattern. The agouti gene controls where black or gray pigment develops on the hair shaft. On tabby cats, the agouti gene causes bands of color on each hair.
As kittens grow, some retain this agouti gene activity while others experience genetic changes that silence the tabby pattern. For example, the dominant O gene blocks expression of the agouti gene, leading to solid orange cats. The melanin inhibitor gene (B/b or D/d) prevents black pigment from developing, creating lilac or fawn solid coats.
Thus, any cat breed can have tabby coat patterns. Whether the tabby pattern remains visible depends on other interacting genes that control overall coat color by expressing or suppressing the agouti gene’s activity.
What Determines a Tabby Cat’s Color?
While the agouti gene controls the hair pattern, other genes determine the actual color of the tabby coat. This color depends on the pigment produced and how it distributes along the hair shaft.
For example, the orange gene removes black pigment but keeps the underlying orange pigment. This results in orange tabby cats. The dilution gene reduces the saturation of pigment, creating lighter blue/gray (dilute) tabbies.
The chocolate and cinnamon genes alter how black pigment distributes, resulting in brown tabby cats. The Seychelles gene inhibits pigment production altogether, creating pale beige cats.
So in summary, the overall tabby coat color depends on:
- How much black or orange pigment is present
- How well the pigment saturates the hair shaft
- How the pigment distributes along the hair
Different gene combinations result in all the various tabby colors seen today.
Are Yellow Tabby Cats Possible?
Yellow is an extremely pale variant of the orange gene. For a tabby cat to appear yellow, two copies of the orange gene must be present. This masks all black pigment and only faint orange color remains.
Yellow tabby cats are possible but quite rare. Most yellow cats do not retain enough pigment to show the tabby pattern. Instead, they appear solid yellow or light buff in color. For the tabby pattern to remain visible, the cat must have just the right level of pale orange pigment.
Here are some possible genetic combinations that can produce yellow tabby cats:
| Genes Present | Coat Description |
|---|---|
| Double orange genes + agouti tabby gene | Yellow tabby (faint orange stripes) |
| Double orange genes + agouti tabby gene + cream gene | Very pale yellow tabby |
| Chocolate orange genes + agouti tabby gene | Light cinnamon tabby |
| Double dilute + agouti tabby gene | Very light gray tabby |
As you can see, getting the precise genetic combination for a yellow tabby cat is rare. But it is definitely possible. Many owners mistake pale orange or cream tabbies for yellow.
Breeds Prone To Yellow Tabby Coats
While yellow tabby cats are rare, certain breeds are more prone to having yellow coat colors and patterns. Here are some cat breeds where yellow tabbies are more likely to occur:
- Orange tabby breeds like the American Bobtail, American Curl, Japanese Bobtail, Kurilian Bobtail, Manx, and Cymric
- Breeds prone to dilution like the Persian, Exotic Shorthair, Himalayan, Ragdoll, Birman, and Turkish Angora
- Point color breeds like the Siamese, Balinese, Javanese, and Colorpoint Shorthair
- White spotting breeds like the Turkish Van and Turkish Angora
For example, a dilute orange American Bobtail or a lynx point Siamese may express the yellow tabby pattern. But even in these predisposed breeds, yellow tabbies rarely occur.
Are Yellow Tabby Cats Just White Cats?
Some people think light yellow tabby cats are simply white cats with faint tabby markings. However, genuine yellow tabby cats still produce some pigment and are not simply white cats.
White cats have genes that prevent any pigment production in the fur. The dominant white gene (W) interferes with pigment migration during development, producing completely white kittens. The white spotting gene (S) prevents pigmentation in random patches, creating white spotting.
These white cats can sometimes have very faint ‘ghost’ tabby markings since the tabby genes are still present. But on close inspection, white cats lack the yellow/orange hue seen in yellow tabbies.
Distinguishing Between Yellow and Cream Tabbies
Many people confuse pale orange or cream tabby cats for yellow tabbies. Unlike true yellow tabby cats, cream tabbies have moderate amounts of orange pigment. The cream gene allows black pigment to develop only in the fur tips while retaining pale orange color near the skin.
As a result, cream tabby cats appear peach, buff, or light orange. They lack the pale ‘bleached’ look of yellow tabby cats that have minimal pigment overall. Breeds like the Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, and Sphynx commonly have cream tabby coat colors.
Conclusion
In summary, yes tabby coat patterns can manifest in yellow fur. However, yellow tabby cats are quite rare due to the precise genetic combination needed. Most cats that people think are yellow are actually cream, buff, or pale orange tabbies. But genuine yellow tabby cats do occasionally occur, especially among breeds predisposed to paler pigmentation.
Regardless of their specific shade, all tabby cats have the distinctive agouti coat markings that make them one of the most beloved feline patterns.
