British cat color palette. British Lilac Lavender color of British cats

The British are real beauties. They are strong and resilient, moderately proud and soft. Today there are a huge number of colors of these fluffies. Breeders note that some are easier to obtain, while others are much more difficult. This includes the British lilac cat. One can only envy her appearance.

Breed characteristics

Attachment to family

Game activity

Intelligence

General health

Hair loss

Love for meowing

History of appearance

Few people know, but the lilac color of British cats is also called the Isabella shade. This is not easy. The cats got their name in honor of Isabella of Bovard, the French queen. If you believe the story, then a woman, sending her husband on a long hike, promised him that she would not take off his shirt until she saw him again in front of her. During the separation, the linen acquired a light gray color, with a hint of pink.

As for when the purple British appeared, it is impossible to say for certain. Some note that this color has always existed, but there are so many shades that you won’t even understand that we are talking about a specific color.

Features and types of lilac color of British cats

The lilac Briton is one of the most unusual, but at the same time original and striking representatives of this breed. Breeders say that they began breeding animals of this color quite recently, although cats of this color could have been encountered earlier due to accidental mating. Lilac is a difficult color to obtain, which is a great success.

The lilac color is available in several shades.

We are talking about:

• dark purple;
• lilac, having medium saturation;
• light purple, it is very similar to gray-pink.

Today, you can most often find shorthaired lilac British cats, whose fur has a pinkish tint.

Important! It is just as difficult to bring out a shade of pink wool as another from the lilac series. Usually this happens completely by accident.

To develop the desired color, breeders have to work for quite a long time. At the same time, no one can guarantee 100% results. This is luck that cannot be avoided.

Lilac color is a cool color, but that’s where the beauty lies. The pink color should be present somewhere in the distance. In addition, based on standards, hairs must have the same tone along their entire length. Otherwise, we are already talking about a crossbreed that cannot be classified as a purebred cat breed.

However, many people who have such a pet note its beauty and inimitability. And indeed, despite the fact that it will not be possible to obtain a passport due to some discrepancy, this will not in any way affect the originality and cuteness of the pet.

Lilac British kittens

Lilac British kittens have a slightly different appearance than adult animals. There is nothing surprising in this, because young pets still have “baby fur” for six months to a year, and only then it begins to change. Despite this, in young people the pads of the paws, the edging of the mucous membranes, and also the nose must necessarily match the color of the main coat, which initially has a gray-blue tint. After birth, the lilac kitten has blue-gray eyes. True, after time they change and become yellowish. In some animals you can even notice golden and copper ones.

Important! Sometimes newborn babies have light purple fur with scattered spots or stripes of a different color. This is a normal phenomenon, such deviations are allowed. By the year they pass.

At the same time, if there is a contrasting undercoat, which does not change after reaching a certain age, it means that an error occurred during crossing and the lop-eared baby, although very beautiful, will not be classified as a member of the lilac family.

Inexperienced people believe that if you cross two British cats of lilac color, you will get babies of the same shade or a slightly different one. In fact, this is a blunder. Breeders note that such mating will lead to dulling of the fur of the cat babies. Instead of being colorful and bright, it will be as close to a gray shade as possible. In addition, in some “children,” the inclusions that appear do not go away with age. Therefore, it is better to refuse such experiments.

In addition to classic lilac cats, marble fluffies look amazing. However, they are so rare that it is impossible to admire them.
The international names for lilac cats are Lavender and Lilac, although in the passport the breed and color are simply indicated by the letter “c”.

Character

The character does not particularly depend on whether we are talking about short-haired lilac British or marbled ones. These two types of furry pets are very soft, charming and playful. They are not characterized by English stiffness and arrogance. The peculiarity of the breed is also that the pets remain playful until old age. Feeling good, they can resemble children even in old age.

Animals like to climb onto the highest furniture in the apartment and from there watch the people below. Cats are loyal and devoted to their owners, although they often do not show their love openly. The British try to stay close, but at the same time stay away. Breeders note that animals of this breed perfectly sense the owner’s mood, so when it wants to be better, the pets stay away, fearing to fall under the “hot hand.” Despite the non-conflict nature of the cat, it is better not to have a dog in the house, because the animal may develop jealousy and will stay away.

Care

If you trace the history of the emergence of the British, it goes back more than one century. Purple shades, albeit interspersed, were present at that time. Therefore, caring for these animals, regardless of their color, is the same. Considering that pets are fluffy and stuffed, they should be brushed as often as possible. For these purposes, you should use special soft brushes that do not tear out the fur, but at the same time comb it perfectly. It is imperative to monitor your pets’ oral cavity, as well as their eyes and ears. Even if the animal is active and nothing bothers it, it should be examined by a veterinarian once a year and given the necessary vaccinations.

How do you get such beauties?

Some people mistakenly believe that lilac cats are the result of crossing a Scottish Fold. In fact, such mating leads to genetic failures, as well as incorrect coloring, which does not even closely resemble lilac. A similar shade can be achieved using a color gene. If you introduce animals with recessive forms of blue and chocolate shades, you can hope to get purple offspring. And then the probability of success does not exceed 25%.

As already mentioned, there are several purple colors, they depend directly on the pigment present in the wool. There are two types of melanin. The first is pheomelanin - red-yellow, and the second is eumelanin - black. Depending on the ratios of these pigments in relation to each other, the final shade depends.

Many cat lovers prefer to have British cats: graceful and beautiful animals that can boast of wonderful ones: chocolate, marbled, black, white, tortoiseshell, cream... There are many unusually beautiful British cats, but among all of them they occupy a special place British lilac.

We got the lilac color of the British, or simply lilac, as it is also called, quite recently. And all for the reason that it is very difficult to breed kittens with purple coat color. It's all about the uniqueness of the lilac color of the British. Look at the cat's fur: it seems bluish-pinkish color, which is very reminiscent of lavender shade. And you can get such an unusual color only with the help of chocolate and blue cats.

Breeders had to work very hard to get this unique color. The whole point is that The lilac gene in the British is recessive. The same can be said about the genes for chocolate and blue colors. This means that in order to obtain similar colors, recessive genes must be paired with other recessive genes. In the case of a recessive + dominant gene pair, the recessive gene simply does not show itself. What do recessive genes for chocolate and blue colors have to do with British lilac? The most immediate: to obtain lilac fur, you need a recessive gene for chocolate color and a weakening gene (dilute), which is inherent in blue cats. Thus, in order for a British Lilac to boast of its unusual coat color, its parents must have both of the above genes, otherwise nothing will work out.

The lilac British cat is different uniformity of coat color: There is not a single place on the body where there are light spots, which is often found on the belly of animals. The hair of the coat is evenly colored along its entire length. However, the British Lilac has an undercoat of a lighter tone. But even this in no way affects the color of the coat. Please note that in the British Lilac the nose, edging of mucous membranes and paw pads are also very similar to the color of the coat, although they have a more bluish tint.

There cannot be any spots in the British Lilac color.. But don’t be alarmed if you see spots on your kitten’s coat. Kittens are allowed to have residual marks on their fur. Over time, the markings will fade and the adult British Lilac will show its beauty. If the marks have not disappeared, then their presence in an adult cat is considered a fault. Of course, a cat with this color will not be able to take part in exhibitions, but this will not make you love your animal less.

And now about eye color. British lilac cats have yellow eyes. Most prevails copper color, but there are also cats with orange and gold eye colors.

Even though the British Lilac has its own specific color, the intensity of the color can vary from animal to animal. Therefore, within the color there are three colors: lilac, lavender and isabella(it is lighter than purple). The Isabella color has its own origin story. This color is named after the French Queen Isabella of Bavaria, who vowed not to take off her shirt until her husband returned from a campaign. When the king returned, the queen's shirt was a grayish-light tone, which the colorists called Isabella.

The British Lilac cat is a very beautiful animal that enjoys particular success at exhibitions. And keeping such an animal at home is a real pleasure. This is an active, smart cat that loves to run and climb tall trees. In general, British lilacs are quite independent. British Lilac kittens are very mobile and active, constantly playing. The British Lilac is also distinguished by its affection and affection for its owners. In general, these are undemanding animals, although the same cannot be said about food. In this matter, British Lilacs are very scrupulous and demand only the best food.

The Lilac Briton is a representative of the British cat breed, which appeared thanks to breeders. Is one of 250 variations of the color palette.

Origin story

The breed appeared in Great Britain in the 19th century. About 10 years were spent on selection. The color was obtained by crossing recessive forms and blue shades. According to statistics, only a quarter of pets are born with a similar shade. About 30 years ago, felinologists officially accepted the color.

The belief that the color was created by crossing a marbled cat is incorrect. The result of this will be the birth of kittens with disorders at the genetic level.

The British lilac cat is not a separate breed, but is classified as having short hair; the main difference with other representatives lies in the shade of the coat.

There is no breed of British Fold. There are only short/long-haired British and lop-eared/straight-haired Scots.

Types and standard of lilac color

Two pigments are responsible for color: eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (yellow-red). The combination and percentage of these pigments determine the color.

The generally accepted standard divides the breed into 3 color tones:

1. Lavender. Soft lilac cool undertone.
2. Lilac shade. Average color saturation.
3. Isabella. Rich lilac tone.

Without special training, it is impossible to distinguish the color scheme; only specialized breeders can handle this. In the first six months of life, a British kitten has light stripes on its fur, which gradually disappear.

It is not recommended to breed Lilac Britons yourself because their blood has two incompatible subtypes. An incorrectly selected pair will produce non-viable offspring.

The lilac color of British cats can be present in various variations:

1. Plain.
   Uniformly colored wool along the entire length, without spots, stripes or inclusions.
2. Tortoiseshell.
   Occurs in cats, and in rare cases in cats. The mosaic pattern combines purple and cream colors. The standard for this color does not impose strict requirements, since it is impossible to regulate the location of inclusions on the coat at the genetic level. The tortoiseshell color is individual for each pet and is never repeated.
3. Bicolor.
   The main color is combined with white. The border separating the colors must be clearly defined. White hairs are necessarily absent from the main lilac color. One ear is always painted white. Color variations: van (white tail and spots on the head), harlequin (lilac color covers an area of ​​15% of the total coat), bicolor (white no less than 1/3 and no more than ½). The bicolor color is called magpie (from English magpie), it was recognized in Europe and the USA in the last decades of the 20th century.
4. Smoky.
   A distinctive feature is the presence of a white light undercoat. The pet's belly is almost white. The richest purple color is on the back, paws, and head. Medium color saturation on the neck, sides, ears. The lilac tone of the color is preserved only at the tips of the hair of the coat.
5. Tabby.
   Purple pattern on lighter coat. The hairs are painted with alternating colors. A pattern in the form of the letter M is required on the forehead. On the back you can see a pattern in the form of a butterfly. There is a pattern in the form of rings on the neck and tail. The borders of the pattern are clear. Pattern options: marbled, striped, spotted. The name of the shade comes from the word “tabbis”, which meant a pattern on oriental silk, which was popular in Britain.
6. Color point.
   The cat's mask on the face, ears, tail, paws, and testicles are colored purple; the rest of the parts are less colored. There may be a pattern on the light parts; such a pattern will be called lilac tabby point.

The lilac color standard requires that the color of the nose and pads match the base tint and be lilac. Each color variety has a standard code.

General conformation of the breed

The standard for the British Shorthair was adopted in 1950. The head of representatives of this breed is round with wide cheekbones and developed cheeks, the neck is thick and short. A wide nose and chin form a vertical line. Pronounced pads under the mustache. The ears are small, rounded, without tufts, and set low and wide. Wide-set round eyes. Eye color can be copper, amber, orange.

Kittens have blue eyes with a grayish tint; as they grow older, the color of the pupils changes to golden. Thick short legs. Powerful physique. The coat is short, feels like plush, with a pronounced undercoat. The tail is thick with a rounded end. The average weight of females is from 3 to 5 kg, and males - from 5 to 7 kg. With proper care, a pet of this breed can live up to 20 years.

Do external factors affect the preservation of coat color?

The type of color point color is influenced by air temperature: the lower it is, the darker the color.

The color may become less intense as the cat ages. Nutrition affects the preservation of shade; a change in color will indicate a disturbance in the animal’s diet.

May cause color changes. If exposed to the sun for a long time, the cat's fur may fade. During shedding conditions, the color may change due to the growth of new undercoat.

British coat care

The condition of your pet's coat is influenced by its diet. The diet should contain either natural products or industrial feed. Owners need to know that this breed is prone to obesity, so they should monitor the portion size the cat eats. Obesity affects your pet's health and can lead to heart and joint disease.

Direct care of the coat consists of combing and washing.

Cats need to be brushed about 2 times a week, increasing the frequency of procedures during the molting period. The comb must be special - silicone. During the molting period, you need to use a furminator. You need to comb the animal, starting from the head, back and tail, ending with the stomach and paws. You can brush both with the growth of the coat and against it.

Pets should be bathed no more than once every six months, with the exception of light-colored cats. Bathing such individuals can be done once every 3 months. To wash cats you need a special shampoo that will not cause allergies. It is not recommended to bathe kittens under one year of age. If desired, the animal can be cleaned using special wipes, dry shampoos and cleaning powder.

It is worth giving your cat special medications that prevent the formation of hairballs in the stomach.

The Briton's coat should not mat, which meets the standard.

The British shorthair lilac cat is suitable for those who are often away from home, for families with children, and for those who already have other pets. The character of these cats is calm and friendly.

You need to purchase a representative of this breed from a special nursery, where viable individuals that meet the standard are bred. Caring for a British dog is not burdensome and consists of standard procedures: feeding, combing, bathing, ear cleaning.

British cats have long won the hearts of animal lovers around the world. These charming animals are distinguished by their independent and proud character, bright and memorable appearance, fur that feels like plush and a huge variety of completely unusual colors. There are more than two hundred of them.

And in our country, many families live with blue and peach, gray, brown and brindle dogs, as well as representatives of this wonderful breed with other colors of silky fur coats. The color we will talk about today was one of the last to appear, but has already gained many fans.

Features of lilac color

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most interesting colors of the breed. It was developed quite recently during a long period of work by breeders and breeders from England. Lilac (the so-called color) is a rather complex color, the shades of which can vary in accordance with the intensity of the color. Only specialists in this field can discern its subtleties.

Lilac color can have such shades as:

• light purple, close to pink;
• medium saturated lilac;
• dark purple.

It should be noted that today there is a tendency in the work of breeders to breed kittens of lighter colors. The new shade of lilac Briton looks amazing. It was obtained by crossing cats with the chocolate gene with blue cats with a weakening gene. Breeders worked on this for more than ten years and, it must be admitted, that their work was crowned with great success.

Lilac color is a cool gray color with a slight pinkish tint. According to the standard, it must be uniform: the hairs are evenly colored along the entire length. True, kittens may have spots or stripes on their bodies, which disappear by the age of six months.

The lilac Briton, whose photo we posted in this article, does not have a single light spot on his coat. The soft undercoat may be somewhat paler, but this should not affect the overall appearance of the coat.

Contrasting undercoat or uneven coloring of the entire “coat” is a disqualifying factor.

In the animal passport, this unusual color is indicated by the letter “c”. Its international official name is Lilac or Lavender.

Marbled Lilac British

So far, this variety is quite rare. On the fur of such animals, darker stripes are clearly visible, which form an unusual pattern on the shoulders and back, reminiscent of a butterfly. Let us clarify once again that today this is a very rare color, but it looks very impressive.

Description of the purple British

The edging of the mucous membranes, paw pads, and nose should match the color scheme of the coat, but have a more bluish tint. At birth, a lilac British kitten has gray-blue eyes, which over time acquire a yellow color: from rich copper to golden orange.

Features of character and care

Experts, as well as experienced cat owners, argue that the character of animals depends not only on the individual characteristics of the animal and breed, but also on color. Most owners speak very warmly of their lilac beauties. These are charming, very playful, despite the English stiffness, and affectionate cats. They are able to play for hours even at a very advanced age.

Lilac Britons love to climb onto the upper tiers of furniture and from there watch what is happening in the house. They, like their brothers of other colors, are very attached to their owner, but at the same time retain a proud and independent disposition. These cats very keenly sense the mood of their owner, and when it is not at its best, they try not to impose their company.

Families with small children can have such a pet, but on one condition: the baby will not squeeze his four-legged friend often or forcefully, since the animal may react aggressively to such behavior.

Caring for the Lilac Briton is no different from animals of other varieties of this breed. These cats have thick, plush fur. It should be brushed at least twice a week. In addition, it is necessary to conduct regular examinations of teeth, eyes, ears, and visit a veterinary clinic for vaccinations and preventive examinations.

Feeding

These cats are quite picky when it comes to food. If you decide to feed them natural products, then do not forget that the food must be balanced. It should include meat, vegetables, fruits, cereals, and dairy products. In addition, your pet should receive minerals and vitamins regularly. But the basis of the diet should be meat (80%).

Feeding with ready-made food involves using the highest quality ingredients from well-known manufacturers that are appropriate for the age and health of your pet.

The fur color of a lilac cat is reminiscent of cocoa milk: gray with a distinct bluish-pink tint. The intensity of the color can vary, so the color of lilac cats is divided into three options: actual lilac, lavender and lighter. Sometimes cats with this coloring are also called “platinum”.

Kittens of this color are usually born from crossing blue cats with chocolate ones: to obtain fur of this rare and unusual color, they must “come together” with the recessive gene for chocolate color and also the recessive color-weakening gene that blue cats have. Purely statistically, this combination of recessive genes occurs only in 25% of cases, so lilac kittens in litters are quite rare. And according to specialist breeders, to obtain lilac kittens in a nursery, you need to carry out breeding work for about 10 years. Nowadays, the most spectacular are the lilac cats produced by Dutch breeders: their pink tint of fur is most pronounced.

The paw pads, nose and rim of the mouth of lilac cats are also very similar in color to the color of their coat, but their shade is slightly different: more bluish. Kittens are born with bluish-gray eyes, but then they change color to a permanent yellow shade. Most often it is a rich copper tone, but sometimes the iris can be orange or golden.

Lilac colors

The color of lilac cats is most often monochromatic. Among Orientals, spotted animals are sometimes found - with darker, rounded spots located throughout the body.

The lilac color is almost always uniform. True, there may be marks on the body - spots or stripes, but as the baby grows up, they disappear. As a result, there is not a single light spot on the body of a lilac cat, and the hairs are evenly colored along the entire length. The soft undercoat may be slightly lighter, but this should not in any way affect the overall tone of the coat. Too contrasting undercoat or uneven coat color is considered a “color defect.”

There are also British cats of a marbled lilac color - with symmetrical, darker stripes that form a butterfly-like pattern on the shoulders and back. This is one of the rarest colors of marbled cats, and such animals look very unusual and impressive.

In documents for the animal, the lilac color is indicated by the letter “c”; its official international name is “Lilac” or “Lavender”.