Standard. Colors and patterns for NFO

Published: 24/09/2015. Edited: 24/10/2018

1. Tables for coat colors, patterns and colors of admitted eyes.

The Norwegian Forest have a number of colors and patterns recognized, ie may have on their mantle some colors and patterns, but if it appears a different color or a unrecognized pattern, we will certainly be faced with a mixture with another breed and can not we talk of a Norwegian Forest purebred, never get their pedigree, or it is a genetic mutation.

1. The recognized colors for a Norwegian Forest are:

EMS Code n	Black
EMS Code a	Blue
EMS Code d	Red
EMS Code e	Cream
EMS Code f	Black Tortie
EMS Code g	Blue Tortie
EMS Code s	Silver
EMS Code y	Golden
EMS Code w	White
EMS Code nt	Amber
EMS Code ft	Amber Black Tortie
EMS Code at	Amber Light
EMS Code gt	Amber Blue Tortie

2. The patterns that can be in the Norwegian Forest coat are:

EMS Code 01	Van
EMS Code 02	Harlequin
EMS Code 03	Bicolor
EMS Code 09	White nonspecific
EMS Code 11	Shaded
EMS Code 12	Shell
EMS Code 21	Tabby nonspecific
EMS Code 22	Tabby Blotched
EMS Code 23	Tabby Mackerel
EMS Code 24	Tabby Spotted
EMS Code 25	Tabby Ticked

3. The color of eyes may have:

EMS Code 61	Blue
EMS Code 62	Yellow, Orange, AHazel or Copper
EMS Code 63	Odd Eyes
EMS Code 64	Green

4. The colors not recognized for the Norwegian Forest cat are:

Color	EMS Code	Solid	Tabby
Chocolate	b
Chocolate Tortie	h
Lilac	c
Lilac Tortie	j
Caramel or Apricot	m
Cinnamon	o
Cinnamon Tortie	q
Fawn	p
Fawn Tortie	r

5. The patterns not recognized for the Norwegian Forest cat are:

Pattern	EMS Code	Solid	Tabby
Mitted Only for Ragdolls	04
Snowshoe Just for purebred cats Snowshoe:	05
Burmese shading pattern	31	color seal	color seal
Tonkinese shading pattern	32	color negro (seal)	color seal
Himalayan pointed pattern	33	color seal	color seal

6. Eye Color unsupported:

Color	EMS Code	Pic
Burmese	65
Tonkinese	66
Himalayan	67

2. Colors:

Once identified, we will comment the colors and patterns that are supported and also going to illustrate them:

Black:

The black color (EMS code, n) may be solid or tabby. The black tabby cats mostly seem really brown.



Solid		Tabby
The skin on the pads is black, as are the skin on the nose and around the eyes.		The skin of the pads is dark, as is the contour of the eyes, but the nose has a dark brick-red tone, and has a dark black rim.

Red:

The red (EMS Code, d) may be solid or tabby theoretically based on their genotype, but in practice, although carry both alleles of solid (non-agouti aa), all red (and dilutions) shown in phenotype always as tabby. To know whether a red cat is solid, it should be noted that the short hair around the eyes and inside the ears. The tabbies color surrounding the eyes is white, while the solid is colored, and the interior color of ear hair, short hair close to the edge, in the tabbies is white and has solid color.



Solid (not shown)		Tabby
The skin of the pads is orange pink, the skin of the nose is strong orange, as is the contour of the eyes.		The skin of the pads is pink, and the skin of the nose with dark orange interior, reddish orange edge, reddish orange eye contour.

Blue:

The blue (EMS Code, a) is the dilution of black color, ie when the genotype cat has both alleles of dilution (dd), it is a blue cat, who phenotypically is shown in gray, and can be solid or tabby.



Solid		Tabby
The skin of the pillows is grey/blue, as is the skin of the nose and the contour of the eyes.		The skin of the pads and the contour of the eyes is grey/blue, the nose has an "old pink" colour or the diluted one of the red tile, with the edge in grey/blue tone, the same as the black tabby, but diluted.

Cream:

The cream (EMS Code, e) is the dilution of red, which has a color like a stained with coffee. It may be solid or tabby in theory, that being the dilution of red so does that to it, and to identify whether it is solid or tabby cat have to look in the eyes and ears well. If the cat by its pattern of white, had colored white eyes, you would look in the ears, unless that had white too, and then I could not know without doing genetic analysis, or wait for the colors to their descendants they could present.



Solid (not shown)		Tabby
The skin of the pads, nose and eye contour has an "old rose".		The skin of the pads are pink, the skin of the nose is dark pink with pink edges and the eye contour is dark pink.

These are the colors can be found in the NFO, but nevertheless, we must not forget that red and black are colors whose genetic inheritance is sex-linked, being located on chromosome X. Females have a pair of X chromosomes and can inherit the red and black color at a time, while males have only one X (the other is a Y) and can only inherit one color or another (although there are exceptions, see article about the tricolor males). Therefore cats are usually have two colors, have both black and red and are called "Torties" sometimes the tabby torties without white are known as "torbies". The combinations that may occur are:

Black Tortie:

The black torties (EMS Code, f) may be solid or tabby. Solid, do not forget, show the tabby on red colored.


Solid		Tabby

Blue Tortie:

The blue torties (EMS Code, f) are the diluition of black torties, and may be solid or tabby. Solid, do not forget, show the tabby on cream colored.


Solid		Tabby

Amber:

Amber color is the result of a genetic mutation that occurs in some specimens of Norwegian Forest Cat, therefore is a specific color that occurs only in cats of this breed. As it is a color that has its peculiaritiesis better than we explain how color appears differentiating between solid and tabby.

Amber tabby: The kitten is usually born with black tabby pattern. Its pads are pink. The regions between the stripes are from orange to brown. Therefore, some have the appearance of tortoises and others appear as black tabby kittensdepending on how much amber have at birth. They are acquiring the color as they grow, even some not having the color until adulthood. When acquire amber black tabby markings have been clarified in a variable manner, the tone goes from orange-brown to cinnamon. The color between those dark stripes is apricot. The nose is pink with no outline, the pads are dark, like the eye area.

Solid amber: The kitten is usually born with black tabby pattern, their pads and nose are dark, because has dark skin like solid. It presents a very marked tabby, to the extent of being mistaken for a black tabby cat. The dark color becomes lighter little by little, in the same manner as in tabby cats. The original color is only identifiable to the level of the nose, the tail, the back and the tip of the legs. Its color lightens slower than tabby amber. Color coat is apricot and cinnamon. The ghosts marks remain until the mantle sufficiently clear, but sometimes may have high residual contrast. The nose pads and remain obscure.


Always shows the Tabby	Tortie


Amber tabby Skin	Amber solid Skin

Ámber Light (Diluido):

Amber is also affected by the dilution factor.

Amber Light Tabby: The kitten is born with a blue tabby pattern. Their pads are pink, and the regions between the black stripes can be from beige to light blue. Some seem blue-cream tortoise and others appear blue tabby kittens. According grows, blue tabby markings are clarified, as are the regions between the stripes. This will be seen more clearly if the kitten looks blue tabby at birth. The original color will be identifiable to the level of the tail, the back and the tip of the legs and ears. The pads are dark. They are acquiring the color as they grow, even some not having the color until adulthood. When it has acquired absolutely clear amber color, color tabby pattern is pink beige to cinnamon. Between stripes color is beige. The nose is pink with no outline, the pads are dark and the eye area.

Solid Amber Light: The kitten is born blue, their pads and nose are dark. It presents steep tabby markings, to the extent that it can be confused with a tabby kitten. As it grows, and blue is clear to give a light amber. The original color is only identifiable to the level of the nose, the tail, the back, the tip of the legs and ears. The color lightens more slowly than in amber tabby diluted. As an adult, the robe is pinkish beige to cinnamon. The ghost marks persist until the mantle is clear enough, although it may have a marked residual tabby. The nose pads and remain obscure.


Tabby	Tortie


Amber light tabby Skin	Amber light solid Skin

3. Patterns

The agouti gene causes them look striped cats, that produces differences in the color tone throughout the hair, to stripes, as we can see in the picture below:


Black		Red

The hairs that are in dark areas are colored in the same tone evenly, while those in the lighter areas are those stripes.

The agouti gene is dominant and non-agouti is recessive, ie that one allele agouti (A) is sufficient striped appears at the phenotype, while non-agouti (a), or also known how "solid", it must contain two alleles (aa) for the cat shows no scorings or drawings. In practice it means that there is less solid than tabby cats.

Not all cats have stripes in the same way, there are several types of striped, which are:

- Tabby Blotched, (EMS Code 22). The drawing blotchy are long like the drawing of marble.

- Tabby Mackerel: (EMS Code 23), literally meaning "mackerel" because fish has the same striped thinner than the blotched over the body (EMS Code 23) vertical lines.

- Tabby Spoted: is mottled (EMS Code 24). We do not know where it comes from genetically the spotted. A cat that has among its ancestors cats blotched, his spots tend to be larger than the one who has cats mackerel pattern, but sometimes have large spots and some stripe, making it difficult to know.

- Tabby Ticked: It is dotted marked (EMS Code 25). Also known as Abyssinian tabby. In the Norwegian Forest cat it is not a very common tabby.

- Tabby Undefined: (EMS Code 21), is as plus tabby cat has the gene of white spot (S) in its expression Harlequin (02) and Van (01) and showing tabby drawing is not enough to know what is the corresponds tabby.

4. Rufisme:

The rufisme is a gene that affects the color variation of the tabby cats. Rf gene, and determines, for example, if a black tabby tend more to brown or gray, if a red cat will be stronger paler red or orange. Depending on the amount of alleles possessing Rf genotype, cat will more or less altered in color. It is believed that this gene undergoes codominance.

5. Inhibitor color (Silver or Smoke) and "Gen Chinchilla"

It is not just a color, but are two genetics factors, one is dominant, the "I", which inhibits or alters the production of melanin from the hair shaft, one white part or grayish and the rest of the color of the cat , getting your cat in silver and "cold" display. Depending on whether the cat is striped or solid is called differently. For cats tabbies (scratched) is called Silver (Silver) while for solids is Smoke.

The other genetic factor (with a current controversy as to whether this is a factor or a gene), which is incompletely dominant and is represented as "Wb", cooperates with the agouti gene (which produces the tabby), their function is the band colorless hair from the root is longer or shorter. It affects both cats inhibitor factor, which are cats known as "Silver" and affects cats without the inhibitor gene, these cats having lighter colored hair from the base, as if "erased" the dark side of tabby, showing a golden or peachy. These cats are known as "Golden."


Vista de cómo afecta el "Wb" a los gatos tabby "A" sin Inhibidor de color "I"	View of how it affects the "Wb" tabby cats "A" with color inhibitor "I"

When we have a Norwegian Forest combining factor inhibitor, with Wideband, as long the white band, we can talk about different types of Silver. This is caused by the gene / gene factor Wb is called Widening of band which means "increased the band or the widening of the band", also called "Gen Chinchilla". This gene / factor appears to have no effect on cats solid smoke, but it is true that there are smoke cats (solid inhibitor factor) with different lengths of the light part, and it is unknown if they actually respond to this gene / factor , or other. Depending on the number of alleles that are present, producing:

- Silver Tabby cats (EMS Code s), in which the gene / Wb factor and having the inhibitor I present is not present, they have a very small white band. Being 2/3 color hair.

- Shaded Silver Cat (s EMS Code 11), in which one allele of the gene / Wb factor is present and has colored from just over 2/3 to 1/3 of the hair.

- Cats Silver Shell (EMS s Code 12), (also known as Chinchilla), which has both alleles / Wb factor, the hair will be white in almost all of it, having only colored part octave, 1/8.

Table with representative picture of the different types of silver:


Tabby Silver		Tabby Silver Shaded	Tabby Silver Shell/Chinchilla	Solid Smoke

For cats Silver Red and Cream (EMS code NFO ds and NFO s), from the pattern Shaded (Code EMS NFO ds 11 and NFO is 11) and also the patron Shell (EMS code NFO ds 12 and NFO is 12)He is known to them as "Cameo". Being Norwegian Forest Red and Cream Cameo SilverShaded or Shell.

Silver WideBand_completo_web

Genotypic and phenotypic hypothetical representation as how it affects the "Wb" to hair coloring, combined or not with the "A" (or agouti tabby), "a" (solid), with inhibitor "I" without inhibitor alleles "i '


Golden Shaded	Golden Shell

6. Dominant White:

The white color in cats is not a color itself, is the absolute lack of color. A white cat is not producing melanin. This lack of color is produced by a dominant gene, the W which inhibits melanin production throughout the hair. The cat will have some colors and patterns on its genotype, but the target gene, the hidden completely, so it is an epistatic gene. Whites at birth can have a stain overhead, called "beret" and is of color masking white cats. As they get older, they lose it, it is the only way to know at a glance, what is the actual color of the cat.
The eyes of cats have the gene for white W can have yellow eyes, copper (or orange), green or blue, and also have one of each color (in all combinations of above colors), which is known as "odd eyes" (EMS Code 63).

The White Cats tend to be deaf by atrophy of the organ of Corti in the inner ear. Cats with blue eyes are more likely to be deaf than those who have yellow and copper, but there are white cats with blue eyes are not deaf, and dogs that are presenting themselves in the eyes of these colors. Deafness may affect only one ear, which is normally blue. It is believed that the W gene, linked to blue eye, and the lack of pigmentation produces a possible lack of development in the ear, although this issue is not proven. It has been shown that cats that are homozygous for the W gene are more likely to be deaf than those who have only one allele W.


Coat colour white	The pads, nose and eye contour is always light pink.

7. White spoting:

Cats may have in their body without it white fully cover them, a number of gradations. We will explain to fewer target more. It is the white spot gene, the "ws" is known now that is another version of the recessive allele w not white, and what it does is "stain" the cat with white sides. The amount of white has nothing to do with the cantidfad ws allele having the cat.

White Unspecified (EMS Code 09): It is an unspecified amount of white, it may appear on the face, head, legs, belly, chest ..., always less than 50% of the cat.

Examples of "no specific white" can be any combination.

White Bicolor (EMS Code 03): 50% of the color of the cat is white and the other half has its color.

xamples of bicolor coloration.

White Harlequin (EMS Code 02): The white color in the cat is between 60% and 80%, small colored spots appear on his head, tail, legs and back.

Example of "Harlequin".

White Van (EMS Code 01): When the cat is white in more than 80%, and is only colored head and tail mainly.

Example of "Van".
And these are the colors and patterns that can be found in the Norwegian Forest cats.

8. Eye color:

As already mentioned the colors that can be Norwegian Forest are blue, green, yellow, orange and copper, plus the combination of odd eyes between them. There are different colors within the same color, and this is due to the amount of melanocytes which has the iris, and if they are very active or less.

Both in one color:



Blue	Yellow	Hazel	Orange	Copper	Green
EMS: 61	EMS: 62				EMS: 64

Ojos Dispares:

Odd eyes with Blue

EMS: 63

Eyes Odd other colors (without Blue), such Eyes Odd more rarely.