First printed in Oriental Cat Association Yearbook 2008

Oh No …. Not Oriental Shadeds & Ticked Tabbies!

John S Harrison

Patterned cats have always appealed to me and a well marked Tabby of correct colour is a creature of great beauty regardless of the pattern variety. When I first became involved in the Cat Fancy the Chestnut Brown Foreign was the only Oriental Variety in existence. As a consequence of breeding programs for the Oriental Lilac other colour varieties were produced and in the twenty years from 1970 to 1990 various breeders took on the colours and patterns and developed them into the multitude of Orientals we have today.

Some breeders were very selective and concentrated on individual colours and/or patterns and tried to ensure that kittens of colours and patterns which were a 'by-product' of their programme were homed as pets or went to breeders who were fully aware of their ancestry and the potential genotype. Unfortunately as the varieties became more popular many breeders merrily mated Selfs, Tabbies, Shaded, and Silvers together thereby spreading potentially damaging genes across the Orientals; the desire for new colours had maybe become too important.

One gene which was widely spread by this 'enthusiastic' breeding was the 'wide-band' gene which though highly necessary in the Shaded (without it the variety could not exist) is highly undesirable in the Tabby, the Self, and the Smoke. Initially 'wide-band' was spread because we did not understand it, but when we realised the problem many breeders refused to accept that their Tabbies were not quite as they should be and sadly an opportunity to safeguard the Tabby was lost. Unfortunately the problem was compounded by many judges paying scant attention to colour and pattern and awarding certificates on grounds of type only. The results are with us today - Selfs with unsound coats, Tabbies with indistinct hazy patterns, and Smokes which look more like Silver Tabbies. Unfortunately because there has been a cross-over into Siamese, Oriental Breeders can no longer look out to a mating to Siamese to enhance coat density or pattern.

Today the numbers of Orientals at shows have fallen dramatically and many that are seen have many serious coat colour and pattern faults - because they win they are perceived by their owners to be good and the problems are perpetuated. One has to pose the question "Is it still possible to clean up our coats or has it gone too far"? Maybe we will not be able to remedy all the problems, but IF breeders are prepared to accept that maybe the coats are faulty, and be far more selective in what they breed from maybe we can halt the rot. A critical factor of course is that judges must be far more critical of coat faults and withhold certificates as the SoP's direct, and perhaps this is something the OJBAC should give greater regard to. I fully appreciate these views will not be greeted with universal applause, because we all know breeders and exhibitors who think their cats are perfect; and we all know which judges to show under for 'easy' certificates!

Today there is often great controversy over the Ticked Tabby and the Shaded, and exhibitors are often bewildered by show results - so often the "Is it a Tabby or a Shaded" question is raised! In order to hopefully add some clarity it is necessary to have some understanding of the basics of the Tabby cat and pattern formations and the Shaded cat; and perhaps the effect of the Silver gene.

What is a Tabby?
The Tabby cat is produced by the action of two separate genes, the Agouti gene combined with the gene for pattern. The Agouti gene (A) produces banding or ticking on the hairs. In the Self or non-agouti (aa) animal the hair is the same colour from skin to tip, but in the agouti cat (Aa or AA) the hair shows distinct bands of two colours. As a consequence of the presence of the pattern gene the agouti gene does not affect all parts of the coat equally, but gives an uneven, though predictably regular, pattern of solid areas of coat devoid of ticking or banding. It is important that the solid areas of colour forming the pattern show no sign of agouti hairs, or 'agouti invasion'. The area between the pattern consists of agouti hairs, and is usually referred to as 'ground colour'.

The three distinct, recognisable, Tabby patterns in the Oriental Shorthair are Ticked (Ta), Spotted (T), & Classic (tb). Whether the Mackerel Tabby exists in the Oriental; or any other breed for that matter; as a distinct form, or merely a variation of Spotted is certainly open to conjecture. It must be remembered that all cats, self and non-self, have a pattern, but this only become clearly visible in the agouti cats. The 'ghost markings' frequently seen on the coats of Self cats, especially the lighter colours, clearly indicate their pattern.

There are three basic combinations of the agouti and pattern genes which result in the creation of Tabby cats:

The Ticked Tabby
Having considered the above basics we must now turn our attention to the Ticked Tabby and consider it in some detail. The pattern gene (Ta) is the gene responsible for the pattern in the Abyssinian cat, indeed the gene was introduced from that breed. The ancestry of all lines of quality Ticked Tabbies in the United Kingdom can be traced back through the Oriental Cinnamon to the Abyssinian, and in particular to Tranby Red Tutankhamen (23a).

The entire body coat consists of ticked or agouti hairs though tabby barring may be apparent on the face, chest, legs and tail. The body fur is true agouti, consisting solely of evenly banded hairs. In the ideal cat each hair would have two or three bands of each colour, but in reality in the very short hair of the Oriental evenness of ticking is deemed to be of greater importance than number of bands. The Ticked Tabby gene (Ta) is the highest in order of dominance in the tabby allelic series, and the heterozygote can therefore carry either Spotted (T) or Classic (tb) pattern. Neither the Spotted Tabby nor the Classic Tabby can carry the Ticked pattern. The Ticked allele Ta is incompletely dominant, and accordingly the Ticked Tabby has a peculiarity in that it has two distinctly different forms dependant on the genotype.

The homozygous form (TaTa) has an absence of barring on the legs, and the only vestigial tabby marking is a solid dark tip to the tail, dark fur to the back of the feet, and 'eye liner'. In some homozygotes a slight partial necklace and slight residual markings on the inside of the front upper leg may be detectable. The heterozygous form (either TaT or Tatb) is very different and has distinct markings to the legs, chest, face, and tail.

The GCCF Standard of Points for the Oriental Ticked Tabby accepts both the homozygous (barless) form and the heterozygous (barred) form - with neither being better nor worse than the other. Unlike all other Tabby standards it does not ask for a 'ringed tail', recognising the fact that in this variety a fully ringed tail would be an unachievable requirement.

I fully accept that many Judges, Breeders and Exhibitors have difficulty in differentiating between Ticked Tabbies and Shaded cats of Ticked base pattern, especially in the standard or non-silver colours; and unfortunately many seem unable to distinguish between a Spotted Tabby, or even a Classic Tabby and their Shaded counterparts. Unfortunately far too many Judges, Breeders and Exhibitors have scant understanding of, and even less interest in, tabby patterns and agouti cats. I have voiced this contentious opinion on numerous occasions and I fear that voicing it again will do little to further enhance my popularity! When I see CC's and Grands awarded to Tabbies with excessive agouti invasion of the pattern, and to others, which are blatantly in possession of the Wide-band gene, I do feel very frustrated.

What then is a Shaded?
A Shaded, either Silver or Standard, is in essence a modified Tabby of any of the patterns where the colour is restricted to the upper portion of the hair, anything from half the hair to just a tiny tip. The gene responsible for this is known as 'Wide-band' (Wb). The effect of the gene is that it greatly increases the width of the bands of ticking on the hairs; it also distorts and effectively breaks down the tabby pattern so that it becomes indistinct, and at best invisible.

The Wide-band gene was, along with Silver (I), introduced into the forerunners of our modern day Orientals through Scintasilva Sue from her Longhair Chinchilla (Breed No 10) dam. Originally it was thought that the Wide-band gene was a dominant, however from breeding results it is clear that it is incompletely dominant. The effect of the allele are somewhat variable, but this may well be the result of associated polygenes, and perhaps selection for these 'enhancers' is of greater importance in the breeding of the Shaded cat than in any other variety. Because the gene is incompletely dominant the heterozygote will not look like the homozygote, and is visually intermediate between the Tabby and the Shaded, and may well be mistaken for a Tabby, though in reality it is a Shaded. Unfortunately if breeders are 'blinded by their cats' and want to breed Tabbies they will automatically see these cats as being 'Tabby'.

The Wide-band gene greatly affects the balance between dark and light banding, producing a far higher proportion of light banding. In the Standard, or non-silver, Shaded this results in a very warm coloured base coat. Ironically this is also a very good indication of whether a Tabby is in fact a Tabby or a Shaded. When I see a richly coloured Tabby I always suspect it may be Shaded, closer examination of the coat invariably confirms my suspicion. The genotype/phenotype of the three basic combinations of the agouti and wide-band genes (ignoring Tabby pattern for the moment) are: Genotype Phenotype A_wbwb Tabby of some pattern A_Wbwb Shaded showing both agouti hairs and visible pattern A_WbWb Shaded A Shaded may be based on any of the Tabby Patterns. It is interesting to note that Chinchillas are of Classic pattern, and in this variety selection has now been taken so far that the delightful shimmer of tipping has disappeared and the Chinchilla is virtually a white cat. There are six possible basic genotypes in Shaded breeding:

The GCCF Standard of Points for the Oriental Shaded allows for a wide range in the degree of coloured tipping/shading, and gives Breeders, and Judges for that matter, wide latitude dictated I suppose by personal preference. My personal aim as a Breeder was to breed Shaded cats, which were homozygous for A, Ta, and Wb - in simple terms pure for Agouti, Ticked pattern and the Shaded factor. These cats will by definition have no tabby barring or stripes on body, legs, chest, or tail, and mated together will breed true. I always had my sights firmly set on breeding the very lightest coloured Shaded with the minimum of tipping and total freedom from any vestigial tabby barring. Other Breeders may prefer a cat with far more visible colour. As a Judge however I always go for evenness of tipping and freedom from markings, irrespective of the degree of colour. From a judging perspective lightest is not always best, just as silver is not always best!

Over the years serious breeders of the Variety have discussed, with no real consensus, the ideal pattern for the development of the clearest form of Shaded. The Chinchilla is Classic based, and by selective breeding all visible pattern and regrettably, too much colour has been bred out. In Persians, possibly due to the length of coat, Classic pattern appears to be very solid, and lacks the clarity of definition found in Shorthairs. The best example of this must surely be the fabulously coloured Red Self Persian which in reality is a non-agouti of Classic pattern. Unfortunately in the Oriental because of the coat length we do not have the solid pattern in Classics and therefore cannot really breed clear Shadeds with Classic base. The Spotted pattern due to the lesser degree of 'clumping' results in less pattern definition in the Shaded form and is the usual base pattern of the Shaded in this Country.

It was because of my desire for freedom from any markings that I decided to follow the route of Ticked Tabby pattern based Shaded. After some years along this path, and many hours of discussion it became clear that Barbara Fellows shared the same vision for the Shaded. Other than Barbara and me no other breeder followed this route. There can be no doubt that the 'Chelanca' line produced some outstanding examples of the Shaded the majority of which were Ticked base, both homozygous and heterozygous, the most famous being Gr Ch Chelanca Pentlandite a Caramel Tortie Shaded. Her parents were Gd Ch Megrim Astral Spectre a Caramel coloured heterozygous Ticked Tabby with total freedom from Wide-band, and Megrim Misty Tintsofautumn a Chocolate Tortie Silver Shaded of heterozygous Ticked pattern. Mary Parkinson had amongst others Gr Ch Chelanca Serra Angela, a daughter of Gr Ch Chelanca Pentlandite. Mated to UK & Imp Gr Ch Joyjewel Smaug Akiva a Chocolate Ticked Tabby 'Serra Angel' produced UK & Imp Gr Ch Smaug Roxy. It is so pleasing that the line continues.

What is Silver?
Silver colouring is caused by the action of a dominant gene known as the Melanin Inhibitor (I) whose presence prevents the full development of pigmentation in the hair. It affects both the non-agouti and the agouti cat, its presence in the former turns a Self Cat into a Smoke. In the agouti cat the result is the Silver Tabby or Silver Shaded. The action of the Melanin Inhibitor (I) in agouti cats is far more noticeable in the agouti hairs than in the patterned areas. The gene has a widely variable effect, in some animals there is a very deep white base, whilst in others the animal is so dark that it appears visually self-coloured. In addition the actual colour of pattern in the silvers lacks the warmth of colour which is found in their non-silver, or 'standard' counterparts. Contrary to popular belief the silver gene is not responsible for the appearance of the Shaded!

Is there a difference between Ticked Tabbies and Shadeds of ticked pattern?
The simple answer to this question is a resounding Yes, there is most certainly a difference, BUT I have to admit it may seem very subtle to those not initiated into the subtleties of the Shaded. As a comparison there are people who have difficulty differentiating between Blue, Lilac, Fawn, Blue based Caramel, Lilac based Caramel and Fawn based Caramel; and also the Creams based on Blue, Lilac and Fawn and Apricot based Blue, Lilac and Fawn - Indeed there are still sceptics who even dispute the existence of Caramel and Apricot! First we must back track!

There are two forms of Ticked Tabby:

And, there are four forms of Shaded of Ticked base:

Just as the Wide-band gene affects the pattern of the Classic and Spotted Tabby, so it affects the Ticked Tabby BUT the visual effect is less obvious. There is a definite degradation in the quality of ticking as one goes from a Ticked Tabby to a Shaded. The heterozygote Ticked Tabby (A_Ta_) will have definite barring to the legs, one or more broken or joined necklaces, facial markings, and barring to the tail. It is highly unlikely that the tail will be barred along its entire length, and even more unlikely that the tail 'rings' will be complete. In the homozygous Ticked Tabby the leg markings will be almost totally absent, though there may be slight residual marks on the inside of the legs; there will be no tail rings though there will be a solid tip; there will be feint partial necklaces and facial markings.

In both forms of Ticked Tabby the body coat will have crisp, well defined banding which should show as a dark tip then a light band followed by a second dark band and then light to the root, ideally there should be a third dark band : but the roots should be light coloured and dark or grey roots is a serious fault in this pattern - even though not currently reflected in the breed standard. We have already seen that the Wide-band gene affects tabby pattern. Clearly therefore it affects the quality of ticking and barring on a Shaded of ticked pattern. The cat of genotype A_Ta _ Wbwb will have an inferior quality of barring, which will be particularly noticeable on the tail. As the kitten develops the tail barring will begin to break down until probably only the last third or so of the tail will be barred. The breakdown of leg markings is not so obvious. In the cat of genotype A_Ta_WbWb , the homozygote for wide-band, there is a definite breakdown of all barring, the tail will exhibit only a solid tip, and leg markings will be very ghostly at best, or is it worst? The cat of this genotype will closely resemble those cats of barless form (TaTa). However the difference is that whilst the barless form will not show tabby barring even as a youngster, the cat of genotype A_Ta_WbWb does have barring at an early age but these will fade out as the kitten grows grows - often disappearing by the time the kittens are weaned.

The cat of genotype AATaTaWbWb is to me the ultimate form of Shaded. It will have the absolute minimum of tabby markings. And will have a coat which is essentially ground colour over which there is a light dusting of shading. Bred selectively it would be quite possible to breed visually self coloured cats entirely of ground colour, I always dreamed of doing this, but I envisaged trying to retain the eye-liner and the dark pip above the eye : yes a beautiful cat BUT not a show quality Shaded!!

There we have it then, the differences between the complex mixtures of Ticked Pattern and Wide-band. It all seems very complicated and technical, and yes sometimes you do have to look at individual hairs against both a light and dark background, but at the end of the day they are very pretty moggies! However if you want to breed or judge these cats then I'm afraid you do have to attempt to understand them.

Yet another problem with the Ticked Tabby! Ticked Tabbies have come much to the fore in recent years and because the GCCF Standard was changed to accept the homozygous or barless form we now have another problem! I hasten to add that I fully supported the change and never envisage that it would cause us yet another problem!!

Forgive me if I seem to be digressing …. bear with me …… there is a point to my ramblings!! During last summer Mark and I travelled to West Bengal and on to Sikkim and Bhutan. Not surprisingly on our travels I take note of the local moggies: the Ticked Tabby is a pattern I had not previously seen in the 'wild' population, so I was very interested to see many of the feral cats were Ticked tabbies in many colours.

In the environs of Darjeeling the majority were heterozygous for Ticked pattern and had wonderfully defined tabby markings to face, legs and tail. I became chums with a couple of mogs and was impressed by the clarity of ticking and excellence of ground colour. As we moved higher up to Gangtok there was a great increase in the frequency of homozygous Ticked tabbies. Moving higher still up into the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan the cats we saw were exclusively homozygous Ticked Tabbies.

Approaching the remote Taktshang Lhakhang (or 'Tiger's Nest') Monastery up the steep pathway up the mountainside (studiously avoiding looking over the edge!) we stopped to rest and had a chat with two really delightful barless Ticked tabbies, much to the amusement of two monks who trotted past! It was interesting to note that the homozygous ticked all had solid skullcaps, just as we find in our Oriental Ticked.

Now the point of this digression is that the tabbies in these remote Himalayan regions are largely cut off from other feline colonies; in the case of Bhutan totally isolated; and are the result of natural random selection. Bhutan is a strictly Buddhist country and so litters of kittens are not culled, and adults neither put down nor neutered (though now neutering is being considered as a way of controlling the large packs dogs roaming the streets of Thimphu, the capital city). So, left entirely to their own devices, the Ticked pattern has pushed out the other pattern forms, and coincidentally non-agouti. The allele for Ticked Pattern (Ta) is dominant to other patterns and in a 'closed' colony, by natural selection, will become the predominant pattern, with each generation seeing an increasing percentage of the homozygote until eventually the probability of a heterozygote occurring is negligible.

In the world of Oriental Cats there is; hopefully; no random selection and all matings are planned. At the present time the Ticked Tabby is far more prevalent than either the Spotted Tabby or the Classic Tabby. When the standard was changed to accept the homozygous form it indirectly resulted in an increase of Ticked Tabby kittens - obviously all the kittens from either a homozygous male or female will be Ticked pattern. In the Shaded this may be the ideal scenario, but in the Tabby it will lead to a reduction in the percentage of other patterns.

It is essential that we do not lose the Classic Tabby and Spotted Tabby, either pattern can be carried by heterozygous or Barred Ticked; therefore we must consider the long term effects of mating Ticked Tabby to Ticked Tabby. My advice now to those breeding Ticked Tabbies is only to mate Ticked to Ticked if it is absolutely necessary. In other words was it to arise today I would not be supporting the acceptance of the homozygote into the SoP: to be brutally honest I think we made a mistake! If we do not take note of this we could well end up with an almost exclusive Ticked Tabby population: not as the result of natural selection but through our own stupidity.

©John S Harrison
January 2008

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