Curator Cat says: This Cat has STRIPES!
I once heard it said that ALL cats have stripes.
As those of you who follow this blog know, I'm basically a solid BLACK cat. Well, at least it looks that way.
That said, I just came across one of my kitten pictures, taken of me at about age 10 weeks, prancing through the sunny spot in the living room.
What do you notice?
STRIPES!
"How is that possible, Curator Cat?"
Because ALL cats carry the gene to make the striped "tabby" markings. Those of us who appear to be "solid" colors also carry a separate gene that suppresses the tabby gene.
The reason we are more likely to see the tabby markings in kittens is that we're mostly looking at the soft undercoat before the thicker topcoat has fully formed.
If we could separate out my undercoat, it would probably still look striped.
Incidentally, there are three separate kinds of tabby markings: Striped (or "mackerel"), blotchy and spotted.
Hope you are all having a super Monday!
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Steepshot
Very interesting curatorcat, I am silvertop’s baby Mountain Lion Cot, and I am spotted and stripped. I think this is because unlike my older brother Cyle who is just a cat ( I am much more refined) 😻
Resteemed
Well, spots and stripes are definitely a "natural" gene, not one added by human breeding to produce certain types of cats... it basically helps camo cats in nature.
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Nice pic, you we're a cute cat as a kitten 😻
Thank you! Kitten pictures always seem like a good way to make the audience go "awww..." Now I'm just a small black panther!
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This is so interesting, I have noticed the same thing with Inca when she's in the sunshine, she has these faint stripes. So cute!
My stripes don't even show in the sun anymore — I'm two now — the solid black topcoat seemed to get rid of the stripes around 9 months or so.
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First I thought you got a baby :) Well thats interesting. I didnt know all cats have stripes :)
Evidently it's a genetic market ALL cats have. I'm not sure how the competing gene that "dampens" the effect works... it's just rather fascinating how the natural world creates things.
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AWWW! Kitty porn!
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Absolutely! We're big fans of kitty porn around here! After all, isn't that the entire original purpose of the Interwebz?
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OH MY GOSHHHHHH! You were such a freaking cute kitten. I cant even handle it! 😻😻😻