Maine Coon Colors

The CFA and TICA, Recognize 75+ Maine Coon Coat Colors and Patterns.

Infographic explaining CFA and TICA feline coat registration genetics, including five base colors, tabby patterns, smoke and silver modifiers, tortoiseshell and calico, and white spotting, with Maine Coon example.
Infographic explaining CFA and TICA feline coat registration genetics, including five base colors, tabby patterns, smoke and silver modifiers, tortoiseshell and calico, and white spotting, with Maine Coon example.

Cat registries like the CFA and TICA recognize around 75 different registration categories by combining various coat colors and patterns.

The total number of official classifications is calculated by multiplying base colors with pattern classes. This breakdown details how those categories are formed:

  • Base Colors: Cats start with one of five recognized solid colors, which include black, blue, red, cream, and white.

  • Tabby Patterns: Tabby variations like classic, mackerel, and ticked are factored into the mix.

  • Genetic Modifiers: Layers such as silver or smoke modifier genes are overlaid onto the coat.

  • Sex-Linked Traits: The tortoiseshell and calico pattern axis is introduced, which is exclusive to female cats.

  • White Spotting: Bicolor white spotting is added as a final layer.

While the CFA maps every individual solid color against every specific pattern class to reach its total, TICA groups coats under broader category descriptors that ultimately result in a comparable number of distinct entries. Every unique and genetically valid combination of these traits creates its own official registration category.