British Shorthair with Silver, Golden, and Chinchilla Coloration

In this article, we explore silver, golden, and chinchilla color variations in British Shorthair cats. These colors originate from crossbreeding between blue, smoke, and tabby cats — recognized since 1894 at the Crystal Palace.

1. Silver and Golden Coloring

Silver gene: A dominant gene that suppresses pigment along the hair shaft, resulting in a white undercoat and pigmented tips.

In agouti cats: silver lightens the base between tabby markings.
In non-agouti cats: it's referred to as "smoke."

Types:

Smoke: Appears solid but changes in movement.
Shell: About 1/8 of each hair is tipped.
Shaded: Around 1/3 of each hair is tipped; darker than shell and may show broken rings on legs.

British Shorthair with Silver and Golden coloring.

2. The Chinchilla Gene

History: Formerly seen as just a light variation of silver agouti, it's now believed to be influenced by the Wb gene (widening of band), with incomplete dominance:

WbWb: Produces shaded/shell silver or golden coats.
wbwb: Produces standard agouti coats.

Effect: Wb widens light bands on each hair, giving a paler appearance. Kittens often display faint tabby patterns ("ghost mask") that fade with maturity.

British Shorthair with Chinchilla coloring.

3. Coat Types

Silver: White base with colored tips.
Golden: Like silver but with a warmer tone.
Chinchilla: Includes shell and shaded, with varied tipping levels.

Variations of Silver, Golden, and Chinchilla.

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