New Cat Color Discovered! Introducing the Salty Licorice
There’s been a new and exciting discovery in the feline world! Researchers have uncovered a new cat color called salty licorice. So, what exactly does the salt licorice cat look like and how did they come about? Discover all you need to know in today’s blog!
About Salty Licorice Cats
This rare cat coat was discovered in Finland, where they were named Salmiak cats. In English, this translates to salty licorice cats – a fitting name as they do seem to resemble the sweets!
Interestingly, the new cat coat is actually a direct result of them missing a chunk of DNA, affecting the salty licorice cats’ white hairs. This missing piece of DNA is recessive, which makes the cat coat pattern on Salmiak cats quite rare.
Researchers in Finland have been delving into the DNA of these cats for years. They tested 180 cats, and only 3 were found to have the same genetic mutation as a salty licorice. However, these 3 cats had only inherited the variant from a single parent, so they didn’t have the distinctive cat coat patterns.
You can spot a Salmiak cat by their unique markings, which are present at birth and stay as they age. This cat’s coat is colored near the skin and gets progressively whiter towards the tip, often being less prominent near the head. They can have different base colors such as black, brown tabby, tortoiseshell or blue but the salty licorice cat pattern is easiest to spot on cats with a black base color.
These cat’s markings are individual to each Salmiak cat, with some having a white tip on their tail, a more intense coloring on their shoulder area, or spots in the white areas on their front legs and chest. However, most of their cat coat patterns will follow a tuxedo coloring with a white chest, belly, and paws.
Other Interesting Cat Coat Patterns
There are also many other interesting cat coats. Domestic cats have a range of different coat colors and patterns, such as:
- Tabby – These cat markings include stripes or spots on their chest, often with white areas on the chest, feet, and tail. They can usually be identified by the M on their forehead.
- Tortoiseshell – Tortoiseshell cats are usually female, as males are rare, and they can be identified by their mottled coats with patches of black, orange, and sometimes white.
- Colorpoint – This type of cat color refers to cats with darker colors on their feet, face, or tail. An example of this is Siamese cats.
- Solid – Having a solid coat means that there are no coat patterns or markings. They are most commonly grey, back, or white cats. There are also bicolor cats with a coat of two solid colors, such as tuxedo cat coats that look like a formal suit.
Facts About Cat Colors
A cat’s coat color is dependent on genetics, as a kitten will inherit their coloring from their parents. Cat colors can also be sex-linked; for example, ginger males outnumber females 3 to 1, as a male only needs the orange gene on one chromosome to become a ginger cat.
White is not a primary color for cats and is usually only seen covering or co-existing with another color. However, pure white cats do exist, but only in around 5% of cats, which makes them rare, much like the salty licorice cat.
Research conducted in Mexico found a trend that a cat’s personality can be linked to their coat color. This is believed to be due to a relationship between cats’ color pigments and their dopamine levels. Do you have multiple cats with the same coat and opposite personalities? Or maybe they are similar to each other? It’s always interesting to learn something new about our furry companions and their origins!
If you want to know more interesting information about different cat colors or breeds, check out our other blogs or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date with any more exciting discoveries!
