Past Kittens Gallery

Black Maine Coons have an almost supernatural allure. Their sleek midnight sheen gives them an aura of intrigue and mystery. Sometimes, in the dark, all you can see are their cat eyes peering back at you.

A black Maine Coon cat's coat color is primarily due to the dominant black gene (B), which produces the pigment eumelanin, resulting in black fur.

Black Smoke Maine Coons have hair that is ½ black and ½ silver. This color is one of the most popular and sought after Maine Coon colors! The code for this color is ns.

Black Smoke Maine Coon Cats express the dominant black gene (B) combined with the silver inhibitor gene (I) which suppresses the color at the base of the hairs resulting in the distinctively smokey look. The silver at the base of a solid Maine Coon Cat’s hair is called smoke, but in a tabby cat, it’s referred to as silver. The same silver inhibitor gene (I) produces the silver in both colors!

Black Tabby Maine Coons come in Classic, Marbled, Mackerel, Ticked, and Unspecified patterns. They have a warmer hue to their coat. Their stripes give them their wild, shaggy look - similar to tigers! Black Tabbies are sometimes called "brown" Tabbies.

This coloring happens due to their agouti gene (A); a Black Tabby will have the dominant(B) gene for black coloration and at least one dominant agouti gene (A) for the tabby pattern. The specific pattern will depend on additional modifying gene.

Black Silver Tabby Maine Coons can have a Marbled, Mackerel, or Ticked tabby look. Their coat color is characterized by black stripes on a silver undercoat.

This pattern happens because of the interaction between the agouti gene (A) and the inhibitor gene (I), which suppresses color in the hair shaft, resulting in the silver appearance. The black stripes are produced by the dominant gene (B).

Often referred to as "gray", or "gray and white" Maine Coons. Blue Smokes are the dilute version of Black Smokes. This dilute coloring has a shimmering smokey coat that is velvety smooth.

Similar to Black Smokes, Blue Smoke Maine Coons get their smokey appearance because of the Inhibitor gene (I) that suppresses the color at the base of the hair shafts. Their Blue color comes from the dilution gene (d) which dilutes the color from Black to Blue.

Blue Silver Tabbies, like Black Silver Tabbies can have a Marbled, Mackerel or Ticked tabby look. The softer look of the blue make them easy on the eyes.

The genetics of Blue Silver Tabbies work very similarly to Black Silver Tabbies. Intuitively, Instead of Black stripes, they have Blue stripes. Parents carrying or expressing the dilution gene (d) may have Blue Silver Tabby kittens. Because the dilution gene (d) is recessive, both parents need to either express or carry the dilution gene for the kittens to inherit it.

Bicolor Maine Coon’s are each a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Their distinctive markings remind some people of adorable panda bears. They come in a wide range of colors.

The bicolor palette has to a wide range of colors including blues, reds, creams, and their smoky and tabby variations.

Black and Black Smoke Bicolors are often referred to as “tuxedo cats” because of their unique black and white markings.

Bicolor, or, "with white" refers to the amount of white on the cat, and there are standard names for different amounts:

• Van ⅛ color; up to ⅞ white on head and tail only
• Harlequin ⅙ color; ⅚ white
• Bicolor ⅓ to ½ white
• Other Up to ¼ white

This pattern occurs due to the white spotting gene (W), which controls the amount and distribution of white fur.

High Silver is not actually a Maine Coon Cat Color. It refers to Maine Coons with minimal tipping, which results in a very light and bright silver. High silver Maine Coons can have any of the following:

• Shaded: ⅔ silver ⅓ chinchilla (very faint tabby markings visible on legs and head)
• Shell: ⅞ silver ⅛ tipped chinchilla (slightly lighter than Shaded)
• Other Tabby Patterns: Blotched, Marbled, Mackerel, and Ticked Tabby can all also be high silver when the tipping is minimal.

Shaded and Shell cats are very rare.

Black and Red — and Blue and Cream — their respective dilutions can all be High Silver.

The high silver happens because of a "supercharged" version of the Inhibitor gene (I), which significantly reduces pigmentation in the hair.

Officially, they are Red, but they are often referred to as Orange.

Due to their ghost markings, Red and Red Tabbies look very similar. One way to tell a Red Maine Coon apart from a Red Tabby or a Red Silver Tabby, is their muzzle: Red Tabby's have a white muzzle, while their Red Solid counterparts do not!

Red and Cream females are extremely rare.

The Red coat color is due to the Orange gene (O) — which is located on the X chromosome — and produces the red pigment: pheomelanin. This gene is sex linked. Males (with one Xchromosome) will be Red if they carry the gene. Females (with two X chromosomes) need both Xchromosomes to be Red.

White Solid Maine Coons, the color of snow, fluffy and always contrasting with eyes, making their eyes pop.

The White Masking Gene (W) is what turns cats the color of snow. This gene masks the true color, making it appear white. For a Maine Coon Cat to be a Solid White, at least one parent must be a Solid White.
The (KIT) gene governs patterns like white masking, white spotting, and white gloves in Maine Coons. Each of these is an allele (variation) of the (KIT) gene, and the pattern seen depends on the pair of alleles inherited.