Portal:Cats/Selected article/8
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A bicolor cat has white fur combined with fur of some other colour, for example black or tabby. There are various patterns of bicolor cat. These range from Van pattern (colour on the crown of the head and the tail only) through to solid colour with a throat locket.
Where there is low-to-medium grade white spotting limited to the face, paws, throat and chest of an otherwise black cat, they are known in the United States as a tuxedo cat. High grade bicolor results in Van-pattern cats. There are many patterns between such as cap-and-saddle, mask-and-mantle and magpie (more randomly splashed). Bicolors are found in many breeds as well as being common in domestic longhair cats and domestic shorthair cats.
Solid color bicolor cats occur because there is a white spotting gene present along with a recessive allele of the agouti gene, which evens out the usual striped pattern of the colors of the coat.
