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Maine coon colors and traits
Maine coons come in solid, tabby and silver variations of black, blue, red, cream, alongside full and partial white and tortishell.
Learn more about these colors and other traits of the maine coon!
All pictures below are from our cattery graduates!
Black Variations
Maine coons come in two primary colors. Black is the first, which can come in forms of solid and tabby.
Black
This is the solid variant where the cat is completely black. Black cats may have some gray or brown "tipping" throughout their coat, however it does not make the cat silver.
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Black (Brown) Tabby
This is the tabby variant where the cat has an evident tabby pattern. Black tabbies are also known as "brown" tabbies due to their warm tone, however maine coons do not come in the brown aka "chocolate" colors.
Red Variations
This is the second primary color. Similar to black, it comes in both solid and tabby.
Red
This is the solid variant, however unlike all other solid colors, red solids never actually appear solid! They will always have the classic tabby pattern but compared to the tabbies, they have a darker, almost muted, red muzzle.
Red Tabby
Same as the black tabby, red tabbies are classified by a distinct tabby pattern and unlike solid reds, their muzzle is a lighter, almost white color.
Dilute Variations
Dilute is the lighter, "softer" version of the two primary colors, black and red, which means they also come in both solid and tabby. Due to not having any other colors such as chocolate, maine coons do not come in fawn, lilac, etc.
Blue
This is the dilute variant of solid black. Similar to black cats, blue cats may have lighter or brown-ish tipping that does not mean they are silver. Blue cats will have purple paw pads and nose.
Blue Tabby
This is the dilute variant of black tabby. Similar to the black tabby, blue tabbies may express a warm, brown-ish tone, but it does not make them lilac.
Cream
This is the dilute variant of solid red. Same as solid red, they have all the tabby markings aside from the lighter muzzle.
Cream Tabby
This is the dilute variant of red tabby. Same as in red, cream tabbies have a lighter muzzle than solid cream.
*Placeholder picture, our cattery hasn't yet had a cream tabby :,)
Tortoiseshell Variations
This is the combination of the two primary colors, black and red. Due to this color coming from the existence of two X chromosomes, male tortoiseshells are extremely rare. (~1 in 3000)
They can come in either standard (black and red) or dilute (blue and cream)
This is the solid variant where the cat is solid black or blue with patches of red cream. Like the standard solid red, the patches typically also have tabby pattern.
Tortie is also often referred to as "particolor"
Tortie
Also known as "tortie tabby" is exactly that - the tabby variant where the cat is black or blue tabby with patches of red or cream.
Torbies are also known as "patched tabbies"
Torbie
Silver Variations
Silver is another dominant color gene categorized by an even amount of white on the base of the fur near the skin. "Reverse" silver (aka white tips and dark base) is typically a fever coat, not a silver color.
Silver also comes in solid and tabby, with tabby coming in a variety of its own variations.
Silver can come in every other existing color.
(Standard) Smoke
This is the only solid silver variant. This is the standard look where the cat appears near solid color, yet has an obvious white base that is evident in motion or when spread apart.
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(High) Smoke
This is still the same solid silver smoke color, however the white base is more prominent, making the cat appear lighter. You can still tell a smoke apart from tabby silver by the solid color nose and paw pads.
Silver Tabby
This is the standard tabby silver variant. Here the cat has the original tabby pattern and look, with the addition of the white base. Black tabbies may still look warmer, but they rarely appear actually brown like the standard tabby.
Silver Shaded
This is another variant of tabby silver. This variant is categorized by a mostly white base with mild dark "tipping." Due to the high amount of silver, not much tabby pattern is evident aside from the paws and eyeliner.
Smoke Tortie
This is the same solid silver variant, smoke, but with the female-specific tortie color instead of a single-color solid.
Same as in standard torties, the red areas may still express tabby markings.
Silver Torbie
This again is the same silver tabby variant, but with the female-specific torbie/patched tabby color.
Here they may actually appear as a warm, brown tabby but with the silver, white base, making them look lighter.
Partial White Variations
There are four main recognized variants of partial white depending on the amount of it in specific areas.
Partial white can be on top of any color, and is caused by a gene preventing specific areas from developing pigment in the womb.
Mitted
This is categorized by white on only the paws and no other area of the body, giving the cat little white "mittens."
Per standard, this is the only amount of white a cat can have if it doesn't have enough to classify as a bi-color.
Bi-color
This is classified by a more so even amount of white to color (40%-60%).
Per standard, the white should be present on the neck, chest, lower stomach and all four paws.
White on the face or tail is optional.
Harlequin
This is categorized by 50%-75% white from the face, down the neck, sides and legs. Typically the color is "spotty" in random areas.
Van
Van is the highest amount of white in a cat before solid white, and is classified by 80%+ white, with color only on the head and tail.
*Our cattery hasn't produced any vans as of yet, kitten in picture is a high white harlequin
White Variations
Full white is linked to the same gene as partial white which prevents the pigment from developing on the womb. Despite calling them solid whites, white cats can actually be any other color underneath that simply isn't expressed! (So genetically, a solid white can still be a tabby, etc.)
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White w/ Standard Eyes
Majority of white cats have standard color eyes due to the pigment preventing gene only affecting the coat.
White cats with standard eyes have significantly lower chances of deafness.
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White w/ Blue/Odd Eyes
White cats have a higher chance of having blue/odd eyes, because they are linked to the same gene that causes their white coats.
This is the same reason blue eyed cats have a higher likely hood of deafness as the gene also affects the inner ear.
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