Bicolor cat

A bicolor (or bicolour) cat (or kitty) has white fur combined with fur of some other colour, for example black- in this case they are often referred to as a Tuxedo Cat. Bicolours are found in many breeds as well as being common in domestic longhair cats and domestic shorthair cats.

Bicolour occurs 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 colours of the coat. In contrast, tabby cats have an agouti gene that produces striping of the coat. The Abyssinian has agouti with dilution, giving the appearance of even colour with colour-banded hairs.

A black-and-white bicolour cat is often known as a tuxedo cat or a Jellicle cat.

The Turkish Van (white and ginger) is one good example of a bicolour breed.