Maine Coon Colours Explained: From Classic Tabby to Rare Patterns

Introduction

Maine Coon cats are renowned not just for their majestic size and friendly personalities, but also for the dazzling variety of coat colours and patterns they display. For breeders, owners, and enthusiasts alike, understanding Maine Coon colours explained is more than just aesthetics — it reveals rich genetics, breed standards, and sometimes even surprises in litters. In this guide, you’ll gain:

• A solid grounding in the pigment and gene mechanisms behind Maine Coon coat colours
• An in-depth look at all major colour families and patterns (tabby, solid, bicolor, smoke, shaded, etc.)
• Insights on how inheritance works, including rare and exotic colours
• Tips for recognising colours, registering cats, and how coat relates (or doesn’t) to health
• A ready FAQ section answering what people often ask about Maine Coon colours

Let’s dive in — by the end, you’ll have an authoritative reference on Maine Coon coat colours that rivals any breeder’s manual.

The Genetic Foundation: How Maine Coon Colours Work

Two Base Pigments: Eumelanin and Phaeomelanin

All cat coat variation stems from two pigment types:

• Eumelanin → dark pigment (black, brown)
• Phaeomelanin → red or orange pigment

Maine Coons, like all cats, combine these through various genes and modifiers to produce their wide palette. (Regal Lane Maine Coons)

When a cat has the orange allele (O) on the X chromosome, that overrides eumelanin expression — resulting in red/orange-based coats. (Wikipedia)

Key Genes and Modifiers

Gene / Locus	Alleles / Variants	Role / Effect
B (Brown / Black)	B (dominant), b (chocolate), bl (cinnamon)	Determines the eumelanin-based shade (black, brown, cinnamon)
O (Orange / Non-Orange)	O (orange), o (non-orange)	Sex-linked; determines whether phaeomelanin overrides eumelanin
D (Dilution)	D (non-dilute), d (dilute)	Makes colours lighter: black → blue, red → cream if dd is present
I (Inhibitor, “Silver”)	I (dominant), i (non-inhibitor)	Suppresses pigment in lighter bands of hair; yields silver/smoke/shaded effects
A (Agouti / Non-agouti)	A (tabby pattern allowed), a (solid)	Determines whether the tabby pattern is expressed or suppressed
T (Tabby Pattern Variants)	mackerel, classic/blotched, ticked, spotted	Defines how the tabby stripes or motifs appear
S (White Spotting / Piebald)	S (dominant), s (no white)	Produces white patches (face, chest, legs, etc.)
W / w (White / Masking)	W (white mask), w (no mask)	Masks the base coat completely; “all-white” cats still carry a hidden colour

Because many of these genes interact (dominance, epistasis, modifiers), the number of visually distinct colours and patterns in Maine Coons is quite large. Some breeders estimate over 75 possible combinations when considering modifiers and white patterning.

Common Colour Families and Patterns in Maine Coons

Tabby Patterns

Tabby is the default pattern when the agouti gene is active (A). Maine Coons frequently display rich tabby designs:

• Classic (Blotched / Marble) — broad swirls and “bullseye” shapes on the sides.
• Mackerel — narrow vertical stripes, often likened to a “fishbone” look.
• Ticked — individual hairs banded; body looks more uniform but legs and tail show barring.
• Spotted / Rosetted — modified tabby where stripes are broken into spots (less common).

The Inhibitor (I) gene can convert a standard tabby into a silver tabby, where the ground colour becomes pale silver-white while the stripes remain dark.

Solid Colours

If a cat is homozygous “aa” (non-agouti), the tabby pattern is suppressed, leaving a solid appearance (though faint banding may remain). Common solid base colours for Maine Coons include:

• Black
• Red / Orange
• Blue (diluted black)
• Cream (diluted red)

Even “solid” red cats often carry faint tabby markings due to how phaeomelanin expresses.

Smoke and Silver Effects

• Smoke — hairs are pale near the skin and dark at the tip, creating a smoky halo effect.
• Silver Tabby / Shaded / Tipped — tabbies with the inhibitor gene show a silver base; shaded cats have most of each hair silver-white with only the tips pigmented.

Bicolor, White, and Parti Colours

Many Maine Coons incorporate white patterns via the S (white-spotting) gene or W (white mask) gene:

• Bicolor / Tuxedo / Van — coloured fur interrupted by white patches.
• Tortoiseshell / Torbie / Calico — combinations of red and black (usually female only).
• All-white (Epistatic white) — cats carrying W appear entirely white while still carrying a hidden base coat beneath.

Rare / Exotic Colours

Some colours are disallowed by breed standards:

• Chocolate, Lilac, Cinnamon, Fawn
• Pointed / Colourpoint (Siamese-style patterns)

Inheritance Patterns & What Litters Reveal

Sex-Linked Red / Tortie Dynamics

The O (orange) gene is on the X chromosome. Males (XY) can only be red or non-red; females (XX) can be both (tortoiseshell/calico). Male torties are extremely rare chromosomal anomalies.

Dilution and Double Recessives

Blue and cream appear only if the kitten inherits two dilution genes (dd). One D prevents dilution entirely.

Silver / Inhibitor as Dominant

Even one copy of the inhibitor gene (I) introduces silver or smoke effects, though expression depends on modifiers.

White-Spotting / Epistatic White

White spotting (S) is partially dominant and varies in expression; epistatic white (W) can override colour entirely but doesn’t eliminate it genetically.

Predicting Litter Outcomes

Breeders often use Punnett squares or colour calculators to estimate kitten colours. For example:

• Black tabby × Red tabby may yield red or black males and tortoiseshell females.
• Two dilute parents (dd) can only produce blue or cream kittens.
• If both parents carry inhibitor (I), silver or smoke kittens are likely.

Recognising Colours: Tips & Tricks

• Wet the fur to see banding and undertones clearly.
• Part the coat — smoke cats show pale roots.
• Look at face and tail — shaded cats often show darker pigmentation there.
• Use official EMS or CFA colour codes to confirm registration colour (e.g., MCO-n = black, MCO-d = red).

Breed Standards & Accepted Colours

The TICA standard allows almost every colour except colourpoint. Chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, and fawn are not recognised in purebred lines. Eye colour is generally independent of coat colour.

Why Coat Colour (Usually) Doesn’t Affect Health

Colour genes and health genes are mostly separate. White masking (W) may occasionally correlate with deafness, but this is rare in Maine Coons. Focus instead on screening for HCM, SMA, and hip dysplasia — the main hereditary conditions in the breed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common Maine Coon colours?
Brown (black) tabby, red tabby, and silver tabby are the most common.

Can Maine Coons be white?
Yes. Through epistatic white (W) or extensive white spotting (S), they may appear pure white but still carry a hidden base coat.

Why are tortoiseshell and calico only female?
Because the orange gene (O) is X-linked; females can carry both orange and non-orange alleles.

What is a smoke or shaded Maine Coon?
Smoke cats have pale roots and dark tips; shaded cats have silver-white hairs with only the ends coloured.

Can you predict Maine Coon kitten colours?
Yes, using parental genetics and colour calculators. Patterns depend on genes for orange, dilution, inhibitor, and spotting.

Are chocolate or lilac Maine Coons allowed?
Most breed registries do not accept these colours in purebred lines.

Why does a red “solid” Maine Coon still show stripes?
Because the red pigment doesn’t fully suppress tabby markings, faint stripes often remain visible.

Summary & Final Thoughts

Understanding Maine Coon colours means appreciating how genetics, breed standards, and nature work together. Each coat tells a story — of parentage, DNA, and selective breeding. Whether you prefer a classic brown tabby or a rare silver shaded beauty, remember: every Maine Coon is unique, and colour never defines personality or health.

Recommended Reads on Mad Cat Man

If you enjoyed learning about Maine Coon coat genetics and colour variations, you might also like these related guides:

How to Breed Healthy Maine Coon Kittens — learn the essentials of responsible Maine Coon breeding, from genetics to early care.

Maine Coon Personality Traits & Behavior — explore the temperament, intelligence, and playful quirks that make Maine Coons such beloved companions.

Maine Coon Growth, Size & Nutrition — discover how diet, genetics, and care influence their remarkable size and healthy development.