Cats
dramatically changing to red. Chocolate ticked tabby and red were both impossible from her
pedigree, and in any case, reds are not born as chocolate tabbies! Several more unusually
coloured kittens were born in different litters and all went through the same colour/pattern
changes. The ancestors of these kittens were seal Burmese and had no silver, tabby or
Mandalay (Asian) blood. The pedigree had both dilute and chocolate, there were no reds,
creams or torties until 4 generations back. DNA testing showed some kittens to be genetically
seal and other genetically chocolate. Hence the new colour is due to a different mutation
currently known as russet. Russet appears to be due to a recessive mutation that causes black
pigment (eumelanin) to gradually fade to a minimal amount while leaving red pigment
(phaeomelanin)unaffected.
Russet kittens resemble tabbies at birth, but have pink noses and paw-pads, pale fur around
annaabi.ee 
