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Table of Contents
Grey Maine Coon
Does It Even Exist?
Maine coons are among the world’s largest cats, with the current record holder—a Grey Maine Coon named Ludo—measuring 45.6 inches long from tip to tail. The gentle giants make incredible pets and are available in several coat colors and patterns.
But what about grey? Do grey Maine Coon kitten even exist? To casual observers, there are plenty of Grey Maine Coon cats in the world. Some are grey with hints of silver or smoke. Or even grey with streaks of white fur. And some are just a solid grey color all over.
But…they’re not grey. Well, not at least to the Cat Fanciers Association and other cat clubs. Instead, they’re referred to as “blue”.
Blue Rare Maine Coon Cat
When referring to cat colors, grey or silver cats are called blue due to the bluish tint that their coats will have. The blue is a subtle hue similar to that which military cadets wear. Cats with grey-colored coats effectively have a diluted black coat—genetically speaking.
But what’s wrong with the term grey? Nobody knows. The running theory is that it just sounds fancier by judges at cat shows. Checkout the adorable Maine coon kittens for sale from HugeCoons.
Maine Coon Kittens For Sale
Understanding The Dilute Gene
A gene known as the dilute gene (or melanophilin) can be present within the genetic sequences of some cats. Not all cats have the gene, and even those who do are not guaranteed to have a diluted coat.
The dilute phenotype—or diluted color coat—only appears when the cat carries two copies of the dilute gene. This is only possible through the inheritance of the gene from both parents, making the effect autosomal recessive and rare.
The effect is produced because the melanophilin alters the distribution of melanin granules (pigment) throughout the cat’s fur. Cats without the dilute gene have normal pigmentation uniformly through the fur. However, cats with two copies of the gene don’t have uniform pigmentation. Instead, they experience pigment clumping that causes many areas in their hair to have no pigmentation at all.
If that’s the case, why are the colors diluted and not absent? The areas of clustering (both with pigment and without) are on a microscopic level. So, when you see them from your eye, the colors appear blended and diluted because we don’t have microscopic vision.
That means when you see a blue Maine Coon, you’re looking at a black cat with two recessive gene copies of melanophilin. Other dilute colors include lilac, which is from chocolate; fawn, which is from cinnamon, and cream, which is from red.
How Can You Tell What Color a Maine Coon Kitten Will Be?
Determining a kitten’s color is pretty easy regarding Maine Coons because of a fascinating set of genetic rules they follow. Male grey Maine Coon kitten will always obtain both of their color genes from their mother. So, by that logic, male kittens will always be the same color as their mother (or the diluted version).
That means grey male kittens are birthed from black or blue Maine Coon mothers. On the other hand, female kittens receive one color gene from each parent. This makes them more likely to have mixed colors or more unique combinations.
What About Grey vs Silver Tabbies?
