Persian cat: Bicolor

Past, present and future of Persian Bicolors

American owners always loved to bicolor, colored cats. In England, vice versa, it is cordial dislike to these colors, which become stronger probably

because they are dofficult in breeding, though this color make cats more beautiful and sight. You can seldom meet piebald animals on the exhibitions in

Russia, thye say that they are not in fashion, but it turns out that our owner don't know almost anything abou this color.

Gene of white Piebald Spotting is called gene of household, it is the most common among all spontaneous mutations, and is showed in many different forms,

concerning to limitation of colored pigment in definite colors. Some form of this gene appears in all varieties of domestic animals, but is

absence almost in all wild animals. Under the ruthless methods of natural selection, luxurious white marks would mean death. Known exception is zebra.

Her stripes serve as camouflage in habitat. Nevertheless, colorful white marks were appreciated and selected by selectionists for continuation of genus in

the breeding of domestic animals.

Past

Where did modern colors of bicolor and calico ( tortoiseshell on white) appear from? Today's Persians are, first of all, progeny of longhaired cats,

imported to England and other parts of Europe during the middle - end 1800s from geographical regions countries Persia and Turkey of that time. Gene of

Piebald Spotting was widespread then, but often was masked by prepotent white color, which is especially well-known in longhaired cats of Turkey.

If to pay attention in the past, we will see that all longhaired cats were prised together on the exhibitions and iffers of breeds were based more on

colors, than on differs of type or the country of origin of given animals. Imagination of cats of american selectionists followed the leading at that time

English exhibition rules in this attitude, so that on the earliest american exhibitions, for example, all white cats were valued at one class, and it

didn't matter if their pedigree went back to Persia, Turkey or local cats from Man state (having occured in America with first sailors from Europe). This

practice almost lost the type of Turkish Angoras cats, who assimilated into the big breed, which became known to us as Persian.

Unfortunately, earlier herd-books of England and America wil not allow to follow ways of development of all colors in full. At the beginning of the

century bicolored Persians registered and showed and in England, and in the USA. But they were not popular, because there worked pedigree programs of

breeding one colored cats (Solids) in England, and active efforts were spent to avoid white spottiness. In 1904 in one artical, devoted to the review of

cat's shows in the attitude of bicolored colors, were said that '...it is more better to put to sleep such many-colored indiviuals at once or to sell them

as domestic nurslings than to keep them as sires, spoiling purity, value, and reputation of colors.'

By the time of devision of longhaired breeds into Persians and half longhaired cats at the begiinning of 1900s there wasn't any need in different

indication of breed within the category of longhaired till the appearance of Himalayan Persins as breed in 1950s. Bicolors and Calico in British and

Americn herd-books rated as non-recognized colors and had a ban for the participation in shows. CFA was the first who attributed Bicolors to recognized

(accepted) for the registration. It was common practice of cat organizations in all breeds, that allowed the registration of cats, which was of pure

origin, but non-recognized color.

The exact period of time, when Bicolors and Calico were difficult to show, is difficult to find out, but in 1933 Evelyn Buckworth-Herne-Soame have written

in his impressions from the exhibition about Tortoiseshell on White cat: 'This is the most vivid and charming animal. It is a pity that there is no bigger

number of such...' At the same year first white-black individuals, which public liked, appeared on the shows and it was accepted to bring bicolored in any

other color.

However, after 1933 Bicolors and Calico were officially removed from the shows in the USA right up to 1955 when by the efforts of Dorothy Anderson Calico

was approved anew in CFA. Only in 1971 other bicolored colors were accepted. Herd-books show that these colors is saved in the genotype during these 22

years of oblivion, because the gene of white spottines often masked with white.

The decade of 1980ies made a revolution in bicolored colors and in May of 1991 the article of Anthology of Persian cats was published, devoted to these

colors, which embraced many features and requorememts for these variation of Persians. At the first time cats of these colors got to the catalogues of

winners.

But 80ies brought not only the flash of Bicolors' popularity, but fixed extreme type, in which bicolored Presians became really amazing.

Fast increasing sccesses of bicolored cats made them popular and enough widespread. Since 1991 Bicolors and Kaliko were singled out into separate

exhibition classes and divided from Solids for breeding 'within themselves'.

Leading nurseries and ancestors of Persian breeding, specialized on the colors Bicolor became 'Anz' and 'Pajean', breeded first national winners and

hundreds Grand-Champions of CFA. Practically all modern lines of Persian Bicolors go back to these nurseries.

Future

Future of Bicolors, of course, is obvolute with the secret and consists of more number of questions than of answers.

CFA holds a discussion about separation of colors Tabby with white into separate divisions for the participation in the exhibitions. Probably,

orange-eyed, different-eyed and blue-eyed Vans will stand separately , if their number is enough.

Which changes can we expect in the attitude of the standard of Bicolors? Councillors of the breed Persian Bicolor and Calico of CFA voted down more

than once any changes of the standard, which remained practically the same, beginning since 1988. During the 80-ies some bicolored animals with

old-fashioned type or lack of white in the color gained titles of Grand-Champions, because this type was developed and fixed. Now this is sooner an

exception than a rule, because increase of animals level dictates the necessity of full correspondence to the standard. Incrbicolor3.jpgease of sale of

cats to the countries of European market maens the necessity to pay an attention of owners of CFA on standards of color in phelinological centers of other

countries.

Present

Comparison of Bicolors' standard CFA and other associations.

GCCF

Recently in GCCF (Great Britain) an addition to Persian standard in GCCF were published '...to refuse in the awarding the first place in the class of

kitten and awarding the title in Open Classes ( in CFA it is equivalent to the disqualification ) to the animals, having an upper part of nasal mirror

upper than lower eyelid.' There continue to storm a debates about this problem, and GCCF takes additons to the standard of Bicolors about

disqualification of animals with wrong proportions in the correspondence of colors. Defect of color is considered: " Plenty of white on the body

" Absence of white marks on the head

" As for GCCF standard right Tortoiseshell with White (equivalent CFA calico) and bicolored colors must not have less than 1/3 and not more ?

of white in the color. Face must be both colored and white, legs must be white , a little quantity of basic color is accepted. Some of quantity of

white on the tail part is allowed, but white tail part in full is a defect.

" Van according to GCCF standard is basically white except marks of basic color, situated on the head, ears and tail part. Ideally right colored

animal must not have little spots on the body and legs except three accepted.

This standard, of course, would fined that cats, who have more than half of white, but less than required for Harlequin. In 1989 CFA decided this

problem to envelope that luxurious cats in full, many of which take part in the exhibitions and reach the final today.

FIFE

Standard in FIFE defines three separate color variants:

" Bicolor must have at least ? , but not more than 2/3 of basic color of hair (white flame on the face and white small strap on the back part of body are

desired).

" Color Harlequin requirs for at least ?, but not more than ? of basic color

" Van requires for 1/6 of basic color (colors are for Tortoiseshell cats) and 5/6 of white. More precise definition of division of colors in color Van is

two colored patches on the face, separated by flame, and one spot, beginning on the buttock part and enveloping all tail part. Three little colored

patcheson the body and (or) on legs.

CFA

Standard CFA describes esthetis ideal without making experts become mathematicians. Judge is guided by the standard of color, whichdictates the quantity

of white as privileged minimum. Contrary to the widespread wrong opinion there is no there never was percent of white in the standard of CFA. Expert by

appraisal of the right of color is guided by 20 points, 10 points of which are added for colored and 10 points are for white marks. So, standard provides

the operation factors of appraisal to discretion of judge, who decides himself how colors are balanced for definite type of animal.

WCF

Standard of colors of bicolor, harlequin and van practically repeats the standard of FIFE for the exception of an addition about desirability of

presence of ended white ring on the neck and symmetric coloring of the face.

Peculiarities of pedigree work with color

Owner often solve the problem of perfection of type to the rejudice of the color's quality. Especially strong this problem stands for Bicolors,

Harlequins and Vans. It is considered that to improve the color, it is necessary to limit the pedigree work with copulations 'within itself'

(i.e. bicolors with bicolors). But in this case it has to pay an attention on the dose of gene S. So, for Bicolors with not enough developed pegenes

it should choose partners - Harlequins, and for animals with single disseminations of white (what is non-accepted for Persians) the best pair will be

Bicolor with big quantity of white. At that white piebaldness of Van color is slightly isolated from other particolored colors. Cats with such allocation

of white spots are recommended to breed without using other white-piebald and colored variations to avoid appearance of colored spots in on-accepted places

(for example, on the back).

Though, gene S is considered to be prepotent, and Bicolors - heterozygotes along it, allocation of spots and correspondence of colors is regulated not only

by S allele, but groups of genes - modifiers. That's why if is intended the copulation of Bicolor cat with onecolored cat, there are more chances to

recieve wittingly good correspondence of colors in kittens in that case if cat's mother or father had qualitative bicolored color. It is necessary for

owners to pay attention on this by choosing of sires in the nursery.

Earlier it is considered that by many copulations of Bicolors between themselves accumulation of white color happens and color Bicolor gradually changes

into Harlequin. But to the contrary of this statesment nurseries, stably breeding bicolored animals without systematically top removal Harlequins and

one-colored individuals. Obviously, gene of white piebaldness is quite exposed to stabilization by planned selection.

Peculiarity of grooming

As Persians of any other color, Bicolors is neede in everyday and special exhibition grooming. Great second helping to their ration will serve sea algae

and betacarotine, making the eye color brighter and color of coat contraster. However, preparing of animals, having two or three colors in the color

(for calico) become difficult dy impossibility of using of colored shampoos. Also the standard of Bicolor requires for distinct differentiationof colors,

which in case of necessity is acheived with the help of trimming of white hairs, situated on the colored parts. As it is impossible to use colored

shampoos, medicinal shampoos, which improve the quality of hair, and balsams, containing sea algae will help. Directly on the show it is able to use

special fluffing schaums and sprays, making the hair brighter.

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