The Dominant White Gene
The gene that makes a cat appear solid white is a masking gene that hides the cat's actual color underneath. All white cats are genetically solid, masking red, black, or a tortie coat. In April, 2024, we added one solid white Maine Coon princess into our breeding evaluation program. If the beautiful Kattarose Penny Lane of MaineStCoons passes all her health exams, she will enter the breeding program in 2025. Thank you Margie for this diva!
The Brown (Black) Tabby Maine Coon Cat
If you ask most people to close their eyes and picture a Maine Coon cat, they will envision the most popular of the Maine Coon coat colors and pattern combinations -- the brown (black) classic tabby Maine Coon cat.
Our handsome future king, Dandy, is a picture-perfect example of a brown classic tabby Maine Coon kitten. The tabby gene causes lighter brown and gray banding (bars) to interrupt Dandy's solid black color.
Stripes = tabby!
You'll also notice the slightly off-white fur around Dandy's eyes and muzzle. You will see these light eye rings, muzzles, and chins on all Maine Coon tabby cats, irrespective of color.
The Red Tabby Maine Coon
If a Maine Coon cat isn't genetically black, than it is...red!
Our sweet Jolene is a lovely example of a red classic red tabby Maine Coon. What is rare is that Jolene is a girl, whereas most red tabby cats are males! Buy why?!
Red females are hard for Mother Nature to produce. When she does, it's because both parent cats are red or carry red in their coat.
To keep nature interesting, the red gene somehow overrides the solid gene in cats so that even solid red Maine Coons show some tabby markings on their legs and face. The big giveaway that a cat is red solid and not red tabby is the absence of the light-colored rings around the eyes and at the chin. A solid red cat will be red in all these areas (unlike Jolene).
The Black Torbie Maine Coon
What happens when a cat is both black AND red?!
You get a Torbie! Torbie Maine Coon cats show both red and black in their coat and are always girls. Existing in all three tabby patterns (classic, mackerel, and ticked), they grow up to be beautiful Mama cats who genetically pass on red coats to all their male offspring (yes, 100% of the time) and black coats to their female offspring. Our beautiful and oh-so-sweet Sassietats Sweet Tea of MaineStCoons is a gorgeous example of a torbie Maine Coon female with white.
The Silver-Tabby Coat
In a tabby Maine Coon cat (irrespective of which tabby pattern), an extra gene called the Inhibitor gene creates a silver tabby coat by suppressing the pigmentation in the lighter-colored hair bands. The black or red stripes will still appear black or red, but the alternating, lighter-colored stripes will be light silver or almost white. Our boy, Oscar, is a spectacular example of a black-silver classic tabby Maine Coon cat, who also has the white spotting gene (giving him white paws and a white chest).
- A black (brown) tabby cat will be a black-silver (classic, ticked, mackerel, spotted) tabby, like our King Oscar.
- A blue tabby cat will be a blue silver (classic, ticked, mackerel, spotted) tabby.
- A red tabby cat will be a red silver (classic, ticked, mackerel, spotted) tabby called a cameo in CFA.
- A cream tabby cat will be a cream silver (classic, ticked, mackerel, spotted) tabby.
The Black-Silver Torbie Maine Coon
Now, look what happens when you add silver to the majestic Torbie Maine Coon coat!
Ch. Abyssal Mystery, pictured here, is our very beautiful black-silver ticked torbie. Her red is hard to see, but if you look closely, it is there. Mystery is the queen of producing red-silver tabby boys!
The Smoke Coat
The Inhibitor gene that makes a silver tabby cat creates a smoke appearance in solid Maine Coon cats by depressing pigmentation at the bottom of the hair shaft, close to the skin.
The Inhibitor gene is a dominant gene, which means that if a kitten inherits just one copy of this gene from either of its parents, the kitten will be smoke. Pictured here is one of our beautiful black smoke babies, Cinder Ella Story.
- A solid black Maine Coon with the Inhibitor gene is a Black Smoke Maine Coon.
- A solid blue Maine Coon with the Inhibitor gene is a Blue Smoke Maine Coon
- A solid red Maine Coon with the Inhibitor gene is a Red Smoke Maine Coon.
- A solid cream Maine Coon with the Inhibitor gene is a Cream Smoke Maine Coon.
- A tortie cat with the Inhibitor gene is a Smoke Tortie Maine Coon.
The White Spotting Gene
At Maine Street Coons, we simply adore the look of a cat “with white,” including white mittens, a white ruff, and a white belly, face, or torso. We find that the contrast between the colored coat and the white patches creates visual interest and see something angelic in the expression of a Maine Coon "with white" that just makes us swoon! Thankfully, the white spotting gene is not associated with hearing loss. Maine Coon cats with white will typically have white mittens, like our beautiful black silver classic tabby with white girl, Joni Mitchell, pictured here at 11 weeks.
Maine Coon Tabby Cat Patterns
Classic Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
At Maine Street Coons, we are obsessed with classic tabby cats! Classic Tabby Maine Coon cats (called blotched tabby within CFA and marbled tabby within some other circles) show off a large, solid (and ideally, identical) blotch or bullseye on each side, surrounded by clearly defined swirling rings of alternating bands of color. Their legs are evenly banded with bracelets that continue to form necklaces at the base of the neck. The more bracelets and necklaces on a classic tabby, the better! On the back, the classic tabby shows off a beautiful four-winged butterfly at its shoulders, leading to a reasonably wide, unbroken vertical line running down its spine, ending in an evenly ringed bottlebrush tail. On its face, the classic tabby reveals three horizontal lines that extend to the back of its head from the outer corner of its eyes.
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
The OG of the tabby pattern types, Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon cats are often referenced as "wild type" tabby cats on many DNA tests. Mackerel is the original, most prevalent tabby pattern across cat breeds. Mackerel tabbies have side stripes that run perpendicular to their spine, creating a fishbone appearance. These stripes line their legs and also ring their tail. Mackerel tabbies are often thought to have large boning and heavier builds in many breeding circles.
Ticked Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Mackerel Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Ticked Tabby Maine Coon Cats
Ticked Tabby Maine Coon cats do not wear distinct stripes, swirls, or spots on their torso. Instead, a mutation in the tabby gene causes each hair on the body to be made up of bands of multiple colors, giving the entire body a rich, multidimensional appearance. Most ticked tabbies will display barring on their legs and tail and a darker fur line down their spine. This is among the rarer Maine Coon coat colors to see in the show hall. Our beautiful Rumba is a shining example of a beautiful brown ticked tabby Maine Coon.
Pictures of Maine Coon Coat Colors & Patterns
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Ticked Tabby w/ White
Black (Brown) Classic Tabby with High White
Black (Brown) Ticked Tabby w/ White
Black Silver Classic Tabby
Black Silver Classic Tabby
Black (Brown) Ticked Tabby w/ White
Willow is Oscar’s daughter and a proud Maine Street Coons graduate.
Black Silver Ticked Torbie
Black Silver Classic Tabby
Black Silver Ticked Torbie
Black Smoke
Black Silver Classic Tabby
Black Silver Ticked Torbie
Blue Classic Tabby
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Mackerel Tabby with White
Blue Classic Tabby with High White
Blue Mackerel Tabby with White
Red Classic Tabby
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
Blue Mackerel Tabby with White
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
Dreamy, picture here at nine weeks, is the son of CH Abissal Mystery and RW SGC Bigmeow OscarWinner of MaineStCoons.
Black Classic Torbie
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
Red Mackerel Tabby with white
