Kittens were born in the cattery Wildwood´s in Sweden in 1992, whose colors could not be explained genetically by their parents, Wildwood´s Imer (pedigree number (S)SVERAK 87869 K) and Wildwood´s Iros (pedigree number (S)SVERAK 87868 K). There were also kittens with a weird color in the cattery av Tageskog in Germany in 1994, for example Bedel-lin av Takeskog (pedigree number (D)DEKZV 205042). Two common ancestors Kløfterha-gen´s Babuschka (pedigree number (N)NRR K 50751) and Niro´s Dunder (pedigree
number (N)NRR K 51300) of these two litters could be found. Kløfterhagen´s Babuschka goes straightly back to Pan´s Truls, the progenitor of all Norwegian Forest Cats. First of all, breed-ers thought, that these colors would be chocolate resp. lilac. In the middle of the 90´s breeders started to name these colors as cinnamon resp. fawn.

The colors were named as x-colors according to the EMS-code, because all the above mentioned colors had not been recognized in the breed of NFO within the FIFe. A recognition failed among other things, because relevant NFO breeders and judges had the
opinion, that these colors could only be a result of cross-breeding with other breeds (e. g. Somali). This was a thesis, which always seemed to be questionable in a breed, where novices can be found even in pedigrees of actual breeding cats. Anyway, there was fear, caused by the assumed Somali crossbreeding, to get their predisposi-tion for inherited diseases (e. g. PRA, patella luxation) into the NFO population. After that, a testmating was performed in Sweden between a Somali male in fawn (S*Walkabout´s Gibson Hot,
SOM?p) and a Norwegian Forest cat in so called cinnamon tabby spotted (S*Kattbossens Ludmilla, in the pedigree still registered as NFO?xb?24, pedigree number (S)SVERAK 139759). A black and a blue ticked girl were born, only. Although it was quite clear by the ticking of the kittens, that the Somali male was the father, this mating was mistrusted by some people. Some clubs in Scandinavia and the Netherlands started then, to solve the problem of the recognition in another way. They registered the cats as golden, which
is recognized in the breed of the NFO within the FIFe. This procedure is not comprehensible, because the new colors in the NFO were still known in combinations with silver. It cannot totally be excluded, that some NFO in the new colors are additionally golden, but it cannot be the actual color due to genetical reasons.

To prevent all these rumors, the breeding commission of the 1. DEKZV e.V. allowed Mrs. Christa Utescheny (cattery v. Arlesbrunnen) to perform a testmating between a Sacred Birman male in chocolate point (Orlando vom Dürrleberg, SBI-b, pedigree number (D)DEKZV LO 264480) and a so called Norwegian Forest Cat in cinnamon tabby spotted (Kalahari v. Arlesbrunnen, NFO-xo-24, pedigree number (D)DEKZV RX 265955, see Fig. 1) after consultation of Dr. Werner Hecht of the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen,
and Dr. Frank Lange-wische, head of the health and welfare commission of the 1. DEKZV e.V. Only black and blue tabby mackerel and classic kittens were born (see Fig. 2, 3, and 4). Therefore, this test-mating excluded definitely (see Tab. 1), that the new colors of the NFO are caused by the re-cessive B-alleles (chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn). Kittens in the new colors look totally different (see Fig. 5, Pialotta v. Arlesbrunnen).



                                              
Fig. 1  Kalahari v. Arlesbrunnen                                    Fig. 2. Litter of 1st Test mating - 4 weeks of age

                                                                                    

                                                                               


Tab 1  Assumptions and results of the 1st testmating
 

                                         
Fig. 3 "Sacred Birman/NFC Cross               
4 weeks old                                                    Fig. 4 "Sacred Norwegian"        Fig. 5  Pialotta v. Arlesbrunnen
                                                                      3 months
      
         
Furthermore, it could be excluded with high feasibility by this litter, that the new colors are a result of a recessive carried cs-allele (mask factor). This fact was rather before nearly clear, because otherwise we should have seen Norwegian Forest Cats with masks during the numerous matings among Norwegian Forest Cats in the new colors. Now it became evident: The Norwegian Forest Cat "Kalahari v. Arlesbrunnen“ is genetically black (B_). To examine the interaction of the b-allele (chocolate), of the cs-allele (mask factor), and of the allele of the new color, Mrs. Christa Utescheny was permitted to perform a further testmating. For this purpose, the full siblings Orlandos´B v. Arlesbrunnen (see Fig. 4), male, XLH-n-22, pedigree number (D)DEKZV RX 285134, and O.´S Tibeth v. Arlesbrunnen, female, XLH-n-22, pedigree number (D)DEKZV RX 285136, from the above mentioned test mating (see Tab. 1) were mated. Five kittens were born out of this mating (see Tab. 2, Fig. 6-7):

Tab. 2: Results of the 2nd test mating

 

Buffalo-Bill v. Arlesbrunnen Male black tabby classic
XLH-n-22  (D)DEKZV RX  


Bonsai v. Arlesbrunnen  Male Black Tabby Classic
XLH-n-22(D)DEKZV RX 296428



Alleles of groups B and C      Alleles of groups B and C
B_      C_                                  B_      C_


Belami v. Arlesbrunnen   Male Seal-Point-Tabby + white 
XLH-n-09-33-64(D)DEKZV RX 296429     



Batik v. Arlesbrunnen     Female "Cinnamon" Tabby Classic + White
XLH-o-09-22(D)DEKZV RX 296430




Alleles of groups B and C      Alleles of groups B and C
B_      c_sc_s                                    B_      C_

Bellamocca v. Arlesbrunnen Female Chocolate-white
XLH-b-09(D)DEKZV RX 296431



Alleles of groups B and C
bb      C_

The following statements about the new colors can be made due to the shown colors of the kittens: Both parents of the 2nd test mating carried the chocolate-allele (b) and the allele for the new colors in the Norwegian Forest Cat in parallel, which approves again, that the allele of the new colors cannot be a yet known B-allele. Already by the first test mating (see Tab. 1) an influence of the allele b^l could be excluded. Furthermore, both parents of the 2nd test mating carried the mask factor (c_s), which led to a kitten in seal-point-tabby + white among the off-spring. It was astonishing, that both, the cat in seal-point-tabby + white and the cat in chocolate-white (see Tab. 2) showed white (with spores, see Fig. 8), because both parents of this mating showed no white over their whole bodies.
Due to the used sacred Birman male as fa-ther of the first testmating (Orlando vom Dürrleberg) and the shown spores at the two kittens of the 2nd test mating, we assume, that we have to deal with Birman-white in this case. The mode of inheritance for Birman-white is dominant with incomplete penetrance after Vella et al., 1999. Due to the made observations we think, that the former postulated recessive mode of inheritance for Birman white is more likely.


                                                              
Fig. 6 Litter of 2nd Test Mating                Fig. 7 Litter of 2nd Test Mating                       Fig. 8  Spores

One further question concerning the new colors was tried to answer in a third test mating: Until now, the new colors were only known in tabby cats. During the last time there were always rumors about cats in Germany and the Netherlands, which were born out of pure matings between NFO in the new colors, but looking different. These cats were not officially shown or they were sold as pets, assumed to be bad silver tabbies. They are born with a color, which can really be mistaken for silver, showing a tabby pattern,
which nearly fades during the process of extreme brightening of the fur, therefore, most likely being a ghost marking. These animals show finally a very bright, red brown color, with dark brown colored noses without surroundings, and dark brown paws. A third test mating was performed to show, that these animals may be non-agouti animals in the new colors. The NFO Aragon aus Broetzingen (see Fig. 9-12), male, registered as black-silver tabby mackerel (this is obviously not the correct color of the adult animal), NFO-ns-23, (D)DEKZV RX 286842 was mated with the cat Cas-sandra av Lysøen (see Fig. 13), female, black-white, NFO-n-09, (N)NRR LO 124184. Five
definitive non-agouti kittens in black, black-white, and black-silver-white were born out of this mating (see Fig. 13), which is no absolute evidence due to the recessive mode of inheri-tance for non-agouti, but a clear advice, that the male Aragon aus Broetzingen could be a non-agouti animal.

                                                                           
Fig. 9 Aragon juvenile                            Fig. 10  Aragon's paws Juvenile                            Fig. 11: Aragon adult              



                                                                         
Fig. 12: Aragon's Paws adult                      Fig. 13: Non-Agouti litter of 3rd Test Mating



This will be statistically saved by further matings between this male and other non-agouti females. Furthermore, a mating with a tabby female in the new colors is scheduled as soon as possible, to show, that he is really an animal in the new NFO colors. The new colors obviously do not show their typical look in conjunction with non-agouti like in the case of tabby cats. Therefore, a simple recessive mode of inheritance is assumed for the new colors. The breeding commission and the health and welfare commission of the 1. DEKZV e.V. agree, that the new colors of the NFO are not caused by the recessive B-alleles or C-alleles. Therefore, a former crossbreeding of other
breeds to the NFO-population to produce the new colors is most unlikely. Therefore, there is no reason of breeding hygiene or veterinary medicine against the recognition of the new colors of the NFO. Also breeders, who do not want to breed with the new colors, would have a big advantage by the recognition: The animals in the new colors would be correctly registered in the pedigrees, which until now had been registered under a wrong color. Therefore, the animals would be marked distinctly and consistently, so that these breeders could easily recognize the affected breeding lines and avoid them. It is suggested to recognize the new colors in all combinations (except red
and epistatic white), which are already recognized in the NFO, e. g. with silver, golden, tortie. For labeling of the respective color the suffix fox should be added to the name. A new letter for the EMS-code has to be chosen, which has to be added to the respective basic color. We recommend the letter u (u for unique), because this variety is only known in the NFO, yet. Furthermore, we suggest to judge the new colors in two new groups.

© Photos: Mrs. Christa Utescheny
English translation by Dr. Frank W. Langewische


Photos taken by Paula Swepston
 

NFCFA would like to thank Dr. Frank Langewische and Christa Utescherny for allowing us to publish this document on our website.  Please do not copy this document and place it on another website without obtained permission from Dr. Langewische.  You may contact him at [email protected] if you would like permission to publish and to ask him any questions.

 

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