Ever wondered why some cats appeared to be wearing a suit because of the distinct patterns of their coat? Black and white cat breeds more often than not, feature bicolor coat colors. These cats are known for their unique bicolor patterns that often make them stand out. However, an intriguing question is whether these black and white cat breeds are any different from solid-colored cats. Moreover, what role do cat genetics play in the cat coat color dynamics?

Motivated by similar questions, we decided to explore what breeds are black and white cats. But first, let’s understand bicolor patterns in felines.

Bicolor Patterns: Cat In Tuxedo

Bicolor cat breeds are often white cats having a different color mixed with their solid coat. A white cat with black spots or a tuxedo cat are all examples of such black and white cat breeds. Not surprisingly cats with black and white coats can also have a dominant black coat mixed with another color. This mostly happens if cats have a white spotting gene or get a recessive allele of the agouti gene from their parents. In any case, there are 4 main patterns found in black and white cat breeds.

Van Pattern

The van pattern found in black and white cat breeds is named after the Turkish Van cat breed. These cats have white coats with color spots around their ears, tails, and rarely on the back. 

Harlequin Pattern

The harlequin patterned white and black cat breeds have a predominantly white coat with colored markings on the head and tail. These cats are also known as cow cat, moo cat, or magpie. Harlequin patterns also include the cap-and-saddle and mask-and-mantle patterns.

The True Bicolor Pattern

Not all cat breeds that are black and white have the standard or true bicolor pattern. For a cat to be true bicolor, it must have medium-grade white spotting (generally approximately 50%-25% white). This means half of the cat coat should be black and the other half can be white or tabby colored.

Tuxedo Pattern

The most famous among black and white cat breeds is the tuxedo cat. It is not a distinct cat breed rather is a unique coat pattern and is often found in many cat breeds. Also known as Julius cat or Felix cat, a cat in tuxedo is a bicolor cat with low-grade white spotting (generally close to 25% white) in the coat. The name “tuxedo” is popular because of the cats’ resemblance to black tie formal wear, called tuxedo in the United States and Canada.

What Breed Is A Black And White Cat?

We know this might sound confusing to many but black and white cats are not a particular cat breed. Rather, bicolor cats can belong to different cat breeds. However, what these black and white cat breeds have in common is the mixed coloring of their coat. They often come in black and white patterns such as van and tuxedo patterns. Now that the confusion is cleared, let’s discuss top black and white cat breeds.

Maine Coon

If you are interested in domestic black and white cat breeds, the Maine Coon cat breed will truly be your favorite. Maine Coon is the oldest natural cat breed in North America as it originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. Along with being highly adorable, this cat breed is also famous for being a black and white fluffy cat. These cats are social, gentle, lovable, and have a large size. 

Siberian Cat

Looking for black and white cat breeds with green eyes? The Siberian cat can be a great choice for its beautiful eye colors such as blue, green, brown, and yellow, and a very dense, semi-longhaired, triple coat. It is popular among pet owners for its loyal and leaving temperament which makes it one of the famous black and white cat breeds.

Munchkin Cat

Munchkin cats are considered to be the original breed of dwarf cats. This cat breed is characterized but its short legs which are a result of genetic mutation. Despite their health concerns the adorable build of muchkins continues to gain the attention of cat lovers. Moreover, it is also one of the black and white cat breeds which makes it even more adorable.

British Shorthair

The British Shorthair is the standard of the traditional British domestic cats. Although famous for its “British Blue” coat color, it is also among the biological black and white cat breeds. The British shorthair is known for its adorable, chubby appearance, and affectionate temperament.

Conclusion

Black and white cat breeds are known for their distinct coat patterns. These can either be black cat white paws breed or black and white striped cat breeds. All black and white cats would have one of the 4 bicolor patterns. It is important to note that black and white cats are not a distinct breed. Rather these cats have a distinct appearance because of the bicolor patterns of their coat. All other personality traits of such cats are similar to other members of their breed.