Animal health pros interested in genetic mechanisms will find this article interesting. Evidently, the same genes color wild and domestic cats. Researchers say this is an example of nature’s thriftiness.
Source: Science, December 2, 2020. Link. Gregory Barsh and his colleagues have shown that a 70-year-old theory explaining patterns in nature holds true for fur color in cats, and likely other mammals as well. Barsh’s team, found that the color pattern in cats and possibly other mammals is established well before hair follicles appear, suggesting early color patterns may guide hair follicle pigmentation.