Black and white cats
There are so many things that can be said about black and white cats. Among all cats, they have distinctive characteristics that make them unique. The first thing that we should say is that they are not a specific breed. Many breeds include a black and white cat within their coat coloration.
Why black and white cats?
First, we all agree that black and white cats are among the cutest cats. You can find this coat coloration in Sphynx cats, Maine Coone cats, and Persians. This coat coloration is caused by a masking gene.
So a black and white cat is actually a black cat with some white overlay. But the patterns of white differ too, making these cats an awesome example in design.
Types of black and white cats
Depending on what is the white pattern on cats, they receive a special name.
It´s all in the amount
Black and white cats are named according to the proportion of black and white in them. If the cat is almost equally black and white, it is called a bicolor or particolor. If he is an all-white with black marking on his paws, head, and tail, it is called a van. A mostly white with large patches of color is a harlequin.
The History of the Jellicle
Jellicle is a name derived from the mispronunciation of “dear little” by a girl. This was actually picked up by English poet T.S. Elliot. He mentioned them in a couple of his poems. Today, a Jellicle is a black and white cat, typically a tuxedo cat.
Tuxedo cat
A black cat having a white throat and chest and white front paws is known as a tuxedo cat. This is due to their resemblance to a gentleman wearing a tuxedo.
Temperament
A study conducted around two years ago suggested that black and white cats tend to be more aggressive than a tabby. The study, which was published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, stated that black and white, white or grey, and tortoiseshell were most likely to be aggressive.
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