Is Cat Coat Color Linked to Temperament?

The appearance of the color and the development of the personality trait will have evolved as separate mutations; one is not dependent on the other. When hybridizing cats of different breeds, color and personality may be inherited independently of each other or it is possible that personality traits accompany color traits if the genes for color and the genes for personality sit close together on the cats chromosomes. As the colors spread, any linked personality traits will have spread with them.

The spread of cats and of different color varieties is closely associated with human movement. For example, red (ginger) cats arose in Asia but the main spread of this color is believed to be via northern Europe with the Vikings. Hence ginger is particularly common in Scotland (which had strong links to Viking countries), but is less common in southern parts of Britain where black and blotched tabby are more common. Blue cats spread out of Russia and France and blotched tabbies spread out of Britain.

Part of the influence is through the breeds from which a color was inherited. It is recognized that breeds have very distinct personality types. For example Siamese cats are extroverts and sexually precocious and this trait is passed on to other Orientals which are basically Siamese cats in disguise. The Colorpoint pattern has been introduced into (or suddenly cropped up in) other breeds. It may have been introduced in a roundabout way, but ultimately the pattern traces back to a Siamese-type ancestor even if it was introduced a few generations ago from a Birman or Himalayan.

The extrovert personality may be linked to the Colorpoint pattern, hence Himalayans (Colorpoint Longhairs) are said to be more spirited than self-colored Persians. If the Colorpoint pattern has managed to be passed on through many generations and matings, it is not impossible that some personality traits have been passed on alongside it.

Likewise, the Abyssinians/Somalis are considered to contribute a sweet temperament as well as the agouti pattern when used as an outcross and the "quiet" temperament of the British Blue may be linked to the fact that early breeders did not distinguish between British Blues, Russian Blues and Korats and bred them all together. Russian Blues and Korats are both quiet breeds.

Do People Prefer Some Colors More than Others?

Research suggests that color has a strong influence on what cat people choose. The most popular colors of town cats in the 17th century were black-and-white, gray-and-white or black. Superstition also plays a part with black being considered lucky in some parts of the world. In Japan, mi-ke (tortoiseshell and white) is lucky. In North America, black is unlucky. In various countries different colors are considered lucky or unlucky and this affected the color make up of cat populations as bad luck color kittens were destroyed.