Maine Coons are one of the most loved cat breeds in the world for a good reason. Everyone is unanimous that lynx-eared giants of the domestic cat world are on a level of their own. But did you know that these felines have so many colors and patterns that they rival the flavors of a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand?
Maine Coon colors include solid coat colors of red, cream, black, white, and blue. Tabby Maine’s come in various base tones with tiger stripes and ticking, or mackerel patterns. Maine Coons also offer parti-color, bi-color, smoke, and shaded varieties and a plethora of color and white combinations.
Geneticists link the wide variety of cat colors to the versatile gene DKK4. This gene is responsible for the gorgeous variety of colors, stripes, blotches, and spots that the Maine Coon wears so stylishly. Let’s explore this fantastic variety of Maine Coon colors in some more detail.
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Maine Coon Colors: Who’s Your Tabby?
Tabby is the most recognizable of the Coon patterns as this is the dominant gene in the Maine Coon gene pool. If you look closely at a single strand of your Maine Coons coat, you will notice each hair has little bands of color. These mini-bands of dark and light are called “agouti” and are responsible for the stunning tiger-like design of your cat’s coat.
The classic tabby shows several base colors combined with striking lines and characteristic blotches on their sides called targets. Like ice cream, they also have swirls on their faces and a butterfly shape that runs along their spine and down their sides.
The Coon tabby has the Egyptian look of dark lines under their piercing gaze and a distinctive M for “magnificent” above their brow. The tabby pattern can have variations as follows.
Main Tabby Color Variations
| Maine Coon Colors | Details |
|---|---|
| Brown | These cats have a shining dark copper coat decorated with striking black stripes. The back of their legs are black tipped with black or dark red paw leather. |
| Silver Maine Tabby | These coats are the color of pale silver moonlight with dense black markings. |
| Blue/Siver | A silvery base coat with dark blue markings and a colored nose and paw pads. |
| Red Tabby | Red base coat with rich dark red markings and dark red nose and paw pads. |
| Cream | A delicate pale cream with buff or darker cream stripes. Stunning pink nose and paw pads. |
| Cream Silver | This coat has an off-white hue with cream markings and a pristine white undercoat. |
| Cameo | The base color is off-white with eye-catching red stripes and designs with rose nose and paw pads. |
| All the Above With White | All these glorious colors can occur with a white belly, socks, and bib. All may show white or other base colors. |
Choose Your Tabby Design
- The Classic Tabby Maine Coon: This variety is the most tiger-like of the Maine Coon tabbies, with dark stripes running down their spines and sides, somewhat like a wishbone. To complete the ensemble, look for the distinctive double rows of buttons on their chest and stomach!
- Mackerel: Perfect for a jungle or your apartment, the mackerel tabby is also a tiger-like design with thin stripes that run from the spine to the cat’s belly. These tiger stripes also ring the Maine Coons legs and oh-so-ostentatious tail.
- Ticked: This Maine coon design is pure tabby below with a ticked upper torso. Ticked hair comprises strands with alternating bands of dark and light but no visible stripes or patterns when you view them from above.
Other Types of Tabby Variations
- Patched Tabbies/Torbies: Patched tabbies come in patterns that are a solid base color, such as silver, brown, or blue, with patches of color along with the distinctive tabby stripes.
- Tabby and White: The usual tabby colors with a stunning white design on the bib, tummy, and four white socks.
- Patched Tabby and White: The typical patched coloration with a white bib, belly, and socks.
If you’re craving more in-depth information, don’t hesitate to explore the wonders of Maine Coon Tabby on our website.
Certainly! If you’re curious to learn more, check out our in-depth exploration of Brown Maine Coon cats for additional information.
Straight Up: Solid Maine Coon Coats
The one-colored Maine Coons are no less gorgeous than their striped cousins, and the uniform color only highlights their command Viking stare.
The solid colors class of Maine includes the following primary color chart.
| White | These solid colored Maine Coons have a shimmery haze of snow whiteness from their pink-tipped nose to their pretty pink paw pads. |
| Black | Midnight black, without any other colors or smoke. The coat ends with a black nose and black or brown paw pads. |
| Blue | Blue note from nose to tail tip, including blue nose and paw leather. |
| Red | A mesmerizing rich red all over with a brick red nose and paw pads. |
| Cream | One shade of buff creaminess down to the roots, tipped with a pink nose and paw pads. |
To unearth additional insights, our website features dedicated articles introducing the world of Blue Maine Coon, White Maine Coon, Black Maine Coon, and Orange Maine Coon. Dive deeper into the captivating realm of these feline varieties on our site.
Party Maine Coons: The Parti-Color Class
This Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) recognized category doesn’t have as many variations of the terrific tabby, but it does offer some gorgeous Maine Coon colors.
The Haughty Torties: Tortoiseshell Maine Coons
The parti-color class has the eye-catching tortoiseshell variation of the Maine Coon coat. Think of an abstract work of art, with these beauties typically boasting a black base coat with patches of red—or variations of red—on the body, face, and legs.
You will often find a tortoiseshell Coon with a face divided into two distinct colors, which is called a chimera effect, and the color division can extend to the body itself.
Certainly! If you’re eager to delve deeper into more information, feel free to explore our article on the enchanting world of Tortoiseshell Maine Coon cats on our website.
Blue Cream Maine Coons
These lovelies shine a lovely grey-blue with opulent patches of creamy hues on both the body and legs. These cats look like twilight falling under a blue moon and are one of the most alluring colors in the Maine Coon palette.
The parti color class also offers a color/white mix in the following combinations:
- Calico: White with clear patches of black and red and a white underbelly
- Dilute Calico: Some describe this color as faded denim, and this variation has blue and cream patches with white underparts.
- Blue Cream and White: A glorious mix of blue and cream patches with a pristine white underbelly, socks, and bib.
Next Up: Maine Coon Bi-Colors
These Coons show only two primary colors, but they use them to great effect. These colors are paired with a stunning white belly, bib, and socks and may show white on their face or the dominant color.
The colors in this category include:
- Black/White
- Red/White
- Blue/White
- Cream/White
Smoke and Mirrors: Maine Coon Shade and Smoke Varieties
As if there weren’t enough Maine Coon color variations, we now enter the realm of shade and smoke. If you thought the variations of tabby were extensive, have a look at all these beautiful offerings.
| Chinchilla Silver | The chinchilla coat is a glorious shimmering silver with the hairs on the back, sides, tail, and hair tipped with black. The undercoat is pure white, as is the chest, ear tufts, and chin. |
| Shaded Silver | A glorious coat of blue-tipped fur covers a milk-white underbelly, chin, and chest. Stark black lines the eyes, and they have a brick-red nose and black paw pads. |
| Chinchilla Blue Silver | These Coons have a brilliant white undercoat with a blue-tipped coat on the head, sides, and back for a fantastic shimmering effect. A striking blue leather outlines their eyes. |
| Shaded Blue Silver | A white base coat with shades of blue tipped hair on the head, sides, and tail to white on the chin, chest, and belly. |
| Shell Cameo/Red Chinchilla | Glorious sparkling tipped red fur over a white basecoat and white chin, ear tufts, and belly. This red delight finishes with a rose hued nose and paw pads. |
| Red-Shaded Cameo | A vibrant red mantle shades the face, sides, and chest. They have a bright white undercoat and chin, ear tufts, and ruff with rose eye rims, nose, and paw pads. |
| Cream Chinchilla | Otherwise known as Shell Cream, this coat has delicious cream-colored fur tips on the back, sides, ear tufts and tail, with a white belly, ruff, and chin. |
| Shaded Cream | Sides, face, and tail a burnished color of cream fading into a white undercoat with white chin, ear tufts, belly, and ruff. Rose nose and paw pads. |
| Shell Tortoiseshell | The shell tortie boasts a white undercoat lightly tipped with black and red shades. The white chin, ruff, belly, and ruff may show light tipping. Eye rims, nose, and paw pads may be rose or patched. |
| Shaded Tortoiseshell | The shaded tortie has a red and black mantle on the sides, face, and tail with a deeper shade on the face and legs. The belly, ear tufts, and chin may be white, or lightly tipped with red and black. |
| Shell Blue-Cream | Blue and cream-colored sides, back, and tail showing blue and cream-tipped fur. The may have a white to lightly color-tipped belly, ruff, chin, and ear tufts. |
| Shaded Blue-Cream | A blue/cream mantle shades down the sides, face, and tail. Chin, belly, and ear tufts are white to lightly tipped in cream and blue. Rose colored or patched eye rims, paw pads, and nose. |
| Black Smoke | This coat is a pristine white tipped with deep black. When the cat is motionless, it looks solid black, but when in motion, it shows the white undercoat. |
| Blue Smoke | Deep blue fur tips overlying a white basecoat. This cat also only shows the white undercoat when in motion. The Blue Smoke Coon appears solid blue when still and has a white frill and ear tufts. |
| Cameo Smoke/Red Smoke | The red-tipped fur seems solid when the cat is still. However, motion reveals the white undercoat. The nose, paw pads, and eye rims are pink. |
| Tortie Smoke | The coat tips show black and patches of several shades of red. The undercoat is white, as well as the ear tufts and ruff. They may have a red blaze on their face. |
| Blue-Cream Smoke | The coat has deep blue tips but shows clear patches of cream in the blue. This variation often shows a cream blaze on the face. |
| All the Above Colors with White | The color variations mentioned above may combine with a white bib, belly, and four white socks. |
Other Maine Coon Colors
The Cat Fanciers Association does not accept the hybridized color variations of Lavender and Chocolate of the Himalayan pattern in their official breed standard. They also don’t accept these colors mixed with white. However, their breed standards allow for any color combination not mentioned above.
To Sum It Up
Now that you have the full color chart, you can mix and match your purrfect feline companion. If you think that their colors show a mad variety, you should see experience the Mine Coon personality. Each of my Maine Coons is as unique as a human personality—if not more so! Whatever smoke or shade or stripe you decide, choosing a Maine Coon as your feline companion will change your life!
