Update on Odd-eyed Bi & Tricolour Persians
By GAIL HARLEY, Blanford Persians
SINCE my article in OUR CATS (15 July 2005) I have received a letter of support from Miss Julia May in which she explains the genetics which produce the odd and blue-eyes in Persians and other breeds. It would seem that high white cats can produce this eye colour naturally in any breed, in fact a Norwegian Forest Cat with odd-eyes was imported recently.
Letter from Miss May:
Turkish Vans 13d bl, 13d od etc
In March 1989 the Turkish Van BAC requested, and were granted Preliminary Recognition of blue-eyed and odd-eyed Auburn and Cream Turkish Vans.
The registration policy for Turkish Vans, at that time, and until this year when Turkish Vankedisi were recognised, precluded matings to any other breed or pattern of cat so, although Turkish Vans imported from Turkey might have white cats in their ancestry, any cats bred in this country could not. The blue- and odd-eyed cats had been cropping up in Turkish Van litters for many years, but had previously not been recognised for registration or showing purposes.
British Shorthairs 31w bl, 31w od etc
When the British Shorthair Group Committee first applied for the Preliminary Recognition of Van Patterned Bicolour and Tortie & White British Shorthairs in July 1999, they asked for “all white” cats produced from Van breeding to be registered on the Reference Register for breeding purposes only, but made no mention of blue-eyed and odd-eyed cats which might also be produced. The Executive Committee suggested that these cats should also be registered for breeding purposes only.
When the application returned to the September 1999 Executive Committee meeting, the BSGC requested that “all white” and blue- and odd-eyed Van Patterned BSH which resulted from Van pattern breeding be given a breed number for breeding purposes only and that they should be registered on the Reference Register.
Matings which produce Van BSH eligible for Experimental Register registration are matings between Bicolours/T&Wh, Van Bicolours/T&Wh and Selfs excluding white.
Matings which produce cats eligible for registration as Bicolours/T&Wh or as Van Bicolours/T&Wh BSH on the Reference Register are
Bicolour/T&Wh or Van Bicolour/T7WH x Self White,
Bicolour/T&Wh or Van Bicolour/T&Wh x non-silver Tabby & Spotted BSH or BSH variants,
Bicolour/T&Wh or Van Bicolour/T&Wh x all white or blue- or odd-eyed Van pattern BSH,
Bicolour/T&Wh or Van Bicolour/T&Wh x Persians excluding Colourpoint, Golden, any Silvers
Any other matings produce cats which cannot be registered as BSH.
The Reference Registered Bicolours and Vans can be used for breeding Bicolours and Vans. The application, together with the amended registration policy, was agreed and was approved at the October 1999 Council Meeting.
Oriental Bicolours
These cats, which do not yet have Preliminary Recognition with GCCF, are recognised by FIFe and by the majority of registering bodies in other countries. There will be an application for their Preliminary Recognition by GCCF during the coming year. The eye colour may be green, blue or one of each.
Although matings to Whites are not precluded by most registering bodies, they are not common. They will not be permitted in the registration policy to be presented to GCCF.
In general, the odd-eyed cats are seen where there is high grade white spotting with a white patch round the blue eye. This is quite common. The blue-eyed version is less common but does crop up in cats with high grade white spotting.
Other Breeds
In breeds such as the various Rexes, where colour and pattern are immaterial and any combination of colour and pattern may be registered and is acceptable on the show bench, odd-eyed and blue-eyed bicoloured cats crop up. One of the first litter of LaPerms to be born in this country was a Bicolour with one blue and one green eye. I have also seen non-pedigree Bicolours with high grade white spotting and odd eyes.
General
The production of blue-eyed and odd-eyed bicoloured cats has nothing to do with the presence of all white cats in the pedigree. It is a feature of high grade white spotting, where the loss of pigment caused by the white spotting gene (S) has a similar effect to the loss of pigment caused by the dominant white gene (W). That it has nothing to do with the presence of white cats in the pedigree can be proved by a study of the pedigrees of the cats with this feature.
Although the Tortie, Tortie & White and Bicolour BAC might not wish, at this stage, to recognise blue- and odd-eyed Bicolours for showing, it would be a very good idea to do as the British have done, and ask for them to be registered for breeding purposes. This would enable the cats to be registered correctly, instead of what probably happens at present - registration as ordinary orange-eyed Bicolours! Section 1, Rule 28 describes this process.
Correct registration would enable the cats to be identified on pedigrees and enable them to be counted for any future application for recognition.
An application for recognition could take one of two forms: either Preliminary Recognition as a separate breed, to appear in Assessment classes (AC blue-eyed or odd-eyed Bi or Tri-Colour Persian, including Tabby and White) or an amendment to the SOP to include the blue-and odd-eyed cats in the existing classes for Dominant Tortie & White, Dilute Tortie & White, Bicolour and Tabby Bi- and Tri-Colour.
The choice of route would be a matter for the BAC if it ever did decide to apply for their recognition.
Julia M. May
I have been exhibiting my odd-eyed cats this year, including at the Supreme Cat Show. Several judges have handled them and find them to be excellent Persians who should be shown now alongside the orange-eyed and Bi- Tricolour Persians. I have had verbal and written full support from these judges and also from Persian breeders, in fact, I have orders for odd-eyed kittens already.
Two of my queens, to the same stud, have produced odd-eyed cats. The second litter had an orange-eyed male who has been exhibited together with the odd-eyed female, showing that the odd-eyes in a pedigree does not deminish or impair the good eye colour of the orange-eyed male.
I hope to represent my request 2006 for Registration Nos. & Championship Status, with the necessary amendments to the Standard of Points, via the R.C.T. Cat Club.
If anyone has, or knows, of anybody who have, or have had Odd/Blue-eyed Bi/Tricolour Persians, would they please contact me. We know that they are out there but, as yet, I have had no feedback from those breeders.
Gail Harley,
Blandford Persians
Tel. 01989 567672
Email: blanford@forager.freeserve.co.uk
