Coat color adds even more variety. Solid – color kittens are striking and rang from back, dark gray (called blue), brown or light gray (called lilac) to red, cream or snow white. Bicolor patterns are two distinct solid colors, like the striking black and white “tuxedo cats”

Tortoiseshell and calico coloring appear only rarely in male cats. A streaks or patches, and white cats with patches of red and black are called calico.

Some solid – color kittens sport shaded fur, which means the tip of each hair is darker or lighter than the rest of the hair. Tipping adds a sparkling or smoky shimmer to the coat. Agouti coloring looks like rabbit fur, where each individual hair is banded with various colors. Abyssinian cats have agouti coloring that ranges from fawn to deep red, brown or even blue.

The Siamese cat is best known for his pointed pattern, in which his tail, legs and muzzle are darker than his light – color body. Longhair cats, like the Himalayan, also may have dark points.

Tabby is not breed of cat. The term describes the dark – on – light markings that occur in nearly every color. The mackerel tabby sports a tiger – stripe pattern, while the classic tabby has a marbled look. In the spotted tabby, the kitten’s body is covered with spots, while tail and lover limbs are striped. Some cats even have interesting combinations of tabby patterns.

Feet and Claws

If it seems your kitten “tippy – toes,” you are right. Cats are digitigrades: They walk on their toes. This, combined with the unique shoulder blade location, gives Kitty a long, fluid stride.

Catch kitty now while you can, because when he grows up, he’ll run nearly 30 miles an hour. Tails are used for balance during high – speed turns and when exploring precarious heights. In fact, many domestic cats are exceptional jumpers and climbers own height.

Curved claws allow Kitten to climb as quickly as he runs on the ground. It’s not so easy coming down, though, and cats often mew for help or shimmy backward down the tree.

Cat claws, made of keratin, grow from the last bone of each toe. Because they never stop growing, claws often need clipping just like human fingernails. Claws retract beneath the skin when Kitty is relaxed, and they extend when Kitty flexes his muscles, contracting the tendons and straightening the toes. Some cats even have extra toes, called polydactylism. If your kitten is a Kitten is a “mittencat” with extra toes, he inherited them from his parents.

Although full of energy, your kitten needs frequent naps. Even adult cats typically sleep up to 16 hours a day. However, about 70 percent of that rest is spent in light catnaps, during which Kitty remains aware of scents, sounds and the world around him.

Resource: The Essential Kitten by Betsy Sikora Siino