5 – The Felines In ’The Aristocats’ Follow All The Genetic Rules For Fur Color

In The Aristocats (1970), Duchess, the mother, has three kittens, and their coat colors follow the rules of cat genetics. According to cat genetics, the gene code for color is on the X chromosome only, and male cats inherit their X chromosomes from their mother but not their father. Duchess has white fur, so how is it possible that Berlioz and Toulouse have black and red fur, respectively, if they inherited their color from their mother? Cats also have a “masking” gene that can make their coat appear white, like Duchess. For Berlioz to have black fur and Toulouse to have red, Duchess must have gene codes for both. As for Marie, female cats inherit genes from both parents, but her white coat means she also is displaying the same masking gene as her mother.

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