Kitten color calculator
Pick the parents' base colour (and white markings) to see the most likely kitten colours. It uses the main coat-colour genes — orange (sex-linked), brown, dilution and white spotting — so male and female results differ.
♂ Father
Hidden carriers (optional)
♀ Mother
Hidden carriers (optional)
Kitten colour probabilities
| Color | Male kittens | Female kittens |
|---|---|---|
| Red solid | 50% | 0% |
| Black solid | 50% | 50% |
| Black tortoiseshell solid | 0% | 50% |
Probability bars
Male kittens
Red solid
50%
Black solid
50%
Female kittens
Black tortoiseshell solid
50%
Black solid
50%
Color share
Male kittens
Female kittens
Color preview
New to cat colour genetics?
Read the full guide: how the orange, brown, dilution and white genes work, what dilute, base colour, pattern and white pattern mean, and how this calculator does the math.
Learn how cat color genetics works →Estimate from the orange, brown, dilution and white-spotting genes. A dominant-coloured parent is treated as a non-carrier unless you tick its hidden-carrier option (e.g. a Cinnamon that carries dilute can produce Fawn). The exact amount of white is polygenic and only approximate.
Free cat colour calculator — predict your kittens' coat colour
Use this free cat colour calculator (kitten colour calculator) to predict what colour kittens two cats may have. Pick the father's and the mother's colour — black, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, red or cream — plus white markings, and instantly see the likely coat colours for male and female kittens based on cat coat-colour genetics.
A cat's main colour comes from a few genes: the orange gene (sex-linked, red vs black-based), the brown gene (black, chocolate or cinnamon), the dilution gene (black→blue, chocolate→lilac, cinnamon→fawn, red→cream) and the white-spotting gene (bicolor, harlequin, van). Because the orange gene is on the X chromosome, male and female kittens get different odds — which is also why almost all ginger cats are male and almost all tortoiseshell and calico cats are female.
Frequently asked questions
What colour will my kittens be?
Select the father's and the mother's colour (and white markings). The calculator shows the probability of each kitten colour, separately for male and female kittens, plus the chance of white markings.
Why are almost all orange (ginger) cats male and tortoiseshell or calico cats female?
The orange gene is carried on the X chromosome. Males have one X, so they are either orange or non-orange. Females have two X chromosomes, so they can be orange, non-orange, or a mix — tortoiseshell or calico.
Can two black cats have a tortoiseshell, chocolate or orange kitten?
Two genetically black, non-orange, non-carrier cats cannot produce orange, tortoiseshell, chocolate or cinnamon kittens — those need the right recessive or orange genes from a parent. They can produce blue kittens if both parents carry dilution.