There can be different shades of the colours cats can have, ranging from light to dark:

- White
- Grey
- Brown
- Black
- Orange
- Red

These are the different patterns a cat can have:

Stripes; A striped cat is usually refered to as a "tabby." A tabby is a light colour with darker stripes. A striped cat, though, does not have to have stripes all over, like a tabby has. It can be striped on one or two places throughout the fur only.

Dappled/Spotted: A dappled cat had spots - not round spots, slightly oval-shaped spots - over some parts of its body. Most commonly, on the flanks, back, or legs.

Mottled: A mottled cat is a solid colour with cloudy/smoky-tipped fur. A mottled cat can be mottled all over or on only a couple patches of fur.