kitten colors

Question

Bizou   QUESTION: Hi,
I never dealt with true persians before.
I have a blue tabby and white( or so I am told) copper eyed persian female and a blue color point himalayan. The female's grandmother was a tortie point- himalayan. Could I breed them and hope for any himalayan kittens ? If so, what color would they be? If not, would they automatically be all cpc?
I attach a picture of her - please confirm color.

ANSWER: Indeed she does look like a Blue Tabby and White but pictures can be deceptive sometimes.  

Re the colourpoint question, as her grandmother was a himalayan, there is a chance that your girl could carry the gene and when mated to a himalayan boy yes there could be himmy kittens.  However until you do the mating it is impossible to tell.  Even one mating will not give you the answer as to whether she carries.  

As to what colour they might be, this also depends on genetics and whether both parents carry the lilac gene, in which case there ia also  the possiblity of Chocolate or Lilac kittens but this is probably less likely.

Regards

Marcia

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Marcia,
Would the kittens though be all cpc, if the sire is himi but not sure of the dam being cpc?
Someone said that breeding a cpc with white might produce himis with white?!
Is that true?
Therefore, I wonder: should I rather get a solid color persian ?
Where I am himis are VERY hard to get......

Answer
As I say in my profile, genetics are not my strong point but as far as I am aware, you shouldn't get colourpoints with white as that would then mean there is a recessive spotting gene in both parents which I have not heard of in colourpoints before.  The only colourpointed pattern cats that have white to my knowledge are Birmans and Ragdolls which have very specific genetics in that department.

You may not get all himalayns in a litter, but could possibly get some solids/solids & white.  I have to admit I'm not sure if the colourpoint gene is recessive or dominant.  If dominant then even if your girl does not carry the gene, then some kittes may be colourpoint as there is one colourpoint parent.

Marcia