Cat color
Black
Solid black pigment. In birds often with a green or purple sheen; on skin, legs, beak, comb and tongue the dark pigment some standards call for.
143 Cat breeds list Black. It is in a club standard for 131 breeds.
Breeds whose standards accept Black
| Breed | FIFE | CFA | GCCF | TICA | WCF | ACFA | LOOF | CCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abyssinian | Standard (“Black silver”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| AbyssinianPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Bobtail | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American BobtailNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American BobtailPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Curl | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American CurlNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American CurlPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Shorthair | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American ShorthairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American ShorthairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American Wirehair | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American WirehairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| American WirehairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Aphrodite Giant | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Aphrodite GiantNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Aphrodite GiantPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Arabian Mau | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian cat | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian catNose | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian catPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian Semi-longhair | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian Semi-longhairNose | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Asian Semi-longhairPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bengal | Standard (“black”) | Alternate (“Black Melanistic / Black Smoke”) | No ruling | Standard (“Black Silver Tabby”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BengalNose | No ruling | Standard (“Brick red, or black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BengalPaw pads | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bombay | Standard (“jet black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Bombay”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BombayNose | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BombayPaw pads | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Brazilian Shorthair | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British Longhair | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British LonghairNose | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British LonghairPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British Shorthair | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British ShorthairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| British ShorthairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Burmilla | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BurmillaNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| BurmillaPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Chausie | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Noir”) | No ruling |
| ChausieNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| ChausiePaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cornish Rex | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cornish RexNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cornish RexPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cymric | Standard | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| CymricNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| CymricPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Devon Rex | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Devon RexNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Devon RexPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Donskoy | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| DonskoySkin and scales | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Egyptian Mau | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Smoke”) | Standard (“Smoke”) | Standard (“Black Smoke”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Egyptian MauNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Egyptian MauPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| European Shorthair | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Exotic Shorthair | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Exotic ShorthairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Exotic ShorthairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Foldex | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) |
| FoldexNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) |
| FoldexPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) |
| German Rex | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Highlander | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Japanese Bobtail | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Kurilian Bobtail | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| LaPerm | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| LaPermNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| LaPermPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Lykoi | Standard (“black”) | Standard | Standard | Standard (“Black roan”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Maine Coon | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“dominant black based”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Maine CoonNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Maine CoonPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Manx | Standard | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| ManxNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| ManxPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Mekong Bobtail | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Munchkin | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Napoleon | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Norwegian Forest Cat | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Norwegian Forest CatNose | No ruling | Standard (“black desirable”) | Standard (“Solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Norwegian Forest CatPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black desirable”) | Standard (“Solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ocicat | Standard (“Black (Tawny) silver”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| OcicatPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black or seal”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental Bicolor | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Black & White”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental BicolorNose | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental BicolorPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental Longhair | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental LonghairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental LonghairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental Shorthair | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Ebony”) | Standard (“Oriental Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental ShorthairNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Oriental ShorthairPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Persian (modern) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Persian (modern)Nose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Persian (modern)Paw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Persian (traditional) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Persian (traditional)Paw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Peterbald | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| PeterbaldSkin and scales | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Pixie-bobPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“noir”) | Standard (“black”) |
| Ragamuffin ( Liebling) | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Russian White, Russian Black, Russian Tabby | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Russian Black”) | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“noir”) | No ruling |
| Russian White, Russian Black, Russian TabbyNose | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“noir”) | No ruling |
| Russian White, Russian Black, Russian TabbyPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“noir”) | No ruling |
| Savannah | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SavannahNose | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“solid black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SavannahPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“brownish black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Scottish Fold | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Scottish FoldNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Scottish FoldPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Selkirk Rex | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Selkirk RexNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Selkirk RexPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Serengeti | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Siberian ( Siberian Forest, Neva Masquerade [colorpoint variety]) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“dominant black-based”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Siberian ( Siberian Forest, Neva Masquerade [colorpoint variety])Nose | No ruling | Standard (“black desirable”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Siberian ( Siberian Forest, Neva Masquerade [colorpoint variety])Paw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black desirable”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SokokePaw pads | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Somali | Standard (“Black silver”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SomaliPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black or dark brown”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SphynxSkin and scales | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SphynxNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| SphynxPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| ToygerPaw pads | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“noir”) | No ruling |
| Turkish Angora | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | No ruling | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Turkish AngoraNose | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Turkish AngoraPaw pads | No ruling | Standard (“black”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Turkish Van | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“Black”) | Standard | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
Breeds where Black is disqualified or not accepted
| Breed |
|---|
| BambinoSkin and scales |
| Chantilly-Tiffany |
| DwelfSkin and scales |
| Kinkalow |
| Korn Ja |
| Lambkin |
| Minskin |
| Ojos Azules |
| Raas |
| Russian Blue |
| Sam Sawet |
| Ukrainian LevkoySkin and scales |
Color changes
How Black can appear or change over an animal's life.
Blackchanges toRusset
Coat · Progressive
Copperchanges toBlack
Coat · With age · by 78 weeks
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · Progressive