Harlequin cat
Also called: Harlequin, White cat with patches, Cow cat.
More white than a bicolour and less than a van: a white cat with scattered patches of colour on the back, head and legs, plus the tail. It is the “cow cat” of internet photos.
What it looks like
Between half and four fifths of the body is white, with patches of colour scattered about, often rounded, and a coloured tail. The legs are usually white, although a patch may run down one. It can be any colour: black, red, blue, tabby or tortoiseshell (tricolour harlequin).
The genetics, made simple
It is a high grade of the same white spotting gene that gives the bicolour and the van. There is no harlequin gene: the boundary between bicolour, harlequin and van is a question of how much white there is, and cat registries set it for showing.
Myths and what science says
“It is a pedigree cow cat”
The black and white “cow cat” with scattered patches is almost always an ordinary harlequin domestic cat. No breed is called that.
Fun facts
- In Norwegian Forest Cats and British Shorthairs, harlequin is a recognised pattern.
- A tricolour harlequin has black and orange patches on a white background: she is a calico with lots of white.
- Harlequin patches barely change in size as the cat grows: they stretch with the body.
Does it affect its health?
As in cats with a lot of white, the pink skin of the ears and nose burns in the sun.
Breeds where it appears or is typical
This coat turns up in plenty of moggies. These are breeds where it is common, characteristic or accepted; under each one, the colours the breed comes in.
European Shorthair
Shorthair · Europe
Almost all: tabby, black, white, bicolour, tortoiseshell, red…; no colourpoint, chocolate or lilac in pedigree cats
Norwegian Forest Cat
Forest · Norway
Almost all except colourpoint, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn; lots of white and tabby
British Shorthair
Shorthair · United Kingdom
Blue (the classic), black, white, cream, lilac, chocolate, silver, golden, bicolours, colourpoint…
Persian
Persian · Iran / United Kingdom
Almost all: white, black, blue, cream, chinchilla, golden, bicolour, tortoiseshell…
Ragamuffin
Semi-longhair · United States
Practically all, with or without white; eyes of any colour
Frequently asked questions
What is a harlequin cat?
A cat with a lot of white (more than half) and scattered patches of colour on the body and tail.
How is it different from a van?
In a van the colour stays on the head and tail only. A harlequin also has patches on the body.
Is the cow cat a breed?
No. It is a cat with a harlequin pattern, almost always an ordinary domestic cat.
Educational content from Michipedia. The genetics of coat colour are simplified so they are easy to follow; colour tells you nothing about the personality of a particular cat.