Colours · Colour

Lilac cat

Also called: Lavender, Lilac, Pinkish grey cat, Frost.

A pale grey with a pink or mauve sheen, warmer than blue. Lilac is dilute chocolate, and because it needs two recessive genes at once, it is one of the rarest colours outside pedigree breeds.

Lilac cat: Lilac British Shorthair: a warm grey with a pinkish sheen
Lilac British Shorthair: a warm grey with a pinkish sheenPhoto: Krystian Tambur atlasior · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

What it looks like

Pale grey with a pinkish tone, softer and warmer than blue, with a lavender pink nose and paw pads. In colourpoints it gives the Siamese “lilac point” or “frost point”, with almost pink points on a white body.

The genetics, made simple

It needs two copies of the chocolate version of the brown gene and two copies of dilution. That is two recessive genes at once, which is why it is so rare in street cats. With the cinnamon version instead of chocolate, dilution gives fawn, which is even paler and warmer.

Lilac cat: Short-haired lilac cat: warm grey with a pinkish tone
Short-haired lilac cat: warm grey with a pinkish tonePhoto: Paul Korecky · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Myths and what science says

“Lilac and blue are the same”

They look alike, but blue is dilute black (a cool grey) and lilac is dilute chocolate (a pinkish grey). Side by side, the difference is obvious straight away.

Fun facts

  • Some registries call the Siamese lilac point “frost”.
  • Two lilac cats can only have lilac kittens, or fawn if both carry cinnamon hidden.
  • The lilac British Shorthair is one of the most sought-after varieties of the breed.

Does it affect its health?

The colour does not cause disease.

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.

British Shorthair British Shorthair Shorthair · United Kingdom Blue (the classic), black, white, cream, lilac, chocolate, silver, golden, bicolours, colourpoint… Oriental Shorthair Oriental Shorthair Oriental · United Kingdom Over 300 combinations: solids, tabby, smoke, silver, bicolours… Burmese Burmese Oriental · Myanmar (Burma) / United States Sable (brown), chocolate, blue and lilac; in Europe also red, cream and tortie Persian Persian Persian · Iran / United Kingdom Almost all: white, black, blue, cream, chinchilla, golden, bicolour, tortoiseshell… Siamese Siamese Oriental · Thailand Colourpoint: seal, chocolate, blue and lilac (plus others depending on the registry) Balinese Balinese Oriental · United States Colourpoint: seal, chocolate, blue and lilac (plus more depending on the registry) Havana Brown Havana Brown Oriental · United Kingdom / United States Warm chocolate brown (and lilac in some registries); green eyes

Frequently asked questions

What colour is a lilac cat?

A pale grey with a pinkish sheen. It is dilute chocolate.

How is lilac different from blue?

Blue is a cool grey (dilute black) with a bluish grey nose; lilac is a warm, pinkish grey (dilute chocolate) with a lavender pink nose.

Are there lilac domestic cats?

It is very rare, because it takes two recessive genes at once. Almost all lilac cats are pedigrees.

Keep exploring
All cat coat colours and patterns → Cat breeds A to Z →

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.