Mitted cat (white gloves)
Also called: Mitted, Gloves, Cat with white socks, White mittens.
Only the paws are white, as if wearing gloves or socks. In many domestic cats it is a chance trait, but in the Birman, the Ragdoll and the Snowshoe it is the hallmark of the breed.
What it looks like
Front paws white up to the toes or wrist and back paws white to the ankle or a little higher (the Birman’s “laces”). The mitted Ragdoll also has a white chin and belly. It usually comes on a colourpoint (pale body, dark points) with blue eyes.
The genetics, made simple
There are two stories here. The Birman’s gloves are recessive and have been linked to variants of the KIT gene specific to the breed: that is why all Birmans have gloves and two Birmans always produce gloved kittens. The Ragdoll’s and the Snowshoe’s, on the other hand, are due to the white spotting gene at a low grade, which is dominant and gives more variation. In domestic cats, white socks are also low-grade white spotting.
Myths and what science says
The temple legend
The story goes that a cat in a Burmese temple turned golden and kept white paws where she touched her dead monk. It is the breed’s legend, invented or embellished in France in the 20th century: the show Birman was created in Europe.
Fun facts
- In the Birman, the gloves must be symmetrical, and it is one of the hardest traits to achieve in breeding.
- The Ragdoll comes in three patterns: colourpoint (no white), mitted (gloves) and bicolour (with a white “V” on the face).
- The Snowshoe owes its name to its white paws.
Does it affect its health?
The gloves do not cause disease. The breeds that have them do have their own health profiles: see their breed pages.
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.
Sacred Birman
Semi-longhair · France (Burma, according to legend)
Colourpoint with all four feet white (gloves): seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, tortie…; blue eyes
Ragdoll
Semi-longhair · United States
Colourpoint, mitted and bicolour, in seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, tortie and lynx; blue eyes
Snowshoe
Oriental · United States
Seal point or blue point with white feet and muzzle (mitted or bicolour); blue eyes
Ragamuffin
Semi-longhair · United States
Practically all, with or without white; eyes of any colour
European Shorthair
Shorthair · Europe
Almost all: tabby, black, white, bicolour, tortoiseshell, red…; no colourpoint, chocolate or lilac in pedigree cats
Frequently asked questions
What does mitted mean in a cat?
That it has white paws, like gloves. It is typical of the mitted Ragdoll, the Birman and the Snowshoe.
Are the Birman’s and the Ragdoll’s gloves the same?
They look alike, but the genetics differ: in the Birman it is a recessive variant of its own; in the Ragdoll, the white spotting gene.
Is my domestic cat with white socks a Birman?
No. White socks are common in domestic cats. A Birman also has colourpoint markings, blue eyes, a semi-long coat and a pedigree.
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.