Genetic Mutation Underlying Finland’s “Salty Licorice” Cats Identified
The genetic basis for a distinctive new coat coloring — known as “salmiak” — has been identified in domestic cats in Finland
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Oh, this is fun: a collaboration of scientists at the University of Helsinki and at the company Wisdom Panel, have identified the genetic mutation responsible for a new, distinctive coat color pattern that arose recently in domestic cats in Finland. Originally known as “the Finnish mutation” when it was first spotted in 2007, this coat color is found in just a single feral cat population that is characterized by their black-and-white “tuxedo” coat coloring. But this new coat color pattern is unique because the fur is colored only near the base, and becomes progressively whiter along its length. These cats also have white tail tips.
This color pattern was named “salmiak” after the variety of salty licorice that is popular in Finland.
Salmiak cats tend to have the classic “tuxedo” pattern with an all-white neck, chest, belly, and paws — although spots of color sometimes cover parts of the white markings, according to Heidi Anderson, a senior scientist at Wisdom Panel (formerly Mars Veterinary/Wisdom Health) based in Helsinki, where she specializes in feline genetics and molecular…
