New 'Salmiak' Cat Color Identified in Finland: A Genetic Mystery Solved

A novel feline coat color, named 'salmiak' [sal-mee-ak] after a popular Finnish salty licorice candy, has been officially identified in Finland. This unique coat, featuring a mix of black, white, and gray hairs, intrigued experts for years. This 'pepper and salt' [poivre et sel] coat presents with hairs that are black at the root and gradually lighten to white at the tip, creating a gradient, slightly grayed effect. The phenomenon was first observed in Finland in 2007. In 2019, geneticist Heidi Anderson and her team began studying this variation. They analyzed the DNA of these cats to understand the origin of this new shade. Their work is published in the journal *Animal Genetics*. Initially, scientists suspected the dilution gene, known for lightening coat colors. This gene transforms a black cat into a blue-gray (like the Russian Blue) or a red cat into cream. However, examination of known mutations of this gene in salmiak cats revealed no matches. The team sequenced the entire genome of two cats and discovered a missing DNA sequence fragment downstream of the KIT gene, known to influence white patterns in animal coats. This 'hole' [trou] in the DNA appeared responsible for the characteristic pepper and salt effect of the salmiak coat. Tests on 181 additional cats confirmed that this mutation causes the new coat color. The mutation is recessive: a cat must inherit it from both parents to display the salmiak coat. This explains the rarity of these cats. If only one parent carries the mutation, it remains hidden, and the kitten has a more common color. Only breeders who understand the genetics of salmiak can preserve and reproduce this color.