Even if it can never be deduced exactly where the chocolate gene came from in the Abyssinian, it can be concluded with very little doubt that it has been present since the 1980's and likely since the 1960's and earlier. My theory on this matter is that chocolate has always been present in the Aby genepool, descending from Ras Brouk, or other cats that were used in the early years of the breed's history. The Burmese and Siamese that were used then could have easily contributed a chocolate gene that has been carried through the generations recessively, or unrecognized. In more modern times, it appears that both the chocolate and cinnamon variations have been registered as red in CFA and as sorrel in TICA. The ancestors found in the pedigrees of the found chocolates and lilacs that are the basis for this article are common ancestors to almost all Abys alive today. There is no recorded evidence of hybridization. The differing traits are being expressed in the same manner as currently recognized for the black/chocolate/cinnamon series of alleles. Paw pads and tail tips on the non-conforming Abys are not the same color as seen on a cinnamon sorrel Aby, but are identical to those of a chocolate Havana. Direct comparison shows that the tail tip and paw pads of a cinnamon ticked tabby Oriental Shorthair are the same color as a true sorrel Aby.
Many people who have been contacted who have not seen these found chocolates and lilacs, or have seen them labeled as sorrel and fawn, do not believe they are truly chocolate and lilac. This is extremely frustrating, but their scepticism can be undersood. Unless one can actually physically see a suspected cat and are looking for differences in color, it makes sense to reserve judgement. It can be interesting to research the pedigree to see how many similarities with the found chocolate lines show up in the ancestry. It's very possible that either the chocolate or sorrel genes are more frequent in different parts of the country. Where one has seen mostly chocolate and lilac Abyssinians labeled as sorrel and fawn, there is no realization that the examples are not really sorrel and fawn, and the lighter colors could be considered pale or washed out. Conversely, where the true sorrel and fawn predominate, the darker chocolate and lilac can easily be explained away as being heavily rufused examples of sorrel and fawn. In the case of chocolates, some may see them as color faulted ruddies, having pink paw pads. Lilacs may actually have been selected over true fawns in breeding programs and the judging ring, as the color shows off the contrast of the ticking much more distinctively than the true fawns. This picture is of Leotie Little Guy, cinnamon, and Leotie Cocoa, lilac.
Breeder's reactions to the thought of chocolate Abyssinians is varied. The very best of them have the opinion of "to each his own". Others have such a negative reaction that they threaten legal action against those who wish to have naturally occurring chocolates and lilacs re-registered as their correct color. Others see the acceptance of these colors as the first, or next, step in the destruction of the breed. Some will stoop to slander, making claims that breeders are not claiming the true parentage on cats from non-accepted out crosses, and that any pedigree from those breeders is likely false. They seem to feel a breeder who is openly working with these colors would also falsify pedigrees to "sneak" those colors in. There is no logic to this, just emotions and prejudice. These negative opinions seem to be deliberate attempts to obscure the truth, and influence the less informed. Chocolate is in the US Aby genepool, and not the product of known out-crosses. Open-mined judges, breeders, and geneticists who have seen these cats, and asked about their color at the time they see them, agree that they are chocolate and lilac. What is being seen is not just the variable effects of the rufus polygene, or the "fevered imaginations" of wishful thinkers.
The cats themselves really don't care what color they are. The "Aby-ness" of these cats is not affected in the slightest. They have the same origins and heritage of most Abyssinians born today. TICA is a genetic registry, and these cats should be registered in it as their correct genetic color, not continue to be mis-labeled as sorrels and fawns. In writing this article, I have not discussed the silver varieties of the colors. The observations on color made in this article also apply to the silvers, though there seems to be an actual or visual effect where the ticking on a sorrel silver will appear darker than expected. This is either caused be an effect on the deposition of melanin granules by the silver inhibitor gene, or an optical effect created by the increased contrast between the ticking and the ground color. In these cases, the tail tip is still the most reliable indicator of the actual color. Pictured are littermates CH Ohmy Deep Deuce Latta, chocolate silver, and Ohmy Maria TallChief, chocolate. Both these girls have been genetically confirmed as having the chocolate gene. The suppositions I have made about the possible sources of the chocolate gene in this article are just that. Future findings may prove or disprove these theories. Any theory is open to modification, and can evolve as new information is brought to light. Discoveries are not made by closed minds, and their nay-saying won't change the facts. Others will consider the facts and theories encompassed by this article, and chocolate and lilac will no longer be the unseen Abyssinian colors.
This final page show some of the winning chocolate and lilac Abys, their titles and awards!
