Michis in the game: Jude

By Jorge

Jude is another protagonist in "Saving the Michi! AR". Here are some details about her, the source of this information, is, of course, her owner (or mom, as many cat owners call themselves when they have a michi in their lives):

 

Jude being adorable

 

She's the cat of another friend and Jude is very young. About 2 years old. These are some of her physical characteristics:

• Primary Identification: Domestic Shorthair (no specific breed, mixed)

• Key Traits:

• Coat Pattern: Brown Mackerel Tabby (narrow striped pattern resembling fishbones).

• Color: Warm brown with black stripes and subtle orange undertones.

  • Markings:

    -"M" shape on forehead (common in tabbies)

    -White chest/belly (common in Domestic Sorthair)

    -Black eyeliner and paw pads

 

 Jude being a successful huntress

Comprehensive Guide to Tabby Cats: Characteristics, Features & Personality

Tabby cats are among the most recognizable and beloved felines, and Jude is no exception to this rule. These kind of cats are known for their vibrant coats and engaging personalities. Below is a detailed breakdown of her traits, backed by genetics, behavior studies, and cultural significance (based on cats with similar characteristics, of course, this is not specifically about Jude).

Jude’s Specific Characteristics

1. Coat & Color

• Primary Color: White-dominant with patches of:

  • Dilute orange (cream) tabby markings (soft stripes, not bold like classic orange tabbies).

  • Possible faint gray/brown patches (suggesting dilute tortoiseshell or calico influence).

• Eye Color: Blue eyes (rare in adult non-white cats, often linked to the white masking gene or partial albinism).

• Pattern:

  • "Van" pattern: White body with color limited to the head/tail (common in Turkish Vans).

  • Tabby patches: Only the colored areas show stripes (not full tabby).

2. Breed Likelihood

• Domestic Shorthair (Mixed Ancestry): According to her owner, Jude has no purebred traits. However, her blue eyes + white coat suggest:

  • Possible Turkish Van or Ragdoll ancestry (though unlikely without pedigree papers).

  • Epistatic white gene (W): Suppresses color, allowing blue eyes without deafness (common in random-bred cats).

3. Personality 

According to her owner, Jude is confident, social, loving and curious. These can be seen also in the photos shared by the owner.

• Alert but relaxed posture → Confident, adaptable.

• Direct gaze + forward ears → Social, engaged with humans 

Jude's owner, as many owners, reports "gentle" temperament and playful behavior.

 

Jude analyzing you

 Care Notes for Cats Like Jude

• Sun Sensitivity: White cats with blue eyes are prone to sunburn, therefore it is recommended to limit direct sunlight.

• Deafness Check: Jude is still a young beautiful cat, so we can assume that her ears are healthy. Nonetheless, white cats with blue eyes often have higher deafness rates when they get older

• Grooming: White fur shows dirt easily, but that can be controlled by a weekly brush by her owner

Jude is a stunning example of a mixed-breed cat with rare traits. There are 11 pictures of Jude in the game "Saving the Michi! AR", this means that 1 picture in every 10 pictures of cats, 1is from her. This is not suprising since she is a camera lover and a natural when it comes to taking pictures! (According to her owner, or mom, as you wish to call her).

Play "Saving the Michi! AR" and unlock all of her pictures while having fun at the same time! 

 Eat well, love animals and respect the nature.

Thanks for reading and have a nice day! 

Michis in the game: Miscellaneous Michis

By Jorge

This blog explains other cats that don't have a fixed home but they are adopted by the neighborhood, stray cats but they are being fed by the humans in the area where these cats live. Even a couple of memes of cats are present in Saving the Michi AR!

 

 

Comrade Michi, one of the miscellaneous images in the game

 Many of the cats here are tabby mackerel cats, orange, blacks, tuxedo, etc. You name it, most probably it will be there.

 

 

Pair of cats in Levante, Spain 

Watching all these cats and their different colors, made me question: what gives cats their colors in their coats? We will describe a little bit why this happens. 

Cat coat colors and patterns are determined by complex genetic interactions involving multiple genes that control pigment production, distribution, and density. Here's a breakdown of the key genetic mechanisms:

 

Core Pigments: The Building Blocks

• Eumelanin: Produces black/brown pigment.

• Pheomelanin: Produces red/orange/yellow pigment.

 All cat colors come from different expressions, dilutions, and mixtures of these two pigments.

 

Genes that Control Color

Several key genes influence coat color:

• B gene (Black): determines whether eumelanin is black, chocolate, or cinnamon.

• D gene (Dilution): dilutes black -> gray (blue), chocolate -> lilac, cinnamon -> fawn, orange -> cream.

• O gene (Orange): converts eumelanin into pheomelanin, making cats orange or tortoiseshell.

• A gene (Agouti): controls whether hairs are banded (tabby) or solid.

• W gene (White): masks all pigment (solid white cats).

• S gene (Spotting): creates white patches (bicolor, tuxedo, etc.).

 

 

A spotted michi in Levante. Most probably a female 

 

Coat Patterns

• Tabby: striped, spotted, or swirled (from agouti gene expression)

• Solid: full color, no visible pattern

• Tortoiseshell & Calico: mix of black and orange due to the X chromosome (why they’re almost always female)

• Pointed (Siamese, Himalayan): cooler body parts (ears, tail, paws, face) show darker pigment due to a temperature-sensitive gene

 

 

Felpuchina. A Siamese cat

Other Factors

• Length & texture of fur: changes how the color looks (long fur makes colors appear lighter or “smoky”)

• Age: kittens may be born lighter/darker and change as they grow

• Sunlight: dark cats can “rust” into brownish shades if exposed to sun often

 

Key Genes Controlling Coat Color

A. Color Basics

Gene	Function	Variants
B (Black)	Controls eumelanin darkness	B (black) > b (chocolate) > b' (cinnamon)
O (Orange)	Switches eumelanin → pheomelanin	O (orange) > o (non-orange)
D (Dilution)	Lightens pigments	D (full color) > d (dilute)

• Example:

  • B + O + D = Vibrant orange

  • B + o + d = Gray ("blue")

B. White Patterns

Gene	Role	Outcome	Gene
Agouti (A)	Controls banding on hairs	A (tabby) > a (solid)	Agouti (A)
Tabby Modifiers	Refines pattern	Mackerel (stripes), Classic (swirls), Ticked	Tabby Modifiers
Inhibitor (I)	Blocks pigment at hair base	Smoke or silver coats	Inhibitor (I)

 

Sex-Linked Traits

• Orange gene (O) is X-linked:

  • Males (XY): Only need one O gene to be orange.

  • Females (XX): Need two O genes: 80% of orange cats are male.

• Tortoiseshell/Calico:

  • Requires two X chromosomes + mix of O/o genes: Almost always female (rare males are XXY).

 

Real-World Examples

Cat	Genotype	Appearance
Black Cat	aa + B_ + dd	Solid gray ("blue")
Orange Tabby	AA + O + D	Bright stripes
Tortoiseshell	X^O X^o + aa	Black/orange patches
White Cat	WW or W_	Pure white (may have deafness risk)
Siamese	c^s c^s (temperature-sensitive albino)	Dark points + pale body

 

Key Takeaways

1. All colors derive from eumelanin (black/brown) and pheomelanin (red/yellow)

2. Dilution genes create variations (gray, cream)

3. White masking and spotting genes override base colors

4. Tabby patterns require the agouti gene

5. Sex chromosomes control orange/calico/tortie patterns

 In short: a cat’s coat color is the result of pigments (black vs. red), genes (that dilute, block, or mix them), and patterns (tabby, solid, patched, pointed).

 In Saving the Michi AR, there are in total 12 pictures of feral michis that were found in the wild. Can you find them all?