Appearances & Genetics

Please Note: This article refers strictly to cat genetics as they are represented in From the Ground Up. Although FtGU takes inspiration from reality and this article may explain such inspiration where prudent, this article is not meant to be a guide about real genetics.

Physical Traits
In From the Ground Up, a cat's appearance is comprised of many components, most of which are genetic in nature. These components include:

Body Shape & Coat Texture
NPC Cats have an assortment models, or poses, that may be chosen from when they are generated. These models determine the individual look of their body shape and coat texture combinations. There are three body shapes and five coat textures present in From the Ground Up. For body shapes, there are the Standard, Exotic, and Oriental body shapes. For coat textures, there is Shorthair, Longhair, Rex (Short), Rex (Long), and Hairless. Together, body shape and coat texture form a cat's full bodytype.

Base Coat Color
There are seven base colors a cat can be in From the Ground Up.


 * Black
 * Brown
 * Russet
 * Orange
 * Black Tortoiseshell
 * Brown Tortoiseshell
 * Russet Tortoiseshell

Black, orange, and black tortoiseshell cats are the most common, while russet and russet torties are the most rare. Each model and bodytype has unique hues and tones of each of these baser coats; one NPC may appear more red while another will be closer to yellow, but they are both genetically Orange.

Aside from the Playercat, only female NPC cats can have tortoiseshell coats. In reality, male tortoiseshells, though not impossible, are not common. This is reflected in-game as the playercat being the only cat with the ability to be a male tortoiseshell, however as their real counterparts, they are genetically sterile and unable to produce kits.

Dilution & Wide-Band / Inhibitor
Each coat color may be further altered by a cat's dilution and wide-band / inhibitor genes. The dilution gene turns a black cat into a gray, a brown cat into a tawny, a russet cat into a fawn, and an orange cat into a cream. WBI, if active, will turn a cat either golden or silver. Only tabby cats will express gold or fully silver color; solid cats with silvering become smokes.

Pattern
In From the Ground Up, pattern refers to what brand of tabby a cat is. There are five tabby patterns: Ticked, Spotted, Rosette, Mackerel, and Classic. All cats have a pattern, but it is only visible in cats with the pattern trait switched on, so to speak. In solid cats, their pattern is very faint, if discernable at all, no matter their genetic contrast. A cat's pattern may be of varying contrast, from very bold, to very subtle. There are three levels of intensity in From the Ground Up; dark / full patterning, gentle patterning, and faint patterning. This trait is independent from the pattern itself.

Colorpoint (Siamese)
This gene determines the amount of colorpoint dilution in a cat's coat, which is responsible for what makes Siamese cats look the way they do. This pattern masks everything else underneath, and does not affect a cat's base or stripe pattern. A cat may be a sharp colorpoint, a softer colorpoint, or a very faint colorpoint as seen in Siamese, Snowshoe, and Burmese cats respectively. Although in real life, a cat's colorpoint expression is determined by temperature, this has not been reflected in game.

White Patterns
White in cats acts as a masking component; this means that, genetically, they still possess color. It is merely hidden by the white coverage. A solid white cat will appear solid white, but they will be able to pass on their original genetic makeup to their kits, should they choose to have any. There are six potential presentations of white patterns, excluding 0% white expression. These six are meant to represent the spectrum between 0% and 100%, with varying degrees of white coverage that can be selected. Each model and bodytype has unique white markings among the options available.

Eye Color
Although there is a wide range of eye colors in cats, From the Ground Up condenses these colors into eight categories. Each model and bodytype will have its own unique tints and hues for each category; Orange, Amber, Yellow, Light Green, and Dark Green are the basic colors available to all cats. If a cat has any white or colorpoint patterning on their body, they have access to Blue, and Heterochromia, which makes one eye blue, and the other eye any of the first five categories. Furthermore, cats that are colorpoint in any degree will also be able to have Deep Blue eyes.

Scars & Other Deformities
Scars are a natural part of a wild cat's life, and will be accrued by virtue of living in the wild. Cats with aggressive personalities or a history of fighting are more likely to gain scars than others, and these cannot be genetically passed on to one's offspring.

However, certain deformities, classed as scars in game, do have the potential to be genetic in nature. These include congenital blindness or deafness, as well as half-tails and bob-tails. It should be noted that losing one's sight, hearing, or tail due to injury or old age, though visually the same, are not genetic; a cat born with a full tail, functioning eyes, and functioning ears will not pass on a halved tail, blindness, or deafness they gained during life.

Accessories
Though not common, some cats, particularly kittypets, will spawn with certain accessories. The most common accessories are Collars and Scarves. Although they may be aesthetically appealing, some accessories will hinder a cat's ability to survive. Collars with tags or bells jingle constantly, making it difficult to hunt. The player may ask an NPC to remove their collar, or if it proves too cumbersome, they may do so themselves. If the player chooses to have originated as a kittypet, they can remove their collar from within their den. Once removed, an accessory cannot be put back on.

Genetics System
Coming soon!