The effect of the allele appears to be somewhat variable, but this may well be the result of associated polygenes, and perhaps selection for these ‘enhancers’ is of greater importance in the breeding of the Shaded (tipped) cat than in any other variety. (For example the different shades of blue in blue solid cats.)

Wide Banding is something that you can select for and must be present in every cat in some degree. The Wide-band gene (hypothetical) was, along with Silver (Inhibitor), introduced into the forerunners of our modern day British by the foundation SILVER cats. The ‘ghost markings’ of self (solid color) cats, especially the lighter colors, clearly indicate their pattern. It must be remembered that all cats, non-agouti and agouti, have patterns, but these only become clearly visible in the agouti cats. The three distinct, 'recognizable', Tabby patterns in the British Shorthair are Ticked (Ta), Spotted (T), Classic (tb).

The area between the pattern consists of agouti hairs, and is usually referred to as ‘ground color’. It is important that the solid areas of color forming the pattern must show no sign of agouti hairs, or agouti invasion. As a consequence of the presence of the pattern gene the agouti gene does not affect all parts of the coat equally, but gives an uneven, though regular, pattern of solid areas of coat devoid of ticking or banding. In the self or non-agouti (aa) (what can be read as all solid colored cats) the hair is the same color from skin to tip, but in the agouti cat (Aa or AA) the hair shows distinct bands of two colors. The Agouti gene (A) (what can be read as wild colored cat). The tabby cat is produced by the action of two separate genes, the Agouti gene combined with the allele for pattern. The shaded-goldens found many friends and breeders because silver-shaded-breeders saw the chance to use new blood. At shows judges told her to expose the golden-tabbies as green-eyed pets. So only some breeders started in the ‘80s with this new color. Wellmeyer started the long way to acknowledgement, not in her club (independent) but FIFe. There wasn't a standard for this new variety at that time. On the way to better silvertabbies she suddenly got golden-tabbies, as the Persian-shadeds were carrying this colour. To improve the color and coat she used the orange-eyed blue-silver-tabby 'Boy de Broeckloni', which had browntabby and blue ancestors. So she got better bodies and type, but light color and longer hairs.

In the middle of the 80's, in order to have new blood and prevent inbreeding she used three Persian cats and one Exotic, most of them shaded-silver, one a very light LH-tabby. She got two silvertabbies (male and female) of his very important breed. As there were only some silvertabbies in Germany she contacted Ad de Bruijn in Netherland, breeder of 'de Broeckloni'. Mrs Wellmeyer started with a small English female. Wellmeyer a German breeder with the “Marvellous” prefix fell in love with a silvertabby face in 1978. The first golden british shorthairs (on main land) The beauty of their golden coats with the contrast of their vivid green or blue-green eyes attracted more and more dedicated breeders, and gradually they grew in popularity until they were finally accepted by CFA in 1976. By the 1960's a few interested breeders were working with them. Most often these kittens, then referred to as “brownies,” were placed as pets. The golden color is recessive to silver, and for many years before this color was accepted, “odd colored” kittens occasionally popped up in “colorbred” silver litters. The Golden Persian does not have as long a history in CFA as does the Silver Persian. Silvers had been imported into the United States from England before that date. There is no record to show when silvers were accepted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association, so it is reasonable to assume they were among the original colors bred when this association was organized in 1906.

Silvers also appeared in the pedigrees of Persians of other colors. These records showed that other colors, often blues and tabbies, were used in the breeding of silvers. There was little record keeping in the early days, but as time went on people paid more attention to documenting their breeding. While no pictures of her have been found, there was one of her famous grandson, “Silver Lambkin.” Some of the pedigrees of our present day silvers have been traced back to Lambkin. The earliest documentation of silvers shows “Chinnie,” born in 1882 in England.

Golden ticked tabby