Cat EMS codes: how to read colour, pattern and eye colour from a FIFe code
A code like “MCO ns 22” appears on pedigrees, in show catalogues and in kitten adverts. The EMS system is simple once you know the order the parts are written in and what each group means.
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In short
An EMS code describes a cat’s breed and colour variety. For example, MCO ns 22 = Maine Coon, black silver, blotched tabby.
The breed is written in three capital letters, the colour in a lowercase letter, and further traits as two-digit numbers in ascending order, all separated by spaces.
Modifiers such as silver (s), golden (y) or amber (t) are attached to the colour without a space.
A non-recognised variety is marked with x before the colour; a non-recognised breed with “non” after the breed code.
How the code is built
EMS (Easy Mind System) is the FIFe system for writing cat breeds and colour varieties. The code is written in this order:
breed code – three capital letters (BSH, MCO, NFO…),
colour – a lowercase letter, with any modifier attached without a space (n, a, ns, ay…),
number codes for further traits – white, tipping, tabby, points, eyes – in ascending order, separated by spaces.
Colours
Code
Colour
Code
Colour
n
black (seal or ruddy in some breeds)
f
black tortie
a
blue
g
blue tortie
b
chocolate
h
chocolate tortie
c
lilac
j
lilac tortie
o
cinnamon
q
cinnamon tortie
p
fawn
r
fawn tortie
d
red
e
cream
w
white
Colour modifiers
A modifier is written right after the colour letter with no space, for example ns (black silver) or ay (blue golden).
Code
Meaning
s
silver (smoke on solid colours)
y
golden
t
agouti modifier – amber in Norwegian Forest Cats, carnelian in Kurilian Bobtails
u
corin – recognised in Siberian and Neva Masquerade and in British cats
m
dilute modifier (caramel and apricot varieties)
White (01–09)
Code
Meaning
01
van
02
harlequin
03
bicolour
04
mitted (Ragdoll only)
05
snowshoe pattern (Snowshoe only)
09
unspecified white
Tipping and tabby (11–25)
Code
Meaning
11
shaded
12
shell
14
charcoal (Bengal only, preliminarily recognised)
21
tabby (pattern unspecified)
22
blotched tabby
23
mackerel tabby
24
spotted tabby
25
ticked tabby
Points (31–33)
Code
Meaning
31
Burmese pointed
32
Tonkinese pointed
33
Siamese pointed (colourpoint)
Eye colour (61–68)
Code
Eye colour
61
deep blue
62
copper / deep orange
63
odd-eyed (one deep blue, the other per breed standard)
64
green
65
golden yellow (Burmese)
66
aquamarine (Tonkinese)
67
intense deep blue (Siamese)
68
albino (non-recognised variety)
Tail, ears and coat
Code
Meaning
Used for
51–54
rumpy, rumpy riser, stumpy, longie
Cymric and Manx
71 / 72
straight / curled ears
American Curl
81 / 82 / 83
longhair / shorthair / brush coat
Donskoy and Peterbald
84
straight coat
LaPerm, Lykoi, Selkirk Rex
Common mistakes
A space between colour and modifier: write ns, not n s.
Numbers out of order: write 03 22, not 22 03.
Capital letters for colour: write a, not A – capitals are for the breed only.
Breed-specific codes on other breeds, for example 04 mitted outside the Ragdoll.
EMS codes in Breedio
When you add an animal, Breedio suggests the EMS code part by part – breed, colour, modifier and number groups – with descriptions in your language. From the parents’ EMS codes, the phenotype calculator in the Genetics module then shows which colours and patterns the kittens can have.