Sphynx colours and their EMS codes

A pedigree may contain the code SPH n 03 32. Although it looks cryptic, it describes a specific variety: a seal mink Sphynx with bicolour white markings. Each part has a meaning, and once you know a few rules, reading these codes becomes surprisingly straightforward.

EMS provides a concise, organised way to record a cat’s identified colour variety. This article presents the codes used for Sphynx cats, their Polish and English equivalents and examples of complete codes. Here, I explain how to read EMS codes. I discuss colour inheritance in a separate article.

1. Where did the EMS system come from?

EMS stands for Easy Mind System, developed in the 1980s by Eva Minde of Norway and adopted by FIFe in 1990. FIFe also recalls the playful alternative expansion: Eva Minde’s System. It is a classification system used in registration, pedigrees and show records, rather than a genetic DNA notation. Other feline organisations have adopted it too, but identical rules are not used worldwide.

3. How do you read EMS?

Elements are separated by spaces. The three-letter breed code comes first, followed by the colour letter or letters and then the appropriate numerical codes. Numerical EMS elements are arranged in ascending order. Not every cat needs every type of code: without white, no white code is added; a non-tabby cat does not receive 21.

4. Basic Sphynx colour codes

The letter is the starting point for naming the colour. In Sphynx cats, which lack a typical coat, colour is assessed mainly on the skin and any fine down; the absence of fur can make shades harder to identify. It does not change the way colour is recorded in EMS.

What exactly is seal?

Seal literally refers to the animal. In feline terminology, it describes a very dark black-brown colour that can look almost black. EMS still uses the letter n, but for pointed cats, instead of black point the usual terms are seal point, seal mink or seal sepia. This does not indicate an additional code or a new base colour.

5. White: van, harlequin, bicolour and code 09

Different amounts of white are permitted in Sphynx cats. EMS distinguishes several distributions, so it helps to understand the differences between van, harlequin, bicolour and code 09.

Remember that a white cat, SPH w, and a cat with white patches have different codes. The letter w belongs to the basic colour table; codes 01–09 describe the amount of white alongside another colour.

6. Tabby: why only code 21 for Sphynx cats?

In many breeds, separate codes describe blotched, mackerel, spotted and ticked tabby patterns. For Sphynx cats, FIFe uses only 21, regardless of the pattern suggested by the skin’s appearance. We therefore write SPH n 21, rather than SPH n 22, 23, 24 or 25. This is a breed-specific EMS simplification, not a claim that Sphynx cats cannot biologically differ in tabby pattern.

7. Sepia, mink and colourpoint: three colour varieties

These are among the most interesting Sphynx varieties, as even a very dark cat can belong to a pointed variety. EMS records the point-type code in addition to the base-colour letter.

The illustration compares three pointed varieties sharing the same base colour, seal. Sepia is darkest, mink is lighter, and colourpoint is lightest with the greatest contrast between the body and points.

Sepia often retains relatively strong body colour with less contrast against the extremities. Mink usually has intermediate contrast, while colourpoint has more distinctly dark extremities against a lighter body. Sphynx skin appearance can change with age and temperature, making some varieties difficult to identify in a young cat.

Why are colourpoint kittens born so pale?

Colourpoint kittens (33) are born almost white, often with very pale cream skin. Temperature is even in the womb, so the characteristic darker areas have not yet developed. The first colour on the nose, ears, legs and tail may appear within the first few days or two weeks. Differences are usually clearer at around 4–6 weeks, while the final shade develops over subsequent months, sometimes beyond the first year. The rate depends on factors including base colour and ambient temperature.

This has practical implications for breeders. Pedigrees are requested while kittens are still growing and developing colour, so selecting the correct EMS code can be difficult. Pale varieties such as red point and cream point may be especially challenging. Sepia (31) and mink (32) may also change in intensity with age, but the three varieties should not be assumed to be equally pale at birth.

8. Eye colours and the full EMS code glossary

Eye colour has its own EMS designation, but it does not have to be appended to every Sphynx colour code. First, let us look at what the individual codes mean.

What does heterochromia mean?

Heterochromia means differing eye colours. Code 63 describes one blue eye and another of a colour permitted for the breed. Two colours within one iris are called sectoral heterochromia; this should not automatically be coded as 63. Heterochromia alone does not confirm DBE.

Why do sepia, mink and colourpoint usually have different eye colours?

The pigmentation variants responsible for these colour varieties also affect the iris. Sepia Sphynx cats (31) often have yellow or green shades, mink (32) usually aquamarine or blue-green, and colourpoint (33) blue. These are typical colours, but individual appearance can vary. Golden eyes are not an absolute requirement in sepia Sphynx cats.

If mink eyes are aquamarine, why is code 66 not automatically added?

Code 32 denotes mink, while 66 describes aquamarine eyes in the EMS glossary. Not every glossary element must appear in a pedigree. In FIFe, the rules for the particular variety determine whether an eye-colour code is added. Likewise, 65 is not automatically appended to sepia (31), nor 67 to colourpoint (33).

Why do both 61 and 67 exist if both describe blue eyes?

Code 61 means deep blue, while 67 means the intense deep blue typical of the Siamese variety. This is not merely a judgement about which shade is darker. The registration rules for the particular variety also matter.

Do blue eyes always mean colourpoint or DBE?

No. They can also occur in white cats and cats with white markings. Blue eyes also do not establish the presence of a particular DBE variant. EMS describes appearance for registration, rather than a DNA test result.

When is an eye-colour code entered in a pedigree?

In FIFe, eye-colour coding rules depend on the cat’s colour variety. In 2026, the code is required for white Sphynx cats and van (01) and harlequin (02) varieties, within the ranges specified in the SPH table. At that time, adding it was not provided for in bicolours (03) or cats with other amounts of white (09). Rules for recording blue and odd eyes in these varieties change from 1 January 2027.

What changes from 1 January 2027, and why does it matter?

FIFe’s change adopted for 2027 concerns recording blue eyes (61) and heterochromia (63), including with-white varieties coded 03 and 09. Previous FIFe rules did not provide for these combinations. WCF, however, allowed actual eye colour to be recorded with 03 and 09. For example, a black bicolour Sphynx with odd eyes could have the code SPH n 03 63. In WCF, this was an option rather than a requirement.

This matters when breeders analyse pedigrees. The absence of 63 in an older FIFe pedigree does not rule out heterochromia in an ancestor. EMS alone also does not confirm the presence or absence of a particular DBE variant.

The change does not create new eye-colour codes. Check the FIFe rules in force at registration for their detailed use.

9. Reading complete EMS codes: Polish and English examples

From a simple code to a more detailed one

Let us see how successive numbers refine the description of the same base colour.

The examples below show how to combine and interpret Sphynx EMS codes.

10. Which codes are not used for Sphynx cats?

The entire FIFe glossary should not be copied without filtering by breed. Recognised SPH varieties do not use silver s, golden y, shading codes 11 and 12, separate tabby codes 22–25 or breed-specific designations such as 04 (mitted) or 05 (snowshoe). Ear, tail and coat-length codes assigned to other breeds are not added either.

A code existing in the general EMS system does not mean it can be added to a Sphynx. The SPH variety table is decisive.

12. What if the colour is uncertain?

The breeder identifies kittens’ colours when registering a litter. However, colour can change as a cat grows, raising questions about whether its pedigree entry is correct. The cat can then be entered for colour determination at a show. FIFe uses class 13c (determination class), with assessment by two judges. WCF provides class 18 (colour determination), available from three months of age. Correct colour identification matters in both breeding records and shows, as Sphynx cats are assessed in colour groups according to the relevant federation’s rules.

13. Why is EMS worth knowing?

Understanding EMS makes pedigrees easier to read, kitten colours easier to describe and show notation easier to understand. A few letters and numbers can communicate a detailed colour description to breeders in different countries.

This article explains how to read colours and their codes. I discuss inheritance separately in the guide ‘Colour inheritance in Canadian Sphynx cats’.

Sources

• FIFe, EMS System. Official list of codes for colour, white, tabby, point and eyes.
• FIFe, EMS System, instructions for using the codes (2025 guidance).
• FIFe, breed standards and SPH colour-variety list.
• FIFe, General Assembly 2026: Decision Minutes and Summary of Changes 2027.