Hi, I'm Lilly, Black Silver Shell (Tipped) Maine Coon Kitten

Lilly is ablack silver shell Maine Coon, which means her coat looks almost white even though she is genetically black.

This happens because of how color shows up on each hair.

Normally, a cat’s hair is colored along much of its length. In a shell cat, color only appears at the very tip of the hair. The rest stays pale silver or white. Because so little of the hair is colored, the cat looks extremely light overall.

This requires a specific genetic setup:

• One gene creates the silver base, removing warm or yellow tones
• Another effect (called wideband) pushes the color away from the base of the hair
• Only a tiny amount of black pigment remains at the tips

If even one part of this combination is weaker, the kitten comes out darker (called shaded instead of shell). That’s why shell kittens are uncommon and unpredictable.

Because of this, it’s estimated that well under 5% of Maine Coon breeders in the U.S. ever produce true shell-expression kittens. Even breeders who work with silver lines may only see this color rarely.

This is also why Lilly’s price is higher.
Shell-expression kittens appear infrequently, cannot be reliably planned, and are rarely available. When this level of shell expression does occur, it reflects a very specific genetic outcome that most litters do not produce. Pricing reflects the rarity of the color rather than size, personality, or demand.

In short:
This color is rare because it depends on several genes lining up very precisely, and most litters do not produce it.