Tabby, Torbie or Calico?

I can certainly understand that,cause it appears that it can get very confusing even from the Us to the Uk.

Allison Grondin said:

I can certainly understand that,cause it appears that it can get very confusing even from the Us to the Uk.

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It's actually just the US, most other countries use the same terms as the UK.

Confusion within the US with one association using the worldwide terms and the other not.

WendyB said:

Let me share a story (and yes, I'm the person involved) about why Breeders are so fussy about the right nomenclature for cat colors.

I bought Treasure from a new breeder - I didn't realize then how lucky I was to get a whole girl given how new I am.  But I was told she was a Tortoiseshell and White.  So, I sent the paperwork to CFA along with $15.00 since the breeder had the date I paid for her, not the date I got her on the paperwork.  I then found a local mentor who looked at Treasure - no, she's a Brown Patch Tabby and White; neither of us were sure if she was a broken Mac or a Spotted, so that was a consious decision to wait on it.  So, I filled out more paperwork and sent it off to CFA with $10.00.  Then, I went to a show and the judges told me that she's a Brown Patch MAC Tabby and White as opposed to a Brown Patch Spotted Tabby and White.  So, another round of paperwork and $10.00 more to CFA to finally get her corrected.

Trinkets was registered as a Brown Patch Tabby and White, with a $12.00 fee to CFA.  I did this knowing I'd be doing a correction because one person said she was a broken Mac and one person had her as a Spotted.  At the show, it was confirmed that she had a Spotted pattern, and yes, that cost me an additional $10.00. 

The total cost of wrong colors and markings?  $30.00.

When I start breeding, I care enough about other people's funds to make sure I get it right the first time and not cost them anything in my own errors, unless they're willing to take that chance as I was with the Spotted vs Mac coats.  And for the record, I can't quite tell the difference in the two beyond the darkness on Treasure's back.

I still haven't done the TICA registration, because I want to get it right the first time. 

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There's another issue with having the wrong color in CFA. Any points your cat earns under the wrong color class will be voided when you correct the color. You have to start over from the beginning with the correct color.

WendyB said:

Let me share a story (and yes, I'm the person involved) about why Breeders are so fussy about the right nomenclature for cat colors.

I bought Treasure from a new breeder - I didn't realize then how lucky I was to get a whole girl given how new I am.  But I was told she was a Tortoiseshell and White.  So, I sent the paperwork to CFA along with $15.00 since the breeder had the date I paid for her, not the date I got her on the paperwork.  I then found a local mentor who looked at Treasure - no, she's a Brown Patch Tabby and White; neither of us were sure if she was a broken Mac or a Spotted, so that was a consious decision to wait on it.  So, I filled out more paperwork and sent it off to CFA with $10.00.  Then, I went to a show and the judges told me that she's a Brown Patch MAC Tabby and White as opposed to a Brown Patch Spotted Tabby and White.  So, another round of paperwork and $10.00 more to CFA to finally get her corrected.

Trinkets was registered as a Brown Patch Tabby and White, with a $12.00 fee to CFA.  I did this knowing I'd be doing a correction because one person said she was a broken Mac and one person had her as a Spotted.  At the show, it was confirmed that she had a Spotted pattern, and yes, that cost me an additional $10.00. 

The total cost of wrong colors and markings?  $30.00.

When I start breeding, I care enough about other people's funds to make sure I get it right the first time and not cost them anything in my own errors, unless they're willing to take that chance as I was with the Spotted vs Mac coats.  And for the record, I can't quite tell the difference in the two beyond the darkness on Treasure's back.

I still haven't done the TICA registration, because I want to get it right the first time. 

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Another reason why new breeders shouldn't be selling entire cats and why an experienced mentor is needed

Ah, well, I personally like the cutesie names, though I suppose when one uses them it's necessary to note that they are nicknames, and to give the proper terms for them as well. "Calico", "Torbie", and "Caliby" are pretty widespread, as far as these things go.

Callista said:

 "Calico", "Torbie", and "Caliby" are pretty widespread, as far as these things go.

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Of course Torbie and Calico are widespread, they're cat fancy terms. I wouldn't say Caliby is widespread, thankfully. 

Hi I'm pretty sure the first one is called a Blotched Tabby! I have one that I rescued when he was only one day old and I had to hand raise him, he's gorgeous!

Cat #1 is a Brown Classic Tabby (Brown Blotched Tabby in much of UK)
The terms Classic & Blotched are pretty much interchangeable,but
which term you use would likely be more influenced by the registering
body you use( for example TICA or FIFE) or by the area where you reside

Cat #2 is a torbie (not enough white to be calico)
a torbie is a tortie with tabby markings
a patched tabby has a different look

Beautiful Cats

MaryAnna said:

( for example TICA or FIFE)

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For example TICA or FIFE does not recognize a color called calico.

NorthernGlow said:

For example TICA or FIFE does not recognize a color called calico.

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Neither does the GCCF in the UK.  They are tortie & white.

A tortie with white?
Only torbie acknowledges the agouti the cat. #2. Clearly displays

OrientalSlave said:

Neither does the GCCF in the UK.  They are tortie & white.

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Same with Au associations....

MaryAnna said:

A tortie with white?
Only torbie acknowledges the agouti the cat. #2. Clearly displays

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Yes. #2 is a tortie tabby with white (or torbie with white in TICA).

MaryAnna said:

A tortie with white?
Only torbie acknowledges the agouti the cat. #2. Clearly displays

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You have taken my post out of context - I was replying to NG, not commenting on the cats in the photos.  We also don't have torbie in the GCCF in the UK, they are tortie-tabbies, or tortie-tabbies with white.

Your pretty brown guy is a tabby,  a brown marble (also called "classic") tabby, because of the very bold bands and swirls.

Your girl is considered a torbie, more specifically a brown mackeral torbie bi-color,  bi-color meaning any coloring 'with white' on the belly, paws, tail, chin etc..

_______

There are 3 different classes of tabbies: Marble/Classic, Mackeral, and Spotted.

Marble/Classic tabby is where there are very large, bold bands and swirls of distinctive light and dark coloring. (one example is in purebred Bengals)

Mackeral tabby is where there are very thin, long lines and stripes going vertically along the cat's back

Spotted tabby is where there are spots of darker fur that match the fur's base color but in a darker shade - usually seen more in purebreds like Egyptian Maus, Ocicats, and Savannahs than in domestic shorthairs (house cats)

Calico cats have distinctive spots and blotches across their body, and unlike spotted *Non-tabby* cats (that only have one base color and one different color for the spots, like a white spotted cat with grey tabby patches or solid patches) a calico has at least three colors (usually in white black and orange, or, white grey and orange-called 'dilute' calico because of the grey instead of the black)

Torbies are in essence calico, or tortoiseshell, cats that have tabby markings or have their spots blended in with their stripes, some are more blended than others

Tortoiseshell are usually calico cats with harder-to-distinguish spots, blended into the fur, but unlike calico cats, tortoiseshell do not have to be three colors. Usually they are black and orange, or 'dilute' in grey and orange

Cats that are commonly half black and white that are called "tuxedos" are actually bi-colors. They can be half black and white, half grey and white, half orange and white etc.

LunarIris said:

There are 3 different classes of tabbies: Marble/Classic, Mackeral, and spotted

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There's 4, ticked being the 4th

Not going into the tortie, calico, torbie again as we've said dozens of times it's only the US using those terms and inconsistently between their associations too

LunarIris said:

 or 'dilute' in grey and orange

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Blue and cream. No gray or orange in cats.

Sorry OrientalSlave~

I am not aware of all specifics in registering with. different registries in the UK

MaryAnna said:

Sorry OrientalSlave~

I am not aware of all specifics in registering with. different registries in the UK

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If you read the replies in this and other threads you'll see it's not just the UK but most other countries outside the US. 

Two of the US associations also use different terms, one in line with rest of the world and one just used in the US. 

jedi_dee said:

Also I have another cat and I am not sure what her pattern is called either....is she a Torbie or a Calico?

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I am curious what other people think. My vet called Jango, not quite a Classic Tabby but He isn't quite a Mackerel Tabby. She called my other cat Ailyn a Calico because she has white on her but I thought she was a Torbie.

Thanks
Dianna

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1st brown bullseye tabby short hair

2sc diluted calico tabby