What is this colour and pattern?

I'm thinking of showing my cat at a TICA cat show and need to know what colour and pattern he is. 

Here is an accurate colour. His fur is glittery/shimmery under medium to strong light. (click pic to enlarge)

Baby picture

Various pics (I'm not restraining him in these pics, we were playing and taking pics at the same time, he is a mix of high energy and snugglebug so he thought this was really fun)

hair, light to dark 


I adore him! Since he loves people, other animals, and life in general so much I thought he might enjoy being a showcat for a day or two. 

Wow gorgeous boy ! Fantastic pictures

His colour is red mackerel tabby shorthair.

It's great that you are thinking of showing him. Sounds like he has the right kind of personality to enjoy it. I show some of my domestic shorthairs and it great fun. Brilliant feeling when they win their first rosette and of cause at the end of day you always get to take the best cat home lol :lol3:

Thanks! I'm incredibly pleased with with him.

He thinks he's a little lion stalking around my house and hunting the dog, the pouncing and running off in a merry game of chase.

Leo tried to befriend the other cats but one is slowing down and not interested in hours of play (but he can get in some naps and snuggles sometimes) and the other snubs him because she's like that.

I would call him an orange tabby, domestic short hair! This maybe a more common name, but not as physical.....anyway love orange cats, they are the best!

allenkm said:

I would call him an orange tabby, domestic short hair! This maybe a more common name, but not as physical.....anyway love orange cats, they are the best!

Click to expand...

Yes this description is completely right..

Breed registries use the word red to describe orange coat colours. Same as blue is used to describe grey coat colours.

Great to know, what does the word mackerel refer to?

The tabby pattern comes in 4 basic patterns (classic, mackerel, spotted and ticked)

Classic is a swirled or bullseye pattern

Mackerel is a stripe down the spine with vertical stripes running down the sides of the body. Like a mackerel fish

Spotted is instead of lines to create a pattern, they have small individual spots

Ticked is instead of a pattern on body, each individual hair is ticked (has bands of colour on it) But they can have stripes on face, legs and tail

Do all four have the classic "M" on the forehead or only the mackerel?

All the tabby patterns have a M on the forehead

Thanks gemgem I have to go tell Bear he's a red mackerel!

The site had so many extras, golden red broken mackerel tabby for example. I wasn't sure if they were just for the purebred cats, and the moggies got off easier or what.

It's a relief that they keep things simple for us.

Also Leo's very broken back top half where it goes spotty confused me, but it's good to know the spots are small. His are more blobby.

You may want to take a look at our article - Tabby Cats  and also the more general one about cat colors and patterns.

He looks like a gorgeous red tabby shorthair to me.  

Thanks. All the praise makes me feel maybe I made the right choice thinking about showing him.