I have a male black cat who's mother was a calico and his dad was a tabby. I think that he is part tabby and part calico but my boyfriend says a male cannot be a calico but if his mom was a calico then wouldn't it make sense that he is part calico? He is black but in the right light he has real pretty reddish brown coloring.
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calico?
- Thread starter drmchaser
- Start Date
calico is a name for a tri-colored cat [black, white, red]. it's a sex-linked gene, so a cat must have 2 X chromosomes to display this pattern. calico males are XXY cats, not real common. there's a lot of info about tri-color coats here: torties, calicos & tri-color cats
After reading this, I'm a little confused to whether Lucy is a calico or a tortoiseshell.. can someone help?
I read this in the calico/tortoiseshell/tricolors FAQ:
[A tortoiseshell may have significant portions of white as well, but the remaining colors are blended (this particular pattern is called a tortoiseshell and white).]
So would that make Lu a tortoiseshell? I've always thought of her as a calico, but now I'm not sure..
I read this in the calico/tortoiseshell/tricolors FAQ:
[A tortoiseshell may have significant portions of white as well, but the remaining colors are blended (this particular pattern is called a tortoiseshell and white).]
So would that make Lu a tortoiseshell? I've always thought of her as a calico, but now I'm not sure..
She is a calico
No problem.
Tortoise shell is completely blended coloring.
Your cat has very distinct patches of red and brown.
Tortoise shell is completely blended coloring.
Your cat has very distinct patches of red and brown.
I think you're confusing color with breed...a calico or tabby just refers to the pattern on the coat, not the actual breed as several breeds can be tabbies or calicos.
Then there is Torbie too. Isn't that a Tabby/Torti? Like the tri colored coat but with the darker lines of a tabby mixed in? This is a great picture of what I am taking about. Basically a tabby with orange and sometimes white mixed in.
Blacks that have been in the sun a lot may have a reddish look to their coat. Calicos are red/black and white. Tortoiseshells are just red/black.
If it was a male calico, you'd have a really red/orange color - not a rusty look.
The cat could also be carrying the tabby gene since his father is a tabby. But he's just an ordinary black cat. Nothing more/less.
If it was a male calico, you'd have a really red/orange color - not a rusty look.
The cat could also be carrying the tabby gene since his father is a tabby. But he's just an ordinary black cat. Nothing more/less.
Ok I'll clear up the tech on the colors
Tortoiseshell - a blending of black/red colors.
Tortie/White - a tortoiseshell with some white (mainly on feet, belly or face)
Calico - patches of black and red (think of it as a white cat with a spot of black and a spot of red)
Torbie - a tortoiseshell cat with definate pattern of tabby (black stripes or blue stripes depending on if its a tortie or a dilute tortie). The red color in a calico or tortie will have faint striping but that is not a torbie. Or you can think of it as a tabby with tortoiseshell colors.
There are some cats that are inbetween a tortie/white and a calico. Some judges would call them a tortie/white; others a calico.
Chan - I'd call yours a calico
Jen - the picture you have is a torbie
Tortoiseshell - a blending of black/red colors.
Tortie/White - a tortoiseshell with some white (mainly on feet, belly or face)
Calico - patches of black and red (think of it as a white cat with a spot of black and a spot of red)
Torbie - a tortoiseshell cat with definate pattern of tabby (black stripes or blue stripes depending on if its a tortie or a dilute tortie). The red color in a calico or tortie will have faint striping but that is not a torbie. Or you can think of it as a tabby with tortoiseshell colors.
There are some cats that are inbetween a tortie/white and a calico. Some judges would call them a tortie/white; others a calico.
Chan - I'd call yours a calico
Jen - the picture you have is a torbie
Okay, what about a cat that is pretty much a black/gray tabby, but has some definite markings of red mixed in- not much, but on her nose and shoulders. Is that a torbie? BTW I'm describing Suzie. I'd post a pic but I'm at work and photobucket is blocked.
Since this isn't really a Health & Nutrition subject, I'm moving it to the Cat Lounge.
Do you have a picture?
I think that would still be a Torbie then zak&rocky but the tabby is a just more dominent.
Here you go, presenting Suzie. You can't see the red too well as much on her back in this pic.
I think she would be considered a torbie, or we also say tabblico (
) if they're more calico-y.
In the USA we call it a Calico, in the UK they call it a Tortie w/white. Guess it depends where the info came from.
I DID trap and neuter a male Persian calico. He had very little orange colour in him, all I saw was a smokey grey persian. Picked him up at the vets and they said "Hey, you know this guy is a calico?" floored me! He was also a Polydactal. Turned out to be a sweet guy so I kept him.
I DID trap and neuter a male Persian calico. He had very little orange colour in him, all I saw was a smokey grey persian. Picked him up at the vets and they said "Hey, you know this guy is a calico?" floored me! He was also a Polydactal. Turned out to be a sweet guy so I kept him.
Yah XXY males are unusual (rare) because its a medical abnormality. This can happen in humans but its not as visibly apparent.
I found a site years ago (never find it again IF it is still there) that said that male calicos are not that unusual it is just that they die before they get very old 'cause of the chrosome problem.
I searched this because I was thinking that maybe some wierd radiation had gotten into the food chain or I had some cats from Mars :-). Not long after the previously mentioned boy, I traped a mom cat (BOY, did she ever NOT want to be a mom!) who's whole litter died a few days after birth. They were all boys and all calicos. Now, Male calicos do not have very much of the third colour in them so it is hard to tell. Years ago I had a cat that had one male calico who also died.
I was relieved to find that this is really not such an uncommon thing. Was having dreams of green and purple cats!LOL!
I searched this because I was thinking that maybe some wierd radiation had gotten into the food chain or I had some cats from Mars :-). Not long after the previously mentioned boy, I traped a mom cat (BOY, did she ever NOT want to be a mom!) who's whole litter died a few days after birth. They were all boys and all calicos. Now, Male calicos do not have very much of the third colour in them so it is hard to tell. Years ago I had a cat that had one male calico who also died.
I was relieved to find that this is really not such an uncommon thing. Was having dreams of green and purple cats!LOL!
