The colour grey

If i were to describe a pale grey/white cat as dappled- i mean with what looks like little squares of colour where the grey and white meet, is he ticked?
Also is it true grey doesn't really exist? If so what would a grey cat describable as purple/brown be classified as?

My kitten Archie
http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...gAnch=imgAnch8

Almost looks like a very pale silver blue - very pretty shade

But blue tabbys (that's what your cat is) have the ticking of a normal tabby - so you'd have the color variation. A solid blue would not have that ticking pattern.

If the striping was not there, it would be more of a ticked type of tabby but its the normal color pattern of a mackeral tabby.

As far as your color question - I have NO idea - do you have a picture or better description. Only "purple" cat would be a lilac color - that's bluish pink color. But you can't have purple and brown.

I meant he looks like both, sometimes a pale cocoa, sometimes a dusty purple. He's got the tabby stripes on his legs that get very close together on his sides, closer that i thought they normally did on a mackeral tabby and they're broken up with flecks of white, forming the squares. Mostly he tends to look a bit dusty.

Macks stripes vary. I looked at the picture again. Head seems to look a bit like an aby head or Singapura head. If those cats are in the background, that might explain the unusual pattern/color. Singa are a "sepia" color which is a brown. Abys come in ruddy, red, blue, and cream which might also affect the color.

Where did you adopt him from? How old? and How big?

I got him from somewhere I now realise had byb overtones. She said he was 1/4 aby, 1/4 bengal and 1/2 moggie. I can't be 100% sure of the truth of those claims but he and my other cat Tilly share the same father, and both Tilly and the father look extremely bengalish - if very poor pet quality. He was 10 weeks old when I got him. He's noticeably larger than Tilly, all muscle, and at 4 months weighed about 4.5lb. I think this makes him quite big for his age, but I don't have a comparison "average" kitten to judge him by.
I did wonder if he might be aby fawn coloured but i think they are typically more obviously brown.

Interesting - I stand corrected - abys do have the "fawn" - I couldn't think of the other color...lol

My first cat, Mitten was a blue tabby/white; however, he had very pale markings and more of the ticked tabby - like an abysinian. He never looked like any of the pedigree blue tabbys I saw at shows - macks or classic....so he could have had aby in the background. He was more ticked tabby then yours

Also on blue tabbys (found out from breeders) they have a cream/brownish tone on the undercoat, which might explain your color question too.

Thanks for all the help. I think he's only the 2 colours, where he's completely blue he looks dark grey and where he's ticked with white he looks lighter but its hard to be sure. He's only visibly tabby on the legs, face and tail, but aren't all cats with a bit of tabby in them striped there too?
I'd love to see a picture of Mitten, he sounds like a beautiful cat.
a couple of sleeping closeups
http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...gAnch=imgAnch4
http://s54.photobucket.com/albums/g9...gAnch=imgAnch3

I only have really old photos of him - he was born in 1970 and died in 82 from cancer. For the longest time I was not positive what he really was - just starting to show cats and get into the cat fancy. He almost had a silver tipping too. He kinda got me into my first purebred - Russian Blues as they were blue cats with silver tipping and green eyes - like Mitten was.

He was a stray - we adopted him when he was about 2-3 yrs old.

I know what you mean. I hadn't heard of a bengal before I saw an advert for bengal-cross kittens, but now i'm becoming obsessed with them. I'd love to own a pedigree bengal when I'm older, but it would have to be pet quality as I'm far too in awe of the hard work and dedication involved in being a breeder to ever become one. And it would seem a shame to me to own a show quality cat without ever showing it or breeding it, like it would be kinda wasted on just me.

That's why associations have household pet classes - for mixed breeds and pet quality purebreds. So you could put your cats in shows if you want. Many judges remark on how well kept the household pets are - some nicer then in the championship classes

I'll probably put Ling in a show or two - see what she does.

I'd be interested in showing Archie, Tilly wouldn't stand for it, but I've never really thought about it.
I originally chose my kittens for their personalities, particularly Archie's laid back willingness to be picked up, examined by the vet etc, but now I'm fascinated by their colourings. They are my sweetie-pie pets first and foremost and are probably too spoilt to be anything else!