A Reverse Dilute Calico?

goldenkitty45

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Has anyone seen a reverse dilute calico (or blue cream and white)? Reason I ask is that we were at a farm and one of the kittens is white with many patches of cream on the coat BUT only a spot of blue (or blue tabby) on the ear, and one spot on the leg, and one spot on the tail.

Its not enough other color (blue) to tell if its blue or blue tabby. I'm trying to talk DH into adopting it (for HHP showing) but he's stubborn. I've NEVER seen a reverse tho!
 

sol

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No matter the amount of creme and blue it's called a dilute calico. Even if it has a large amount of white spotting you should be able to tell if it has tabby markings or not by looking at the cats face (unless the whole face is white). A cat with tabby pattern has a light "eye liner" around the eyes and is should have white on the muzzle and chin. If the cat is too white in the face and you simply can't determine if it has "eye liner" and white in the muzzle and chin you can only determine if she has tabby markings by breeding her with a male without tabby markings. If any of the kittens has tabby markings, it comes from the mother.

However, I'd just settle with her being a dilute calico if you can't determine if she has tabby markings or not.
 
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goldenkitty45

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These were about 6-8 weeks old (judging by size) and barn cats so NO way would it ever be bred if I got it.

The face had some cream above the eyes and on the head. I know it would still be considered dilute calico, but I've never seen a reverse color - usually bluecreams have more blue then cream. This kitten was pretty unusual. And since cream is light, it would be awhile to see if that was cream tabby or not. Believe me there was not enough blue to tell one way or the other. I'm guessing tabby only cause there was a nice brown tabby in the litter and 2 black/whites, so chances are that dad was a tabby.

And unless you could tell, you really could not call it a dilute patched tabby or a dilute torbie either; so it would have to be dilute calico.
 

bab-ush-niik

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A cat with tabby pattern has a light "eye liner" around the eyes and is should have white on the muzzle and chin.
I've never heard this. Patches is a calico and has eyeliner and a white muzzle and chin, but no tabby pattern on her. I just don't see what tabby has to do with eyeliner and white spotting.
 

sol

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Originally Posted by bab-ush-niik

I've never heard this. Patches is a calico and has eyeliner and a white muzzle and chin, but no tabby pattern on her. I just don't see what tabby has to do with eyeliner and white spotting.
The eye liner and white muzzle and chin has nothing to do with white spotting, but with tabby pattern (and all cats have a tabby pattern even if it doesn't show off). However, it can be hard to tell the difference between a red tabby and a solid red since solid red almost always show off ghost markings and can give the illusion of being tabby. If your calico is very red in the face I wouldn't be surprised if there is eye liner but in that case you'll have to determine color after the black parts of the cat.

The white on the muzzle and chin has nothing to do with white spotting but if a cat has white spotting, the white nose and chin is not a certain sign (in red pigmented cats).

These faces are very typical tabby faces:
http://www.infopet.ca/media/tabby%20...ing%20down.gif (this cat has the white chin and muzle but has NO true white spotting)
http://www.norskskovkat.dk/pictures/ns22.jpg (has no true white spotting)
http://www.miakoschkasiberiancats.co...20Feb%2006.jpg (a calico with obvious tabby markings in the coat, but less obvious in the face due to the white spotting)
http://www.gorzow.mm.pl/~bebelebe/Tubby Tabby.jpg (with white spotting that covers the "tabby white muzzle and chin" but shows off the tabby eye liner)
http://www.cowtowncats.com/030106 Tabby's Brown Mac & White Girl 3.jpg (with white spotting that covers the "tabby white muzzle and chin" but shows off the tabby eye liner)
http://www.jacawaca-mainecooncats-uk.com/Photos/Tiara's Kittens/Red Classic Tabby.jpg (a red classic tabby with very obvious tabby signs in the face, the eye liner and the white muzzle and chin is there)
http://www.devonrex.se/images/gallery/21_l.jpg (a solid red with very clear ghost markings which also means he shows off eye liners BUT they're not white, they're "just" pale orange)

So... red cats can be very hard to determine if they are tabby or not since almost all red cats show off tabby pattern, either "true" tabby or ghost markings. If a calico is very red/creme in the face and only has very little black/blue on the body it can be close to impossible to tell if she's a tabby or not.

I'd like to see a picture of this "reverse calico".
 
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goldenkitty45

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I'd have to go back to the farm and see if I can get a picture - she's not mine.
 
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