Ok Guys, Help Me Settle An Argument Between Me And My Coworker.

[SmolCreeperCat]

So I always believed that a calico cat was primarily white, with solid, defined patches of other colors, usually black and red. A tortie has a black base coat and brown and orange sort of brindle pattern with no defined patches of color (other than maybe the face and legs, from what I've seen). So what do you call a cat that has tortie coloring and also some white patches? My coworker keeps saying it's a calico, but in other areas of the world they'd term it a torbie and white. In our shelter system I keep labeling it just as a tricolor, and my coworker keeps changing it to calico Needless to say, what is the difference between calico, tricolor, and a tortie? And what would YOU call a cat with white patches and tortie patterning?

 

[abyeb]

I would call that coloring tortie and white.

 

[GameJeannie]

I would call that coloring tortie and white.

I second this!

 

[orange&white]

I agree with you: Tortie with white. Perhaps a tuxedo tortie, depending on the placement of white.

A lot of primarily white with the 3 Calico colors (tricolor): Calico (the white is self-explanatory).
A lot of primarily the 3 calico colors (tricolor) with patches of white: Tortie with white (or tuxedo tortie).
Both have the tricolor gene.

So, you and I agree anyway.

I'm sure you have opened a great debate here, such as the one you are having with your coworker!

 

[maggiedemi]

Can you post a photo of the cat please?

 

[SmolCreeperCat]

Can you post a photo of the cat please?

 

[abyeb]

Aww! What a cutie! Yes, I’d say tortie and white, in the tuxedo mitted pattern.

 

[neely]

Wow, what a gorgeous tortie/white! I love her white mittens too.

 

[epona]

It also depends where you live - Calico is not a term that is used in the UK for example - there are torties and tortie & white.

She's gorgeous btw

 

[maggiedemi]

She so beautiful, I love her! Yeah, she looks like mostly Tortie, except for that one white part in the front, and her paws and chin.

 

[maggiedemi]

Is your coworker older? My parents used to call all cats that looked like that Calico, they never used the work Tortie.

 

[SmolCreeperCat]

Is your coworker older? My parents used to call all cats that looked like that Calico, they never used the work Tortie.

No she's under 30, but she's from California while I'm from the East coast, so I wonder if it's a regional thing too.

 

[SmolCreeperCat]

It also depends where you live - Calico is not a term that is used in the UK for example - there are torties and tortie & white.

She's gorgeous btw

Unfortunately she has the tortietude IN SPADES. She's been with us a few days and still tries to eat our eyeballs when we approach her. I'm suspicious that she may be feral as she's a stray cat but hopefully (for us anyway) she's just a very scared sweet lady.

 

[furmonster mom]

Maybe... but doubtful... I have a 70 year old aunt who lives in CA, who had calicos for a while (white with color patches), and she definitely called them calico.

Also, I think of calico colors to be more in big splotchy patches... what you have here seems more stripey or mottled, kinda blended. That, and the primary dark background is what makes tortie in my mind.

 

[StefanZ]

Agreeing with everyone else, I want to say, this splendid beutie could after alll be called for a calico. She is somewhat mottled/ spreckled, she is, and thus she is a tortie with white. Still, the colors are decently holding together in big fields, and thus, its no big fault to call her for a calico.
The best compromise is perhaps to call her for a three colored cat. Which is true for both calicos, and tortie with white.

I want to mention, all such questions about the exact pattern are more difficult with longhairs. Its easier to decide on shorthairs.

 

[StefanZ]

Torbie has been mentioned. Torbie means our tortie has also a tabby pattern on the dark spots.

Why not on red? Because all reds are tabbies, so it wouldnt be no sport. So unless the tabby pattern on red is verrry protruding, we pretend we dont see it if its on the red / creme spots.

So tabby on dark fields, becomes torbie or torbie with white.

IF its a calico three colored + tabby, the labels becomes more complicated. Patched tabby is one label probably the official one. Some may say caliby. There may also be other labels which I dont remember at this moment.

 

[maggiedemi]

You could label her Tortie/Calico. I've seen some shelters and rescues do that, since some people like my parents still call all cats that color Calicos.