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Cat Forum / General Topics / July 2003"Calico" question
I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth color be and I realized I had to be wrong about this. So I looked up "calico" and gleaned that calico is tortoise with one of the colors white. Sound correct? Then might two non-white colors constitute "tortoise"? If not, if we do need three colors, what would be the third non-white color in a three-colored non-calico cat? TIA if anyone can clear this up for me. > I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a > calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > If not, if we do need three colors, what would be the third non-white > color in a three-colored non-calico cat? a tortoise shell is usually red/black/white, or sometimes silver or ginger tabby patterned. A calico is *mainly* white with red/black. I think :) Dee > I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a > calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > TIA if anyone can clear this up for me. From "The Complete Cat Book" by Patty Cutts. "The tortoiseshell colour is classically a patched selection of red, cream and black. However, it is possible to have Torties in the recessive and dilute colours of blue, chocolate and lilac." I would guess that the blue, chocolate and lilac would be references to muted torties or calicos, though to the less discerning cat-fancier, it's just grey instead of black. ;p Calico: "The only difference is that the coat should show solid white patches intermingled with the tortie markings." > I would guess that the blue, chocolate and lilac would be references to > muted torties or calicos, though to the less discerning cat-fancier, it's > just grey instead of black. ;p I dunno...I have two grey cats, and one that'smost definitely blue. Dee Years ago we used to call the blue cats "Maltese". MLB >>I would guess that the blue, chocolate and lilac would be references to >>muted torties or calicos, though to the less discerning cat-fancier, it's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Dee >I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a >calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >TIA if anyone can clear this up for me. Tortoise shell is red + black, none, one, or both tabby. Calico is a primarily US notation for a tortoise shell and white cat. Both are the way red tabby is manifest in females (except female offspring of a tortoise shell + a red tabby - these are often red tabby females). Maryweather (<http://www.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/03.jan/mary.267x400.1.jpg> is a calico; Punkin (<http://www.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/0306/punkin.table.1.jpg>) appears to be a tortoise shell in this picture, but she does have a tiny bit of white on her belly. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) >> I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) >> and a [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > appears to be a tortoise shell in this picture, but she does have a > tiny bit of white on her belly. My cat cat 'Ding' is the same colours as 'Punkin' (different arrangement of course). I suggested when she was Spayed that her description was 'Black & Tan' which the vets accepted and put on the forms. Best wishes to all Patrick > T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or > my .sig in the body) >>I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a >>calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) | Tortoise shell is red + black, none, one, or both tabby. | Calico is a primarily US notation for a tortoise shell and white cat. Well, yes, except that in "true" US calicos, the red and black patches are usually large and relatively distinct. In torties, the red and black is intermingled (and, of course, there shouldn't be any white.) | Maryweather (<http://www.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/03.jan/mary.267x400.1.jpg> | is a calico; In the US, she would be called a torbie, not a calico. A calico would be like Ollie in this album: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1644404&uid=514878 Or Patches in this picture (in a "slide show") http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/slideshow/slide3.html | Punkin (<http://www.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/0306/punkin.table.1.jpg>) | appears to be a tortoise shell in this picture, but she does have a | tiny bit of white on her belly. Yes, just like Marie in this album: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=985302&uid=514878 (she makes an earlier appearance in the other album above as Lilac.) > Tortoise shell is red + black, none, one, or both tabby. > Calico is a primarily US notation for a tortoise shell and white cat. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) *nod* Male torties are very rare, and usually (or is it always?) sterile. Same with calicos? I actually have two red normal female tabbies (one spotted, one striped), though the father and mother were both red tabbies (I have the mom and saw the father). I keep being told how rare that is, but we have two at our shelter right now, actually. Two classics, with the swirly pattern. Very pretty, lanky girls. >> Tortoise shell is red + black, none, one, or both tabby. >> Calico is a primarily US notation for a tortoise shell and white cat. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >shelter right now, actually. Two classics, with the swirly pattern. Very >pretty, lanky girls. Story time. Many years ago, on the 4th of July, a feral calico mother got rained out from where she had been keeping her almost weaned kittens. I had been trying for months to make friends with her with little success. About mid afternoon, she came to the front door and acted as if she wanted to come in. I asked my (then) wife to let her to see what she would do. She came in and thoroughly explored the place: she found a bowl of cat food (we had three cats that were out at that moment), water bowl, litter pans, and plenty of hiding places. Then she wanted out. A little while later, she came back with a red tabby kitten in her mouth, came in, put the kitten behind the sofa, and went out again. A few minutes later, she did the same thing, and again. After putting the third red tabby kitten behind the couch, she laid down on the rug in front of the door and called the kittens to nurse. Then she left and the kittens went back behind the couch. She came back a few more times, then was never seen again. Since the kittens appeared to be pure red tabbies, I gave them male names. Time passed and they eventually tames down enough to handle, and I was surprised to discover that they were all three females, and were almost identical: all three had a small locket right of center ranging from a few white hairs to easily seen; they also had the same eye color but two had pink noses and one had a brick nose - there were also subtle differences in the lightness of the tips of their tails. Somewhat later I was introduced to a large red tabby tom with the same small off-center locket that lived less than a mile away - I suspect he was the father, and possibly grandfather as well. They turned out to be good indoor/outdoor pets and hunters, but they never adapted to living strictly indoors so after I moved to a place that didn't allow outdoor pets (and was far too dangerous for outdoor cats) I had to give them away. Since they were proven mousers, finding homes for them was not difficult. I still miss them. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) There are all kinds of materials out there discussing the genetic sources behind various cat colorings and patterns. One of them with a lot of pictures is here: http://www.esb.utexas.edu/hampton/zoo325l/Cats/. You can find lots more if you google +cat +genetics +color Genetically speaking, there is no "sable" color, and torties are orange and black. Add white and they become calicos. Here are two of my cats: Nayla is a tortie: http://www.geocities.com/ParrotRob/nayla2.jpg And Omelet is a calico: http://www.geocities.com/ParrotRob/omelet2.jpg > I thought a tortoise coat was three colors (black, white, & sable) and a > calico was four colors. Then someone asked me what would the fourth [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > TIA if anyone can clear this up for me. Hi My cat isnt enjoying the heat either but it loves being outside. But today she cant because it rains and she recently had an operation on her leg as she broke it in 8 places,falling off a bungalow roof! She shakes the leg in the rain and hates getting it wet! Talking about stupid things cats do... My cat once fell in a bucket of bleach!! She survived thank god but i had to feed her milk to neutralise the bleach she'd licked off. Sarah |
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