# Calico or tortie?



## Alura93 (Jan 10, 2014)

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Alura93 (Jan 10, 2014)

Posted to early - oops! The one who has more white, Delilah, I call calico. The darker one, Lorelai has been called both calico and tortie by vets. What do you think?














Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I would agree with you. Are they from the same litter? We have a calico at the shelter that has really pretty coloring. She looks like a classic calico that has been sun-bleached. The brown is more peachy caramel and the white is a cream.


----------



## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

Whatever they are, they are very adorable


----------



## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

I'm pretty sure if their coat has 3 colors, they are calico, so I'd say they're both calico. They're adorable!


----------



## Alura93 (Jan 10, 2014)

Nope different litters. Lorelai was found by a McDonald's dumpster and Delilah was brought into the pet store I work at by some people who watched someone throw her out of a car at Walmart. They are best friends now 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

This coat pattern is like the pinto coloring in horses .. it confuses a lot of people lol. People want to call a horse with white splotches a paint, but a paint is a breed not a color, like pinto. So confusing!

Here is the info I use for coat spotting kitties.

A tortoiseshell cat with the tabby pattern as one of its colors, is a Torbie. The term Tortoiseshell is typically reserved for cats with cream, orange, or red fur along with either black, grey, or brown fur and relatively small or no white markings. 

If a cat is white with tortoiseshell patches it can be properly described as a tricolor, tortoiseshell-and-white, or calico.


----------



## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

In my mind, I think of calico as having the large white splotches and tortie w/white as being all tortoiseshell with only white mittens and/or locket.

Really, Lorelai could be considered either, IMO.

They're both beautiful.


----------



## Speechie (Dec 2, 2013)

Pretty kitties,


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

To me they both look like calicos. 
We have both a tortie and a calico and their fur patterns are nothing alike.

Our calico, Hera, has obvious spots of white. (I hate that photo because she looks dead  but it shows her markings well.) What you can't really see in the photo is that the dark part of her fur also has spots of orange/red.

Or tortie, Athena, has fur that is "mottled" light and dark. (With the exception of that one orange tabby paw.) She is no white at all except a minor sliver on her chest. She is also looking with contempt at my husband for putting those antlers on her and taking a photo.


----------



## Krista2882 (Jan 26, 2012)

Wow, I've never seen a calico with black being the dominant color!


----------



## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

*squishes!!!* so cute


----------



## dt8thd (Jan 7, 2013)

They could both be called _either_ Calicos or Tortoiseshell and whites--I don't think I would say that either was _wrong_. I wasn't aware that there was any actual distinction between the two based on the way the colours are distributed or how much white is present, so long as there are clear patches of white. I always thought that the different terms used to describe calico/tortie and white cats had more to do with where you come from, like how Americans say "orange tabby", whereas Brits call them "ginger tabbies".

Regardless, Delilah and Lorelai are both adorable! 

These are my tortie and calico girls, Autumn and Ramona. They're mother and daughter.










Autumn:










and Ramona:


----------



## emilyatl (Sep 9, 2013)

dt8thd - those pics are so cute (especially the top one)! Autumn is really stunning.


----------



## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

dt8thd said:


> I wasn't aware that there was any actual distinction between the two based on the way the colours are distributed or how much white is present


There definitely is, there is a LOT of science/genetics behind this particular coat color .. it's actually quite fascinating (although also a tad confusing lol)

I love calico cats


----------



## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

I think the paler one is called 'dilute' calico.


----------



## Alura93 (Jan 10, 2014)

NOLAKitties said:


> I think the paler one is called 'dilute' calico.


They're also called pastel calicos

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Kneazles (Nov 18, 2013)

What a great link, BigLittleSmall. That really sums it up nicely.


----------



## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

Kneazles said:


> What a great link, BigLittleSmall. That really sums it up nicely.


 Thanks, :thumb I find this coat pattern intriguing .. just like the merle & harlequin pattern in danes.


----------

