# Would you call her a calico or a tortie with white?



## cmw0829 (Nov 23, 2008)

I say tortie, hubby says calico. Her right front leg looks just like the left, except that it's black from the shoulder to the little white foot. Thanks.

Reeses - 7 months old.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Tortico!


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

RachandNito said:


> Tortico!


 :lol: rcat


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## PeaceLoveRescue (Feb 15, 2008)

A tortie is randomly patched and mingled all over with orange, black and sometimes a creamy white color and without white face markings.

A calico has more white on them along with orange and black. The orange and black patches however are usually solid and not mixed together.

Torties with white markings are called tortie and whites but this depends on how much white they have and their bodies have mixed colors of orange and black not solid seperate patches.

And my computer is blocking your picture so I can't see it so I've just written whatever has come to mind.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Wait til you see it, Lilac, it's impossible to decide!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Calico is a very diverse _phenotypical_ description. Phenotype describes how things look; *calico was a general term used to describe any black and orange cat* (or blue and cream, which would be a 'dilute' cat) whether it had white or not, and Genotype describes how things are genetically made up.

The genotype for calico, is the female cat has, of course, two "X" genes denoting that gender (female) and each "X gene supplies a color gene, one is black and the other is orange.
The phenotype for the various calico markings is first, all orange cats express agouti markings (stripes) whether they have the agouti gene or not. _Agouti_, is the gene that affects black hair, giving harirhafts bands of color that result in tabby markings. There are several different tabby phenotypes, which are: classic (target), abyssinian (ticked) and mackerel (thin stripes, broken stripes and spotted) which show up dramatically with agouti defining their markings.

*Your cat is a tortoiseshell (tortie) because she carries no agouti*, which would normally give her black areas tabby markings. She is also still a tabby (every cat is a tabby), but without agouti to express the pattern on her coat, she remains solid in her black coloring. I *think* her tabby pattern (expressed in her red hair) is the striped mackerel pattern. 
Anyhow, a cat who had agouti would have tabby markings in place of the black, or dilute gray, hair...a tortoiseshell tabby (torbie or patched tabby). 
With white markings, you just add "and white"; tortie and white, torbie and white.

The only differentiation between the color/marking designations was using patched to describe a cat who has more defined patches of color: black, white, orange with little/no tortoiseshell-like mingling of colors.

So, both of you are right. ANY black/orange cat can be a phenotypical calico. Your cat IS a tortoiseshell because of the definition of her genetic markings.
I know, clear as mud...huh? 
If you need a definitive 'winner'...any car can be a car, but specific body design and options make it a specific kind of car from a particular manufacturer. So, I'd have to say "tortoiseshell" wins due to precision of description.
Use either one (of my descriptions/definitions) depending on how diplomatic you want to be with your husband!
heidi =^..^=


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I call her adorable!


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## Bethany (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm now confused because Wikipedia and Google suggest that a calico IS a tortiseshell-and-white (the former being the US term, the latter the UK term.)

e.g. http://www.messybeast.com/tricolours.htm

If that's the case then the answer to your question is "yes."

She's lovely either way!


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

She's beautiful, that's what she is! Wow, her coloring is really gorgeous.


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## cmw0829 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks to you all for the very nice comments about our sweet kitten. After three weeks, she is sweeter every day - a devilish little kitten, but such a sweet devil. We are so happy that we waited for just the right second cat. 

Heidi, thanks for the detailed explanation - I actually did understand it! Diplomacy with my husband - naw - he knows I always like to be right. :lol: 

Have a great day!!


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## MEOWx4 (Apr 22, 2009)

doodlebug said:


> I call her adorable!


Agreed!!! I liked the term Tortico too! :lol: 

On another note I would definitely say she is more tortie then anything else, I love torties!

here's our Peanutty


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

:heart Gorgeous kittehs! :luv


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## cmw0829 (Nov 23, 2008)

Peanutty is so cute! So wide-eyed. I love cats with the white bibs.


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