Any cat experts?

[Scarlett]

I am driving myself crazy trying to figure out what kind of cat I have.  I have been told she is a dilute tortie, which has to do with her coat color and is fairly rare.  But she also has a distinct M on her forehead which is a sign of a tabby.  Is a Tabby a breed and a tabby can be a dilute tortie? My niece has a long hair tortie (not dilute and no M)…..so confused.

And yea I am aware this is not an important question.  

[Pawz4me]

Dilute torties aren't particularly rare. They may not be as common as (for example) black cats or tabbies, but rare--nah. Take a look on Petfinder and I bet you'll see tons of them for adoption in your area.

Both torties (tortoiseshells) and tabbies are color patterns, not breeds. If you Google "cat color patterns" or something similar to that you should be able to see lots of pictures.

[Scarlett]

19 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Dilute torties aren't particularly rare. They may not be as common as (for example) black cats or tabbies, but rare--nah. Take a look on Petfinder and I bet you'll see tons of them for adoption in your area.

Both torties (tortoiseshells) and tabbies are color patterns, not breeds. If you Google "cat color patterns" or something similar to that you should be able to see lots of pictures.

Ok, so how can she be a tabby and a dilute tortie?

[Pawz4me]

46 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Ok, so how can she be a tabby and a dilute tortie?

There are all sorts of weird color pattern combos, and I'm far from an expert. I think we need some pictures! 😉 

[Kebo]

Yes, they can be both.  Google tortie tabby to see some examples.  They can be very pretty cats. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Kebo

[Tanaqui]

Tabby is her coat pattern. Calico or tortie is her colors. You wouldn't say "How can she be both orange and a tabby", would you?

[Tanaqui]

Also, to be clear, neither tabby nor tortie is a breed. These are just ways of describing how your cat looks. Every cat has a color (in your cat's case, tortie) and a coat pattern (in her case, tabby). If you don't know your cat's breed, then most likely your cat doesn't have a breed, she's randombred.

[Indigo Blue]

This might help:
 

https://coleandmarmalade.com/2019/05/14/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-torbies-torties-calicos-and-tabby-coat-color/

 

Maybe you have a torbie or a caliby?

[Scarlett]

[Scarlett]

[Pawz4me]

She’s adorable! If she were mine—and she looks almost exactly like our previous cat—I’d just call her a tortie. Or dilute tortie if you want. 

[Indigo Blue]

2 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

She’s adorable! If she were mine—and she looks almost exactly like our previous cat—I’d just call her a tortie. Or dilute tortie if you want. 

I agree.

[Indigo Blue]

Here is my tortie who has long since passed and is missed very much. I think I may have posted her before, so sorry if I have. 

Scarlett, your tortie is beautiful and looks like she is very loving and sweet. ETA: Yours does seem to have more of a tabby-like face. 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Indigo Blue

[Scarlett]

17 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

Here is my tortie who has long since passed and is missed very much. I think I may have posted her before, so sorry if I have. 

Scarlett, your tortie is beautiful and looks like she is very loving and sweet. ETA: Yours does seem to have more of a tabby-like face. 

Thank you. Yours was gorgeous too. 

[Scarlett]

Here’s one I just now took of her where you can see the M plain as day

[Alte Veste Academy]

I don't see tortie. With what looks like a bit of white on her chin and tummy, I vote dilute calico tabby. She's a cutie! 🥰

[Indigo Blue]

I was wondering if the bit of white she has technically makes her a calico. In which case that would make her a dilute caliby?🤔

19 minutes ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

I don't see tortie. With what looks like a bit of white on her chin and tummy, I vote dilute calico tabby. She's a cutie! 🥰

 

Edited June 16, 2021 by Indigo Blue

[Scarlett]

Hmmm I don’t really think that’s white.🤷🏻‍♀️ And I had never heard of a dilute Torti until the vet told me that’s what she is. She is a mess. I’m going to post one more picture of her. 

[Catwoman]

I’d just call her All-American! 😃

She’s probably a mix of several generations of many different types and colors of cat. Mama cats aren’t always all that selective about breed and color when they’re on the prowl for Daddy cats. 😉 

[Scarlett]

So did y'all see the bird next to her in the laundry room?  She brought that in and then just sat down and ignored it.  

[RootAnn]

Dd#2 who plays a cat expert on social media  says tabby tortie.

Gotta have more white to be a calico.

[ @Scarlett Obviously her eyes were bigger than her stomach... ]

[maize]

We have a torby cat, the tabby is pretty clear throughout her coat.

Edited June 16, 2021 by maize

[maize]

This is my torby/torbie; I've seen her patterning labelled as "mackerel torbie" with those similar to yours labeled "classic torbie."

 

[Indigo Blue]

Did the bird get back outside safely? I can’t believe it just sat there next to the cat! Did she literally just drag it in through the little cat door?

[MercyA]

All the kittehs are GORGEOUS.

I also would like to know what happened to the bird. Poor thing; probably in shock. 😞 

[Catwoman]

43 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

So did y'all see the bird next to her in the laundry room?  She brought that in and then just sat down and ignored it.  

Did you let the bird back out of the house? Fortunately, it looks like it was right next to the door!

[Pawz4me]

36 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

 

Gotta have more white to be a calico.

 

That's what I've always thought, too -- that a calico/dilute calico has a white "background," or at least a lot more white than Scarlett's kitty has. 

[Scarlett]

That little door just goes into the garage where we keep her litter box.  She drug that poor bird through the big pet door (the one the dog can fit through) at the back of the house.  Dh was able to open the garage door and shoo it out.  

She drags baby rabbits and birds in constantly.  We are usually able to save most of them, but sometimes we find a headless baby rabbit under her cat tree.  Oh and the worst.....she brought one in that we did not see and it crawled under the dishwasher and died.  It was horrific.  

So now we lock her in that little laundry room when we aren't there so she won't bring things in that we don't know about.  But she has learned that when I leave she can rush out of the garage door when I back my car out. So I have to get out of my car, go chase her around the yard, put her back in the house.  Close garage door and come out the front door.  SMH  

[Scarlett]

32 minutes ago, maize said:

This is my torby/torbie; I've seen her patterning labelled as "mackerel torbie" with those similar to yours labeled "classic torbie."

 

Very  pretty.  Colored and patterned like my mom's cat.

 

[RootAnn]

20 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

She drags baby rabbits and birds in constantly

We had a cat like this. She'd bring them in to train my toddler girls how to hunt (as if my babies were her own). We got her a break - away collar with a loud bell on it. It cut down on what she was able to bring in by about half -- making it much more manageable.

[MercyA]

I'm glad the bird was okay, Scarlett!

I sympathize. My outdoor cat enjoyed hunting and brought a baby rabbit into his "room" in the garage at least once. 😞  It is the one and only thing I would change about cats. 

A breakaway bell collar sounds like a great idea. 

[Scarlett]

17 minutes ago, MercyA said:

I'm glad the bird was okay, Scarlett!

I sympathize. My outdoor cat enjoyed hunting and brought a baby rabbit into his "room" in the garage at least once. 😞  It is the one and only thing I would change about cats. 

A breakaway bell collar sounds like a great idea. 

I would like to make it where she can't come in when we aren't there.  But I can't do that because we have the dog too that needs to come and go.

 

[RootAnn]

Oooh! For enough $$, you can get one of those microchip doors (and put a fob on their collar if they aren't microchipped).

I've seen ones that allow only certain animals out & ones that allow only certain animals in. Not positive how programmable they are. Check out SureFlap.

Best 6 tech dog/cat doors

Edited June 16, 2021 by RootAnn

[Scarlett]

21 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Oooh! For enough $$, you can get one of those microchip doors (and put a fob on their collar if they aren't microchipped).

I've seen ones that allow only certain animals out & ones that allow only certain animals in. Not positive how programmable they are. Check out SureFlap.

Best 6 tech dog/cat doors

I was thinking of that!  Thank you!

[Catwoman]

5 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I was thinking of that!  Thank you!

Would that work, though? If the cat sneaked out of the little door when the dog went out, she wouldn’t be able to get back in without one of the collars.

[Scarlett]

27 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Would that work, though? If the cat sneaked out of the little door when the dog went out, she wouldn’t be able to get back in without one of the collars.

Well the little door only goes to the garage. It is the big door to the back yard that the dog uses. And I don’t. Are if the cat can’t get back in…..lol.  She can stay out until ,we get home.

[TrueBlueRobin]

 

 

Can you guys help me too? I thought my Mellow was Tordie but now i'm not sure she isn't Caliby. she has no white exept underside and paws but she also has the calico spots on her feet that aren't tabby. we adopted her from a shelter a year ago when she was about 1 so i don't know her parents or breed and i'm not very well versed in cats collours since i'm mostly a dog guy, so i need some help ^^