Confused about Kitten's pattern

[lutece]

What I was trying to say was "what we see with the eye". The tabby markings will still be there for a red-based kitty. We just have to look really close sometimes to see them. If the color is very intense, the tabby marking pattern may not be as easy to see with the eye, unless we're looking hard for it. Make sense?

I am not sure what you mean. A red-based kitty is phenotypically a tabby. For a red-based color, the solid (non-agouti) gene does not make the tabby pattern any less easy to see.

 

[lutece]

These are not neighbors, but co-workers and as I've already explained about the one home, it is nearly impossible for them to do so at this time because they are not suppose to have cats in the first place. Does this cause an issue, yes. Are the cats being neglected? To be honest, I can't say anything for the other two coworkers because I am not sure about how they raise kittens and care for their cats, but the one that I am getting the kitten from does everything she can to ensure that her cats are well taken care of.

I did mention to a seperate coworker that I would be willing to alter her animals for her, as her cats are truly a huge issue - compared to the other two groups - to an evergrowing problem; they are outdoor/indoor and there are two males and two females. She seemed inclined but did not further speak on it. Making phone calls would not do me any good, as I have no idea where they live or what their addresses are. I don't even know their last names.

I do agree that what you are saying is the best option. However, it is not something that can be done on one owners end, and not something that I can do other than suggest to them that they either alter their animals or allow me to do it.

i see fire. I hope you can find a way to help your co-workers with their cats. When it's just a co-worker and you aren't close to the person, sometimes all you can do is just keep offering to help, but keep it up!

As far as your friend is concerned (who has the parents of this kitten that are brother and sister, and lives in a complex that doesn't allow cats, right?), I think if you are creative, you and your friend can figure out a way to get these cats spayed / neutered. I'm sure there is a way to "smuggle" the cats out to visit the vet. When your friend has had kittens, how does she "smuggle" the kittens out of the apartment to go to their new homes? Presumably you have a plan for how to "smuggle" your kitten out to bring it home? How does your friend "smuggle" all the cat food, cat litter, and other cat products into her apartment? Also... wouldn't it be better for her to work on finding another place to live where she wouldn't have to worry?

If these two cats continue to have kittens, or even if she separates the two cats and doesn't have any more litters, one concern for your friend is that an unspayed female is likely to eventually have an emergency that will require vet assistance... either an emergency related to breeding and having kittens, or an emergency related to not being spayed, such as pyometra. It will be more difficult to "smuggle" a cat out of the apartment complex in an emergency situation like that, compared to a routine procedure like spay/neuter where your friend can choose the timing herself.

 

[mackiemac]

I am not sure what you mean. A red-based kitty is phenotypically a tabby. For a red-based color, the solid (non-agouti) gene does not make the tabby pattern any less easy to see.

Perhaps because I've been around SO MANY cats in the years I've worked with cats, I've seen some where the tabby pattern was not as distinct, and was rather... soft in presentation. I understand what you are saying that reds are phenotypically tabbies. We are in agreement there, and there is no dispute on that point. But some reds that I have seen have had much bolder tabby patterns than others, and some have been less distinct. I would liken it (sort of, for the purpose of this discussion) to people with freckle genes-- some people have faint freckles but once you look more closely, you see the freckles, and some people have freckles that you can see a mile away. They have the freckles and the genes for freckles. It's just that the freckles show up more on some people than others. Does that better explain what I was trying to say?

 

[lutece]

Sure, but that is true for all tabby cats. Some tabbies have a more contrasty pattern than others. Reds are like other tabbies in that respect.

I'm not really sure what you meant to say, but these are the two things you said that I think could confuse someone (emphasis mine):

• "Faint "ghost markings" aren't at all unusual in young colorpoint kittens of any hue. As they get older, the ghost markings eventually get absorbed into the point color as it deepens. So, what appears to be a lightly marked lynx point may end up being a "solid-color" colorpoint… as in, flame, seal, chocolate, lilac, etc. without lynx markings."

This could confuse someone because red (flame) point can never be a solid-color colorpoint; it isn't in the same category as seal, chocolate, and lilac. Also, tabby markings on a red cat aren't "ghost markings" as in those other colors; they are tabby markings.

• "In the case of flame/cream/apricot ("reds")… the tabby markings may be somewhat obscured and not distinctly visible once the rest of the point pattern fills in"

This could confuse someone because red (flame) point doesn't "fill in" like seal, chocolate, etc. It is always going to be a tabby (lynx) point.