Help! Found kitten, what kind is he?

[BM8341]

Hello!
I recently found an abandoned kitten at steel farm a few days ago. Only about 5-6 weeks old so I know it is hard to tell what kind they are if you can even tell at all. Was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what he might be. The vet said his markings were very rare for a male, along with his dark blue eyes that don’t appear to be changing at all. Let me know if you have any ideas!

 

[jefferd18]

Wow, he looks like a calico and a male calico is rarer than hen's teeth. What a cutie. Thank you for helping him.

 

[BM8341]

Wow, he looks like a calico and a male calico is rarer than hen's teeth. What a cutie. Thank you for helping him.

That’s what we were thinking but everyone was surprised when we said he was a male! So we weren’t sure if it was true or not, haha. Couldn’t let him stay outside alone! Was way too friendly to have been a feral kitten.

 

[JennKitty]

He's such a handsome kitty!
His patterns make him resemble a calico. He could definitely be a domestic-shorthair though. He resembles just like my kitty when he was younger!

 

[Willowy]

I'm not sure if he's calico---his light spots look like warm brown to me, not true red---but that is very unusual coloring! Can you post a picture of his sides?

 

[jefferd18]

I'm not sure if he's calico---his light spots look like warm brown to me, not true red---but that is very unusual coloring! Can you post a picture of his sides?

Calicos are three color cats and while the standard calico has orange white and black on them, they can also have colors of warm brown bluish-black, red, or cream

 

[jeannem]

Short hair! I don't know enough to do any further analysis.
j

 

[Willowy]

Calicos are three color cats and while the standard calico has orange white and black on them, they can also have colors of warm brown bluish-black, red, or cream

A true calico has, genetically, red, black, and white (or cream, blue, and white if dilute). That's what makes them a calico. The red/cream and black/blue genes are associated with the x chromosome, which is why usually only females (XX) can have both colors, males are XY so they only get one. So a calico male has to have a chromosomal abnormality (XXY), or he's a chimera or a few other even more extremely rare situations. Any other shades are just shading and not genetic red, which makes all the difference.

 

[lutece]

He's adorable!

I would describe your kitten as a brown tabby and white domestic shorthair. Since his sides are relatively dark, he's probably either a brown classic tabby with a lot of dark markings, or a brown ticked tabby. If you take more pictures of him from the side, we can try to determine his tabby pattern.

I'm not seeing red tabby patches in these pictures. The warm brown areas visible in the pictures correspond to areas that are warm brown or grayish-beige on a brown tabby.

Eye color comes in slowly, many kittens still have blue eyes at this age. As he gets older, you'll see his adult eye color coming in. His eyes will probably be gold or green, but it's also possible for a cat with white markings to have blue eyes, or "odd eyes" (one blue, one gold or green).

 

[BM8341]

I'm not sure if he's calico---his light spots look like warm brown to me, not true red---but that is very unusual coloring! Can you post a picture of his sides?

 

[jefferd18]

A true calico has, genetically, red, black, and white (or cream, blue, and white if dilute). That's what makes them a calico. The red/cream and black/blue genes are associated with the x chromosome, which is why usually only females (XX) can have both colors, males are XY so they only get one. So a calico male has to have a chromosomal abnormality (XXY), or he's a chimera or a few other even more extremely rare situations. Any other shades are just shading and not genetic red, which makes all the difference.

So you agree that he is a rare male calico.

 

[lutece]

From these pictures, I think his color looks most like brown ticked tabby and white. Some ticked tabbies are very dark on the top of the head like that, especially when they are babies. As he grows up, the ticking will become more apparent. He's very cute

 

[lutece]

Here is another post with a brown ticked tabby and white kitten that is a bit older than yours, so you can see how this color looks when the ticking becomes clearer. If your kitten is indeed a ticked tabby, he may end up similar in color to this kitten.

How to describe cat's coloring

This is my new boy Marco (little over three months old). He's so sweet and so cute but I have no idea how to describe his coloring beyond saying he has white, gray, and black fur. Is there a describing name? l also just want to show off my handsome boy

thecatsite.com

 

[jefferd18]

Here is another post with a brown ticked tabby and white kitten that is a bit older than yours, so you can see how this color looks when the ticking becomes clearer. If your kitten is indeed a ticked tabby, he may end up similar in color to this kitten.

http://[URL][URL]https://thecatsite.com/threads/how-to-describe-cats-coloring.413354/

[/URL][/URL]

This kitten has no tabby stripes anywhere that I can see.

 

[lutece]

This kitten has no tabby stripes anywhere that I can see.

Ticked tabbies have tabby stripes only on the face and legs (and sometimes not even on the legs). On the body they have ticking (agouti).

 

[jefferd18]

Ticked tabbies have tabby stripes only on the face and legs (and sometimes not even on the legs). On the body they have ticking (agouti).

I understand, but where are the stripes on this kitten's face?

 

[lutece]

I understand, but where are the stripes on this kitten's face?

 

[jefferd18]

Hmm. I see the a few stripes on the leg. Seems to me that ticked coats are just that- ticked- not splotches of color.

See the stripes on legs but not a tick coat- just splotches of color.

 

[BM8341]

Here is another post with a brown ticked tabby and white kitten that is a bit older than yours, so you can see how this color looks when the ticking becomes clearer. If your kitten is indeed a ticked tabby, he may end up similar in color to this kitten.

http://[URL]https://thecatsite.com/threads/how-to-describe-cats-coloring.413354/

[/URL]

Thank you! They do look similar! Curious to see if any patterns in his spots show up as he gets bigger. It’s hard to tell when they are this little! I had a few people at the vet call him a girl from the get go and then they actually did the check up and realized he was indeed a boy. Haha. Maybe it was due to the fact that he’s so pretty and not so much the 3 colors.

 

[Willowy]

So you agree that he is a rare male calico.

No. I don't believe he has any genetic red. Just warm brown shading.

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Thanks for the side pics! Yes, I think he must be a ticked tabby or there would be stripes or swirls. He's a real cutie!